I was asked what I have learned about family history. Honestly, I’ve just started to begin the process. We had a Relief Society activity and we barely scratched the surface on navigating things. I feel that it is pretty straight forward but with time will take some practice.
What a blessing it has been that we are provided with websites such as Family Tree. It’s really awesome to be able to open the app and find messages about relatives that I know and ones I never have known.
Being Thanksgiving this week I thought I would share a new relative that I have. This relative sailed on the Mayflower his name was William Bradford (1589-1657). He is my 9th great-grandfather. And he and his wife sailed to the New World. They created the Mayflower Compact, which established self-governance for the colony and helped shape the nation that eventually became the United State of America.
William Bradford was age 30 when he landed. He was born in Austerfield, England. He married Dorothy May in Amsterdam in 1613. They left ther son John behind who would join them in a later ship. William served as Governor of Plymouth Colony for 31 terms.
William kept journals. He had the most extensive library of first-generation New Englanders. ( See how important journals are!) These ancestors had many trials to be sure. William suffered the loss of Dorothy when she fell off the deck of the Mayflower and drowned in Provincetown Harbor. William was remarried to Alice Carpenter with whom he had 3 children.
There are countless stories to find and read and become acquainted with our ancestors and realize they were real people that have affected how we came to be. Family Search gives a diagram picture of what life was like on the Mayflower. I hope that maybe some of you will become interested in finding out more about family and where you came from.
Stefanie Thomson