Allen line: Captain Thomas Stebbins 1687-1758

What's an ancestor without a mystery?  I haven't found many of those, and Thomas Stebbins is no exception.  My question is simple, but the answer is elusive.  I'd like to know why he was called "Captain"?  In the book of wills, his will is labeled "Captain Thomas Stebbings".  Now, the will book was made at some point after the death of our subject, so it's possible that he wasn't really a "Captain" at all, and that the recorder of the book of wills used a title that applied to a different Thomas Stebbins, because there were certainly several of them running around Massachusetts at the time.

Or, he did earn the title and we need to do more research.  Based on his age, I would guess that he probably served in Queen Anne's war, possibly on the aborted invasion of Canada (to take it from the French) or in King William's war, with the same aim.  There is also the strong possibility that he responded to one or another of the native American attacks on Deerfield. 

However, that is the middle of the story, or the lack of a story, for Captain Thomas Stebbins.  The beginning of the story is his birth on March 7, 1687 in Springfield, Massachusetts (Massachusetts Bay Colony, actually),  His parents were Edward and Sarah Graves Stebbins, and he was in the fourth generation of men named Stebbins to live in New England.  He was raised in Springfield, lived and died there, and except for whatever he did to be designated as "Captain", he probably never left the town. 

He belonged to one of the more well known families in Springfield, and grew to fill his father's shoes at least partly.  He married Mary Ely, daughter of Joseph and Mary Riley Ely, on May 1, 1711.  He and Mary had at least five children together, and life was pretty good for the Stebbins family.  He held several minor offices in town but was also constable at one point, and served on committees to audit the town accounts.  As was expected of Puritan boys, he could read, write, and do at least some arithmetic.

Thomas died  December 4, 1758, about a month after writing his will.  Mary died less than two years later, on October 14, 1760.  I haven't located an inventory, but Thomas left his oldest son, Caleb, his "gun, sword and belt" so we know he treasured those items.  He doesn't specifically mention any land or dwellings, just his "estate".  He left about 5 pounds to each of his daughters (Ruth got a little more than Mary did) and the rest of his estate, after his wife's death, was to be divided between the sons.  It's hard to imagine someone in Springfield not owning land, so I'm going to guess that Thomas did, too.  He likely inherited at least some of it from his father, although I'm not finding even a will for him. 

That is what we know, and don't know, about Thomas.  I would certainly like to learn more about him, because he probably met and conquered more challenges than we can imagine. 

The line of descent is:

Thomas Stebbins-Mary Ely
Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock
Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley
Samuel Falley-Ruth Root
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants

Allen line: Thomas Stebbins about 1619-1683, Immigrant

I've written earlier about Rowland Stebbins, father of Thomas, but Thomas was an immigrant, too, and his story should be told.  He is actually an Allen ancestor twice, which makes him doubly important. 

Thomas was born about 1619 or 1620, presumably in Bocking, Essex, England, which is the town of record of his parents.  He came to New England in 1634 with his parents, Rowland and Sarah Whiting Stebbins, and three siblings, on the ship Francis.  Thomas was listed as 14 at the time. The family possibly stayed in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony for a short time, with Rowland's younger brother Martin.

The Stebbins family soon moved on to Springfield, however, and that is where Thomas married Hannah Wright, daughter of Deacon Samuel and Margaret Stratton Wright, in November of 1645.  My notes say their first son, Samuel, was born in September of 1646 and then Thomas, two Josephs (one died at about 18 months of age), Sarah, Edward, Benjamin and finally twins Hannah and Rowland, born October 1 and 2nd 1660. Hannah, the mother, died, probably from childbirth complications, two weeks later.  9 children in 15 years, plus the privations of frontier life, was just too much for Hannah to overcome.  Surprisingly, it seems that Thomas stayed single until 1676, when he married Abigail Burt Ball Munn.  Thomas died September 28, 1683 and Abigail lived until 1707. 

We know a few other facts about Thomas.  He was a tailor by trade, and of course had small tracts of farm land.  When his father died, his brother John was given much more of the estate than Thomas was given, for whatever reason.  Thomas was older than John and perhaps John had greater need, or maybe John had done more to care for his father in his father's old age.  He was apparently a man of some standing in the town, as he was a selectman several time.  He was referred to as "sergeant" in 1656 and an overseer of highways in 1667.

 He would have been 56 years old at the time of King Philip's War, but was referred to as a lieutenant then, and was listed in Capt William Turner's company in the Turner Falls massacre.  We don't know for sure that he was on that mission but it seems possible.  (His sons Thomas and Samuel were there, so there is some confusion about whether Thomas Senior was there also).  If he wasn't in the fight, then he was at home or nearby, pulling guard duty and defending his and other families  The massacre or battle, whatever you want to call it, was a two parter.  The colonists massacred natives as they were sleeping, including women and children, and other natives then came to harass and kill the colonists as they made their way back home.  (We have many ancestors, and their siblings) on the lists of the men who were there).

There is apparently a will but I have not yet located it.  It is said to mention his daughters and his widow only.  I would like to find the will and would particularly like to find the inventory.  That would tell us more about the life of Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins. 

One line of descent is:

Thomas Stebbins-Hannah Wright
Edward Stebbins-Sarah Graves
Sarah Stebbins-John Root
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Claraissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants

The second line is

Thomas Stebbins-Hannah Wright
Joseph Stebbins-Sarah Dorchester
Martha Stebbins-Samuel Lamb
Eunice Lamb-Martin Root
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
etc.

This is just one way we are our own cousins!