countdown to 150 -- Sylvia's Roots by Earl Shreckengast

 Charles’ future wife, Sylvia Broughten, was born in Richmond County, Illinois, in 1848 and grew up there. Her mother, Eliza Webster, was from Genesee County, New York and her father, James E. Broughten, was from Maryland.

Charles had no idea that Sylvia was descended from the Pilgrims that arrived on the Mayflower in 1620, but a Broughten relative made the connection in 2002. Sylvia is descended through her mother from two Mayflower ancestors, John and Elizabeth Tilley Howland. Elizabeth’s Tilley parents died soon after arriving and John and she were married five years later.

John Howland’s story is one of “what if.” He was a twenty-something who was an indentured servant and later personal secretary to John Carver, the first Governor of the Plymouth Colony. While on the Mayflower, he fell overboard during a violent storm, but he managed to grab hold of the topsail halyards which were trailing in the water. Although he was submerged in several feet of water, he hung on and was eventually pulled to safety. Otherwise, Charles would not have had Sylvia as his wife.

Other notable descendants of John and Elizabeth Howland include Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and George H.W. Bush, Morman founder Joseph Smith, Jr., pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, writer Jane Austin, actor Humphery Bogart, comedian Chevy Chase, singer/songwriter James Taylor, and Governor Sarah Palin.

Interestingly, it is estimated that there are over 10 million living descendants of the 51 Mayflower passengers who had children. John and Elizabeth Howland were among the most prolific. Pictured above is Plymouth Plantation, a recreation of Plymouth Colony, the original 1620s settlement of the Pilgrims. Also pictured is the recreated Howland home at the village.