Great migration directory

By Nancy Battick

Many genealogists know the work of the late Robert Charles Anderson. His accolades are numerous. He was the director of the Great Migration Study Project for the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. 

I recently acquired a copy of his last work, “The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640, A Concise Compendium.” This second edition spans 540 pages with 5,700 sketches, new additions and corrections from the first edition, which was published 10 years ago. It is fully sourced. He also includes 11 sketches from the first edition, which he retired because of incorrect information.

Many of us with early New England roots have ancestors who came to these shores either to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620, later aboard other vessels or in the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. which landed in what is now Boston and became the Massachusetts Bay colony. 

There were other landings in New England as well. Those two decades from 1620 to 1640 were crucial in the settlement of our country by immigrants. 

This volume is invaluable to researchers whose ancestry lies in early English settlements in this part of America. Not only men are included, but women as well and who they married, if known. 

Often other items of interest are included. As one example, we learn that Sarah Riddlesdale came from Assington, Suffolk, in 1635 to Ipswich. It’s noted she was the stepdaughter of John Wyatt, who also came in 1635 to Ipswich. Sarah married Luke Heard, who came in 1639 to Newbury. Another stepdaughter, Mary, also arrived at the same time and she married Henry Kimball, son of Richard Kimball, who came in 1634 to Watertown. A third stepdaughter, Dorcas, also came to Ipswich but there is no record of a marriage for her. 

That’s a lot of information with sources given and it establishes relationships. If you’re a descendant or relative of any of those mentioned, this is an immense help in your research. 

These thumbnail sketches aren’t intended to provide you with all the answers about an ancestor, but to acknowledge who was in New England in that 20-year period, where they came from, if known, the year and place of arrival and where they may have moved to after arrival — and often, their relationships to other immigrants. That’s a lot for a genealogist to learn and pursue.

“The Great Migration Directory” can be found in larger libraries. If you wish to acquire a copy for your own library, I found my copy on Amazon.com. The book can be purchased in other places online including americanancestors.org/bookstore.

Other works by Anderson include “The Great Migration Begins:  Immigrants To New England, 1620-1633,” The Winthrop Fleet:  Massachusetts Bay Company Immigrants to New England, 1629-1630,” The Mayflower Migration:  Immigrants to Plymouth, 1620,” and the Great Migration Newsletter, Volumes 1-25. These works are invaluable to those of us whose ancestors came to these shores during this period. 

Anderson was meticulous in his research and was highly respected in his field. 

Columnist Nancy Battick of Dover-Foxcroft has researched genealogy for over 30 years. She is past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, author of several genealogical articles and co-transcribed the Vital Records of Dover-Foxcroft. Nancy holds an MA in History from UM. Reader emails are welcome at nbattick@roadrunner.com.