Yes, children, you are descended from a Pilgrim

Some years ago I wrote a blog post about my children possibly being linked to a passenger on the Mayflower through their father's side.  I determined that it was not likely that they were related to "Thomas the Pilgrim."  You can imagine how delighted I was to discover while doing family history research this summer that I was related to passengers on the Mayflower.

I learned that my great, great, great grandfather, Simeon Dunn, was a descendant of Edward Fuller (who signed the Mayflower Compact) and his wife through their son, Samuel.  This couple died shortly after coming ashore, but their son, Samuel did not.  It is thought that he was 12 at the time of his parents' death.  His uncle, brother to his father, and also named Samuel took young Samuel in and eventually Samuel grew to adulthood, married Jane Lathrop, and fathered nine children of his own.  You can read more about Simeon Dunn here.  You can read more about Edward and the Samuel Fullers here.

I am humbled to know that part of my heritage includes the beginnings of a great nation where religious freedom was valued and people were brave enough to do really hard physical and mental things to make their dreams come true.

A few years back I read "Mayflower" by Nathaniel Philbrick.  After discovering my relationship to Mayflower passengers, I went to my bookshelf to find this book so I could search the index for Fullers.  There was mention of Edward Fuller and two references for Samuel Fuller but Philbrick had it wrong.  He made both Samuel the nephew and Samuel the uncle out to be the same person.  Should one contact the author about an error like that years after the book was published?

Happy Thanksgiving!  I will ponder this dilemma as I make our Thanksgiving feast.