Genealogy Fever
I love genealogy and researching my family history. I feel myself wanting to dive back into my research. I have been passionate about genealogy for a while, but a few years ago, I discovered something amazing. While researching WikiTree, I connected with a distant cousin in Canada, who informed me that we were related to John Howland. He was a passenger on the Mayflower and one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.
I was very excited when I learned this new information. I discovered that John Howland was my 9th great-grandfather through my paternal grandmother. My distant cousin lives in New Brunswick Canada, as did many of my ancestors. At some point that part of the family moved from the New England area, up to Canada.
Although I grew up just outside of Boston, Massachusetts I had never been to Plymouth, but I knew now that I had to go. In June of 2022, my wife and I had to travel to Boston for a funeral. While there, we took a trip to Plymouth. There was a lot to see, but we were only there for a few hours. We saw Plymouth Rock and some of the sites but had to leave soon after.
In September 2023, I took my family to Boston to visit my family there. We were able to spend an entire day there and it was great. We started the morning on Burial Hill, where my 9th great-grandfather, John Howland is buried. There are also several other Howland's surrounding his grave. It felt a little overwhelming to stand at the graves of my ancestors who endured so much on the ground where I now stood. As we stood there on top of Burial Hill, we could look down over Plymouth Bay and imagine the Mayflower coming in from the grueling 66-day journey.
The next place on our list was the Jabez Howland house. Jabez was my 8th great-granduncle. The Jabez Howland House is the only existing house in Plymouth where Pilgrims actually spent time. The original 17th-century two-story timber-framed house consisted of a porch, hall, and hall chamber. Jabez Howland, John and Elizabeth's son, lived here with his family until they sold the house in 1680.
Next, we made our way to Rocky Nook, just a few miles North of Plymouth. This is where the home of John Howland once stood. The footprint of the home was still visible, as well as the entryway and the hearth. It was amazing to stand in the doorway that my ancestors once walked through. Looking at the hearth, I could just imagine them cooking and sharing meals together.
History is so interesting to me, especially when it involves family. The thrill of investigating new leads and finding new facts is amazing. I wish that I had been more interested in my family history while my grandparents were still alive. They have all passed away and taken with them amazing stories and facts that I will now need to find on my own.
I also learned that John Howland had fallen overboard in the middle of the Atlantic during a storm. He was able to grab a rope trailing behind the boat and was safely pulled aboard (otherwise I wouldn't be here).
Genealogy is very time-consuming, and at times discouraging. At times I will find myself needing to take a break, even though I enjoy it so much. But then, I read something or see a photo that reminds me of my family history and I get the itch to dive back in. As spring is fast approaching, I find myself wanting to continue the work that needs to be done gathering documentation needed to join the Mayflower Society. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun!