Among my illustrious ancesters were Thomas Dudley, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony starting in 1634. He built the first house in Cambridge, Mass and signed the charter creating Harvard College.
His daughter, Anne Dudley Bradstreet (1612-1672) was the first published poet in the colonies.
On the historical trip to my birth there were some pretty famous names validated as relatives.....Herbert Hoover, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice David Souter.
On Brad's side, Bradford Washburn (1910-2007) was the founder of the Museum of Science in Boston. He was an explorer, cartographer of mountains and my husband was named for him - Bradford Washburn Gilley and our son (Bradford Washburn Gilley Jr). The link was Brad's grandmother who was a Washburn by birth.