Their Mayflower Connections
by Susan E. Clement
[Bold Underlined Capital Letters=Mayflower Pilgrims]
When Robert and Mary Reynolds arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with their five children about 1630-32, the Plymouth Colony of the Pilgrims was already well established. Within two years of the establishment of the colony centered in Boston, its population was estimated by Governor John Winthrop at around 4,000. It is only natural, therefore, that many of these colonists and their children would look for and move into other areas nearby that perhaps were not so crowded. Just south of Boston, in the Plymouth colony, and in other new New England settlements land was more available, and families took advantage of the opportunity to build a homestead.
The family of Robert and Mary was no exception. Robert himself moved from Boston to Watertown, Mass., to Wethersfield, Conn., and then back to Boston. His daughters Ruth and Mary both lived with their families in Watertown. Nathaniel, his only son, married twice and lived in Boston until 1680 when he moved to Bristol (then Mass., now R.I.). He was one of the original founders of the town there.
It was with the children and grandchildren of Nathaniel that the intermarriages with Pilgrim families began. The oldest children of Nathaniel from his first marriage established their families in Boston including his son Nathaniel. The family of this second Nathaniel moved to Bridgewater, Mass. Nathaniel Sr.'s younger children from his second marriage stayed in the Bristol area and raised their families there. In both places, Nathaniel's children and grandchildren came into close contact and established relationships with descendants of the Mayflower pilgrims.
THE BRIDGEWATER FAMILY CONNECTION
Nathaniel Reynolds 3d (Nath'l, Nath'l, Robert) married Mary Snell in 1716 in Bridgewater. She was the daughter of Thomas and Martha (Harris) Snell. Nathaniel and Mary lived for only a short time in Boston before moving to Bridgewater. They had two sons, Nathaniel and Thomas. Nathaniel 3d died at age 26, less than three years after his marriage. Mary remarried to David Ames of Bridgewater, where the two Reynolds boys grew up. Some of the Mayflower families had originally founded the town and their families remained there.
TURNER FAMILY
Thomas Reynolds, the younger son of Nathaniel and Mary, married Elizabeth (Betty) Turner on November 3, 1784 in Bridgewater. Marion H. Reynolds stated that he believed she was the daughter of Amasa and Rebecca (Delano) Turner. The records of the Mayflower Society indicate, however, that she was the daughter of Japhet Turner. Elizabeth's ancestry is traced back to Edward Doty of the Mayflower:
Betty Turner and Thomas Reynolds, 3 Nov 1748 (Brdgwtr VR 2:320)
Japhet Turner and Elizabeth Morse, 17 Jan 1724/25 Middleboro, MA
Hannah Hatch and Japhet Turner, c. 1702 (Pembroke VR:211)
Mary Doty and Samuel Hatch, c. 1677 (Myflwr Desc. 5:111,3:91)
EDWARD DOTY and Faith Clark, 6 Jan 1634 Plymouth (MD,13:83)
PERKINS FAMILY
Thomas' son, Joseph, married Jemima Perkins on Sept 17, 1772. Joseph and Jemima raised their family in Bridgewater, though later in life they moved to Auburn, Maine to live with their son Ichabod. Another of their sons, Simeon, married another Mary Snell on Jan 19, 1809 in Brockton, Mass. She was the g-g-granddaughter of Thomas and Martha (Harris) Snell. Both Jemima and Mary were Mayflower descendants.
(1) Jemima Perkins and Joseph Reynolds, 17 Sep 1772
Luke Perkins and Rebecca Packard
Ruth Cushman and Luke Perkins, 28 Jan 1716, (Plympton VR)
Robert Cushman and Persis Lewis, c. 1697 (MD 4:111)
Thomas Cushman and Ruth Howland*, 17 Nov 1664 Plymouth (MD 17:185)
Mary Allerton and Thomas Cushman, c. 1636 (MD 4:38)
ISAAC ALLERTON and Mary Morris, 4 Nov 1611, Leyden, Holland
*Ruth Howland
Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland, c. 1626 Plymouth (MD 2:70)
JOHN TILLEY and Elizabeth.
(2 Mary Snell and Simeon Reynolds, 19 Jan 1809, Brockton
Zebedee Snell and Mary Hayward
Zachariah Snell and Abigail Hayward*,11 Mar 1730/31 Bridgewater (MD 16:98)
Anna Alden and Josiah Snell, 21 Dec 1699 Duxbury (MD 9:109)
Jonathan Alden and Abigail Hallet, 10 Dec 1672, Duxbury (MD 10:232)
JOHN ALDEN and PRISCILLA MULLINS, daughter of WILLIAM MULLINS of the Mayflower.
*Abigail Hayward
Hannah Mitchell and Joseph Hayward, c. 1682 (MD 5:248)
Experience Mitchell and Jane Cooke
FRANCIS COOKE and Hester Mayhew
Mary Snell's half-sister, Martha, daughter of Zebedee and his first wife, Mary Howard, married William Reynolds, the son of Philip and Hannah (Packard) Reynolds. Philip was the son of Nathaniel, the oldest son of Nathaniel and Mary (Snell), who married Hannah Hartwell and moved to the area of Sidney, Maine. William and Martha's descendants share the connection to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins through their Snell ancestry.
THE BRISTOL FAMILY CONNECTION
The Bristol branch of the Reynolds family (who frequently spelled the name Raynolds) was quite prominent and well-to-do, being one of the "old families" of the town. It is not unusual therefore that there were many intermarriages with other prominent and well-established families. Two of Nathaniel's grandchildren, Mary and Nathaniel, children of Peter Raynolds and his wife Mary Giles, married into Mayflower families.
