This is another case of "Will the real Thomas King please stand up?" Many people are identifying him as the Thomas King who was born at Taunton, Dorset, England before April 20, 1676 and he was then believed to be about 71 years old. So wew have a nine to ten year discrepancy on his birthdate, or location, or both.
We also don't know the name of his wife, other than Ann or Anne. It is possible that he had two wives named Ann, since the first one died in 1642 and he didn't marry Bridget Loker until 1655. However, Ann #1 is believed to be the mother of all his children, since all known children were born before she died. Thomas and Ann are believed to have come to America about 1638, so some of the possibly as many as nine children were born here.
It is likely that Ann died of complications of childbirth because the last son, Thomas, was born December 4, 1642 and Ann #1 died December 24, 1642. Sadly, their infant son followed within a few days and died on January 3, 1643. So there Thomas was in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a widower with as many as nine children, and it's hard to imagine that he didn't marry again, quickly. Unless he had a sister or other close relative who could live in the home and help out, Thomas would have needed a wife, quickly. The other possibility is that all the children who were underage were bound out, or sent to live with relatives. As far as I know, there is no documentation for this; it's just speculation on my part.
Thomas and family seem to have spent their first two or three years in Watertown and then moved on to Sudbury. The Kings stayed there for several years, even after Ann had died. After he had married Bridget, he was found in Marlborough. This had been considered part of Sudbury until it was partitioned so I'm not sure whether he actually moved or not. In Marlborough, he was a selectman, a town constable, and responsible for laying out the highways in town. He received several grants of land in the divisions that were made to the settlers.
When King Philip's War came in 1675-76, Thomas was counted in the household of his son-in-law, William Kerley. He may have gone there, temporarily, for protection. Or, as a seventy year old man (or older, depending on birth date), he may have been ready to live with a younger member of his family.
He wrote his will on 3/21/1675 and added a codicil January 15, 1676. The inventory showed a valuation of 295 pounds, 10 shillings.
This is what we know. We don't know what his occupation was, or what religion he professed. We don't know whether he was literate. We don't know about his life during the thirteen years between the death of Ann #1 and Bridget. We don't know what the exact circumstances were that had him living with his son in law in 1675-76, and we don't know whether Bridget was with him then or not.
But we do know he was an immigrant here during the end of the Great Migration, and we know he contributed to the growth of America. He wasn't rich but he wasn't poor, either. He had probably improved his family's fortune by coming to America, so it was a win for him and a win for us.
The line of descent is:
Thomas King-Ann
Sarah King-Nathaniel Joslin
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba (Euzebia) Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King. Show all posts
Friday, September 28, 2018
Friday, August 14, 2015
Holbrook line: Thomas Joslin, Immigrant 1591-1660/61
I love it when I find so much information about an ancestor that it's hard to fit it all into one blog post! This is definitely a case of "pick and choose" what I can reasonably expect my family to read.
Thomas Joslin was born at Roxwell, County Essex, in England late in 1591, the son of Ralph Josselyn and Mary Bright (or possibly Dorothy unknown). Roxwell is a small village and was likely never much larger than it was in 1872, when it had a population of 986. There is a church there that has been in existence since the 14th century, where Thomas would have been baptized. Ralph, the father, is called a yeoman, so he was a respectable farmer who owned at least some land. Thomas had at least 10 brothers and sisters, some of which were likely half siblings, so it was a large family in what was probably a small home.
Sometime about 1615, Thomas married Rebecca Jude, and they raised their family for about 20 years in Dedham and later in Barham, county Suffolk, England. In between, they may have lived in Ardleigh, Essex county, because two of their children were baptized there. The last child was baptized in Barham, but we are missing baptismal locations for some of their other children. The question is, did they move, or did they simply take some of their children to other (family) locations to be baptized in the "home church"?
We do know that in April of 1635, the family set sail on the ship Increase to come to Massachusetts. They brought with them Rebecca, age 18, Dorothy, age 11, Nathaniel, age 8, Elizabeth, age 6, and Mary, age 1. They also had a maidservant, Eliabeth Ward, who may or may not have been a relative.
The family first settled at Hingham, and by 1647 were well enough established that they were being given small parcels of land (one and one half acre of fresh meadow, and three acres of land in Hockly Field. Thomas also purchased land from Stephen Lincoln, and by the time he was ready to sell it, it was described as "our houses, barns, homestalls, outhouses and dwelling house and barns, orchards and gardens, with the homelot", about three acres in all. At the same time, he and son Nathaniel sold additional land to George Lane and Thomas Collier.
Thomas and Rebecca's children were Abraham, Rebecca, Mary, Dorothy, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, and Mary again (the first Mary died soon after her 1619 baptism, and Dorothy died as a young woman.)
According to "Account of the Joslin Family", he was admitted freeman at Hingham in 1636, and was largely interested in commerce, owning several vessels that sailed between England and the Colonies, and was also proprietor of land in the towns of Lancaster, Hingham, and Sudbury. He was described as a man of commendable habits, generous disposition, and great business ability, and was respected by the citizens for his excellent personal character. He was a selectman for the town for several years, apparently.
