Scudder Family History from Horton Kirby to Massachusetts Bay Colony

Scudder Ancestral Home: Horton Kirby, Kent, England

Another website offers the explanation about the meaning of the images that make up the village sign. They are “St. Mary the Virgin church, the railway viaduct, the River Darent which flows through the village, hops which are still grown locally and the chimney of the former Horton, Kirby Paper Mill.” From flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/l2f1/5272058503

Source: “Horton Kirby Village Sign,” Wikimedia Commons.

Scudders Immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1635–1644

Source: Fitz Hugh Lane, “Salem Harbor,” 1853, Public domain.

Dedicated to continuing the vision and work of the Scudder Association of America founded in 1912.

To build community & connection among Scudders we work together to:

Gather, verify, preserve, and publish accurate history and genealogy of ancestors and descendants of: Thomas Scudder (T), John Scudder (J), Elizabeth (Scudder) (E) Lathrop and of our English ancestors and cousins.
Memorialize 400 years of Scudder contributions to history.
Build family history skills in youth & adults.
Foster belonging and the Scudder heritage of Service.

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Panels to our three immigrant ancestors’ pages
Learn more about the Scudder History Association.
Youth Page
Fun with Family History
Scudder Family History Resources
Scudders – U.S. 250^th Celebration
DNA Committee Page

The Scudder Family
Historical & Biographical Journal

JOURNAL HOME

Dedicated to educating, preserving history and promoting the Scudder heritage of service.

Latest Issue of the Journal, Volume 8, no. 1, (Winter 2026)

Why Is Family History Beneficial?

Psychologists at Emory University “studied the role of family history knowledge in adolescent development and identity formation [and found] “…irrespective of race or ethnic background, adolescents who know more about their family histories have ‘higher self-esteem, better family functioning, greater family cohesiveness, lower levels of anxiety, and lower incidence of behavior problems.’ Furthermore, having this family information positively correlates with overcoming psychological and educational challenges.” Also true for adults, benefits can include ‘promoting lifelong learning and fostering civic pride and responsibility by placing forbears in context of world, national and local history.’

—From Daniel Webster, “The Enduring Power and Promise of Family History,” American Ancestors, volume 24, no. 4, (Winter 2024), https://www.americanancestors.org and Carol Clark, “How family stories help children weather hard times,” Emory University, April 29, 2020.

The Scudder History Association encourages these outcomes! We invite you to utilize our Youth Page & Family Activities Page to help younger generations learn more about their family heritage and their nation, including how Scudders helped to build the United States.