Person Sheet


Name *William THOMAS, 10G Grandfather
Birth abt 1573, Wales720
Death 4 Aug 1651, Marshfield, MA720
Occupation CLICK NAME FOR NOTES - Assistant in 1642 & every year 'til his death721,722
Spouses:
Unmarried
Children: Capt. *Nathaniel (~1606-~1674)
Notes for *William THOMAS
In a book entitled Revel, Riot, and Rebellion: Popular Politics and Culture in England 1603 - 1660 by David Underdown, the name of William Thomas of Ubley is mentioned among three other Puritans who are described as Puritan preachers. Their cause was to advance the reformation. William is said to have been among several prominent Somerset divines in trouble for it. Underdown has a footnote that states, "A list of clergy serving the Chewton Mendip lectureship around 1630 includes all the four named (which included Wm. Thomas), as well as other well-known Puritans from further afield. Is this Wm. Thomas the one mentioned in the book?
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According to The Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, William is described as "one of the merchants of London who assisted the Pilgrims in their enterprise and who came to New England and settled in Marshfield, MA in 1630". 610
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"LAWS - The office of an Assistant.
The Office of an Assistant for the time being consisteth in appearing at the Governors sumons, and in giving his best advice both in publick Court (&) private Councell [with] the Govr for the good of the Colonyes wthin the limit[s] of this Governmt. Not to disclose but keepe secret such things as concerne the publick good, and shall be thought meet to be concealed by the Governr (&) Councell of Assistants; In hauing a speciall hand in the examination of publick offenders, and in contriving the affaires of the Colony. To haue a voice in the censuring of such offenders as shall not be brought to publick Court. That if the Governor haue occasion to be absent from the Colony for a short time, by the Govr wth consent of the rest of the Assistants he may be deputed to governe in the absence of the Governour. Also it shall be lawfull for him to examine (&) comit to ward where any occasion ariseth where the Got[r] is absent, provided the pson be brought to further hearing wth all convenient speede before the Governor or the rest of the Assistants. Also it shall be lawfull for him in his Ma(ges)ties name to direct his warrants to any Constable wthin the Government who ought faithfully to execute the same according to the nature (&) tenure thereof. And may binde over psons for matters of crime to answere at the next ensuing Court of his Ma(ges)tie after the fact comitted or the pson apprehended.
The Oath of the Assistants.
Yee shall all sweare to be truly loyall to our Sov(e)r(ign) Lord King Charles his heires (&) Successors Also ye shall faithfully truly (&) justly according to that measure of discerning (&) discretion God hath given you be assistant to the Govr for this pr(ese)nt yeare for the execution of justice in all cases (&) towards all psons coming before you wthout p(ar)tiallity according to the nature of the Office of an Assistant read unto you. Moreover yee shall diligently duly (&) truly see that the Lawes (&) Ordnance of this Corporacon be faithfully executed; and shall labor to advance the good of the severall Plantations wthin the limits thereof, and oppose any thing that shall hinder the same to the utmost of yor power. So help you God who is the God of truth (&) punisher of falsehood."

Among other listed duties of the Assistant were that they could press men into service if war was at hand and there were insufficient troops, and they could press horses into service by either paying for them or promising payment Marriage was not to be performed unless parents of a minor consent. If the parents wouldn't give consent, the Governor could or an Assistant "to whom the psons are knowne whose care it shall be to see the marriag be fitt before it be allowed by him". Assistants and the Governor only were to prove orderly the wills and testaments of the deceased within one month of their passing. If an individual died without having written a will, the decedent's wife and/or heirs had to make a complete inventory of his/her property and then present it to the Gov. or Assistant within one month of the decendent's death. If an individual was found to have small means and couldn't support themselves and their famiies, they would be called before the Governor or Assistant and an accounting would be taken as to how they lived. If idlenesse and other evils seemed to be the problem, the Gov. or Asst. should take a course "as in the wisdome of the Government shallbe adjudged just and equall". There were many other duties.

