Welcome to the website of the New Hampshire Society of Mayflower Descendants. I joined the society back in 2004 not only because of my pride in being connected to America’s Plymouth Colony, but also to honor my father, David.

My Dad was born in 1938, the third of four children, to Lillian and Henry. Henry died in 1945 when my Dad was just 7 years old. Raising a family alone, while earning an income necessary to support a household, proved an impossible burden. My grandmother was forced to make the heart -breaking decision to place her four children into foster care.

Dad, separated from his family, was placed with a family who worked a farm. There, he was expected to work from sunup until sundown. At that time, foster care was a harsh institution. Children rarely felt loved or valued. This affected my father’s self-confidence. After high school graduation, my father proudly served in the United States Air Force, during the conflict in Korea. He married my mother in 1958 and my birth followed several years later.

Always a humble man, Dad provided for us with a blue- collar job at the New England Telephone Company. During his 26 years there, he did not take one single sick day. My Dad was a quiet, private man who served his family, community and church. He rarely spoke about his childhood.

When I was eighteen, my Dad passed away less than six months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 42 years old. Although Dad loved history and learning, he never knew about his Mayflower Heritage. My family has discovered through research that we are in fact descended from William Brewster and Stephen Hopkins. I think if Dad was aware of his family roots, he would have walked a little straighter and held his head a little higher. I would like to honor him by helping other families discover their roots and tell their unique stories.

A first step to discovering your own family’s legacy is to explore the resources that the NH Mayflower Society offers. We have been in existence for over 90 years and currently boast over 600 members. Our purpose is to “to perpetuate to a remote posterity the memory of our Pilgrim ancestors and to pay homage to and defend the principles of civil and religious liberty which they promulgated in the COMPACT OF THE MAYFLOWER.” On our website, you can read about our history, including a list of all the Mayflower passengers. You can learn how to become a member, junior member or friend. Full membership includes membership in the general society of Mayflower descendants which is headquartered in Plymouth Mass which will preserve your line for future generations. You can also find details about our NHMS Memorial Scholarship which is awarded annually to deserving high school senior and college undergrads. And, you can access our newsletter the Shallop which features current NH events, articles of interest and member news. I invite you to start your journey with us today.

Best wishes,

Penny Webster, 39th Governor

Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of New Hampshire

Contact us at: Governor@nhmayflower.org

See our Facebook group for more upcoming and past events and activities.