Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-21
ANNIVERSARY OF MAYFLOWER
By Frederic j. Rnskin

themselves into a. Separatist church, and
elected their officers by ballot Another
interesting feature about the organize
ton of this church is the fact that its
whole creed was told in a single SEN
tence: 1--WE covenant with the Lord. and
with one another, and do bind ourselves
in the presence of God to walk together
in all His ways, according as He is
pleased to reveal Himself unto US in His
blessed word of truth"
The most far-reaching result Of the
Pilgrims work was the town meeting
instituted by them-a typical pure de-
mocracy. From the town meeting grew
the constitution of the state of Connecti-
cut, which was written in the study of
Parson Thomas Hooker. 1t Is claimed
that from this instrument came the germ
inaI ideas Of the constitution OF the Unit
ed States. Virginia also had represen-
tative form of government in its house of
burgesses.
Fourteen states and the District of CO.
lumbia now have state associations OF
Mayf1ower descendants, and their total
membership is we'll up into the thousands.
1t has been calculated that II in each
generation there were three children to
marry and each Of these in turn have
three to marry, the tenth generation
might number about 4,500.o0O. In other
words, one-sixteenth Of the native born
population of the United States might
trace at least one strain of blood back
to the Mayflower. Each person has l,OA
ancestors of the tenth generation, unless
there has been intermarriage somewhere
along the line. 1t follows, therefore, that
every person whose ancestry Is Of native
stock, stands a good show OF having
somewhere touched the Mayhower pas
senger list. Furthermore, each individual
who traces his ancestry back ten gener-
ations will find that, barring intermar-
rage, he has 2,o46 ancestors In the ten
generations. II any one OF these has been
a Mayfiotver passenger or the descendant
Of one. the individual becomes eligible
as a Mayfiower descendant.
John Alden has as many as 500 descen-
dants who are members of the society,"
while not a member of the Richard More
family had applied for membership at
the time of the publication Of the last
souvenir volume of the society. Perhaps
a score of the passengers have not over
80 descendants in the society. William
Brewster and William Mullins have many
descendants on the rolls of the society,"
and after them comes the descendants
of John Rowland, William Bradford,
John Tflley and Richard Warren. From
these men have sprung many Of the
notables of New England and other sec
tions of the country.
-
One of the objects of the society Is the
gathering and publication and preserva-
ton of additional data about the May
flower passengers, their history before
coming To America and their lives after
settling at Plymouth. Each member
takes deep pride in searching out some
new fact pertaining to the Pilgrims. and
it has stimulated investigations in Eu-
rope and America to a wonderful degree.
Al the triennial congresses OF the gen.
eraI society these things are much talk
ed about, and made matters of permanent
record There is also a periodical pub
Iished several times a year, which gives
a list OF all the activities OF the various
state societies the new members admit
ted, the new facts discovered, etc. While
il may be dry reading to the outsider 1t
is a publication of intense interest to the
Mayflower descendant. 1t has run
carefully treasured by members of the
society.
The determination Of the Pilgrims to
make their history-affecting voyage to
Plymouth Rock was largely matter Of
chance. An Independent church, COM
posed mainly of simple country folk was
formed in 1906 in Scrooby. Nottingham
shire At it's head was John Robinson,
the pastor, of whom IT has said that it
was hard to judge which was the more
delighted; he in having such a people, or
they in having such . pastor. William