Thomas Lovell (bef. 1621 - bef. 1710)

Born before 11 Mar 1621 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Ann (Unknown) Lovell — married 1648 in Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 2 Jan 1710 at about age 88 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Janie Burkett [send private message], Mardi Taubert [send private message], and Paul Carson [send private message]

Biography

A birth of about 1620 was asserted by Thomas Lovell Sr. of Ipswich who testified 25 December 1694, then about age 74,^[1] thus born about 1620. See the testimony in "Research Notes" below.

His name is sometimes seen as "Louell" based on reading the handwriting of his will but it was "Lovell". Parish registers in Daventry were transcribed for two of his siblings as "Lovet".

Hopefully Resolved Origins

Thomas seems likely to be the one christened 11 Mar 1620/21 to Alexander Lovell and Elizabeth at Daventry, Northamptonshire, England.^[2]

His 1694 testimony in court in Massachusetts was that he lived in Dublin, Ireland in 1639 with the family of Michael Bacon^[1] but he did not say in that testimony where he was born. This Daventry origin is based mainly on matching names and ages of those parish records and of Thomas and his likely brother Alexander of Medfield, Massachusetts.

Alexander Lovell (c. 1619-1709) early immigrant to Medfield supposedly also lived with the Bacon family in Ireland before coming to New England but per his profile, specific proof of this is lacking. His parents are reported to be Alexander and Elizabeth Unknown, his christening 29 Aug 1619 at Daventry, Northamptonshire, England.^[3] If this is the correct family, then Thomas' christening is found at the same place to the same parents as described above.

Adding further grist to the mill, there was a 1st son John (christened 24 Feb 1617/18^[4] as well as son Nathaniel "Lovet" (both Alexander and Nathaniel were transcribed as "Lovet", christened to the same parents at Daventry on 27 Jun 1624.^[5]. Given that Thomas of Ipswich and Alexander of Medfield both named sons Alexander and Nathaniel and Thomas named another one "John", this seems to be too much to be strictly coincidence. The fate of brothers Nathaniel and John of Daventry has not been researched.

More information is apparently in the book "Alexander Lovell Genealogy : the ancestors and descendants of Alexander Lovell of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1619-1709" by Elisabeth Lovell Bowman which is not available online. Key information from the book has been requested from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City (Nov 2021).

Marriage (or Marriages?) & Children

His wife was NOT the Ann Hawkins who married Matthew Whipple in Bocking Essex, England in 1622. She was 20 years older, already married etc. Thomas' wife listed in his will was Ann, but it would seem not to be Ann Hawkins-87 or the duplicate now submitted for merge, Ann Hawkins-1631 (who even had the 1622 marriage to Whipple on her profile). Thomas' wife when he wrote his will was Ann but as is discussed below, there is a good chance that she was not his first wife.

Torrey in "New England Marriages to 1700" says only that his wife's name was Ann and that they were likely married by 1648.^[6] The will listed his wife Ann along with these children:

1. John c.1647 (eldest son with wife Elizabeth Pinder) (note that this John is currently attached to another Thomas Lovell as father but a merge is likely) seemingly the couple married 12 Sep 1689 per Torry. This is old for a first marriage for John. As described below, it may be that the man who married in 1689 was not the son of the immigrant but the grandson of the immigrant so possibly was born about 1667. In any case, John the son of immigrant Thomas would seem to be the man who died 4 Feb 1718/19 "in his 71st year"^[7] confirming that he was 2-3 years older than brother Thomas who died 11 Aug 1718 at age 68 plus a bit.
2. Thomas born 5 Nov 1649 based on his death record is found in Ipswich Vital Records on 11 Aug 1718 with an exact age of 68 years, 6 months and 9 days placing his birth date at 5 Nov 1649 if accurate (give or take a day for time of birth).^[7]. Possibly NOT the man who married Elizabeth Watson on 28 Dec 1667 at Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts (Torrey Vol 2. p. 972). He would have been only 18 at the time and getting married 30 miles from home. It seems more likely to be a son of Alexander Lovell of Medfield, Mass, apparent brother of Thomas the immigrant to Ipswich although we cannot be sure. The estate Thomas Lovell "Jr" of Ipswich was probated 18 Aug 1718, a will is not included in the record at americanancestors but one of the signatories on the probate is "Mary Dutch" and we know that Thomas' sister Hannah had married Robert Dutch so there was likely a connection.^[8]
3. Elizabeth c. 1653 married unknown Perkins (not Jacob as discussed on his profile). We have no idea when she was really born but if we assume 1653 that helps fill the gap between Thomas (1649) and Hannah (c. 1655)
4. Hannah probably born c. 1655, married Robert Dutch in Ipswich "the last week December 1677" (Torrey Vol 1 p. 485) and Ipswich Town Records^[9]
5. Alexander born 29 May 1657 at Ipswich as son of Thomas^[10]. An Alexander son of Thomas died 1659 at Ipswich, it would seem most likely to be this infant and very possibly the result of the same illness or accident that took his brother Nathaniel in the same year.^[7]
6. Nathaniel born 28 Mar 1658^[11] died 1659^[12]
7. Alexander (second of his name) c. 1670 was born somewhere in this 16-year gap, he is listed in the 1698 will as somebody who had already bought land (from Moses Day) so assume he was born about 1670 but this is a wild guess. Obviously not the man who married Lydia Alby as his first wife in 1658 in Medfield and Lydia Leland as his second wife in 1661 in Medfield, Norfolk (Torrey Vol 2 p. 971) although he was possibly related. An Alexander Lovell married Elizabeth Sawford or Safford in 1696 in Ipswich (Torrey Vol 2 p. 971) seeming likely to be this man born probably in the early 1670s.
8. Margaret c. 1674 married John Edwards in Ipswich in 1694 (Torrey Vol 1 p. 500) so probably born 1674 or earlier
9. Mary c. 1657 married William Downton in Ipswich in 1695 (Torrey Vol 1. p. 472) so probably born 1675 or earlier

