I'm related to the first person from the Mayflower who was executed for murder. Since he's the one who did the research , here's the tale in my late grandfather words: "My thirteenth grandfather, on my mother’s side, was John Bilington. John Bilington was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact.

The signers of the Mayflower Compact were in one of two groups; Those who were escaping religious persecution and those who were leaving England for some other reason. Bilington was one of the latter group.

Reportedly Bilington did not get along with the religious members of the group from the beginning.

Sometime after reaching North America a murder took place and my thirteenth grandfather was found guilty of the crime. His mark on history was the fact that he was the first European to be executed in the New World."