Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants

10/07/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
11. Massasoit and the Governor’s Wedding
Massasoit, the local king, is highly respected by his people. He recently visited us for the Governor’s wedding, bringing his queen (one of five wives), four other kings, and about 120 men. We greeted them with musket fire and military display. They brought gifts—venison and a turkey—and we enjoyed watching their dances, which were loud and lively. We gave Massasoit a hat, coat, and feather. I asked him to let me bring a boy back for you, but he refused. Still, I hope to bring you one someday.

10/05/2026

The Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants held its 2026 conference and Annual General Meeting over the weekend. The group of 40 or so enjoyed speakers on the Religious turmoil of the late 1500s and early 1600s by Acadia Professor Dr. Jennifer MacDonald, two wonderful resource filled speeches from the Rev. Dr. Becket Soule (Governor of the CSMD) - one on web resources for researching Mayflower lineages and the other on researching Loyalist Mayflower connections, and a thought inspiring speech on colonization/decolonization by Mi'kmaq elder Dr. Roger Lewis.
At the AGM, Cheryl Anderson was elected as the Regent of the Colony - congratulations to Cheryl and the other people who came forward to help the Colony prosper.

09/30/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
(appropriate for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

10. Relationship with Indigenous Peoples

The nearest Indigenous settlement is about fourteen miles away, at a place called Manomet. One local man named Hobomok lives just outside our town with his family and serves as our friend and interpreter. He’s proven trustworthy and loyal, and I’m taking him south with me on this journey. This bay once held 2,000 natives, but none now remain, and no one claims the land we’ve settled. It was abandoned before we arrived, so we’ve built on empty ground.

09/23/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
9. Labor, Preparation, and Settling In
Of course, none of this comes without effort. Settlers must be ready to work, especially in the beginning—bringing supplies to last a year and building homes. If I had servants and other necessary help, I believe I could live here quite happily. I’ll decide more about staying once the most urgent business is settled. Still, this land offers great comfort and reward to those who are prepared and determined.

09/16/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
8. The Land and Its Natural Abundance
Life here can be good for settlers, too. The abundance of fish continues throughout the year. The skies are full of birds—eagles, pigeons, turkeys, geese, ducks, swans, and more. One man shot 400 birds with just six shots. The air is healthy, and the winds change between land and sea in a way that seems to cleanse the air. Though some people fell ill upon arrival, they quickly recovered. I myself was sick for only a few days. There’s plenty of wood for building, and the soil is rich—yielding crops at five or six hundred to one, even up to 1400 in some cases. This year’s corn harvest is excellent, and I’ve sent you six ears as a sample.

09/13/2026

Happy Birthday to us!
The Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants (CSMD) marked its 46th anniversary on September 13, 2026! It was established in 1980 when it became the first Mayflower Member Society of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to be formed outside the United States.

The Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants (CSMD) marked its 46th anniversary on September 13, 2026! It was established in 1980 when it became the first Mayflower Member Society of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to be formed outside the United States.

09/09/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
7. Other Riches and Exploration
We’re headed to a place called Capawack, where there’s a mountain rich in red bole (a valuable clay) and other minerals. No Englishman has been there except one Captain Dermer, who was unfortunately killed by the natives. These people are strong and wary of outsiders, but we’ll go armed and ready. We believe there’s a good supply of furs in the area, and we’re determined to trade with them. There’s great opportunity in this land, and the Company should profit well if modest effort is made.

09/02/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
6. Timber, Medicinal Plants, and Salt
The timber here is excellent—cedar, beech, pine, oak, and more. We’ve already sent back a sample worth two or three hundred pounds, along with beaver pelts and other furs. The land also offers valuable medicinal plants like sassafras, sarsaparilla, and alkermes berries, which are worth a good deal in England. I hope to bring some back myself. We also expect to produce salt soon. If we could sell it to the fishing ships, the profits might rival the riches of Spanish America. There’s a promising salt-making site a mile from the settlement, and we hope to start production soon.

08/26/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
5. Beaver Skins and Trading Plans
There’s great potential here in the fur trade. We have access to beaver, otter, martin, fox, and raccoon skins, which bring good prices in England. Right now, we’re sailing south to the Hudson River, where Dutch traders obtain furs from the Indigenous people. We expect to do well there too. After Christmas, we plan to return north and trade for more skins before the fishing season begins again in February. We hope to fish early in the year, then trade again in May, and perhaps return to England by Christmas 1624. But don’t expect me too soon—if I’m delayed, it’ll only be because there’s still more profit to be made.

08/12/2026

This week sees the next instalment in this new series of Wayback Wednesday articles from our Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants' Surgeon General, Dr. Carol Martin ! Three Visits to Early Plymouth:
4. Abundance of Fish
The fishing here is almost unbelievable. If someone came prepared with all the right equipment, they could easily double their investment. For example, during foggy days at sea, we dropped anchor and went fishing—and in just an hour, we caught 100 large cod. If we had stayed longer, we could have filled the ship. Over the whole voyage, I believe we caught more than a thousand. Sometimes we caught them just for sport and tossed them back. One cod weighed nearly 100 pounds! We also caught turbot, and one was big enough to feed our entire ship. The fishing grounds up and down the coast—places like Monhegan, Pemaquid, and the Isles of Shoals—hosted about 400 fishing vessels this year, and nearly all made good profits.