Thomas Nelson: First Generation America

Thomas Nelson

Thomas Nelson Immigrant First Generation America died on a return trip to England on Business.

The above grave Marker is his sixth child and third son, Thomas Nelson who died 5 Apr 1712 Rowley, Massachusetts.

Here is the First Generation, Thomas Nelson’s Family Tree.

 

Thomas Nelson b 27 Jun 1601 Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, England; d 6 Aug 1648 in England on a return trip to the motherland; m (1) 27 Jan 1627 in All Saints Church, Yorkshire, England; daughter of Philip and Dorothy Hill Stapleton, she b 11 Aug 1608, d 27 Sept 1637 Pannall, Yorkshire, England; he m (2) 1642 Joan/Joane Dumer/Dummer in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts; A marriage contract was signed on 15 Dec 1641 by Thomas Nelson and Richard Dummer of Newbury, uncle to Joan; in steed of her father Thomas Dummer of Badgely, England

Children of Thomas Nelson and Dorothy Stapleton

1. Thomas b 26 Nov 1628 Cottinghan,Yorkshire,England; d 27 Nov 1628 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England

2. Katherine b 18 May 1630 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England; died young before 10 Nov 1637

3. Mary/Marca b 10 Apr 1632 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England; d 6 Aug 1636 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England

4. Dorothy b 19 Nov 1633 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England; d 13 Jan 1634 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England

5        Philip b 22 Jan 1634 Cottingham, Yorkshire, England; d 19 Aug 1691 Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts( See future post)

6. Thomas b 14 July 1636 Cottingham,Yorkshire,England; d 5 Apr 1712 Rowley,Essex,Massachusetts; m Ann Lambert

Children of Thomas Nelson and Joan Dummer

7. Mercy b 26 Dec 1643 Rowley, Essex,Massachusetts

8. Samuel b 1646 Rowley, Essex,Massachusetts

9. Mary b 1648 Rowley, Essex,Massachusetts; d unknown

One source mentions a son, John, who died young, no year of birth mentioned.

The year after his first wife’s death, Thomas set sail with the Ezekiel Rogers Company aboard the ship, “John of London.” They arrived in Boston Harbor and wintered there in 1638. They settled a piece of land between, Newbury and Ipswich, known now as Rowley,Massachusetts. Thomas is listed on the passengers list but no mention of his children, Thomas and Phillip. His sons were mentioned in the Rowley Massachusetts History of the Early Settlers as immigrating with their father.

Thomas was one of the wealthiest of men in the Roger’s Company. In the first allotment of land, he received thirty-six acres of upland in the Mill Field area of town. Twenty-six were for personal use and ten acres for the purpose of building a mill. He built the first grist mill and saw mill in town on Mill River. The grist mill, later known as “Glen Mills,” remained in operation until a fire in 1916.

Thomas was made a freeman on the 23 May, 1639. He was appointed by the court, in 1640, along with Edward Woodman and William Paine to view and settle the boundary between Hampton and Colchester (Salisbury) which was done. He was a court representative in 1641. Thomas, as chairman, along with three others was appointed by the town in 1643 to survey the town and register house lots to all inhabitants. The smallest amount of land of one and half acres went to those who did not pay for the land. Those who paid for land were proportioned in relationship to payment. Thomas received a six acre lot near Bay Road and the road to Newbury, not far from the common land section of town.

In regards to the date of marriage to his second wife, Joan Dummer, I found no marriage date. I did find mention of marriages as early as 1638 and 1642, but no documentation other than a marriage contract dated, 15 Dec 1641, found in the files of the Quarterly Court Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 11, 1658-1662, as mentioned above. The contract was sealed and delivered in the presence of Richard Saltonstall, Thomas Nelson, Ezekiel Rogers and William Wakefield.

A notation in Winthrop Journals, in 1643, states “our supplies from England failing much, men began to look about them, and fell to manufacture of cotton, whereof we had store from Barbados, and hemp and flax, wherein Rowley to their great commendation, exceeded all other towns.” It should be noted that John Pearson arrived in Rowley about 1643 and erected the first “fulling” mill in New England.

His will date 24 Dec 1645; “being by providence called to make a voyage to old England” with a codicil made in England 6 Aug 1648, proved 21 Oct 1649, mentions his wife Jane, “my mill, mill house, etc, in Rowley, also all that ground lately occupied by Joseph Wormell, eldest son Philip, son Thomas, youngest son Samuel born since will was made, daughter Mercy and any other child that my wife may have ( a daughter, Mary, was born in 1648.) Richard Bellingham and Uncle Richard Dummer were executors. Mr. Ezekiel Rogers and Mr. John Norton were overseers.

“The History of Rowley” sights the Essex Deeds, 4 Ips, 190, 5 Ips 148 and 5 Ips 484 in regards to Thomas’s widow Joan and younger children, being in Stoneham, County of South Hampton in the year 1654. “The Book of Grants” mentioned Mr. Thomas’s children being in England in the years 1661-1662. His daughter, Mercy married John Stroke of Rumsey,England. His son, Samuel died in England without issue before 1676.

Sources:

“Town History of Rowley,Essex,Massachusetts” by Thomas Gage

 “Town History of Sutton,Merrimack,New Hampshire” Page 829 – 842

“The Family and Genealogical History of the first Families of New Hampshire” by Ezra Stearns, 1908 Volume 4

 “Town o fGoffstown History” by Henry M Nelson

 “History of Essex County Massachusetts with biographical sketches of many Pioneers and Prominent Man” Volume I Philadelphia JW Lewis & Co. 1888

 Descendants of Thomas Nelson

 Familysearch.org

 A great online link for e-books http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/browse?type=lcsubc&key=Rowley%20(Mass.%20%3A%20Town)%20–%20History&c=x

 Records of the Quarterly Courts ofEssex County,Massachusetts, Volume 11, 1658-1662 (Marriage Contract)

 Rowley Vital RecordsMassachusetts, Early Settlers of Rowley,Massachusetts

 Passenger list for the “John of London” Ship

http://www.immigrantships.net/v4/1600v4/johnoflondon16380000.html

 Winthrop’s Journals

 Essex Deeds, 4Ipswich, 190; 5 Ips 148; 5 Ips 484

 Plantagenet Ancestry: A study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Volume III, 2^nd edition 2011, by Douglas Richardson, Kimball G Everingham, editor, page 275

 Early Settler’s of Rowley,Massachusetts, compiled by George Brainard Blogette, A.M. Revised. Edited and Published by Amos Everett Jewett, page 242-243, page 152-152