Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The business of family

It's England, it's 1590, and it's a boy.

He grew. He grew discontent.

He left England in 1630 to come to Plymouth, Massachusetts and became known as Deacon John Doane. From this man a family tree dug its roots deep into the soil of New England and then dispersed throughout America.

Today, The Doane Family Association of Amercia, Inc. celebrates family every other year with a reunion held at various sites in the United States. Besides family, the Doane's love a good mystery and right now the business of the Doane family is a quest to discover exactly where in England Deacon John originated, to uncover the family name of the Deacon's wife, and determine what vessel he used to travel to America.

This year the reunion is at Doane College, a nationally recognized college in Nebraska offering undergraduate and graduate programs across three campuses in Crete, Lincoln and Grand Island. From the Doane College website: "Deacon John Doane was one of the few who bore the title of "Mr." In 1633, he was on the list of Freemen. By 1632/33, he began serving on the General Court. He preferred to be a Deacon in the church, rather than an Assistant to the Governor. In 1644, Deacon John Doane was among those leading the enterprise of new settlement in the Nauset (now Eastham) area of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

It is a known fact that there are good Doanes, musical Doanes (Melanie Doane), athletic Doanes (Shane Doane), inventors and entrepreneurs (Doane Paper and LCDoane), illustrators (Pelagie Doane), and outright Outlaw Doans.

Who have you found in your family tree?