Knowing this family group may help identify them. In fact, if Thomas' children were married over almost a 30 year span (1667 to 1695) this would indicate that he likely had two wives.

Was there a second marriage, or is there possible conflation of children with grandchildren?

Studying the known birth, marriage and death records of children listed below, it seems possible that some of them, maybe all after Nathaniel (b. 1658) are actually grand-children of this immigrant Thomas or else he had a marriage before the Ann listed in his will. Using the will of "Thomas Lovell Sr" written in 1698 as a guide, that man definitely had daughters who married the men below as listed. But here are the chronological problems to solve:

• First son John born c. 1647 per his death record. A 1689 marriage makes him 42, this is pretty old. Did that 1689 John Lovell/Elizabeth Pinder marriage belong to a grandson of the immigrant, not a son? Or a second "Elizabeth" marriage of John, son of the immigrant?
• Second son Thomas born 1649 per his death record, a son of the immigrant for sure but it's uncertain if the 1667 Medfield marriage is his, that makes him a bit young.
• 15-plus year gap to the next known set of births, the daughters who married Edwards and Downton assuming they were married in their early 20s at their weddings 1694-1696. (Assuming Elizabeth and Hannah were born in the 8 year gap between Thomas and Alexander). This is the biggest problem. They are daughters of the man who wrote his will in 1698, probated 1709, that is proven. But are they daughters of his second wife Ann? Or is the man who wrote the will in 1709 not the immigrant, but his son Thomas born c. 1647? The fact that the will listed as daughters Hannah Dutch (m. 1677) and Margaret Edwards )m. 1694) & Mary Downton (m. 1695) argues strongly that the "second wife" theory is correct vs the "wrong generation".
• Alexander is listed in the 1698 will but Alexander seemingly son of the immigrant died in 1659 as an infant. Seemingly this later Alexander was a son of Ann, the second wife of Thomas.

Civic Records

A record of the immigration of this family has not been found.

The earliest record found so far is 7 May 1652 when Solomon Martin of Andover and his wife Alice sold their house and lot where George Palmer was living to Thomas Lovell, currier of Ipswich.^[13]

A Thomas Lovell appeared in a 1678 list of people with rights to commonage (grazing rights on the common) along with his neighbors Sgt. Jacob Perkins and Captain Whipple, whether this was Thomas Sr. or Thomas Jr. is not indicated.^[14]

Interestingly, in on 11 Jan 1674 Thomas Lovell sold his rights of commonage in Ipswich to Jonathan Wade (Thomas' rights were "due unto me by virtue of the town's grant unto John Hassall" so presumably these were in addition to the 1678 rights. Again, Senior or Junior was not specified.^[15]

He is quite likely the same Thomas Lovell who testified in 1685, then age 65.^[16]

Death & Estate

An unsourced death date of 24 Dec 1694 was given on this profile, clearly wrong if it was Thomas the immigrant who wrote his will Jan 1698. The list of married daughters linking Hannah (m. Robert Dutch 1677) with Mary and Margaret (m. mid 1690s) seems to tie this family together albeit with an earlier, unknown wife to Thomas the immigrant.

We do know from his will, written 10 Jan 1697/98 and probated 2 Jan 1709/10 that he died between these dates. He signed the will as Thomas Lovell Senior of Ipswich.^[17] It was witnessed by Nathaniel Knowlton, Edmund Heard, and Nehemiah Jewett.

Research Notes

• His spouse is sometimes given as Ann Hawkins born 1600 at Bocking, Essex, England but that is incredibly unlikely as she would have been 20 years older than Thomas and his origins are completely unknown. As clarified above, she married Matthew Whipple in 1622 at Bocking.