The election of choosing officers such as Gov. and Assts. "shalbe hereafter euvery first Tewsday in June because that many are hindred from comeing in March by reason of the unseasonableness of the weather ordinaryly." Source: Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England - Laws 1623-82 - printed by order of Legislature of Commonwealth of MA; edited by David Pulsifer, Clerk; Pub 1861; Press of William White
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On 5 Mar 1638/39 Mr. Nathaniel Thomas was appointed to exercise men at arms for Marshfield. [pg 59]
Edmond Weston in 1636 had his contract (as an indentured servant) to serve John Winslow turned over to Nathaniel Thomas, on behalf of the latter's father Mr. William Thomas, with Thomas paying Winslow 10 pounds, and promising to give Weston at the end of two years 6 pounds and fourteen bushels of corn, plus whatever else Weston would be due by virtue of his covenant with Winslow. [pg 181] Source: Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620-1691 By Eugene Aubrey Stratton, pub 1986
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611"William Thomas, whose grant of about fifteen hundred acres has already been described, is supposed to have been born in 1573, and came from Yarmouth in the "Marye and Ann", perhaps in 1636, with a son, Nathaniel, born in 1606. He is first mentioned in the records in the proceedings of the Court of Assistants, under date of Oct. 6, 1636, ... He seems to have been included in the list of freemen entered in the records of March 7, 1636/7 and yet his name is included in a list of eight entered Dec. 4, 1638, as having been admitted as freemen and sworn on that day. In January of 1640/1 he received his grant, and in the records of the court of the 1st of March, 1641/2 he is called of Marshfield, ... In the church records of Plymouth he is spoken of as 'that Godly gentleman' who went with others from Plymouth to Marshfield, ... Nathaniel Morton, the secretary of the Colony, says, in speaking of his death in 1651, 'This year Mr. William Thomas expired his natural life in much peace and comfort. He served in the place of magistracy divers years; he was a well-approved and well-grounded Christian, well read in the Holy Scriptures and other approved authors; and good lover and approver of godly ministers and good Christians, and one that had a sincere desire to promote the common good both of church and state'. He died of comsumption, and was homorably buried at Marshfield. His gravestone still standing (in 1884 when book was Pub)

"On the 7th of January, 1640/1, the General Court 'granted unto William Thomas, gentleman, all those lands laid out by Mr. Edward Winslow, Mr. John Alden, and Mr. William Collyer, viz., all that whole neck of upland, with all the points extending themselves into any the marshes before the same, from the upper end of the of the great fresh marsh, called Green's Harbor River Marsh, southward, and from Green's Harbot Freshett, east and by south, as it is marked forth by the said Edward Winslow, John Alden, and William Collyer, to the southwest corner of a swamp abutting upon Carswell Marsh, near the highway leading betwixt Duxbury and Carswell, the easterly side thereof, adjoining to Carswell, being the lands of the said Edward Winslow; the said Edward Winslow, his heirs and assigns being allowed so much upland, wood-stuff, or timber as to set and maintain a fence between Carswell Meadow or March and the upland of the said William Thoms; the northerly side of the said upland hereby granted abutting upon Green's Harbor River Marsh, and from the northwest point of upland between the said Edward Winslow and William Thomas, to an island granted to the said William Thomas, before their bounds upon a straight line to Green's Harbor River, with the marsh land and meadow between that and a point of upland called the Eagle's Nest; the western bounds of the said lands abutting upon Green's Harbor Fresh Marsh aforesaid, provided and always reserved and excepted, that if any meadow be granted to any that abutteth upon the uplands hereby granted the said William Thomas, his heirs and assigns, do allow wood-stuff or timber, from convenient places of the said upland, to fence and maintain the same about the said meadows; to have and to hold, all and singular, the said lands, meadows, marshes, and premises, with all and every part and parcel thereof and their appurtenances, unto the said William Thomas, his heirs and assigns forever (except the wood-stuff or timber for fencing before excepted), and to the only proper use and behoof of him, the said William Thomas, his heirs and assigns forever.'

