Mary Cushman, "Mayflower" Passenger

Mary Allerton, the third child of Isaac Allerton (c.1586 England - February 1658/9 New Haven, Connecticut) and Mary Norris, was born 16 June 1616 in Leiden, Rhynland (present South Holland), Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden. Mary was born in Leyden, Holland during the period of time when the Pilgrims had left England, but not yet gone to America. They had gone to Holland due to religious repression in England, and the Calvinist Dutch were tolerant of the Pilgrims' Calvinist beliefs. With the support of His Majesty James I, the Church of England had become repressive on religious meetings outside of its auspices.

The Allertons came to Plymouth with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620, when Mary was about four. There were 102 passengers that embarked on the Mayflower, including three pregnant women. One of these pregnant women was Mary's mother, Mary Norris Allerton, who gave birth to a stillborn son on board the Mayflower, just as the first houses were being built at Plymouth.

Around 1636, she married Thomas Cushman (christened 8 February 1607/08 St. Andrew, Canterbury, Kent, England - died 11 December 1691 Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts), son of Robert Cushman and Sarah Reder, at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Thomas had come to Plymouth at the age of 13 on the ship Fortune in 1621 with his father Robert Cushman, a prominent member of the Pilgrims' congregation in Leiden. Thomas and Mary had a surprisingly prosperous family: seven of their eight children survived to adulthood, got married, and provided more than fifty grandchildren. Thomas and Mary both lived to very old age, having never moved from Plymouth. Thomas died in December 1691, at 84 years of age. Mary died 28 December 1699 at the age of 83, the last surviving Mayflower passenger. She is buried at Old Hill Cemetery, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Children

1. Thomas Cushman, Jr., born 16 September1637 Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts
2. Martha "Mary" Cushman born 1641 Plymouth, Massachusetts
3. Sarah Cushman born 1639-1645 Plymouth, Massachusetts
4. Isaac Cushman born 8 February 1647-8 Plymouth, Massachusetts
5. Elkanah Cushman born 1 June 1651 Plymouth, Massachusetts
6. Feare Cushman born 20 June 1653 Plymouth, Massachusetts
7. Eleazer Cushman born 20 February 1656 Plymouth, Massachusetts
8. Lydia Cushman born c.1662 Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

notes

Her birthyear is disputed, about 1616 or 1617. Some sources claim she was baptized in June 1616 in Leiden; the authenticity of this claim has not been verified. (Wikipedia, retrieved March 28, 2014)

Sources and Further Reading

• Burt, Alvah W. Cushman Genealogy and General History Including the Descendants of the Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and Monogalia County, Virginia Families. N.p.: Burt, 1942. Print.
• Cushman, Henry W., Hon. "Memoir of Isaac Allerton." NEGHR 8 (1854): n. pag. Print.
• Cutter, William R. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4. Vol. 4. New England: Lewis Historical, 1915. Print.
• Greenwood, Isaac J. "Allertons of New England and Virginia." NEGHR 44 (1890): n. pag. Print.
• Johnson, Caleb. "Mary Allerton." MayflowerHistory.com. Caleb Johnson, 1994-2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.
• "List of Passengers on the Mayflower." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.
• "Mary Allerton." MayflowerHistory.com. Caleb Johnson, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.
• Masterson, Lois. "Not Everybody Signed the Mayflower Compact." Welcome to SAIL1620. Society of Mayflower Decendants, 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.
• Roser, Susan E., and George E. Bowman. Mayflower Births & Deaths: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Vol. 1. N.p.: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1992. Print.
• Roser, Susan E., and George Ernest Bowman. Mayflower Deeds & Probates: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub., 1994. Print.
• Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Increasings. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub., 1995. Print.
• Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Marriages: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub., 1990. Print.
• Sainsbury, Pauline. Cushman Chronicles: A Tale of Old Chelsea. New York: Friebele, 1932. Print.
• Wheeler, Keith O. "Mary ALLERTON." The Wheeler's Web Sites. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

  ---

Profile "detailing" by Geni member Jennifer Lynn Young, 27 March 2013