• Daughter not Jacob Perkins wife. Jacob Perkins' first wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1685, could not have been the daughter of Thomas Lovell. Thomas Lovell's daughter Elizabeth Perkins is referred to in his 10 January 1697/8 will;^[18] it is apparent she then survives. Thomas says she and her sister, Margaret Edwards, "have had their portions all Ready."

• Moreover, Thomas Lovell was too young to have been Jacob Perkins' father-in-law. Jacob's first wife was born about 1630 (she was age 56 when she died in 1685/6).^[19][20]

• 1694 testimony re: Ireland:^[1]

Thomas Lovell Sr of Ipswich about 74 yrs of age, swears that he lived in Dublin in Ireland in 1639 in the same house with Mr. William Bacon and Rebecca his wife who owned Humphrey Potter as her only brother, the only son of her father, Thomas Potter, sometimes Mayor of Coventry, Warwickshire, England. Mrs. Rebecca Bacon came to N.E. with Thomas Lovell, and they lived in Salem. Humphrey Potter was killed in the Masscre in Ireland, left one child, a daughter Ann, who was taken to Coventry, and thence to Salem, where she married Anthony Needham. Anthony and Ann were present when this testimony was given 25 Dec 1694.

According to Church records, Thomas was born 10 Mar 1620. Since March 1620 was in a "double date" range, this would normally be listed as 10 Mar 1620/21, but there is no function on Wikitree to show the double-date reference. Since his brother Alexander was born in Aug 1619, his date of birth is listed for this WikiTree purpose as 10 Mar 1621. He is the son of Alexander Lovell and Elizabeth Dunckley.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} O. P. Dexter, as "VII. Salem Land Records, vol. 10," in "New England Gleanings," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 39 (1885):28; digital images, Hathi Trust.
2. ↑ Northamptonshire : Daventry : Holy Cross : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a039336f493fd52859d5029 : viewed 22 Nov 2021) baptism Tho Lovell 11 Mar 1620/21
3. ↑ Northamptonshire : Daventry : Holy Cross : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a039335f493fd52859d4e14 : viewed 22 Nov 2021) baptism Allexander Lovet 29 Aug 1619
4. ↑ Northamptonshire : Daventry : Holy Cross : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a039334f493fd52859d4c67 : viewed 22 Nov 2021) baptism John Lovell 24 Feb 1617/18
5. ↑ Northamptonshire : Daventry : Holy Cross : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a039337f493fd52859d53b2 : viewed 22 Nov 2021) baptism Nathanaell Lovet 27 Jun 1624
6. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015 Vol 2. p. 972
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Ipswich Vital Records: 1659 death of Alexander Lovell https://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Ipswich/aDeathsL.shtml
8. ↑ Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. Thomas Lovell probate Aug 1718 Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Probate# 17087 $subscription
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH8W-G3K : 10 November 2020), Hanah Lovell in entry for Robert Dutch, Dec 1677; citing Marriage, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007010724.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DZM9-7Z3Z : 19 April 2021), Alexander Lovell, 29 May 1657; citing Birth, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009706.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DZM9-652M : 19 April 2021), Nathaniell Lovell, 28 Mar 1658; citing Birth, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009706.
12. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZKS-9HJ : 15 January 2020), Nathaniell Lovell, 1658.
13. ↑ New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 for Thomas Lovell Great Migration, Vol 5, M-P entry for Solomon Martin p. 61 $subscription
14. ↑ Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 for Thomas Lovell Ipswich Town Records p. 63
15. ↑ New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 for Thomas Lovell Great Migration Begins, Vol 3, P-W p. 1884 $subscription
16. ↑ Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Ages from Court Records, 1636-1700 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 2003), 133 (Thomas Lovell); digital images by subscription, Ancestry Sharing Link, for "Thomas Lovell" aged 65 in 1685, citing "EQC WPA 46-67-1."
17. ↑ 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.) Probate# 17086 $subscription
18. ↑ Thomas Lovell 1710 probate (case 17086, 6 pp.), proved 2 January 1709/10, Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881; database and digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
19. ↑ Samuel Drake [ed.], and Horatio N. Perkins, "Some Notices of the Family of Perkins in America," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 10 (1856):211-216, at 215; digital images, Hathi Trust.
20. ↑ Citing a "a "family bible, now in the possession of H. N. Perkins, Esq., of Melrose," George A. Perkins, "The Family of John Perkins of Ipswich," Essex Institute Historical Collections, 19 (1883):213-225, 254-268+, at 262, 264; digital images, Hathi Trust.

See Also

• The Hammatt Papers, Early Inhabitans of Ipswich, Massachusetts, 1633-1700, p 221 $subscription and shared image from Ancestry.com for various other descriptions of his life in Massachusetts.
• "Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials; Daventry Parish Registers, 1560-1630" Parish Registers Ref. No. 96P/15. Reprinted "Northampshire, England Church of England Bap., Marriages & Burials, 1532-1812" Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, Provo, UT., USA. Accessed 2 Nov 2020. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/21942757?h=0693a4