Thinking of Plymouth Colony

Today I have been thinking of Plymouth Colony as Thanksgiving approaches.

Although it is much discussed and debated, the first Thanksgiving is generally believed to be celebrated at Plymouth Colony with the Pilgrims and Indians.

Thanksgiving Day - Pilgrims - Feast - Plymouth Plantation - Plymouth ColonyI had several ancestors who lived in Plymouth Colony, and one of them would have been at that first Thanksgiving feast in 1621 as he was a passenger of the Mayflower.

George Soule was a servant of Edward Winslow and worked with him in Holland in his printing business before fleeing to America with other workers.

See: Mayflower Ancestry

Thanksgiving Political Cartoon - Frank Andrea Miller - Religious Freedom - Pilgrims - Plymouth Colony

Winslow had printed a controversial book and he was on the run from the King of England. The sailing of the Mayflower came at the right time and they were able to sail with the other separatists.

George Soule along with Edward Winslow were among the signers of The Mayflower Compact.

Plymouth Colony - Eugene Aubry Stratton - Pilgrims - Genealogy - Ancestry - Thanksgiving

Another ancestor who lived in Plymouth Colony was Frances Sprague. The Sprague family came to Plymouth Colony in 1623 on the ship Anne. His daughter Mercy later married William Tubbs.

See: Pilgrim Ancestry

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul, John M. Barry, Separation of Church and State, Rhode Island

My 10th great grandfather Roger Williams also lived in Plymouth Colony for a short time. He had left the Massachusetts Colony for a short time over some disagreements with the Puritans. However, he did return to Salem after a couple years. He was later kicked out of Massachusetts after major disagreements with the Puritans about acquisition of Indian land and separation of church and secular matters.

See: Roger Williams in Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Colony Map, Taunton, Massachusetts, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving

Plymouth Colony was a separate colony from Massachusetts until 1692 and I had many other ancestors who lived there. I am still researching my Braman family, but they were in Taunton as early as 1653 when they appear in a court record.

In the map above you can see the approximate boundaries of Plymouth Colony. I have yet to sort through all of my known ancestors to see which ones arrived prior to 1692 and whether they lived in Plymouth or Massachusetts.

I had planned on doing much more research before Thanksgiving this year, but too many competing projects got in the way.

Take some time to be thankful tomorrow.

Steven

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A Daytime Walk

Today I decided to trace the steps of one of my night time walks. It is a much different walk in daytime and takes much longer since I take a lot of pictures.

I could have shared dozens, but will just post five quick pictures before heading off to Kansas City.

walk, daytime, walking, autumnHere is a beautiful well kept palm tree near my house. It is nicely trimmed.

walk, daytime, walking, autumnHere is an example of a palm tree that has not been trimmed for a very long time. It is a bit of a danger with all the dried fronds.

walk, daytime, walking, autumnIt is autumn and many people have some nice yard decorations. These are much nicer than the Halloween ones that many people had out.

walk, daytime, walking, autumnThe trees are really colorful. I like this tree as it has retained enough leaves to still show color, but you can also see the white of the branches.

walk, daytime, walking, autumnHere is the gazebo at the nearby park. It looks so quiet and peaceful. If I would have had more time and a book I might have had to sit and read for awhile.

Now to get to the airport.

Steven

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