Those of us descended from Leonard Spencer and Grace Hambleton are “Mayflower Descendants” through Grace’s mother, Alma Jane Stiles. Alma was a direct descendant of John Howland, a Mayflower passenger and the thirteenth signer of the Mayflower Compact.
During the voyage from England, John narrowly escaped death when he fell overboard during a terrible storm. He grabbed onto a rope that was floating in the water and was pulled to safety.
Just think — if John Howland had drowned, none of his descendants would be here today!
John came to the New World as an indentured servant to John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony. When Governor Carver died, John Howland became a freeman. He acquired lands, married, and served the colony as selectman, assistant and deputy governor, surveyor of highways, and as a member of the fur committee. He is still remembered as a founder of Plymouth Colony.
Famous descendants of John Howland include Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush; actors Alec Baldwin, Humphrey Bogart, and Christopher Lloyd; Governor Sarah Palin; writer Ralph Waldo Emerson; Mormon founder Joseph Smith; and Dr. Benjamin Spock — all our distant cousins.
HAVE A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS THANKSGIVING!
Steve, Dawn, and Ariel Pisturino
Copyright 2013 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Dawn Pisturino's Blog 
very interesting. Since we are all one then wouldn’t that make us all descendants ?
a distant cousin
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