MAYFLOWER and Plymouth Plantation Myths
From THOMAS CUSHMAN GIBSON and THOMAS KNOWLTON GIBSON,

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882)The Mayflower Memorial in Southampton, England.Helping to break through the myths of the early settlers of the Plymouth Plantation,
Tom has been studying and collecting family information for almost fifty years,
and made significant contributions to many articles on Wikipedia and other web pages.
As you will see from exploration, his family has exceptional Mayflower connections,
with lineage extending to very early colonial American history and beyond.
Listed here are the direct lines to his Mayflower ancestors, with links to a
brief description from the superb website MayflowerHistory.com.
It is obvious that Robert and Thomas Cushman and the early colonial Cushman families 
were very significant in the establishment and continuation of the Plymouth Colony.  

Blood lines are red,
marriage lines are green, and Mayflower ancestors are dark blue.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Elkanah Cushman → Mary Allerton arrived at age 4.
Mary Allerton married
Thomas Cushman, son of  founding father Robert Cushman. She was the last surviving Mayflower Passenger and lived until 1699.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Elkanah Cushman → Mary Allerton Isaac Allerton, Assistant Governor, signed Mayflower Compact.
We are descended through separate lines from all three wives of 
Isaac Allerton In order they are Mary Norris,  Fear Brewster and Sarah Swinnerton.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Elkanah Cushman → Mary Allerton Mary Norris, wife of Isaac Allerton.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Martha Cooke → Jacob Cooke → Francis Cooke, passenger, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Martha Cooke → Damaris Hopkins → Stephen Hopkins, Assistant Governor, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → William Cushman → Josiah Cushman → Martha Cooke → Damaris Hopkins → Elizabeth Fisher, wife of  Stephen Hopkins.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Ruth Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller arrived at age 12.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Ruth Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller Edward Fuller, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Ruth Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller → Samuel Fuller Mrs. (Ann Hopkins?) Fuller, wife of  Edward Fuller.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton GibsonJoseph Whitton → Abednego T. Whitton → 
Richard Whiton → Thomas Whiton → Azariah Whiton → Bethia Crocker → Ruth Chipman → Hope Howland → John Howland, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton GibsonJoseph Whitton → Abednego T. Whitton → 
Richard Whiton → Thomas Whiton → Azariah Whiton → Bethia Crocker → Ruth Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley arrived at age 13.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton GibsonJoseph Whitton → Abednego T. Whitton → 
Richard Whiton → Thomas Whiton → Azariah Whiton → Bethia Crocker → Ruth Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley → John Tilley signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson
→ Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → 
Amy Whitton GibsonJoseph Whitton → Abednego T. Whitton → 
Richard Whiton → Thomas Whiton → Azariah Whiton → Bethia Crocker → Ruth Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley → Joan Hurst, wife of John Tilley.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Nellie Dear → Eliza Ann Wood → Joseph Wood Jr. → Joseph Wood Sr. → 
Thomas Wood → Jabez Wood Jr.  → Hanna Nelson → Thomas Nelson → Lydia Bartlett → Mary Warren → Richard Warren, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Nellie Dear → Eliza Ann Wood → Joseph Wood Jr. → Joseph Wood Sr. → 
Thomas Wood  Jabez Wood Jr.  Hanna Nelson → Hope Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → John Howland, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Nellie Dear → Eliza Ann Wood → Joseph Wood Jr. → Joseph Wood Sr. → 
Thomas Wood  Jabez Wood Jr.  Hanna Nelson → Hope Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley, arrived at age 13.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Nellie Dear → Eliza Ann Wood → Joseph Wood Jr. → Joseph Wood Sr. → 
Thomas Wood  Jabez Wood Jr.  Hanna Nelson → Hope Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth TilleyJohn Tilley, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Nellie Dear → Eliza Ann Wood → Joseph Wood Jr. → Joseph Wood Sr. → 
Thomas Wood  Jabez Wood Jr.  Hanna Nelson → Hope Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley Joan Hurst, wife of John Tilley.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Muscoe Minor Gibson → Rev. Isaac Gibson → Minor Winn Gibson → 
Betsey Withers Winn → Betsy Withers → Jemima Shumate → Judith Bailey → John Bailey → Elizabeth Walker → Sarah Snow → Constance Hopkins arrived at age 14.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Muscoe Minor Gibson → Rev. Isaac Gibson → Minor Winn Gibson →
Betsey Withers Winn →
Betsy Withers → Jemima Shumate → Judity Bailey →
John Bailey → Elizabeth Walker → Sarah Snow → Constance Hopkins → Stephen Hopkins, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson
→ Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Muscoe Minor Gibson → Rev.
Isaac Gibson → Elizabeth Pendleton Shackelford → Lucy Pendleton Tutt →
Elizabeth Pendleton → Nathaniel Pendleton → 
Mary Taylor → Richard Taylor →Elizabeth Lee → Sarah AllertonIsaac Allerton → Isaac Allerton, signed Mayflower Compact. 

