Finding Your Roots

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Voiceover

When we looked more deeply into the Harris family history, we found an astonishing story. Neil is the direct descendant of a man named William Fferrar, who was born in England in 1583, and who was among the first Europeans to settle in colonial Virginia. Neil this is what's known as a muster, and that's similar to a census record. The muster of the inhabitants taken the 21st of January, 1624.

William Fferrar arrived on the Neptune in August 1618. You know what that means? The Neptune must be a boat. Yes, your ancestor, William Fferrar, sailed to the colony of Virginia two years before the Mayflower.

Wow. Wow. -

Voiceover

Bound for Virginia, The Neptune sailed from England in 1618, but the journey turned out to be a nightmare. Storms blew the ship off course, and its passengers were ravaged by disease. Dozens died at sea. Yet, Neil's ancestors survived making him one of the earliest British settlers in Virginia.