General News

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Ancestor Talk on “1620 – The Mayflower Journey” and Mayflower Descendants

Professional genealogist George English talks on a topic that is close to his heart as his Mayflower Ancestor, Richard Warren, actually travelled to the New World on the original Mayflower voyage.

George will deliver a free talk on Zoom "1620 - The Mayflower Journey: Who went, where from, and why did they go?" on Friday 12 March at 6pm (GMT), 7 pm mainland Europe (GMT+1) and 1 pm EST (GMT-5). This talk has been organised by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in Europe.

2020 was the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower, the voyage that changed the world. Many do not know that two major happenings in other parts of the world more than 100 years before led to the chain of events that caused the Pilgrims to migrate from England.

George’s talk covers the events during the Reformation which led to the Pilgrims’ leaving for the New World; the voyage itself; and the impact the Mayflower has had on Western civilisation ever since. He explores who these people were, the different places that they came from and the reasons that they left their homeland. George will include his Mayflower ancestor, Richard Warren, as well as Alden, Bradford, Brewster, Cooke, Howland, Mullins and Winslow. Philip Delano will also be included.

George has many years’ experience of historical and genealogical research and has published articles in the Mayflower Descendant, Mayflower Quarterly and many other journals.

The link to register for the talk via Eventbrite has been removed.

2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion CANCELLED

Regrettably, the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus has forced us to cancel the 2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion planned for Manassas, VA, on September 25-27, 2020. A virtual membership meeting, likely via Zoom, will will be scheduled to take its place. Notice of that meeting will be posted as soon as plans are finalized.

Samuel Delano Logbook from the brig GRACE (1791)

Some years ago, the Hoyt Family donated a rare and valuable logbook written by Samuel Delano Jr. to the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society (DR&HS) in Duxbury, MA. This logbook provided a first-hand account of an American vessel trading successfully with Japan in 1791, but being over 200 years old, it was physically in rough shape. The Society lacked the necessary funds to preserve and digitize the book at the time, so they sent out requests for donations. As of September, 2019, they were still far short of what was needed. Learning about the book and the Society's plans to preserve it, DELANO KINDRED members enthusiastically voted to provide the remaining funds at our 2019 Annual Meeting in Hyde Park, NY. Here is a description (shamelessly copied from the DR&HS website) of this amazing book:

The logbook for the brig Grace is the first-hand account of an American vessel trading successfully with Japan in 1791, long before Admiral Matthew C. Perry commanded the entry of American vessels in 1853. The American brig, Grace, sailed into the harbor of Koshimoto and traded with Japanese villagers on May 1, 1791. Onboard was a 22 year-old Duxbury sailor and shipbuilder named Samuel Delano, Jr. As clerk, Delano kept the log of voyage and it is the only English language version of this momentous first meeting between two cultures.

Historian Scott Ridley (author of Morning of Fire about the sister ship Lady Washington) has described the log as "a rare record of America's first visit to the closed nation of Japan in 1791. The historic visit is noted in fragments in Japanese archives, but this book, written day-to-day aboard the brig Grace as it lay in the harbor of Koshimoto, is the only American document to emerge from the voyage. It is a remarkable artifact." The Japan-U.S. Friendship Memorial Museum in Koshimoto is dedicated to this important first contact. Scott Ridley and Hayato Sakurai feature the logbook in their book, "America's First Visit to JAPAN April 29-May 8, 1791: Voyage of the Lady Washington And the Grace."

The project was completed in November, 2019, much sooner than anticipated. The preserved logbook now resides at the Society's Drew Archival Library in Duxbury. In addition, the entire logbook is now available online in digital flipbook form on the Society's web page. Check out the logbook and see what other treasures exist in the DR&HS Delano Family Collection by clicking on the link below:

https://duxburyhistory.org/collection-highlights/logbook-for-brig-grace-1791/

Along with the flipbook, there is a transcription of the events from April 29 to May 10, 1791. Further transcriptions and other site enhancements are ongoing. Congratulations to DR&HS for a job well done! The Delano Kindred is honored to have been a part of this project.

2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion

This post will be updated periodically as more details become available.

*** THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED ***

The 2020 Delano Kindred Annual Meeting and Reunion will be held at the Hampton Inn Manassas in Manassas, VA, Friday September 25 (Welcome Dinner and speaker) and Saturday September 26 (Annual Meeting and tours). There will be a Board of Directors meeting on Sunday morning, after the hotel's free breakfast is over. If you want to get a head start on reservations, the hotel telephone number is (703) 369-1100. We have a block of rooms at $94/night plus tax for one king or two queen beds, and the RATE CODE you need to mention is DKR. The room block is for the nights of September 25 & 26, but they will extend it in either direction if asked.

DUXBURY - OUR PILGRIM STORY

We are delighted to announce that the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society (DR&HS) has published their much anticipated publication Duxbury, Our Pilgrim Story: a 2020 Perspective. It is available on their website at https://duxburyhistory.org/product/duxbury-our-pilgrim-story/ .

The Delano Family essay was co-authored by our genealogist, Muriel C. Cushing, and our newsletter editor, George B. DeLano.

Duxbury's commemorative publication for Plymouth 400 features twelve essays by local historians, each with a unique look into Duxbury's early settlers. Also featured is a compelling perspective by an independent scholar of the Wampanoag nation. Essays include:

1. Duxbury's Archeological History
2. The Pilgrim Connection to Clark's Island
3. Duxbury's Early Lands and Leaders
4. Adventuresome William Collier
5. Backstory to Colonization
6. John and Priscilla Alden of Duxbury
7. Day-to-Day Life in the 17th Century
8. Priscilla and her Children
9. Along Ancient Paths
10. Searching for the Old Burying Ground
11. The Delano Family
12. Duxbury's Myles Standish Monument

This insightful and informative book would make a great addition to your library.