The "History Is Fun, But Vacation Is Better! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at my wife's Facebook page which features my photograph so that everyone thinks it is my page.  A Facebook friend, David Gelatt, posted a neat story a few weeks ago that was very interesting, especially if you are a history buff such as I am becoming in my twilight years.  

"Anne"

Story tells about his 10th Great Grandfather arriving on the pilgrim ship "Anne" at Plymouth, Massachusetts on July 10, 1623.  A few years ago I posted a story telling about my daughter-in-law Barbara's mother, Etta, who had relatives on the Mayflower and is now a member of the Mayflower Society.  I actually framed a story for her telling about her heritage.  Now, as far as David is concerned, his grandfather, 11 times removed, Captain Edward Bangs, was married to Rebecca Hobart in 1634 and ten years later gave birth to his 10 times removed Great Grandfather, Captain Jonathan Bangs who married Mary Mayo who settled with her husband in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Now if you don't understand all this 11X and 10X, etc. removed, it just shows you how many generations back these people were in your family tree.  David's story goes on to tell who married whom...who married whom, etc.  Eventually a young woman named Hannah met a "nice" (according to David) gentleman by the name of George Gelatt.  George's father John had recently immigrated from France.  George and Hannah moved to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania where they had six children with three of the children starting the hamlet of Gelatt, PA.  One of the three brothers, George Jr. married and seven generations later Carl Emery Gelatt married Leanne Nowell who were David's parents.  Now, I might have missed a generation or three as I was sifting through all the names, but I think you can see why Edward Bangs, a shipwright by trade in the colonies, was David's Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather.  

Another depiction of "Anne"

Now, for the story how his 11X relative made it to Plymouth in the New World.  It was in the spring of 1623 that 90 passengers set sail on two small ships from London to provide support for those already in the New World.  One of those ships was the "Anne" which was a 140 ton supply ship while the other was the 44 ton pinnace "Little James" which was an escort military ship.  After a three-month voyage they arrived in Plymouth on July 10, 1623.  Of the 90 odd passengers, 60 were former English Separatists while the others were independents.  Eventually some were sent back since they couldn't handle living and working in the harsh colonial environment.  A list of all the passengers was part of the story I read about the arrivals that day in July.  Sure enough, there was Edward Bangs, shipwright by occupation.  He was given 4 shares of land under the name "Bangs".  What follows is the exact reading of passenger names, family and other important facts for the Bangs family:  

1. Edward Bangs – Born c.1591 - 86 in 1677. Per Banks he was of Panfield, Essex, son of John and Jane (Chavis) Bangs. Shipwright by occupaEtion. The 1623 land division lists 4 shares for him under “Bangs.” From that it is thought that he may have had a family of wife and two children with him on the Anne that are mysteriously missing in the 1627 'Division of Cattle'. In lot #12, he appears as single along with six members of the Hickes family, five members of the Jenes family, and with another single man, Stephen Deane. This lot shared "the great whyte backt cow which came over on the "Anne", to which cow, the keeping of the bull was joyned, and two shee goats". . It can only be surmised that something happened to them between 1623 and 1627 as he (re)married after 1627. Member of the 1626 Purchaser investment group as “Edward Banges.” He was with those chosen to lay out twenty-acre lots in the 1627 division. After 1627 married Lydia Hicks, daughter of Robert and Margaret Hicks, having been fellow passengers with him on the Anne in 1623. Died 1677. Three members of his family that may have been with him as counted in the 1623 land division:
2. (Mrs) ___ Bangs – possibly died before 1627.
3. (child) Bangs
4. (child) Bangs

I would have loved to have had something as interesting and factual as this when I sent my money to Ancestry.com last year, but that never happened.  I got very little from them except the suggestion that I could trace deeper if I gave more money to them.  Now, I was interested, but more interested in taking a vacation to the Caribbean for rest and relaxation than in finding out how many she-goats or cows my ancestors may have had.  Hey, I'm sitting by my villa's pool, on the island of St. Martin, typing this story.  Can't get any better that that!  And, thanks to Facebook friend David, who is the director of the Flash Mob I am a part of that sings the Hallelujah chorus at Christmas, you can see a bit more about the settlement of the United States of America.  Now, how good is that?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.