The Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants was established in 1980.
All these years, I must have been hiding under a rock — and apparently it wasn’t the Plymouth Rock.
Until yesterday, I was totally unaware of the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants. I (naively) assumed all descendants of the passengers on the Mayflower ship that landed in 1620 at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts had remained in the United States. (Pfft! And I call myself a genealogist.) To my knowledge, none of my ancestors was aboard the Mayflower, which is the best (lame) excuse I have for my ignorance.
Established in 1980
The Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants has been around since 1980 and is based in Toronto. Its goal is “to build a strong Mayflower and New England research library to help Canadians in researching their New England and Mayflower lines.” The society has a collection of more than 320 volumes available in the Canadiana Room of the Toronto Public Library’s North York Central branch.
Membership is open to anyone over the age of 18 who can document their bloodline descent from a passenger aboard the Mayflower. A list of Mayflower passengers is available on the Home page.
When the society was established, it became the first Mayflower society to be formed outside the United States. Today, it has one active colony in Nova Scotia. (To establish a colony, you must have at least 15 members.)
The Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants is part of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants that was formed in 1897. When you join the Canadian organization, you become a member of both.
AGM, tea, and Janice Nickerson
On Saturday, October 18, at 3:00 p.m., the society will hold its annual general meeting and host a tea and lecture with genealogist Janice Nickerson. The meeting and lecture will be held at Layton Room, 2nd Floor, Oakham House, Ryerson Student Centre, 63 Gould Street, Toronto. The cost is $20. Ms. Nickerson will talk about “How to share your family’s history with your family without having to write ‘the book.'”
Typically, the AGM is only open to members and their guests and seating is limited. However, they do welcome all those who have an interest in the Mayflower and its passengers. If interested in attending, send them an email at governor@csmd.org.
The society holds meetings once or twice a year.
Canadian Pilgrim newsletter
The Society’s newsletter, Canadian Pilgrim, is published twice a year. Past issues, including the Fall 2014 issue, are available on their website.
Informative website
I like their website. It is well written, well organized, and it contains plenty of information and links to resources.
Membership
If interested in tracing your Mayflower lineage and joining the 250 members in the Society, review the Application Tips. Annual dues are $45, the application fee is $95., and the family application fee is $70.
So, get out from under your rock and look at this website — even if your ancestors didn’t arrive on the Mayflower.
Thanks for your blog post, Gail. Really appreciate your interest not to mention your kind words. We do have to ask for a correction though on our fees. Annual dues are $45. The application fees are $95. Family rate application fees $70.
Thanks
Thanks for letting me know. I have corrected the info in the blog post.
Thanks so much for correcting the fee info so promptly. Very much appreciated!
Gail – I did not know I had a Mayflower connection either — until just seven years ago. I found it as I was meandering down my paternal great-grandmother’s line on Ancestry.ca. My great-grandfather was a noted chronicler of New Brunswick’s Loyalists in the early 2oth C — and even he did not know (we’re so lucky to have the Internet!). If you have ancestors who were Loyalists or hailed from the Maritime provinces, there is a good likelihood that you have a Mayflower ancestor.
George McNeillie
Governor
Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants
Interesting that you mention Loyalists may have Mayflower ancestors. Another reason for me to envy my fellow genealogists who have Loyalist ancestors. Thanks!
I have met many members of the Canadian Mayflower Society at meetings in Plymouth and other places. I’ve always enjoyed chatting with them because my 10 Mayflower ancestral lines all go through NOVA SCOTIA! There are a large number of Planters from Cape Cod and other places in New England who arrived in Nova Scotia between 1760 and 1763. Mine came back to Massachusetts after one or two generations, but most stayed, and some went on to other places including Australia and England. There are Mayflower descendants world wide.
Ten Mayflower ancestral lines! I’m envious, Healther. I have learned that some Loyalists also had Mayflower ancestors. Meanwhile, I have no Mayflower passengers, Loyalists, filles du roi, or Patriotes in my ancestry — but I like to write about these folks.
Gail,
I want to let you know that your wonderful blog post is listed in today’s Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/10/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-october-3.html
Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Jana. I follow you every Friday.
I have loyalist ancestors, surnames Ross,Munro,Campbell,all were born in Scotland so doubting any pilgrim stock there but have one line from maternal line
Surname Polley leading into surnames Cole, Gowell,Parker,Green,Cutter,Lincoln,Remick
Adams,Shears,Chester,Nickols,Hall,Eames,
Cushing,Brewster,Southwick
Dear Rick Jackson: Check your maternal line. William Brewster was a Mayflower Pilgrim. I am one of his descendants. Often William Brewster’s line has connections with Stephen Hopkins, another Mayflower Pilgrim and I am also a S. Hopkins descendant. My second cousin tells me we have Loyalist roots too, but I have not looked into it.