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Muscoe Minor Gibson → Rev. Isaac Gibson → Elizabeth Pendleton Shackelford →  Lucy Pendleton Tutt →
Elizabeth Pendleton → Nathaniel Pendleton → 
Mary Taylor → Richard Taylor →Elizabeth Lee → Sarah AllertonIsaac Allerton → Fear Brewster William Brewster, Elder, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Muscoe Minor Gibson → Rev. Isaac Gibson → Elizabeth Pendleton Shackelford →  Lucy Pendleton Tutt →
Elizabeth Pendleton → Nathaniel Pendleton → 
Mary Taylor → Richard Taylor →Elizabeth Lee → Sarah AllertonIsaac Allerton → Fear Brewster  Mary Brewsterwife of William Brewster.

* Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman →
Mary Whipple →
Dr. Joseph Whipple → Deacon Joseph Whipple →
Sarah Hutchinson → Sarah Putnam → Rebecca Prince →Patience Brewster →William Brewster, Elder, signed Mayflower Compact.

* Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
Mary Whipple → Dr. Joseph Whipple → Deacon Joseph Whipple → Sarah Hutchinson → Sarah Putnam → Rebecca Prince →Patience Brewster →Mary Brewsterwife of William Brewster.

* Despite the fact that thousands of  descendants have claimed Brewster ancestry through Rebecca Prince as the daughter of Patience Brewster, this line has recently been questioned.
  Since there were probably two early arrivals named Rebecca Prince,  I will leave the lines here for historical review so others searching for information can accurately record ancestry.

A dark side of our family history, the Hutchinsons and Putnams were the accusers in the 1692 Salem Witchcraft Trials that resulted in the execution or imprisonment
of almost 200 member of the community.
Well worth further investigation, it is one of the most important, emotional, and tragic events in American history.
The Gibson family was directly involved in witchcraft accusations resulting in their banishment from the colony.  Coincidently, our home has seven gables.
If you claim to be a witch or any derivation thereof, please do not contact me. Other than an historical interest, I have no interest or any connection with witchcraft.
I am truly amazed at the number of people that think we are a pagan witch family, just because my seventh great grandfather had a sister falsely accused of witchcraft in 1656.

There are very few people in this world that can accurately claim more than ten Mayflower Ancestors.
As my grandfather was the only child of Amy Whitton Gibson with a family, and I am the only child of Thomas Cushman Gibson with children, 
there are very few of us remaining with more than twenty ancestral  lines to those arriving on The Mayflower in 1620.
Both Mary and Joseph Whitton, the parents of Amy Bower Whitton, had truly amazing pedigrees of nobility.
Mary Cooke Cushman was directly descended from eleven Mayflower passengers and Joseph Morris Bower Whitton from four.
Amy Bower Whitton, with thirteen Pilgrim ancestors, then married  Muscoe Minor Gibson, a direct descendant of five Mayflower passengers.
My Grandfather,  Joseph Whitton Gibson married Nellie Dear, who's grandfather Joseph Wood, descended from five pilgrim passengers.
"The Mayflower Man", Thomas Cushman Gibson with seventeen Mayflower ancestors, married Sarah Jane Knowlton, a direct descendant of fourteen Pilgrims.
Chris and Jon, please don't forget your roots, you both have an incredible family history and legacy to be passed on to your children.
1876 illustration of the courtroom; the central figure is usually identified as Mary Walcott
Yes, I know there has been a question on the lineage of Rebecca Prince, wife of John Putnam, but not the daughter of  Governor Thomas Prence.  
Recently genealogists suggest there were actually two Rebecca Princes' born about the same time and living at the Plymouth colony.
Since: 1.  There were no dictionaries in the 1600's and names were routinely spelled phonetically and  differently,
2. Most genealogy recorded histories, and the LDS records, which are usually very reliable, list them as the same person,
3. There is no evidence as to the parents of Rebecca Prence other than Governor Thomas Prence and Patience Brewster,
4. Sarah Putnam, daughter of Rebecca and John Putnam, married the notable John Hutchinson, both families of record,
5.  The age is the same, and the birth and marriage date of daughter Sarah and siblings is plausible and reasonable,
6. John Putnam's father, Lt John Putnam was an influential leader of the Plymouth Colony.
7. John Hutchinson's father, Colonel John Hutchinson, was an influential leader and founder of the Plymouth Colony,

8. It would be unlikely that either John Putnam or John Hutchinson would marry someone with absolutely no record of ancestry, and
9. Accurate records that were kept by William Bradford for more than fifty years that do NOT dispute the marriage.
It is possible, though unlikely, they are the same person.
So who was Rebecca Prince who married John Putnam?

