The Names We Share

When thinking about our unknown genealogy, many Americans wonder when their earliest ancestor set foot on the North American continent and who that person may have been. I often wonder this and have yet to find the definitive answer. As for my husband and children, we are fairly certain of this answer. I thought this week would be appropriate for this post. This is a genealogical fact that has been known by my husband's family. When I learned of this, I was excited to share with my children that their 12th Great-Grandfather was William BRADFORD, passenger on the Mayflower voyage in 1620, signatory of the Mayflower Compact, and second governor of Plymouth Colony. We would be hard-pressed to find another ancestor arriving in North America before him.   Pictured above: A conjectural image of Bradford, produced as a postcard in 1904 by A.S. Burbank of Plymouth My family is descended from William Bradford through his son, William, by his second wife, Alice CARPENTER. There are seven gen...