Every family has stories tucked away in old records and forgotten names. Recently, our family uncovered one that reaches all the way back to 1620. After careful genealogical research, we can now confirm that our lineage traces directly to three Mayflower lines: the Tilleys, John Howland, and William and Mary Brewster.
Seeing these names appear in our own family tree is both humbling and surreal. These were real people—ordinary men and women whose courage and faith shaped the earliest chapters of American history.
The Tilleys
Our line includes John and Joan Tilley and their daughter Elizabeth, one of the few young women to survive the first winter. Elizabeth later married fellow passenger John Howland, and together they became ancestors to thousands. Through her, the Tilley legacy lives on in our family.
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| Elizabeth Tilley Howland |
John Howland
Perhaps the most dramatic story in our lineage belongs to John Howland, the young man who fell overboard during a storm and miraculously survived by grabbing a trailing rope. Bradford recorded the event, noting how close he came to being lost at sea. His survival changed history—and eventually shaped our own family line.
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| John Howland |
The Brewsters
We are also connected to Elder William Brewster and his wife Mary, central figures in the Pilgrim story. Brewster served as the spiritual leader of the group, guiding them through persecution in England, refuge in Leiden, and the perilous journey to the New World. Their steadfast faith helped anchor the early colony.
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| William Brewster |
A Legacy to Carry Forward
This discovery doesn’t elevate us above anyone else, but it does deepen our appreciation for the people who came before us. Their resilience, conviction, and willingness to risk everything for a new beginning now form part of our own family story.
