.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Our 8th Great Grandfather Samuel Fuller, Our third Great Grandfather to sail on the Mayflower



A Modern Replica of the Mayflower

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
If there were PureBlood Americans (to borrow a term from the Harry Potter books), defined as Americans with family roots firmly planted in this nation's founding and history, then we could well be at the head of the class. Purebloods would be Americans with ancestors who participated in the founding of this nation and fought in her earliest wars.

The landing of the Mayflower was one such Pureblood historical event. We know from previous research that we had two Great Grandfathers on the Mayflower: Francis Cooke and Degory Priest. Today I'd like to introduce you Samuel Fuller, an 8th Great Grandfather, who also sailed on the Mayflower.

In summary then:
Our Three Mayflower Great Grandfathers (each sailed without their wives) are:

Francis Cooke
Degory Priest
Samuel Fuller

Let's begin with our family Relationship Chart to Samuel Fuller

Samuel Fuller's Signature from the Mayflower Compact


Samuel Fuller (1612 - 1683)
is our 8th great grandfather

John Fuller (1656 - 1726)
Son of Samuel

Thankful Fuller (1689 - 1748)
Daughter of John

John Crippen (1720 - 1801)
Son of Thankful

?James Osborn Crippen Crippen (1788 - 1866)
Son of John

Sarah Martha Crippen (1814 - 1891)
Daughter of ?James Osborn Crippen

John Mayberry Dennis (1844 - 1897)
Son of Sarah Martha

Vesta Althea Dennis (1892 - 1978)
Daughter of John Mayberry

Volet Mae Pierce (1918 - 1987)
Daughter of Vesta Althea
Violet married Walter Mattson

to their children
Luella, Linda, John and Marvin
to
Us

A brief historical sketch of Samuel Fuller.

Samuel was born in England and baptized at Redenhall Parish, Harleston in the English county of Norfolk on January 20, 1580. He was the son of Robert and Sara (Dunkhorn) Fuller. Samuel's father Robert was a butcher in the area of Norwich. Initially Samuel learned the trade of a say-weaver, one who makes cloth for tablecloths and bedding.

In 1604 the Puritan minister John Robinson left his position at Cambridge to become pastor of St. Andrew's Church in Norwich. In the face of persecution from King James I, Robinson left Norwich and soon made his way to the village of Scrooby. Samuel Fuller went to Scrooby as well at this time, presumably influenced by Robinson. In 1609 the Separatist congregation at Scrooby escaped to the Netherlands and made their way to the city of Leiden, where they could worship as they pleased. Fuller went with them to Leiden and became a deacon in their congregation. Fuller's first wife Alice Glascock having died, he took as his second wife Agnes "Anna" Carpenter in 1613. Anna gave birth to a child but it died in infancy and was buried in Leiden. Anna died soon after and in 1617 Fuller took a third wife, Bridget Lee. All of his wives were Englishwomen.

Although some historians and genealogists have proposed that it was in Leiden that Fuller acquired training in medicine, possibly while attending lectures at Leiden University, historian Norman Gevitz has found no evidence to support any conclusion other than that of Fuller having done so only once in Plymouth. Gevitz considers the contentions that Fuller was the "Mayflower physician" and played any role as a healer during the "General Sickness" after the Pilgrims' arrival nothing more than "myths”

Fuller and the elders of the congregation entered into negotiations with some speculators to travel to North America and establish a colony there. In 1620 a ship named the Speedwell departed Holland with a small number of Separatist colonists, Samuel Fuller among them. They docked at Southampton, Hampshire, where they met up with a ship called the Mayflower. The ships set sail for North America, but the Speedwell was found to be unseaworthy and they had to put in at Plymouth in Devon, England.


The Mayflower Arrives at Plymouth

Fuller took his apprentice and servant William Butten with him and sailed to North America on the Mayflower. He left his wife behind in Plymouth, England to care for his young child, which later died there. Samuel Fuller's brother Edward Fuller joined him, along with Edward's wife Ann. The settlers founded a colony in North America and named it Plymouth, after the city they had set out from. In 1623 Bridget Fuller took passage on a ship named the Anne and came to Plymouth Colony (America). Four years later they had a son they named Samuel, who became the Reverend Samuel Fuller of Middleboro.




Samuel Fuller home site on Leyden Street, Plymouth.Samsads