{"id":102134,"date":"2025-03-07T11:02:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T16:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=102134"},"modified":"2025-03-13T09:32:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:32:12","slug":"mayflower-relics-explored-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mayflower-relics-explored-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Mayflower Relics Explored (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry features relics (family heirlooms) from Mayflower families that were exhibited at the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1876 the Centennial International Exhibition was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May to November. It was the first time the official world\u2019s fair was held in the United States, and its celebration coincided with the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\u2019s adoption in Philadelphia on 4 July 1776.<\/p>\n

For one of the Exhibition\u2019s highlights, it was decided to create an exhibit featuring relics associated with the early Pilgrims. A call for these historic pieces went out across the country and Mayflower<\/em> scions answered.<\/p>\n

While some relics were authentic in origin, others were not.<\/p>\n

Before I begin here is an example. One relic housed at Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, seems to have a proven provenance. It is the Allerton-Cushman families\u2019 wooden cup, which came into their collection in 1998 by the family of the late Mercy Ramsey Carl of Texas.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Allerton-Cushman families\u2019 wooden cup, 1608, with inscription. Credit: Pilgrim Hall Museum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The cup was passed down the female line to daughters named Mercy, starting with Mercy Soule Cushman, wife of Noah Cushman, who descended from Mary Allerton, Thomas Cushman, Robert Bartlett, and Mary Warren.<\/p>\n

A probate inventory in 1633 reveals that Mary Ring left a \u201cfooted cup\u201d to her neighbor Elizabeth Warren. Elizabeth\u2019s daughter married Robert Bartlett, and Noah Cushman was one of their descendants. The Allerton-Cushman families\u2019 wooden cup may well have been Mary Ring\u2019s \u201cfooted cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the Centennial International Exhibition in 1876, a replica of a New England cabin was built and filled with articles of furniture and household items dating back to the 1600s.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: \u201cYe Old Cabin,\u201d 1876 Centennial International Exhibition. Credit: New York Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The cabin was furnished by the fair\u2019s Women\u2019s Commission, organized by Emma (Southwick) Britton (1834-1922) of Peabody, Massachusetts, along with her 15 assistants. Emma is the daughter of Phillip Rowell and Ameline (Dexter) Southwick, and wife of Dr. Jeremiah Bernard Britton.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Emeline \u201cEmma\u201d Dexter (Southwick) Britton. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is no wonder that Emma was attracted to preserving the colonial era: she descends from early New England families like Southwick<\/a>, Ingersoll, Pope<\/a> and Nurse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among the period pieces that were on display in the cabin was a writing desk purported to be owned by Mayflower<\/em> passenger John Alden, indicated by the red arrows in the stereoscopic picture below.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: John Alden desk at the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition. Credit: New York Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The desk was on loan by Rev. William Hyde Alden<\/a> (1858-1934), a direct descendant of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden.<\/p>\n

Rev. Alden married Carrie Louisa Tufts (1862-1934), daughter of John Tappan and Eunice (Belcher) Tufts.<\/p>\n

Below is a photo of Rev. William Alden and his wife Carrie with their six children and their son-in-law: (front row, seated left to right) Rev. William Hyde Alden and his wife Carrie Louisa (Tufts) Alden; (2nd row, standing left to right) Eunice Tufts Alden, Priscilla Alden; Gertrude Winifred (Alden) Simmons; Rev Karl Richardson Alden; (back row, standing left to right) Julius Williams Alden, Samuel W. Simmons (husband of Gertrude Winfred Alden Simmons), and William Hyde Alden Jr.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Alden family. Credit: Keira Spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rev. Alden\u2019s Lineage:<\/strong><\/p>\n