Mayflower Memories

    "One of your ancestors came over on the Mayflower," The Mama said.

 I was puzzled by this. Isaac Cumings (Note- one 'm'), was said to have arrived in 1635, along with his wife and children, from England. Were the arrival dates wrong? The passenger list? I used to think the Pilgrim in question was old Isaac who, after he was freed, built up a substantial legacy for Cumingses to come -- including my grandfather's ancestors.

But it wasn't him -- it was Grandma's side of the family! 

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UPDATE:  After Thanksgiving, I proudly checked the 'Cumings family tree' on Ancestry.com to once again bask in my ancestor's fame -- only to have another last name leap out at me. Yes, I have a Pilgrim ancestor. But 'my' Edward's last name is FULLER, not Winslow! 

    Ah well. Winslow and his wife Susanna really were wonderful. I would have loved to have met them. More on this in an upcoming post. I did find a valuable list of what are termed 'Pilgrim ships,' which will lead me on even more bunny trails. Yes, Edward Fuller and his wife (probably named Ann) are on the Mayflower list. Whew.

Edward Winslow (1595-1655) was one of the Pilgrims' reps, a mover and shaker who managed to dig up funds and goodwill for the Separatists who were determined to move to the New World. Most thought them crazy. But a few influential companies were more interested in what would be a substantial ongoing profit, should the venture succeed. Winslow was well-educated. Although his family had a salt business, he turned down an apprenticeship in stationery, and became a printer, instead. 

He originally sailed with his wife Elizabeth, brother Gilbert and a few servants on board the Speedwell, which was too leaky to continue on. Some accounts suggest the captain didn't want to go -- so deliberately damaged the boat. Maybe so, but it didn't deter the Winslows, who crammed onto the Mayflower. They lived through the voyage, landed in November 1620, and settled into the New World.

No doubt Edward's education helped with the spelling of the Mayflower Compact, which he signed.  Here he is, in a 1651 portrait, looking very, well... Pilgrimly. I love that little quirk at the corners of his mouth that says: "Don't take me too seriously -- I don't."

Edward was instrumental in making friends with the local Native American tribe, particularly a friendship with Massasoit, the Wampanoag leader. (It's thought he nursed the chief back to health after he grew ill -- with a special chicken soup!) He could not save his wife, however. Elizabeth died in March 1621. Less than two months later,  Edward married again to Susanna White, a widow who'd lost her husband that same winter. No doubt she was one of the women who cooked the Thanksgiving feast that the Pilgrims celebrated with Massasoit and his braves in December 1621. Winslow wrote:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

 Edward and Susannah had three sons, Edward, John and Josiah -- plus a daughter, Elizabeth (named for wife #1?)  and a child who died young. (He also had two stepsons, Resolved and Peregrine, from Susanna's earlier marriage to William White.) Edward became one of the Colony's chief apologists, and made three trips to England to argue their cause. He also published a number of writings promoting the colonies, including 1624's Good News from New England, and became governor of the Plymouth Plantation three times. 

Somehow he gained favor with Oliver Cromwell, who in 1655, sent Winslow on a voyage to Jamaica, planning to install him there as governor. Winslow died during the voyage, but two of his children survived. (Two sons and another child predeceased him years earlier.) Susanna outlived him, too. 

Susanna was also literate -- it's her letter that Edward is reading in the portrait above. I'm guessing the Winslows passed this on to their children, as well. (The Pilgrims, in general, emphasized the importance of education.)

You can find out more about Edward from the Mayflower400 website, which says he "often isn't the most heralded of the Mayflower passengers. His skills in diplomacy, writing and politics don't usually put him in the story books' limelight." Susanna's life is covered here, as well. She is famous in her own right, as both the first mother and bride in the Plymouth Plantation, and one of only four women who survived that first winter of 1620-21. (The first Thanksgiving. is celebrated now, but I doubt the women were thrilled about preparing all that food. Too bad frozen pizza wasn't around.)

     Eventually the Winslows moved to Marshfield, MA. Susannah is buried there in the Old Winslow Burying Ground...but there is some question when she was born and died, though Find-A-Grave.com lists it as 1592-1680. Son John only lived a year, according to Find-A-Grave: 1627-1628. His brother Edward lived only a few years longer: 1624-27. The only Winslow son to survive to adulthood was Josiah: 1629-1680.)

Josiah Winslow - Plymouth Colony's thirteenth governor.

No sense of humor here.

Elizabeth, Edward's first wife, is sadly left out in the cold. Ancestry.com not only fractured the Winslows' history considerably, but called Elizabeth 'Ann' -- or left her unnamed -- and gave her no further notice.

Even though I'm not related, after all, as I'd initially thought, Edward and Susanna Winslow are proud parts of the Plymouth tradition -- and early influencers on the colonies that became America.

Thanksgiving at Plymouth (Brownscombe, 1925)

All Pilgrim photos courtesy of Wikipedia