Mayflower and Horse Shoes
Close counts in horse shoes, but does it count in History? What if your family could be traced back to the Mayflower except for one little thing, they missed the boat.
Dr. (Deacon) Thomas Blossom born 1580, wife Anne and a young son were living in Leyden, Holland in 1617 having moved there from England with the religious sect we know as the Pilgrims. In 1620 Thomas and his young son went aboard the Speedwell which was to sail with the Mayflower for Virginia. (The colony or territory was said by some to include the area now know as New England and called North Virginia which fact enabled the Pilgrims to sail in that direction by saying they were going to Virginia.)
The Speedwell was going to used by the Pilgrims as a fishing ship once they were settled. However it proved to not be sea worthy and the two ships had to turn back for repairs. A second try and the Speedwell was still having trouble. (One account says that the crew was responsible because they didn’t want to make the trip.) It was decided that the Mayflower would sail alone. The passengers of the Speedwell were too many to add to the Mayflower and many were left behind. This included Dr. Blossom and his son. They returned to Holland where the son died and was buried.
It wasn’t till 1629 that a second ship named Mayflower took 35 Pilgrims aboard and sailed for America. Thomas, wife Anne, son Thomas 6, and daughter Elizabeth 9 were among the new arrivals.
In 1630 11 ships known as the Winthrop Fleet carrying the “700” followed. In this group were included the families Fitz Randolph and Bloomfield.
Elizabeth Blossom (daughter of Thomas Blossom) married Edward Fitz Randolph. Their daughter Hope Fitz Randolph married Ezekiel Bloomfield. Their daughter Rebecca Bloomfield married Charles Sallier (Salyer) Sr. All these families came to America in the 1600’s. Their son Zacharich Benjamin Salyer (who owned the land where the battle of Kings Mountain took place) had son Isaiah Salyer (who was a Tory, but his father and brothers and brother in laws fought for the Revolution). One of his sons was William Martin Salyer. He had two children by his two marriages and the children were 20 years apart in age. The daughter of Abner Salyer married the son of Abigail Salyer (husband “Stringer” Bill Risner). Their son George married Lou Etta Williams (she was born 1875 and died 1975, her father, and two of his brothers, served under one of their uncles who was a Captain in the Texas Rangers (later killed by Indians) and related by marriage to Gov. Sam Houston.) Their daughter married Neal H. Baggett of Texas.
Neal H. Baggett was son of Thompson son of Silas M. son of Lawrence Jackson Baggett son of Uzziel Baggett son of Thomas Baggett son of Nicholas Baggett II son of Nicholas Baggett I son of John Baggett of Surry Virginia. (Some list John as the son of Hervey Baggot of England but this isn’t true. Their son John died at age 2 and I checked with the kind lady who was first to put the information up and she agreed that it is incorrect).
So we would have a member of the first Mayflower Pact as a relation, but they were unable to find room on the Mayflower and followed later on the second Mayflower nine years later. Close.