I suspect the reason some early genealogists record two Rebecca's,  is an attempt to distance the
Bradford and Brewster families from the Salem witchcraft trials
fiasco.

My mother is descended from fourteen Mayflower passengers with eight duplicated on my father's side.
  [There are many instances of consanguinity throughout the Gibson and Knowlton family trees.  Tom and Sally Gibson are cousins at least nine time.]  

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → 
Sally Knowlton → Joseph Knowlton → James Knowlton → Benjamin Knowlton → Susanna Dutch →Susanna More → Richard More, arrived at age 6.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → 
Sally Knowlton → Martha Wheeler → Benjamin Wheeler → Mehitable Wheeler → Mary White →John White → Resolved White, arrived at age 5.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → 
Sally Knowlton → Martha Wheeler → Benjamin Wheeler → Mehitable Wheeler → Mary White →John White → Resolved WhiteWilliam White signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → 
Sally Knowlton → Martha Wheeler → Benjamin Wheeler → Mehitable Wheeler → Mary White →John White → Resolved WhiteSusannah Whitewife of William White.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → John Knowlton →
Abigail Pierce → Benjamin Pierce → Ester Fletcher → Sarah Richardson → Captain Josiah Richardson → Susanna Bradford → William BradfordGovernor, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Frank A. Knowlton → John Watson Knowlton → Freeman Knowlton → John Knowlton →
Abigail Pierce → Benjamin Pierce → Ester Fletcher → Sarah Richardson → Captain Josiah Richardson → Susanna BradfordDorothy May Bradford wife of Govornor William Bradford.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Supply Belcher Norton
Cornelius Norton Jr. 
 Cornelius Norton Sr. → Sarah Bassett Samuel Bassett → Mary Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → John Howland, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Supply Belcher Norton
Cornelius Norton Jr. 
 Cornelius Norton Sr. → Sarah Bassett Samuel Bassett → Mary Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley, arrived at age 13.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Supply Belcher Norton
Cornelius Norton Jr. 
 Cornelius Norton Sr. → Sarah Bassett Samuel Bassett → Mary Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth TilleyJohn Tilley, signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Supply Belcher Norton
Cornelius Norton Jr.  Cornelius Norton Sr. → Sarah Bassett Samuel Bassett → Mary Huckins → Hope Chipman → Hope Howland → Elizabeth Tilley Joan Hurst, wife of John Tilley.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson
→ Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett →
David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Sarah Hulsart Smith
Ebenezer Smith 
Jane Claghorn → Susannah Gibbs Abigail Smith → Abigail Skiffe → Lydia Snow → Abigail Warren → Richard Warren, signed Mayflower Compact.
 
Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Sarah Hulsart Smith
Ebenezer Smith 
Jane Claghorn → Susannah Gibbs Abigail Smith → Abigail Skiffe → Lydia Snow → Anthony Snow → Constance Hopkins arrived at age 14.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → David Norton Swett → Sophronia L. Norton → Sarah Hulsart Smith
Ebenezer Smith 
Jane Claghorn → Susannah Gibbs Abigail Smith → Abigail Skiffe → Lydia Snow → Anthony Snow → Constance Hopkins → Stephen Hopkins, signed Mayflower Compact.

*Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Sarah Jane Knowlton → Frank Watson Knowlton → Isabel Nellie Swett → Ellen Jane Carter → Henry E. Carter → Abigial Holbrook
Ruth Dyer → Ruth Harding → Nathaniel Harding → Bethia Cooke → Josiah Cooke → Francis Cooke, passenger, signed Mayflower Compact.
* indicates recently contested line

Our family has at least ten additional Mayflower ancestors by marriage.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Ruth Fuller → Elizabeth Thatcher → married Myles Standish Jr.  → Myles Standish signed Mayflower Compact.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Ruth Fuller → Elizabeth Thatcher → married Myles Standish Jr. Rose Standish, wife of Myles Standish.

Thomas Knowlton Gibson → Thomas Cushman. Gibson → Joseph Whitton Gibson → Amy Whitton Gibson → Mary Cooke Cushman → William James Cushman → 
James Cushman → Ruth Robinson → Peter Robinson → Peter Robinson → Mary Faunce →