Fletcher

I'm sharing some ancestry today, it is so fascinating to me and I hope you find it interesting.

One of my paternal grandparents was Patrick Fletcher, we were always told he was from Ireland.  After doing months of research and DNA we have discovered that his direct ancestor and my 9th great-grandfather.  Moses Fletcher was one of the signers of the Mayflower Contract.

I found this graphic that shows where all of the Pilgrims originated from.

Moses lived in Sandwich England by 1599, he was the Sexton of St. Peter from 1604-1606 but was excommunicated  by the church three time.  He buried one of his daughters in a manner that the church did not approve of.  Moses left England and  moved to Holland in 1613 and worked as a "smith"

To escape religious freedom he became a passenger on the "Mayflower". It is not clear if he took his family but I do see first names of family members on the manifest but do not know if they were his family.

Like many of those first pilgrims he lost his life that first winter.  Many of his children followed on additional ships in the years afterward.

The monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts to honor the passengers of the "Mayflower".

Now I have a good reason to travel to this area of our country, very excited to see this in person.

Linking with ABC WEDNESDAY

Ann