All About My Family By: Andrea

The Mayflower was very important in my family history. This is a replica of the Mayflower which is now at Plymouth Massachusetts.

Why was the Mayflower so important? My Great Grandmother’s family can be traced back to show my 12 th Great Grandfather, (Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather), was on the Mayflower. His name was Francis Cooke. He was a very famous man in history.

My Great Grandfather’s family can also be traced back to passengers on the Mayflower, William and Susanna Fuller White. They had the first baby on the Mayflower. His name was Peregrine White.

Who was Francis Cooke? Francis Cooke was born in England in He sailed on the Mayflower with his son John, in His wife and younger children joined them later when Francis and his son had settled and were happy in America. Francis Cooke signed the Mayflower Compact which was a document telling what the laws would be for the Colonists. These people we now call Pilgrims.

Who was Peregrine White? Peregrine was the first child to be born on the Mayflower in 1620 when it was docked in Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts. His parents were William and Susanna White. They had come from England to America on the Mayflower. William White died the first winter in the new land. Peregrine began serving in the military at age 16. When he got older, he married Sarah Basset in 1648.

Why did they come? These people that we now call the Pilgrims, left England so they could find a place where they would have the freedom to practice Christianity as they wanted. This was so important to them that they risked their lives crossing the ocean to come to a new land.

When did my family come to Michigan? My Great, Great, Great Grandfather, Thomas Hammond and his brother, left Massachusetts and started a meat packing business in Detroit. This was sometime around These are the first family members that I know of that came to Michigan.

Other Interesting Facts Hammond, Indiana was named after my family. We are descendents of Richard Warren also on the Mayflower. He too signed the Mayflower Compact. Joseph Dickinson, my 9 th Great Grandfather, was killed by Indians in King Philip’s War in This is only part of my family history. I can’t wait to learn more about the rest!