September 16th, 2020, marked the 400th anniversary of the launch of the Mayflower from Plymouth, England to North America.[1]
The voyage and early years of the colony at Plymouth were documented by one of the Mayflower’s passengers, William Bradford, a Pilgrim leader who became governor of the colony in 1621. His journal, Of Plimoth Plantation, includes a list of passengers on the Mayflower — the original New England founders.
One of the passengers on board was Edward Doty, a 21-year-old servant accompanying his employer Steven Hopkins.
From the list of Mayflower passengers, showing the Steven Hopkins family and his servants, including Edward Doty.
Click on the image to see the passenger list in its entirety.
Edward Doty, a contributor to the story of our nation, is also one of our ancestors, as shown in the descendant list below.
In essence, the children of James and Billie (née Ehrlich) Bartlett, which includes my wife, are the 9th great-grandchildren of Edward Doty.
In the following four posts, below, we’ll explore the historic voyage and colorful character of Edward Doty.
Be forewarned. Though Eddie sailed over here with the self-called Saints — later called the Pilgrims — he himself was no Saint, literally or figuratively.
No surprise, there, huh? Read on for his story.
Footnote(s)
[1]. The Mayflower sailed on the 6th of September 1620 according to the Julian calendar in use at the time. However, England adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1751, essentially adding 10 days on the current calendar to prior calendar dates.