Angel Gabriel the Burnhams--Recap

In case you were unaware of this discussion.  It started here.  Progressed to this posting on the ship Angel Gabriel.  Then came this posting, and finally this posting.  You must read all the comments because it was a back and forth discussion.

My final comments are my usual when it comes to genealogy.  It is up to the person to make up her or his mind as to how to interpret the evidence.  No one can prove the Burnham were on the Angel Gabriel and no one can prove they weren't on the ship.  It is solely up to you to decide how you want to proceed.  I've always been a big believer that you can put whatever you want on your genealogical charts.  It's only when you put those charts in the public arena, that you need to prepared to defend your research.

I would put more credence in this story if there were true family lore involved.  However, the family lore seems to be of the 19th century from sources in print.  I truly believe the Burnhams were placed on the ship because people thought Robert Andrews was on the ship, which we now can prove was untrue.  Certainly they were in New England by 1637 at the latest judging by the Pequot War service.  If you didn't see this, it's a picture of the grave of Mary (Lawrence) Burnham, wife of Thomas.

Comments

[Heather Rojo]

I've been following this all along with great interest. I've a long line of ancestors buried in Essex (Chebacco Parish) right down to my grandparents. I still have cousins living there. Too many Burnhams, Storys, Andrews, Choates and Cogswells to count up. I still think that folks can live somewhere for several years without leaving records. Some of my ancestors lived in Essex for several generations and I've only found their existence in compiled genealogies, and not in the VRs, deeds, graveyards, probate, municipal or military records. Anderson might be correct, or way off. We'll never know until one of us invents a time machine (a personal favorite dream of mine!)

[Martin Hollick]

When you get the time machine I hope youll let others use it as well. As far as Anderson is concerned, the Great Migration project has a specific goal. That is, to state these are the facts. This is what we truly know about this person. This person first appears here in the records. The Great Migration clears away alot of fooferah that has been in print for a century or more. As I said we can only be certain of these known things. I always try to let the records tell the story, rather than invent a story to fit my version of the records. One of the more upsetting things for the Burnhams is that the publisher of the Essex Antiquarian was doing all families in Essex County alphabetically, but he ran out of money at Brown. So close to Burnham!