Here's a copy of what Ike did in 1980 on Degory Priest (a Mayflower settler) - minus the cute little drawing of the Mayflower on the cover!! It was pretty faded, but I think its a good copy of the original. It doesn't spell out our connection (of Tippetts genealogy) to Degory Priest.

I have in my mind that our connection is through the Perry line, and I thought it was in an Ensign article I read years ago about Elder (Tom) Perry. But I looked up a couple of articles where Elder Perry's genealogy is given and didn't find any reference to Degory Priest. I also googled Gustavus Adolphus Perry - and didn't find any connection there. Haven't done any research on it through family search - though - has anyone in the family already done that??

Jean Timiney

DEGORY PRIEST’S VOYAGE TO AMERICA
By Isaac Tippetts
December 1, 1980
Degory Priest was born in 1579/80 in London, England. “He is credited as one of the Layden contingent, although he was originally called a “Hatter” from London in the Layden records.” He was married on November 4, 1611 to Sarah Allerton, widow of John Vincent of London, who apparently died on that same day. Sarah Allerton is the sister of Isaac Allerton who also traveled in the Mayflower and signed the Mayflower compact. On November 16, 1615, Mr. Priest was admitted a citizen of Layden, being one of only three of the Pilgrim community who attained that status. The two others who were also from Layden were William Bradford and Isaac Allerton. William Bradford outlived Degory Priest and was elected Governor of the pilgrim colony. Degory Priest’s wife and two daughters, Mary and Sarah did not accompany him on the Mayflower.
Soon the dock at Southampton in England was filled with people. Some, like William Mullins and John Billington, had brought their families, others like Degory Priest, had come alone.
Most of the Separatists were going to America for religious reasons. King James’ law said that the Englishmen could meet to worship God in his church, and the rules of the church were made by the King. The Separatists didn’t choose to obey the King’s rules, nor did they want to attend his church. Instead, they chose their own religious leader, William Brewster, and they met with him secretly. King James didn’t like what the people were doing and he had the Separatist leaders put in jail. After much more religious persecution the separatists left England illegally to settle in Amsterdam and Layden, Holland, where Degory Priest could have joined the group. The one hundred and twenty-five separatists practiced their religion peacefully there until they heard talk that Spain was going to declare war on Holland. They knew that they wouldn’t be allowed to practice their religion if Holland were to be taken over by Spain, the King of Spain was Catholic. The people then decided to go to that new land called America.

About one hundred separatists said that they would go to America if a way to get there could be found. Finally, they found some English businessmen who would agree to become their partners to help them get to America. The men hired a strong and sturdy ship called the Mayflower. They also bought food and other supplies that the Separatists would need in America. Everything was all set for their voyage, but when it was time to sign the partnership papers, only forty-seven agreed to sign. To make the trip economical there had to be at least one hundred passengers. The businessmen located fifty-five non-Pilgrims who wanted to make the trip to America.
On the morning of September 6, 1620, the perfect wind was blowing to send the Mayflower on its way. There were one hundred and two people aboard the ship. Storms tortured the Mayflower for most of October. They had been at sea for over two months until finally on November 11, they sighted Cape Cod. The women and children wanted to go ashore but the men weren’t ready yet. They were signing the agreement that they had written the night before. The agreement was called the Mayflower Compact. The men talked late into the night the day before. They wanted to have some laws for their new land.

This was a written agreement among the Pilgrim leaders for the establishment of a political community based on the principle of government by mutual consent.

Degory Priest was the twenty-ninth [signer] of what was to be the first Democratic Constitution in America. The Pilgrims had a leader but the other Separatists didn’t, as the men agreed on laws that would be good for all the Separatists and John Carver was chosen to be their first Governor.

Fourteen men went to shore in a small rowboat. Each man was armed with a gun because there was fear they would encounter the wild Indians that they had heard about.

Just as it grew dark the men came out of the woods and rowed back to the Mayflower. They brought bad news to the rest of the people. There wasn’t any fresh water to be found. All the streams and rivers were salty. One of the captain officers named Robert Coppin, pointed out a place on the map called Plymouth. Plymouth had fresh water and a fine harbor. It was about forty-five miles away and the men had to travel through rain and snow to get there. They discovered that it was good for farming and a perfect place for the Pilgrims to build their colony.

There were two rivers and the harbor was deep enough for a ship as big as the Mayflower. The men sailed back to the Mayflower with the good news. This was to be the place for the Pilgrims to live.
On December 16, 1620 the Mayflower entered the harbor at Plymouth. Because of their poor diet many lay sick in bed suffering from colds and high fevers. Six Pilgrims died and never saw their new home.

The Pilgrims started building their town as fast as they could in order to beat the winter storms. They worked through the storms that brought heavy rain and snow. The meeting house was built first to provide a place to sleep while the other nineteen small family houses were being built.

Degory Priest died January 11, 1621 and before the end of the month seven others died of hunger and colds. He never saw the completion of the colony that he had set out to build. He died along with thirty other people who died before the end of February, and he never saw his wife and children again. He was forty-two years of age when he died.

Gregory Priest’s widow remarried in Layden November 13, 1621 to Cuthbert Cuthbertson and the two of them with three children (Samuel Cuthbertson, Mary and Sarah Priest) sailed to Plymouth in 1623 on the “Ann.” There is definitely no record or any likely to be found of Degory Priest having any sons to show that the Priests of Massachusetts could have derived.

The name of Degory Priest, or Priest is common in Devon and Cornwall, England. A family with these names in Lasant Cornwall offers a promising field for investigation as to the earlier origin of this immigrant. Families of this name were living in the parishes of All Hallows the Great, All Hallows on the Wall, St. Augustine, St. Dustan in the west and St. Margaret Fatten in London at the period of the immigration.

Note: I wrote this for a homework assignment in high school. I had heard that we were related to Degory Priest which sparked my interest in the subject. The paper was focused on the experience of Degory Priest and the Mayflower settlers and not on his relationship to us. It would be the final touch if anyone knew the connection.

Ike Tippetts

The following update from Judy via Dan, answers the question.

Judy Tippetts Wray is the 10th great grand daughter of Degory priest. Here is the genealogy line:

Judy Tippetts Wray
Marion Tippetts
Isaac Harrison Tippetts
Heber Chase Tippetts
Amanda Melvina Perry
Gustaphus Adolphus Perry
Abijah Perry Jr.
Abijah Perry
Mercy Swan (Perry)
Mary Pratt (Swan)
Mary Priest (Pratt)
Degory Priest