For many, membership in the Mayflower Society goes hand in hand with membership in the family society of your Mayflower ancestor. When you join your family society, you are supporting their work and keeping the memory of your ancestors alive. Some of these societies have been around for years - the Howlands lead the group, founded in 1897 with the Aldens close behind in 1906 and the Bartletts in 1908. Over the years, many more have been formed and their objectives, projects, meetings and newsletters are unique to each society. Some offer scholarships, some own and maintain historic houses, others are working on data bases. However large or small the society, they all have something in common - to honour the memory of their ancestor and remember them. They need your support.

For many years, Robert Tatem faithfully maintained the list of family societies and made it possible for the editors of our newsletters to reproduce updated lists. His unremitting dedication to keeping track of these all important family societies is an inspiration to me to try to keep it going. Robert passed away 10 June 2007, at the age of 97. Remarkably, he had been a member of the Howland Society for 80 years! He is truly an inspiration to us all to honour our ancestors by remembering them, and by supporting our family societies.  Note as well that Gail Adams, Editor of The Howland Quarterly also keeps this important list updated and regularly prints it.

Some of our Mayflower ancestors do not yet have a society to honour their memory: Peter Brown, Francis Eaton, Moses Fletcher, Richard More, William Mullins and John Tilley - all of these families have yet to have a society named for them. Why don't you be the one to start one for your ancestor? As we hear of others who are interested in founding a family society, information will appear here.  If information on your family society below has changed, please contact me, Susan E. Roser as I am trying to keep this information up to date. I am also willing to do whatever I can to assist those who are interested in getting a family society going, such as with the initial steps that must be taken. Since the call went out here for the formation of family societies, we have seen them formed for Samson, Standish, Priest and Chilton. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have every Mayflower family represented and remembered by their descendants, with their own family society? Let's try to make this a reality!

 GOOD NEWS! May 2008 - Interest has been shown to start a society for Francis Eaton. If you are interested, please contact me. Also, I have recently been in touch with Dave Allerton of the Allerton Family Association and discovered that his family society is more or less a family reunion for his family and close cousins. In fact, they appear to descend from a branch of the Virginia Allertons that has not been definitely proven.  So - I think it's time we Allerton descendants formed a society which would meet in Plymouth on a yearly or bi-yearly basis. Please contact me if you are interested in helping me form this new Isaac Allerton Society.

Alden Kindred of America, Inc.

Alden Ringquist, P.O.Box 1632, Duxbury, MA 02331-1632

 The Alden House will re-open for the season, 18 May 2009. The Annual Meeting will be held 1 August 2009; the Alden Open Golf Tournament will be held 28 September 2009 and on 17 October 2009, "Haunted House" at the Alden House. Contact the society for further information.

Billington Family Association

Carl J. Anderson, III, 3830 Parade Blvd., Erie, PA 16504-2044

 Status of this society is unsure. Mail and phone calls were not responded to.

The Governor William Bradford Compact

5204 Kenwood Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6604

 Founded in 1946, the 62nd Annual meeting was held 6 September 2008 in the Barn, Major John Bradford Homestead, in Kingston, Mass. Meetings are held in September during Congress years, otherwise in mid-august in Plymouth and Kingston.

The Society of Governor William Bradford Descendants Inc.

Carol Scarborough

820 Morning Star Circle, China Spring, Texas 76633-3314

 The society was incorporated in 2002 and its purpose is "to perpetuate to a remote posterity the memory and understanding of our Pilgrim father, William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth Colony, and his fellow Pilgrims who settled the cold and desolate shores of Plymouth Bay in December 1620. To promote the ideals and institutions of American Freedom in cooperation with the other societies honoring the brave Pilgrim fathers and mothers that helped establish what became these United States."

The Elder William Brewster Society

Gregory Thompson P.O.Box 355, Branford, CT 06405

 The society met at the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth, Mass., 6 September 2008 for a banquet and earlier in the day, at 2:00 p.m. for a memorial service on Burial Hill. For further information, contact the society.

The Pilgrim Peter Brown Society

Susan Abanor,14 West 17th St., New York, NY 10011

A family society for Peter Brown has not yet been formed. If you are a descendant and would like to honor his memory, please contact Susan.

Chilton's Children