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Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

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Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#2
“These would have been on a cramped gun-deck (where the passengers would also live) with gun-ports”

Was that really the case? It seems far more likely for the crew to have lived on the gun-decks since presumably they would have been trained to use the cannons, instead of the passengers.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#5

“These would have been on a cramped gun-deck (where the passengers would also live) with gun-ports” Was that really the case? It seems far more likely for the crew to have lived on the gun-decks since presumably they would have been trained to use the cannons, instead of the passengers.

The crew (other than the captain who probably had his own cabin) probably stayed at the lower deck because the gun deck had better ventilation for the passengers. It took a long time after a ship first became visible for a gun battle to occur so the crew had enough time to get ready.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#6
> To think, if he hadn't made it, I wouldn't even be here

Isn’t that the case for literally every one of our ancestors? Any one of them was one accident, disease, etc. away from not having the child that became the next link in the chain between them and me.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#7

Apparently 2 million Americans can trace their lineage to a passenger on the Mayflower who fell overboard and survived by grabbing a rope trailing behind. They include FDR, H.W. And W Bush.[1] [1] https://accesswdun.com/print/2015/11/352412

I've always been amazed by this ability to track your ancestors hundreds of years back. Were the records that good back then?

I had lots of trouble getting birth records for my great-grandparents. The system in my country was terrible, if I didn't have the exact name and date of birth, they couldn't find anything. Nothing was digitized, maybe that changed but I doubt it.

In fact, I did have the wrong day but fortunately the right month and year for my great-grandfather, and it took them a month to find the information. It was expensive, too.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#8
post #7

Apparently 2 million Americans can trace their lineage to a passenger on the Mayflower who fell overboard and survived by grabbing a rope trailing behind. They include FDR, H.W. And W Bush.[1] [1] https://accesswdun.com/print/2015/11/352412

I've always been amazed by this ability to track your ancestors hundreds of years back. Were the records that good back then? I had lots of trouble getting birth records for my great-grandparents. The system in my country was terrible, if I didn't have the exact name and date of birth, they couldn't find anything. Nothing was digitized, maybe that changed but I doubt it. In fact, I did have the wrong day but fortunat…

My grandmother traced her family back to the 30 years war. No records after that. Churches are a very good source for that in Europe. That being said, I never understood the obsession with lineage.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#9
post #7

Apparently 2 million Americans can trace their lineage to a passenger on the Mayflower who fell overboard and survived by grabbing a rope trailing behind. They include FDR, H.W. And W Bush.[1] [1] https://accesswdun.com/print/2015/11/352412

I've always been amazed by this ability to track your ancestors hundreds of years back. Were the records that good back then? I had lots of trouble getting birth records for my great-grandparents. The system in my country was terrible, if I didn't have the exact name and date of birth, they couldn't find anything. Nothing was digitized, maybe that changed but I doubt it. In fact, I did have the wrong day but fortunat…

My wife has managed to track one line of her ancestry (the Swiss line) back to 985. Swiss church records (Kirchenbücher) are online and extremely good.

Re: Mayflower 400: the science of sailing across the ocean in 1620

#10

Apparently 2 million Americans can trace their lineage to a passenger on the Mayflower who fell overboard and survived by grabbing a rope trailing behind. They include FDR, H.W. And W Bush.[1] [1] https://accesswdun.com/print/2015/11/352412

Yep! I’m descended from one of his brothers who came over a bit later. That so many Americans are descended from the Howland boys shows how important it can be to get in on the ground floor of a new enterprise.
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