In 1654 the Joslins sold their land and moved to Lancaster. We aren't told why they moved, but it must have seemed a better opportunity. By this time, Thomas would have been 63 years old, and perhaps he went because Nathaniel was moving, and he wanted to be with his son and grandchildren. Lancaster of course was very much a frontier town, but during the time Thomas lived there relations with the native Americans seem to have been peaceful. Still, a 63 year old man may have had a hard time building a new home, unless he was able to have it built.
Thomas's will was written May 9,1660 and proved March 29,1661. He left his estate to his wife Rebecca, and land or money to each of his children. He left little to his son Abraham, so he may have already given him his share of the estate. His housing and lands were valued at 30 pounds.
Rebecca later remarried and disposed of the land according to (Thomas's) will.
I've used material from "Great Migration, Volume 4, page 117, "English Origins of New England Families Volume I," and New England Historical and Genealogical Register Volume 158" in writing this post, as well as bits and pieces from Wikipedia.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Joslin-Rebecca Jude
Nathaniel Joslin-Sarah King
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mercy or Mary Perrin
Euzebia (Luceba) Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: There are genealogies that say that our Thomas can be traced back to Gilbert Josceline, who was a contemporary of William the Conqueror. Others say it isn't so, so take it with a grain of salt. The dates seem to work, and it's fun to think it might be so!
Thomas Joslin was born at Roxwell, County Essex, in England late in 1591, the son of Ralph Josselyn and Mary Bright (or possibly Dorothy unknown). Roxwell is a small village and was likely never much larger than it was in 1872, when it had a population of 986. There is a church there that has been in existence since the 14th century, where Thomas would have been baptized. Ralph, the father, is called a yeoman, so he was a respectable farmer who owned at least some land. Thomas had at least 10 brothers and sisters, some of which were likely half siblings, so it was a large family in what was probably a small home.
Sometime about 1615, Thomas married Rebecca Jude, and they raised their family for about 20 years in Dedham and later in Barham, county Suffolk, England. In between, they may have lived in Ardleigh, Essex county, because two of their children were baptized there. The last child was baptized in Barham, but we are missing baptismal locations for some of their other children. The question is, did they move, or did they simply take some of their children to other (family) locations to be baptized in the "home church"?
We do know that in April of 1635, the family set sail on the ship Increase to come to Massachusetts. They brought with them Rebecca, age 18, Dorothy, age 11, Nathaniel, age 8, Elizabeth, age 6, and Mary, age 1. They also had a maidservant, Eliabeth Ward, who may or may not have been a relative.
The family first settled at Hingham, and by 1647 were well enough established that they were being given small parcels of land (one and one half acre of fresh meadow, and three acres of land in Hockly Field. Thomas also purchased land from Stephen Lincoln, and by the time he was ready to sell it, it was described as "our houses, barns, homestalls, outhouses and dwelling house and barns, orchards and gardens, with the homelot", about three acres in all. At the same time, he and son Nathaniel sold additional land to George Lane and Thomas Collier.
Thomas and Rebecca's children were Abraham, Rebecca, Mary, Dorothy, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, and Mary again (the first Mary died soon after her 1619 baptism, and Dorothy died as a young woman.)
According to "Account of the Joslin Family", he was admitted freeman at Hingham in 1636, and was largely interested in commerce, owning several vessels that sailed between England and the Colonies, and was also proprietor of land in the towns of Lancaster, Hingham, and Sudbury. He was described as a man of commendable habits, generous disposition, and great business ability, and was respected by the citizens for his excellent personal character. He was a selectman for the town for several years, apparently.
In 1654 the Joslins sold their land and moved to Lancaster. We aren't told why they moved, but it must have seemed a better opportunity. By this time, Thomas would have been 63 years old, and perhaps he went because Nathaniel was moving, and he wanted to be with his son and grandchildren. Lancaster of course was very much a frontier town, but during the time Thomas lived there relations with the native Americans seem to have been peaceful. Still, a 63 year old man may have had a hard time building a new home, unless he was able to have it built.
Thomas's will was written May 9,1660 and proved March 29,1661. He left his estate to his wife Rebecca, and land or money to each of his children. He left little to his son Abraham, so he may have already given him his share of the estate. His housing and lands were valued at 30 pounds.
Rebecca later remarried and disposed of the land according to (Thomas's) will.
I've used material from "Great Migration, Volume 4, page 117, "English Origins of New England Families Volume I," and New England Historical and Genealogical Register Volume 158" in writing this post, as well as bits and pieces from Wikipedia.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Joslin-Rebecca Jude
Nathaniel Joslin-Sarah King
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mercy or Mary Perrin
Euzebia (Luceba) Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: There are genealogies that say that our Thomas can be traced back to Gilbert Josceline, who was a contemporary of William the Conqueror. Others say it isn't so, so take it with a grain of salt. The dates seem to work, and it's fun to think it might be so!
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