Thomas Newman (abt. 1584 - 1660)

Born about 1584 in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England

Husband of Mary (Phage) Newman — married 26 Oct 1607 in Bedfordshire, England

Descendants

Died Mar 1660 at about age 76 in Westchester, New York Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gregory Cooke [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Newman was born in 1584 at Oakley, Bedfordshire, England.^{[1] [2]}

He was baptized on 16 May 1584 at the Church of Saint Mary in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England (52.165768, -0.523820), a son of Francis Newman.^[3]

As a child, he moved with his family to the Parish of Saint Cuthbert in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

He married Mary Fage on 26 October 1607 at the Church of Saint Cuthbert in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England (52.136746, -0.462930).

Churchwarden ("guardian") at the Church of Saint Cuthbert in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England in 1609 and 1610 and again from 1626 to 1628.

Resident of Clapham, Bedfordshire, England from 1629 through 1637. On 3 April 1637, he had "75 sheepe & nyne beasts or bullocks" and was an overseer of Clapham fields.

Emigrated to New England circa 1639 — 1641.

Probably a resident of Stamford, New Haven Colony [Connecticut] by October 1642, when his son William Newman was granted land there, although his name does not appear in the surviving Stamford records until later.

On 1 March 1650[/51?], Thomas Newman of Stamford, New Haven Colony [Connecticut] had a house and home lot in addition to land in the North Field, in the East Field and at Rocky Neck, with a total of approximately 18 acres.

He became dissatisfied with the governance of New Haven Colony and left for Oostdorp, New Netherland (present-day Westchester, Bronx County, New York) in 1655.

In 1656, Thomas Newman was elected as one of the first three magistrates of Oostdorp, then known as East Town to the English settlers.

On 30 December 1656, he was noted to be "a man of 72 years" (Journal of Captain Bryan Newton, in an entry made during his visit to East Town).

He died in 1660 in Oostdorp, New Netherland (present-day Westchester, Bronx County, New York).

His will, dated 2 June 1659, was recorded in the first book of town records in Stamford on 22 February 1661, Stamford being where his son William Newman still lived, and where Thomas Newman had retained property.

- - - -

Entre, The will of Thomas Newman, deceased.

Be it knowne unto all men unto whome this present writing shall come or any waies concerne, That, I, Thomas Newman, of East towne in the New Netherlands, being, this presant, second day of June in the yeare, one thousand, six hundred, fifty & nine, in good health of body and of sound minde & understanding, yet not knowing how soone my chang may be, doe make my last Will & Testament in maner following, viz:

After my lawfull debts paide & my funerall expenses discharged, I doe leave my now surviving wife Mary to my son William Newman of Stamford to be carefully provided for in all respects whatsoever as a woman of her age & degree ought to be, during her surviving.

And therefore, I doe give & bequeath unto my foresaid sonne William Newman, all my wordly goods & estate, debts, dues of any nature or kinde whatsoever making him my whole & sole executer.

Item, I doe injoyne my said executer out of the saide estate to give unto my grandchild Katharine Careles alias Archer the wife of John Archer, the sume of twenty shillings, which I give unto her for her legacy out of my estat.

Item, I doe give & bequeath & doe hereby enjoyne my saide executer out of my estate, for legacies to give in to every of his surviving children at my decease, the sume of five pounds per peice.

I, the saide Thomas Newman reposeing confidence in my saide executer William Newman, my sonne to doe & perform according to my aforesaide will, I hereby renouncing & disclaiming all former wills & testaments by me made & signed in former times.

In witness to this my will, I this present second daye of June Anno one thousand, six hundred fifty & nine doe set to my hand & seal in the presence of

Transcribed, T N Seale

Transcrib'd Richard Mills & Samuell Mills & atested upon oath before Richard Lawe 22:12:1660[/61]

[Stamford Town Records, volume 1, pages 90 & 91]

NOTE: The 22nd day of the 12th month of 1660 of the Old Style calendar corresponds to 22 February 1661 of the New Style calendar.

- - - -

Although Saint Peter's Church was established in 1693, its churchyard was in use as a burial ground by the 1650s. It is situated near the former Oostdorp village green (present-day Westchester Square and Owen F. Dolen Park).

Research Notes

There are 3 Christening records from 3 different counties.

Thomas Calvin, born Shillington, is probably not the correct Thomas Newman who later died in New Netherlands, America. That is more likely Thomas Newman born Oakley, Bedfordshire in 1584.

One of Thomas’s parental records is likely wrong: Thomas Newman born (and this record attached:) to William and wife Edith (Beryman or Berryman) of St. Leonard’s Church, Pitcombe, England on 20 December 1583, died as a child on 11 May 1590, and is recorded as buried at the same church. Hence, he cannot be the Thomas Newman who emmigrated to America.

Other records show Thomas Newman, born 1584 in Oakley, Bedfordshire, England as the one having emigrated to America and buried in New Netherlands (present day St. Peter’s Episcopal churchyard, Bronx, NY.) Father Francis, mother Agnes. He and his son William were in Stamford, CT.

Cooke-7654 20:21, 26 January 2023 (UTC) There are at least two Thomas Newmans who married in the fall of 1607:

1. At St. Cuthbert Parish, Bedford, Bedfordshiredfordshire, a Thomas Newman married Mary Phage, 26 Oct 1607 ^[4]
2. At St. Saviour's parish, Southwark, another Thomas Newman married Mary Moorton, 28 Sep 1607.^[5]

Which one is the immigrant?

There also is an account of this immigrant in Connecticut Ancestry, 51:50-60 (not yet examined)

Sources

1. ↑ FamilySearch Tree https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LH51-SX9, with attached sources
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144333439/thomas-newman : accessed 22 September 2021), memorial page for Thomas Newman (1584–1660), Find A Grave: Memorial #144333439, citing Saint Peters Episcopal Churchyard, Bronx, Bronx County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Charles Boetsch (contributor 48409474) .
3. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V525-V6K : 20 September 2020), Thomas Newman, 1578.
4. ↑ F. G. Emmison, editor, Bedfordshire Parish Registers (County Record Office, Bedford: 1931) C31; FHL DGS 7723603 img 118.
5. ↑ NYGBR 27 (1896):25

• Frank J. Doherty, The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All the 18th Century Settlers in the Patent, 12 vols. (Pleasant Valley, New York: F. J. Doherty, 1990–2013), 7:28.
• Hart, Jr., Frederick C., Ancestry of William Weed of Stamford and Darien, Connecticut, Connecticut Ancestry (Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc., Stamford, Conn., Nov 2008) Vol. 51, No. 2, Page 50-53.