So, here’s something you don’t hear every day while sipping your morning coffee: I’m a card-carrying member of the Mayflower Society. Yup. That Mayflower. The boat. The Pilgrims. The buckle-shoes and bonnets bunch who crossed the Atlantic with nothing but hope, grit, and zero understanding of personal space.
But for me, joining wasn’t just about proving a connection to some fancy historical moment. It was about honoring a promise—one I never got to fully keep while the person who asked was still here.
My Grandmother Evelyn used to tell me stories—about how we were connected to the Mayflower, how we had ancestors who helped settle the New World. She’d say it with that twinkle in her eye like she knew something special. She asked me to research it back when I was younger, and I tried—believe me, I tried—but the internet back then was basically a slow-loading library with no clear answers and more dead ends than helpful leads.
It wasn’t until years later, after she had passed, that I picked up the thread again. This time, the tools were better. DNA tests. Digitized records. Online databases. And eventually, there it was—Edward Doty, my 10th great-grandfather, right there in the historical records as a Mayflower passenger and the proud participant of Plymouth’s first recorded duel. (Because of course my ancestor would start something as soon as he landed.)
Now, as an official member of the Mayflower Society, I feel a connection to something bigger—something lasting. And there are real benefits to being part of it, too.
Besides preserving a powerful piece of history, the Society provides access to exclusive genealogical resources, events, and a network of others who share this unique heritage. It’s also a legacy I can pass down to my children and grandchildren—so they’ll always know where they came from.
It may have taken me years and a few more clicks than expected, but I found what Grandma Evelyn always said was there. And I think she’d be proud.
I don’t own Pilgrim shoes. I don’t churn butter. But I carry their spirit—and hers—with me every day.
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