"The lands contained in this grant to Mr. Thomas contained about fifteen hundred acres, and included the northwesterly part of the Webster farm, being bounded along the ridge, early in the rear of the Phillips estate, from the lands granted to Edward Winslow, which contained about twelve hundred acres. ...

"It is needless to enter into any detailed account of the early settlers within the limits of this sketch. Particulars concerning them and their families may be found in the 'Memorials of Marshfield', by Miss Marcia A. Thomas, to which the reader is referred. The most distinguished of these settlers, as is well known, were the Winslows - Edward, john, Josiah and Kenelm, and William Thomas. [BJs Note: The author then quotes what was said of Wm. Thomas upon his death, and states that his gravestone was still standing in the old burial ground in Marshfield in 1884.
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609"Died this year at Marshfield, William Thomas, and his remains were honorable buried there. He was one of the merchant adventurers in England connected with the Plymouth planters, and came over about the year 1630. Secretary Morton says of him, that 'he was a well approved and well grounded Christian, and one that had a sincere desire to promote the common good, both of church and state.' He was chosen an assistant in 1642, and was re-elected to that office, annually, until his death."
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William Thomas wrote his will on 9 July 1651. For the full text of William Thomas' will see below. He died at Marshfield on 4 August 1651, aged nearly 78. The inventory of his estate, taken on 26 September 1651, not including real estate, totalled o 375-07-00. His will was presented to the Colony Court on 7 October .

His will reads: July the 9th 1651
I William Thomas of Marshfield in the Jurisdiction of New Plymouth, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following:
first I commit and commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God trusting in the riches of his grace and mercy in Jesus Christ that he will receive it to himself whensoever he shall please to end my days here; and my body to be decently buried in the place appointed for that use believing the Resurrection thereof at the last Days to be united again to the soul and with it to enjoy eternal glory .
And for the disposal of my outward estate I do hereby give and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten the farm which I now live upon with all the appurtenances thereof; only first I do hereby reserve unto my daughter his now wife the third part thereof to be enjoyed by her; in case she shall survive him during the term of her natural life; and also I do hereby give and bequeath unto my grandchild Nathaniel Thomas the house commonly called the old house with the orchard thereto adjoining and the land fenced into the house as also all the meadow lying next to it which is within a creek which runneth to the sluice near the Eagles' nest and also where the sluice stands; And further I give him all the upland from the said house lying on the left hand of the way as we go to Duxburrow as far as my land reacheth; all which is to be enjoyed by him after the decease of his father; And for the goods and Chattels I do hereby give and bequeath two third parts of a trunk of fine linen unto my son Nathaniel and my daughter his wife; and the other third part my will is shall be divided between their three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Dorothy, and reserved for them; only before it be thus divided into three parts the three tablecloths hereafter expressed shall be taken out, further I give unto my daughter a stitch of Taffeta gown and also a Chamlett gown and a fair red petticoat; further I give unto my grandchild Nathaniel an horse foal now sucking on the mare also to my grandchild Mary Thomas a featherbed a bolster and a pillow with two pillow biers, further I give to the Church of Marshfield a Diaper Tablecloth of nine feet long also I give unto James Pittney two bushels of wheat also I bequeath unto Mr. William Collier an heifer which he shall choose out of three which I now have; and to his wife a Diaper Tablecloth of nine feet in length; Also I bequeath to Edward Buckley a silver beer bowl and to his wife a Diaper Tablecloth of nine foot in length; further I give unto Edward Bumpase a bushel of wheat; and for all the rest of my goods and Chattels I do hereby give and bequeath them to my son Nathaniel whom I do hereby acknowledge the heir of my body lawfully begotten and also make and constitute the sole executor of this my last will and testament. Further I do hereby appoint the above named Mr. William Collier and Edward Buckley the overseers of this my said will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
William Thomas his mark and (seal)
Witness hereof:
John Russell
Henry Drayton his mark
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There is a Marshfield Tombstone Inscription with surname which reads, "Here Lyes what Remains of William Thomas, Esq, one of the Founders of New Plymouth Colony, who dyed in ye month of August, 1651, about ye 78th year of his age. "
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