Thomas Coleman (abt. 1600 - aft. 1682)

Born about 14 Nov 1600 in Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England

Husband of Susan (Rawlins) Coleman — married 24 Nov 1623 in Wootton Rivers, Wiltshire, England

Husband of Mary (UNKNOWN) Coleman — married Jul 1651 in Newbury, Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Margaret (Fowler) Osborne — married Jul 1670 in Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died after 1 Aug 1682 after about age 81 in Nantucket, Massachusetts Bay

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Thomas Coleman was a founder of Nantucket. Join: Nantucket Founders and Descendants Project Discuss: nantucket

Thomas Coleman migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 2, p. 157) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disambiguation

Do not confuse Thomas Coleman, born about 1598 at Evesham, Worcestershire, England, emigrated to Wethersfield, Connecticut and later to Hadley, Massachusetts where he died October 1, 1674, with this Thomas Coleman, who was one of the founders of Nantucket and died there in the mid-1680s.

Biography

Thomas was baptised at Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England, on November 14, 1600, ^[1]

Thomas arrived aboard the James coming from Southampton, England to Massachusetts. He was 33 years old and accompanied by his wife Susanna who later died on 17 Nov 1650. ^[2]

Thomas Coleman first settled in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635 and was admitted a freeman in 1637. He afterward removed to Hampton, New Hampshire and married widow Mary Johnson on 16 July 1651. ^[3] He presumably knew Mary's husband Edmund Johnson as they had migrated on the James together in 1635. ^[2]

On 19 June 1660, Thomas Coleman of Hampton deeded to Peter Johnson the eldest son of Edmond Johnson late of Hampton... these parcels of land following, with one acre of land of the house lot of the said Edmond Johnson late of Hampton... ^[3]

He was one of 53 men (plus women and children) on the ship "James" out of Southampton, shown on the passenger list as 'Thomas Colman of Marlborough, Wiltshire'. (Marlborough is four miles from Wootton Rivers.) The James left London, England 6 April 1635 with her master, William Cooper, arriving at Boston on 3 June 1635.

He seems to have resided in Newbury and Hampton until late in life. In 1635 he received two lots in Newbury. According to the records of the town of Newbury in November 1635, he was connected with Richard Saltonstall and others in England and America in "for the keeping of horses and sheep in a general place for the space of three years, and since his coming thither has been negligent in discharging the trust committed to him, absenting himself for a long time from the said cattle and neglecting to provide for them by reason whereof many of said cattle are already dead and more damage likely to come to said gentlemen, it is therefore ordered it shall be lawful for the said gentlemen to decide the oats and hay provided, among said cattle among themselves, and every one take care of their own during the winter." He wrote his name Coultman, this is, Colt man, which originally meant one who took care of colts and horses.

17 May 1637 - Admitted freeman. In a move to prevent the re-election of Governor Sir Harry Vane, ten men of Newbury walked the forty miles from Newbury to Cambridge and qualified to vote by taking the Freemen's Oath. Winthrop was elected.

Thomas settled on the Parker River, in what was then Newbury (now a northern suburb of Boston). He later migrated north, with a companion by the name of Steven Bachelor (the infamous "Unforgiven Puritan" of New England lore). Coleman and Bachelor were among the original settlers of the small colony of Winicowett, (1638), later known as Hampton, on the northern shores of New Hampshire. He moved afterward to Amesbury. He was probably invited to go to Nantucket because of his knowledge of sheep raising. He had moved to Nantucket by 20 Aug 1663, at which time he was drawn for a jury there. Neither he nor his sons ever held any town office, but they were frequently directed by the town to take charge in matters relating to sheep and cattle.

1653 - Thomas appeared in court with regard to settling the estate of his wife's former husband, Edmund Johnson. ^[4]

10 May 1660 - In the original purchase of Nantucket, Thomas was chosen by John Swain as his partner. At what time he removed to the island isn't clear, but evidently it was quite early.