CHURCH FAMILY
Mary Reynolds and Constant Church, 25 Jan 1732/33, Bristol
Charles Church and Hannah Paine, 20 May 1708 Bristol VR 6:1:13,41,60
Benjamin Church and Alice Southworth, 26 Dec 1667 (Gen. Reg. 1:159)
Elizabeth Warren and Richard Church
RICHARD WARREN and Elizabeth (Marsh) Jouatt
LITTLE FAMILY
Nathaniel Reynolds and Mary Little, 3 Aug 1741, Bristol
Edward Little and Mary Walker, 7 Nov 1717 (Bristol VR 1:66)
Samuel Little and Sarah Gray*, 18 May 1682 Marshfield (MD 4:126)
Ann Warren and Thomas Little, 19 Apr 1633 Plymouth (MD 13:83)
RICHARD WARREN and Elizabeth (Marsh) Jouatt
*Sarah Gray
Mary Winslow and Edward Gray, 16 Jan 1650 Plymouth (MD 16:235)
Mary Chilton and John Winslow, bef 22 May 1627 (MD 1:150)
JAMES CHILTON and Mary
ROGERS FAMILY
The Mayflower tradition was established early in the family of Nathaniel Sr.'s son, Joseph. Joseph married Phebe Leonard on Aug 26, 1718 in Norton, Mass. Phebe's ancestry is as follows:
Anna Tisdale and George Leonard, July 1695, Taunton, Mass.
Anna Rogers and John Tisdale, 23 Nov 1664 Taunton (MD 19:108)
John Rogers and Ann Churchman, 16 Apr 1639 Duxbury (MD 13:85)
THOMAS ROGERS
BRADFORD FAMILY
Joseph's grandson, also named Joseph, lived in Bristol and married Sarah Cox, the daughter of William Cox, in Bristol on 11 Dec 1771. Joseph and Sarah had several children, among whom were Sarah and Elizabeth. Sarah married Daniel Bradford Jr. on 29 Nov 1799 (Bristol VR 1:13). Elizabeth married Daniel's brother, Samuel, in 1806. Daniel and Samuel's parents were Daniel Bradford and Susannah Jarvis. Susannah was Daniel's second wife. He had first married Mary (Reynolds) Church, the widow of Constant Church, and daughter of Peter and Mary (Giles) Reynolds. The Bradford ancestry is:
Daniel Bradford and Susannah Jarvis, 25 Sep 1773 (Bristol VR 2:57)
Gershom Bradford and Priscilla Wiswall*, 23 Oct 1716 Plymouth (MD 14:38)
Samuel Bradford and Hannah Rogers*, 31 July 1689 prob. Duxbury (MD 13:205)
William Bradford and Alice Richards, bef 28 Jan 1650/51 (MD 9:65,90)
WILLIAM BRADFORD and (2) Alice (Carpenter) Southworth, 14 Aug 1623 Plymouth (MD 30:4)
*Priscilla Wiswall
Priscilla Pabodie and Rev. Ichabod Wiswall, 2 Dec 16-- Duxbury (MD 8:232)
Elizabeth Alden and William Pabodie, 26 Dec 1644 Duxbury (MD 8:231)
JOHN ALDEN and PRISCILLA MULLINS, daughter of WILLIAM MULLINS
*Hannah Rogers
John Rogers and Elizabeth Pabodie* (Elizabeth Alden and William Pabodie), Nov 1666 Duxbury (MD 8:232)
John Rogers and Ann Churchman
THOMAS ROGERS
Another connection with the Bradford family is found in the family of Nathaniel Sr.'s son, Benjamin whose grandson Benjamin, son of John and Dorothy Weld, married Elizabeth Bradford on April 22, 1784 in Duxbury. Elizabeth was the daughter of Job and Elizabeth (Parkman) Bradford who were married 26 Jan 1758 in Boston (Rec. Comm. 30:370). Job was the son of Gershom and Priscilla (Wiswall) Bradford and follows the same ancestry as his brother Daniel outlined above.
OTHER PLYMOUTH CONNECTIONS
Those familiar with New England genealogy will recognize other early colonial families connected with these Mayflower ancestries. Many other early Plymouth families, who arrived within the first few years of the Colony's settlement, are well represented. Of note is Col. Benjamin Church, "The Indian Fighter", who commanded the colonial troops in the war against King Philip.
There may be other Mayflower connections not mentioned here that will be found with some additional research. Acceptance into the Society of Mayflower Descendants on any of these lines is possible. However, the Society requires documentation and verified proof of each family connection, as should always be the standard for acceptiong anyone as an ancestor. References are given above as stated in the various sources used and should be verified before accepting them as truth.
Additional Mayflower Sources
Davis, William T. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families. Balto: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985.
Drummond, Josiah H. The John Rogers Families in Plymouth and Duxbury. (Read before the Maine Historical Society, December 19, 1895)
Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater, in Plymouth Co., Massachusetts including an extensive Family Register. Boston. Reprinted by Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, 1983.
Reynolds, Marion H. The History and Descendants of Robert and Mary Reynolds (1630?-1931) of Boston, Mass. Brooklyn, NY: The Reynolds Family Association, 1931.
Roberts, Gary Boyd. Genealogies of Mayflower Families from the New England Historical Genealogical Register. Balto: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985. 3 volumes.
Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Marriages from the files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Balto: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1990.
Wilbour, Benjamin Franklin. Little Compton Families. Little Compton Historical Society, Little Compton, RI, 1967.
Willison, George F. Saints and Strangersem>. New York: Reynal and Hitchcock, 1945.