I posted a message announcing my 100th pilgrim image and late last night I passed the 200 mark, 203, if I counted correctly. Way back when, having taken 4 months to accrue the 1st 100 mug shots, I was aiming for the next 100 in 2 more months. It took 10 1/2. I've added some other new features in the meantime but that's just an excuse.

I am partial to an egalitarian style of honoring one's forebears, meaning that none of us have anything to "brag" about due to the accident of being related to someone who either did something important or was standing there when someone else did something important. Being a Mayflower descendant in no way makes me any better or worse a person than a nonMayflower descendant. We're all descended from somebody, right?

In that spirit I am passing along a link to a group I had heard about and recently attended a presentation by one of their founders. I came away impressed by the egalitarianism of the group. It's the Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesmen 1607-1783. Prerequisite for membership is lineal descent from anyone who settled in the 13 Colonies AND either was an acknowledged artisan/tradesman in the Old Country (often by guild membership or an apprenticeship) or practiced such a career here. There are groups for descendants of Colonial ministers, tavernkeepers, and governors, so why not for the people who literally built America?

If you are Mayflower descendant there is a good chance your ancestor qualifies. Two of my eight signed on as servants and became yeomen, so do not qualify, but six others do: William Brewster (printer), Francis Cooke (wool comber), John Alden (cooper), Thomas Rogers (camlet merchant/draper), William Mullins (shoe and boot maker), and Richard Warren (merchant.)

Check their list of ancestors enrolled and see if your pilgrim ancestor (or descendant) is on their list. You might be surprised to find what they actually thought they were going to be when they grew up.