Circa 1663 - He removed to Nantucket before 1663 and died there in 1685 at age 83 years. ^[2]

15 July 1670 - Margery Coleman, in administering the estate of her late husband Thomas Rowell, deeded land to her son Christopher Osgood, with the full consent of her present husband, Thomas Coleman, of Nantucket. ^[5]

3 Nov 1673 - Thomas deeded his lands, houses, etc. to his son Tobias, to take effect after his death, at which time he was by his own declaration in the deed, a resident of Nantucket, as well as his son Tobias, who had a wife, Lydia, and a son Thomas. "Be it known unto all men and by these presents declared, that I, Thomas Coleman of Sherbourne, on the Island of Nantucket, for divers good and weighty considerations me therunto moving, do hereby freely give, grant, ratify and confirm unto my son Tobias Coleman, ten akers of land, part of it being that on which his home standeth, and the remainder on the north side of his house above the highway. This I give to him, at present to have and to hold, to him and his heirs forever. I also hereby give unto the said Tobias, my son, to enjoy the same after my decease, all my other land, both upland and meadow, upon the Island of Nantucket, with all the housing that is or may be upon it at the day of my death."

12 Nov 1678 - Thomas and Tobias Coleman, both inhabitants in the town of Sherbourne, upon the Island of Nantucket, sell Saml. Bickford half a share of land, in the presence of Peter Folger. (sg.) Thomas Coleman.

Marriages

Thomas married Susanna Rawlins 24 Nov 1623 at Wooten Rivers, Wiltshire, England. ^[1]

July 1651 - Thomas married secondly to Mary (___) Johnson, widow of Edmund Johnson of Hampton, at Newbury. ^[6] Mary died at Hampton on 30 Jan 1662/3. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Thomas married his third wife by 1670, widow Margery/Margaret Rowell, as her third husband. Margery was baptized at Marlborough, Wiltshire, England on March 25, 1615, daughter of Philip and Mary (___) Fowler, and was previously married to Christopher Osgood and Thomas Rowell. ^{[10] [8] [5]}

Children

Thomas and his first wife Susanna had the following children:^[11]

1. Dorothy, baptized St. Mary, Marlborough, Wiltshire on December 19, 1624; buried St Peter and St Paul, Marlborough, Wiltshire on May 17, 1625.
2. Dorcas was baptized at St. Peter and St. Paul, Marlborough, Wiltshire on July 23, 1626. She married John Tillotson at Newbury on July 4, 1648.
3. Hannah (same as Susanna in duplicate record of death), was born about 1630 and died at Newbury in January 1642.
4. Thomas was born about 1632. as "Thomas Coleman, Jr., of Newbury he was presented 26 March 1651 for striking William Richardson of Newbury with the swingle of a flail.
5. Tobias was born about 1638. He married Lydia Jackson at Rowley on April 16, 1668.
6. Benjamin was born at Newbury on 1 May 1640. He died by drowning at Newbury on 21 October 1650.
7. Joseph was born at Newbury on 2 December 1642. He married Ann Bunker daughter of George Bunker on 12 August 1690.
8. John was born about 1644. He married Joanna Folger by 1667. No evidence has been found that she was the daughter of Peter Folger.
9. Isaac was born at Newbury on 20 February 1646/7. He drowned between Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard on 6 June 1669. probably unmarried.

Death

Death: 1682, Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Thomas Coleman, h. Susanna, h. Mary (widow of Edmund Johnson), h. Margery (widow of Thomas Rowell, formerly widow of Thomas Osgood) died ___, 1682. ^[12]

Estate

1682: August 1: Tobias Coleman was granted administration of his father Thomas' estate, with Joseph Coleman as surety. ^[8]

1695: August 29: Tobias Coleman petitioned the court to administer the Newbury estate of Thomas Coleman, formerly of Newbury, deceased of Nantucket some 12 years ago, as his father left no will. The Newbury estate was noted as 'very doubtful' and the value was finally agree at £13. In 1697, the balance, after expenses, was distributed to Tobias Coleman, John Coleman and the child of Joseph Coleman, deceased. ^[13]

