Many of us have family heirlooms, but not many of those heirlooms date back to the very beginnings of America. During a recent research session on one of my Pilgrim ancestors, I discovered a unique family relic that’s been used by more than 10 generations of the family.
Samuel Fuller, M.D. (1580-1633), Mayflower Pilgrim and signer of the Mayflower Compact, was my 10th great-grandfather. I’m very interested in learning more about the descendants of these Pilgrim forefathers – so after examining Samuel’s family tree, I decided to search GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives for Samuel’s grandson, Isaac Fuller I (1674-1727). Because “Isaac Fuller” sounded like a common name, I included the search term “Plymouth” because Isaac lived and died within the boundaries of Plymouth Colony.
This search brought up an interesting discovery: a Boston Herald article about young Thomas Porter, who, as a descendant of Mayflower passenger Samuel Fuller, was to be rocked in the historic cradle that the Fuller family has been using since colonial times.
According to this article:
“Eleven generations of Americans have been rocked in that cradle, which is protected by a heavy plateglass covering. When this little boy comes to Plymouth this fall, that plateglass cover will be removed and the little fellow will be rocked in the cradle of his ancestors. Then the covering will be replaced, probably not to be removed for another generation.”
The article reports that Thomas was the first in 11 generations to be born outside of the Plymouth, Massachusetts, area. Before him, his great-grandfather Deacon Henry Noyes of Abington, Massachusetts, was the last family member to be rocked in the cradle.
This article also provides another interesting detail: the Pilgrim Hall Museum must allow any descendant of Samuel Fuller to rock their child in the cradle if requested.
Apparently, the news of young Tom Porter’s cradle ride traveled far, because the next search result I found was another account about his cradle ride – published in the Seattle Daily Times.
According to this newspaper article, the cradle didn’t originate in the colonies – it was brought with Dr. Samuel Fuller from his home in England:
“Dr. Samuel Fuller, physician of the Mayflower company, brought the cradle with him from England and it is supposed was himself sent to the land of Winken, Blinken and Nod many times in it, and 11 generations have been rocked in it. The second Samuel Fuller slept in it, and after him Dr. Isaac Fuller, in the third generation, and later a physician of Middleboro slumbered in its capacious quarters.”
I was curious whether this legend about the cradle having been brought from England was true, so I checked with the Pilgrim Hall Museum, where the cradle is kept.
It turns out they are not sure about the origins of this cradle. It might have origins in England, but it is also possible that it was made in the 1600s in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Are you also a descendant of Dr. Samuel Fuller?
And if so, were you rocked in the Fuller Family Cradle?
Find your family’s stories and relics by searching for them in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.