Watching who do you think you are.

It was also through that episode that I realized my husband was descendant from William Brewster (also his 12th great-grandfather). I love that show. It shows me new ways to research or think about how to research. I've learned so much from it!

Pedro Welsh, the genealogist in the Caribbean/Barbados episodes seems to be related to me. And anything on Jamaica helps me!

Kenneth Kwame Welsh, (C)

Can you post some link to youtubes for the BBC version of "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Frankly they were better than the American version ... and the American version was pretty darn good.

Brittany Christine Jenkins

One of the things that tickled me so much about that episode with Ashley Judd was that it turns out her Mayflower lineage is from her "Sicilian" father's side of the family ....

http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/video/ep-208-ashley-dis...

Donald S. Nothem

Do you have a link for your Kingsbury ancestor? I want to see if I'm a cousin. :)

See Tagging under ==> http://wiki.geni.com/index.php/Glossary#T

Yeah, and the thing I'm kind of wanting to track now through that line is whether or not religion and the freedom of religion was passed on through the generations following William Brewster. I know my mother-in-law (how my husband is connected to him) is incredibly involved in the church, and I'm wondering if that was true for the other 11 people between her and William.

So there's a religion gene? :) I thought Brewster had a "stand up for your principles" thing going on, most of all.

I will never forget the cell where he was imprisoned.

Haha! Some people actually think that there might be, but it kind of comes down to the nature vs nurture debate. I'm curious if the children of people who were highly religious or stood for certain values ended up following their parents' beliefs or if they rebelled and went their own way.

And yeah, that cell made what he went through feel so real. I can't imagine how it actually felt when she sat in it.

I guess I could be test case also, as William Brewster, of Scrooby ("Elder's" father) is currently showing in Geni as my 12th great grandfather.

HA! He's my 13th gg, through my Mormon ancestors! Now that's a hoot!

Never trust the Geni! Go clean up tree! :)

Has anyone tested the relationship between Joseph Smith and William Brewster? Or any of the other famous religious dissenters of early New England? Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, Rev Thomas Hooker, etc.

Erica Howton I'm not sure what you mean by "Never trust the Geni! Go clean up tree! :)". Was that directed at me? All the relationships in the path looked solid to me, can you explain?

William Brewster, of Scrooby is Joseph Smith, Jr.'s wife's husband's 6th great grandfather.

Anne Marbury is William Brewster, of Scrooby's third great granddaughter's husband's second great grandmother.

Thomas Hooker, Jr. is Joseph Smith, Jr.'s wife's nephew's wife's fifth great grandfather.

Joseph Smith, Jr. is Anne Marbury's third cousin 6 times removed.

Brigham Young is William Penn, Jr.'s fourth cousin 6 times removed.

Thomas Hooker, Jr. is Brigham Young's wife's nephew's wife's fifth great grandfather.

William Penn, Jr. is Anne Marbury's 8th cousin once removed.

Joseph Smith, Jr. is William Penn, Jr.'s 8th cousin 6 times removed.

Conclusion: They are all "related" in some way, but many of the relationships are spurious at best!

Joseph Kingsbury@jo

Millicent Sprague@mill

Jennifer

When I first connected to the "big tree" I was like -- OK, sure, if Geni says so ... yeah sure I have "royal" ancestry, uh huh, royal like 1,000 years of farmer farmer farmer farmer ....

But what I've really come to find out?

There were only I think it was 21 passengers on the Mayflower who had children.

If you can find *any* great migration generation ancestor -- and many of us can -- through one line or another you will have a relationship with our own "Royalty," because who else was there. :)

Capt. Anthony Eames is showing as my 10th great grandfather. A few too many Geni children at the moment, but it's really nice to visit with him.

Donald S. Nothem

Thank you! I've never looked into the Kingsbury's before. Now I'm curious as to their story.

I wasn't aware that Brewster was regarded as "royalty". I couldn't care less if I have a Mayflower ancestor. I thought it was interesting that, through the Brewster connection, I might be related to you all.

What's most interesting to me is that your immediate assumption was that I am (a) eager to find a "famous" connection and (b) wrong, or at least unsure, about my ancestors. Fascinating! ;)

Oh the "you" was generic, I'm sorry -- not meant for you personally.

I get excited to find out about ancestors who did interesting things and learn more about them and their times. And then I find out ... if you dig a little, we're all interesting.

John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony@john is where the kingsbury's came over with, Joseph was married to Millicet Ames, she was the mayflower connection, I too find it fascinating how we are all related thru time and history of the growth of a country. Its alot like a big puzzle we are putting back togather.

I thought I was related to Governor Bradford through his daughter marrying my relative Samuel Wilbore, "The Immigrant" but it turns out that that belief goes back a long time and was in fact an erroneous leap by one of the early historians of Colonial times. Another Wilbore descendant emailed me and I went to New England Genealogical and Historical Society and got the source and information to correct Geni.

Although I was a bit disappointed, I was thrilled to have corrected an important mistake in the tree.

Here are clips from BBC version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TZbZntMnug

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUiG4NnKRqs

Benjamin Kingsbury, I@Be My 6th Gr Grandfather and DAR#A064925 Benjamin Sr

Benjamin Kingsbury, II@Ben and my 5th Gr Grandfather Benjamin II, DAR# A064928,

That's interesting. I am also the 12 gg daughter of William Brewster of Scrooby. His son, Benjamin, brother to the Mayflower Brewster, was my ancestor.

Benjamin Brewster

Erica: Regarding your point about Great Migration ancestors...I'm almost nothing but Great Migration on my father's mother's father's side, yet I've still never hit on a Mayflower ancestor. True Brahmins all over, right up through recent generations (like my grandmother), but never Mayflower. It always baffles me. Though I've spent enough time laughing at the Mayflower Society over the years that I kinda don't want to find a connection, to be honest. ;)

Ashley - most of my Mayflower ancestors are through my 4th great grandmother, who was a Gallup. So the same would nearly be true for me on my mother's side except for that marriage, tons of Great Migration relatives. Now, I am a descendant of the fathers or grandfathers of several of the Mayflower descendants also, which you probably will find yourself being as well eventually.

Like Brewster :)

That is true for me -- I'm connected pretty closely to just about all of them. I just haven't found myself to be a direct lineal descendant of any passengers.

I remember that I was pretty closely connected to one of the people profiled on WDYTYA, but for some reason I can't remember for the life of me which episode it was now...I imagine there must already be a WDYTYA project I can go look up, huh? :) Maybe that's the next thing to add to my to-do list...