The Descendants of
Robert Cushman and Sarah Reder

Robert Cushman was the first Cushman in America. He was an important leader in the Separatist community in Leyden, Holland. With the Mayflower and Speedwell's departure to America, Robert was forced to turn back to England with the leaky Speedwell due to his ill health. He did, however arrive the next year with his son Thomas aboard the Fortune, and was nevertheless as important to the Pilgrim community in Plymouth as Gov. Bradford, working tirelessly to secure land patents and passage for the remaining Separatist community in Holland.

Below are my two lines from Robert Cushman and Sarah Reder. Tracing lineage back through Deacon Elkanah and his wife Martha Cooke, three Mayflower passengers are added to the lineage. Two are from Martha Cooke (Francis Cooke and Stephen Hopkins). Also a line from Isaac Allerton comes down through Elkanah and Rev. Isaac's mother Mary Allerton.

A secondary line to Isaac Allerton appears from the brother of Deacon Elkanah, the Rev. Isaac Cushman. Through his marriage to Rebecca (possibly) Harlow, Isaac added to the family a line from Richard Warren. *Some controversy exists as to whether Rebecca was a Harlow or a Rickard. Thanks to modern technology, DNA testing is now being done to attempt to discern the Mitochondrial lines so that we can now know for certain which family Rebecca was descended from. At present, the Rebecca Harlow line is accepted as a proven line for membership into the Mayflower Society as descent from Richard Warren, but the Mayflower Society may reject her line if the DNA testing turns up negative.

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Cushman Ancestry Chart

Primary Line from Robert Cushman

Deborah Hubbard¹³, N. J. Hubbard¹², Gayle Hubbard¹¹, Luva Waterman¹⁰, William Waterman⁹, Elias Waterman ⁸, Jonathan Waterman⁷, Rebecca Cushman⁶, Elkanah Cushman⁵, Lt. Josiah Cushman ⁴ , Deacon Elkanah Cushman³ , Elder Thomas Cushman ² , Robert Cushman ¹

Secondary Line from Robert Cushman

Deborah Hubbard¹², N. J. Hubbard¹¹, Gayle Hubbard¹⁰, Luva Waterman⁹, William Waterman⁸, Elias Waterman⁷, Jonathan Waterman⁶, Thomas Waterman⁵, Mary Cushman⁴, Rev. Isaac Cushman³, Elder Thomas Cushman² , Robert Cushman ¹

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Other Interesting Cushman Related Sites:

The Cushman Family of Plymouth County as Found in "Ye Olde Burial Grounds." Paul Bumpus has an important collection of headstone photographs of several Cushmans.
Fortune Passenger List
Plymouth Archaeological Rediscovery Project - Ceramics and Pipes from the Allerton /Cushman Site 1632-1699
Sail 1620 - Robert Cushman the man who would have signed the Compact but couldn't.
Robert Cushman's Letter to Edward Southworth
Background Information on Robert Cushman's Sermon
The Sin and Danger of Self-Love The sermon was written and given by Robert Cushman to the Plymouth congregation in December 1621.
Virtual American Biographies Robert Cushman
Ann Miller's Tracing Roots Cushman Database I'm quite impressed that it is one of the most extensive databases on this family I've seen.

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Our Mayflower Ancestors
Descendants of Robert Waterman and Elizabeth Bourne
Descendants of Robert Paddock and Mary Holmes
Daniel De Veaux Family of New York
Descendants of Launcelot Granger and Joanna Adams
Hubbards Past and Present

Digital Pictures by Deborah Hubbard ©2002