THESE LAST NAMES WERE ON THE MAYFLOWER IN 1620 — ARE THEY IN YOUR FAMILY TREE?

35 million Americans descend from 102 people on one ship. The Mayflower left Plymouth England on September 6 1620. Sixty-six days later it arrived five hundred miles off course. Half the passengers were dead by spring. The fifty-three who survived built Plymouth Colony — and four hundred years of descendants later their surnames are hiding in more American family trees than anyone realizes. This video covers fifteen of those surnames and the stories behind them most Americans have never heard. Bradford — governor for thirty years, wrote the only history of the Pilgrims, wife fell overboard before they even landed. Descendants include Hugh Hefner, Clint Eastwood, Noah Webster. Alden — not a Pilgrim, hired as a barrel-maker, stayed for love, married Priscilla Mullins whose entire family died the first winter. Most documented descendants of any Mayflower passenger. Descendants include Dan Quayle, Dick Van Dyke, Orson Welles. Howland — fell overboard mid-Atlantic, grabbed a rope, survived, married a thirteen-year-old orphan named Elizabeth Tilley, had ten children. Descendants include Christopher Lloyd, Alec Baldwin, Humphrey Bogart, and Ralph Waldo Emerson through an entirely female line. Mullins — brought 126 pairs of shoes to the New World, died in the first winter, left his daughter Priscilla one of the largest estates in Plymouth Colony. Standish — not a Pilgrim, a professional soldier hired for defense, the only person on the ship capable of protecting the settlement, stayed after his wife died. Descendants include Dan Quayle and Deborah Sampson, the first American woman to earn a military pension. Hopkins — the only passenger who had been to America before, survived the 1609 Sea Venture shipwreck near Bermuda that inspired Shakespeare to write The Tempest, had a son born during the crossing named Oceanus. Billington — the most notorious passenger, his son almost blew up the ship, he became the first person executed for murder in Plymouth Colony history in 1630. President James Garfield descends from the Billington family. White — son Peregrine born in Cape Cod Harbor before they even landed, first European child born to Mayflower passengers in the New World, lived to 83. Winslow — Plymouth's diplomat, wrote the only first-hand account of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the sole primary source document for the event. Warren — crossed without his family, wife and five daughters arrived three years later on the Anne in 1623, he died five years after they reunited. President Franklin D. Roosevelt descends from Richard Warren. Brewster — studied at Cambridge, worked with the man who signed the execution warrant for Mary Queen of Scots, oldest committed Separatist on the ship at fifty-three. Fuller — the colony's physician with no formal training, nursed the sick through the winter that killed half of them, died in 1633 of smallpox. Richard Gere descends from Samuel Fuller. Cooke — wool comber from Norwich, wife arrived later on the Anne. Grandma Moses descends from Francis Cooke. Allerton — his daughter Mary was three years old on the Mayflower and lived until 1699, the last surviving passenger. FDR descends from both the Warren and Allerton lines. Tilley — Elizabeth Tilley lost both parents and both adult relatives on the ship in the first winter, survived alone at thirteen, married Howland, had ten children. The mitochondrial DNA of that teenage orphan runs through Ralph Waldo Emerson in an entirely female line. DISCLAIMER: This video is produced for educational purposes. Famous descendant lines are drawn from documented genealogical research at MayflowerHistory.com and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants — individual lines may be subject to ongoing genealogical revision. A DNA test alone cannot confirm Mayflower ancestry. The Mayflower Society requires a documented paper trail back to a specific passenger. The free FamilySearch database is the recommended starting point for initial research. #MayflowerDescendants #MayflowerAncestry #MayflowerSurnames #MayflowerPassengerList #PilgrimAncestry #PlymouthColony #MayflowerGenealogy #ColonialAncestry #FamousMayflowerDescendants #MayflowerHistory #NewEnglandAncestry #AncestryDNA #FamilyHistory #MayflowerCompact #WilliamBradford #JohnAlden #JohnHowland #PriscillaMullins #MilesStandish #RichardWarren #WilliamBrewster #StephenHopkins #MayflowerShip #ColonialAmerica #1620Pilgrims #AmericanBloodlines #FindYourRoots #FamilyTree #GenealogyResearch #MayflowerSociety