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The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of New Jersey (SMD-NJ) Donates Historical Reference Collection to SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library Branch

About Blog Post Jan 12, 2018 by Pressroom
On January 10, SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch became the newest recipient location of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) historical reference collection. “For the past 35 years, we have gifted libraries and historical societies throughout the state with this collection,” said Jack Idenden, Jr., SMD-NJ Governor. “Today we join in partnership with the Bound Brook Memorial Library branch and in doing so, Somerset County now has a collection of our Silver Books, Mayflower Families in Progress booklets, and other Mayflower publications. We want our communities to use and access these otherwise unattainable resources.” The Bound Brook branch will be the only location in Somerset County to maintain a complete collection of these important research materials. “The Silver Books – also known as the “Five Generations Project” or “Mayflower Families through Five Generations” – and “Mayflower Families in Progress” booklets are invaluable as genealogical research tools. They are the only officially sanctioned source for approved lineages for the descendants of the Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620. Fifty passengers are known to have living descendants and the Silver Books cover the twenty-five families that left American descendants. We look forward to assisting patrons from throughout Somerset County who hope to connect their ancestry to a traveler on the Mayflower and consequently, assisting the SMD-NJ to increase their membership,” said Mary C. Nelson, adult services librarian at SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch. GSMD meticulously investigates primary records that substantiate the identity of individuals and families that descend from the Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620. “Every source is checked and rechecked by editors, researchers using reviewed land records, probates, as well as many other genealogical resources – all to ensure accuracy for each individual and each generation,” continued Idenden. Learn more about GSMD at themayflowersociety.org or search SCLSNJ’s collections at catalog.SCLSNJ.org. To schedule a one-on-one appointment to explore the Mayflower reference collection, email Mary Nelson at mnelson@sclibnj.org. About the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) Founded in 1897, The Mayflower Society, or General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The GSMD is committed to research on the lineal descent of the Mayflower Pilgrims and education about the Pilgrims who travelled aboard the Mayflower in 1620. The Society provides education and understanding of why the Mayflower Pilgrims were important, how they shaped western civilization, and what their 1620 voyage and its impact on the world means today.