Post by Ron on Nov 20, 2015 8:59:21 GMT -6
On my mother's side of the family (the Billingtons), our origins go back to the mayflower. Annually, the Mayflower Billingtons gather with their verifying paperwork in hand to add more data to the family tree. I have only attended one of the WI gatherings. The Billingtons have rather unfortunate distinction for our family as John Bilington Sr. was the first member of the new world to be executed for crimes committed.
385 years ago, In Sept. of 1630 one of the original mayflower passengers (John Billington) shot John Newcomin for stealing from his traps. Billington was a hunter/trapper providing food for the pilgrims while Newcomin seemed more interested in his own personal take rather than a communal harvest for the pilgrims. Some accounts list it as a dispute over hunting rights. Billington is said to have chased Newcomin and shot at him as Newcomin hid behind a tree, striking Necomin in the shoulder with a shot from his blunderbuss.
Newcomin neglected his wound and later died from gangrene. On Sept. 30th 1630, Billington was tried and hung although accounts state the Judge was also the executioners and was a person with a grudge against Billington so accounts as to the fairness of the trial are in question. At any rate, Billington was the first person executed in the new world.
John the elder had a son also named John who seems best known for getting lost in the woods near the Plymouth Colony only to be found by Squanto. Squanto gained historical notoriety for befriending the pilgrims and teaching them how to grow crops, hunt, keep warm and fish for food which helped them survive their first winter at the Plymouth Colony.
Squanto was present for the first Thanksgiving. Squanto befriended John Billington the younger after finding him lost in the woods and taught him woodsmanship and hunting skills. Books and poems were written about John the younger and Squanto.
As part of a recent family reunion/gathering , we talked about this event as well as the lineage of John Billington. A keeper of the Billington lineage documents was on hand with the paperwork that has been handed down over the generations of the Billington descendants.
John Billington (Mayflower passenger, signer of Mayflower Compact) Born 1580
Begat 2 sons: Francis and John Billington (Mayflower passengers)
Begat: Joseph Billinton
Begat: Joseph Billinton
Begat: Joseph Billinton (I guess they really liked that name)
Begat: James Billinton
Begat: John Billinton
Begat: George Billinton
Begat: Lorenzo Billinton
Begat: Eugene Clinton Billinton
Begat: George English Billington
Begat: Wanda Billington (Wanda married George Schuster and lived in Milw. WI later to move to Central WI near Galloway)
Begat: Corine Schuster (Billington) (Corine married John Kulas Jr. lived near Rosholt, WI)
John and Corine Begat: Me, Ron Kulas It’s a small world after all.
This Sunday evening (8 pm), National Geographic will be airing a 2 night movie event called Saints and Strangers detailing the Mayflower Pilgrims including my Notorious descendant.
channel.nationalgeographic.com/saints-and-strangers/video-gallery/?sort=recent&filter=clips
channel.nationalgeographic.com/saints-and-strangers/articles/whos-who/
385 years ago, In Sept. of 1630 one of the original mayflower passengers (John Billington) shot John Newcomin for stealing from his traps. Billington was a hunter/trapper providing food for the pilgrims while Newcomin seemed more interested in his own personal take rather than a communal harvest for the pilgrims. Some accounts list it as a dispute over hunting rights. Billington is said to have chased Newcomin and shot at him as Newcomin hid behind a tree, striking Necomin in the shoulder with a shot from his blunderbuss.
Newcomin neglected his wound and later died from gangrene. On Sept. 30th 1630, Billington was tried and hung although accounts state the Judge was also the executioners and was a person with a grudge against Billington so accounts as to the fairness of the trial are in question. At any rate, Billington was the first person executed in the new world.
John the elder had a son also named John who seems best known for getting lost in the woods near the Plymouth Colony only to be found by Squanto. Squanto gained historical notoriety for befriending the pilgrims and teaching them how to grow crops, hunt, keep warm and fish for food which helped them survive their first winter at the Plymouth Colony.
Squanto was present for the first Thanksgiving. Squanto befriended John Billington the younger after finding him lost in the woods and taught him woodsmanship and hunting skills. Books and poems were written about John the younger and Squanto.
As part of a recent family reunion/gathering , we talked about this event as well as the lineage of John Billington. A keeper of the Billington lineage documents was on hand with the paperwork that has been handed down over the generations of the Billington descendants.
John Billington (Mayflower passenger, signer of Mayflower Compact) Born 1580
Begat 2 sons: Francis and John Billington (Mayflower passengers)
Begat: Joseph Billinton
Begat: Joseph Billinton
Begat: Joseph Billinton (I guess they really liked that name)
Begat: James Billinton
Begat: John Billinton
Begat: George Billinton
Begat: Lorenzo Billinton
Begat: Eugene Clinton Billinton
Begat: George English Billington
Begat: Wanda Billington (Wanda married George Schuster and lived in Milw. WI later to move to Central WI near Galloway)
Begat: Corine Schuster (Billington) (Corine married John Kulas Jr. lived near Rosholt, WI)
John and Corine Begat: Me, Ron Kulas It’s a small world after all.
This Sunday evening (8 pm), National Geographic will be airing a 2 night movie event called Saints and Strangers detailing the Mayflower Pilgrims including my Notorious descendant.
channel.nationalgeographic.com/saints-and-strangers/video-gallery/?sort=recent&filter=clips
channel.nationalgeographic.com/saints-and-strangers/articles/whos-who/