Research Notes

Anderson in the Great Migration sketch on Thomas Coleman (2001) gives is birth date as about 1602 (aged 60, deposed 14 June 1662) citing EQC 2:436. Tillotson, Tilliison, and Tillitson: Descendants of John Tillotson, Immigrant to the American colonies from West Riding, Yorkshire,'; published in 1998, identifies the immigrant as the Thomas Coleman baptised14 Nov 1600 in Ramsbury and married 24 Nov 1623 at Wooten Rivers. Anderson includes the marriage but not the baptism, and no additional citation was added to Thomas Coleman's entry in the Directory (2015), so it seems probable that Anderson does not find the evidence sufficient to conclude the baptism is for the immigrant.Cole-12288 15:48, 11 January 2024 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Tillotson, Tilliison, and Tillitson: Descendants of John Tillotson, Immigrant to the American colonies from West Riding, Yorkshire, England ETC (Book Review) The American Genealogist 75 (2000):167 American Ancestors (subscription)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Silas Bunker Coleman. The Coleman family: descendants of Thomas Coleman, of Nantucket, in line of the oldest son, 10 generations, 1602-1898 - 296 years Detroit, Mich. : S.B. Coleman. 1898. (Archive.org : accessed 25 July 2016)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 4, I-L. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011. p. 64. (Biographical Sketch for Edmund Johnson, b. 1612.)
4. ↑ Probate records of Edmund Johnson of Hampton, 1651
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Anderson, Robert C. Christopher Osgood in: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 2007, p. 318-22 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.)
6. ↑ Vital Records of Newbury Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, The Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, 1911, p. 117
7. ↑ Hampton: Volume 1: p. 558: Sanborn, George Freeman, Jr., and Sanborn, Melinde Lutz. Vital records of Hampton, New Hampshire: to the end of the year 1900. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1992. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Anderson, Robert C., George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Thomas Coleman in: Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001, p. 157- 162 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)
9. ↑ Anderson, Robert C. Edmund Johnson in: Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume IV, I-L, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 2005, p. 62-5 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)
10. ↑ Anderson, Robert C., George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Philip Fowler in: Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001, p. 560-4 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)
11. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, C-F. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. (Biographical Sketch for Thomas Coleman)subscribers$
12. ↑ Nantucket: Volume 5: p. 215: Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1621-1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016).
13. ↑ Case 6142:p. 1-9: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)

See also:

• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) Coleman family, Joshua Coffin, Vol. 11, page 347
• Great Migration 1634-1635, C-F. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. [also found at Ancestry.com - see next] This article refers to Thos. Coleman of Newbury, Hampton, and Nantucket. Thomas Coleman in Great Migration
• The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 Author: Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. This article refers to Thos. Coleman of Newbury, Hampton, and Nantucket. Thomas Coleman in Great Migration
• England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906, Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc
• Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook) Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
• The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Tillotson, Tilliison, and Tillitson: Descendants of John Tillotson, Immigrant to the American Colonies from West Riding, Yorkshire, England ETC by Margaret Tillotson Ragsdale, (Decorah, Iowa, Anundsen Publishing Co. 1998), Book review by Marsha Hoffman Rising, TAG 75:167
• Dodd, Jordan. Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850 (Liahona Research, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005)
• The Coleman Family, Descendants of Thomas Coleman of Nantucket, by Silas Bunker Coleman, Detroit, 1898[https://archive.org/stream/colemanfamilydes00cole#page/2/mode/2up | "Thomas Coleman of Nantucket"
• Vital Records of Nantucket, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1925-1928)
• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985)
• American Genealogical-Biographical Index, Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT, USA
• Filby, P. William. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Gale Research, Farmington Hills, MI, USA, 2012)
• Connecticut, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 (Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Provo, UT, USA, 1999)
• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Generations Network, Inc., Provo, UT, USA, 2004)
• Nantucket Historical Association (Mass., 1902) Vol. 2, No. 2, "Nantucket Lands and Landowners". Page 65-6
• Dow, Joseph. History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire (Salem Press, Salem, MA, 1893) Page 770.
• NEHGR 11:347, 12:129-31
• Bushnell Anc by Gardner Bartlett pp. 17, 18
• New Hampshire Probate Records, 1635-1717, Vol. 1, New Hampshire State Papers Series (1907) (Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH, 1907) Vol. 31, Page 21.