Oswego Family Tied to the First Thanksgiving
Oswego resident Catherine Anderson is an ancestor to William Bradford, a Mayflower passenger.
For Catherine Anderson, the story of the Mayflower and the first Thanksgiving hits a little closer to home than for most. The Oswego resident’s grandmother, Kathleen Leslie, was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. Leslie passed away about 15 years ago at the age 98, and the family’s history can be traced back to William Bradford, who was aboard the Mayflower. “It was just a part of who we are,” Anderson said. “It always amazed me when people would be so in awe.” Bradford was the second governor of Plymouth Plantation elected in 1621, and would have played a key role in the first harvest festival later that year, said the Rev. David Jay Webber, himself a descendant of Bradford and an expert on the family's history. The …
Robyn Vickers
10:25 am on Thursday, November 24, 2011
I agree, Catherine, very cool to know where your family comes from! What a great story! Do you happen to know what town in England your family was from? My husband is English and grew up in Billericay (Essex). Many villagers were also Pilgrims and they planned their voyage in a pub in Billericay that's still open today, aptly called the Pilgrim. His high school was called the Mayflower. :) Happy … more ›