Thomas Olcott (1613 - abt. 1655)

Born 2 Feb 1613 in London, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1655 at about age 41 in Virginia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], John Putnam [send private message], and Ellen Blackwell [send private message]

Thomas Olcott migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 244) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Thomas Olcott was born February 2, 1613; the son of Mr. Thomas Olcott, citizen and dyer of Aldermanbury, London and his wife Margarett. His father died and was buried December 14, 1627; his mother married (2nd) to George Chalfont of Honey Lane on December 22, 1628.^[1]

Marriage

The name of Thomas Olcott's wife was Abigail (_____) unknown surname.

Hartford, Connecticut

He became a resident of Hartford perhaps in 1638 or 1639. 29 Dec 1639, Mr Alcoks house lot was forfeit back into the hands of the town until the next general meeting "whoe will either then let him have that agayne or give him answer in some other kinde." This could have been forfeit because it had not been improved, or the next general meeting, 14 Jan 1639/40, perhaps provides a clue as to why his house lot was forfeited. Mr Alcoks land bought of Mrs. Higginson was confirmed to him, with the same conditions that other men had their lots. Also in Jan 1639 the town decided they could award to Arthur Smyth some of Thomas Alcocks forfeited land, which they did giving Smith 1/2 an acre 6 March. As an inhabitant of the town, he held a right in undivided land, and received 8 acres in Jan 1639 [1639/40?]. He and Arthur Smith were elected constables of the town on January 21, 1640/1.^[2]

Thomas had five parcels of land in the 1639/40 land inventory. They are numbers 9, 56 and 97 on the map and two others. His houselot #9 abutted the Meeting House Yard. Between Thomas, his wife and sons they acquired considerable amounts of land in Hartford.^[3]

Occupation

He had a large scale opperation in commerce, dealings, it seems, primarily in tobacco, but also flour, butter, pease and strong water, malt. His trade stretch to New York, Maryland as well as Virginia.^[4]

Illness in Virginia

Mr. Olcott was sick in Virginia in March of 1653 and his agent, John Browne, was sent to Providence on business. This business was not completed until after Thomas Olcott's death between February 13 and March 3, 1653.

Regarding the inventory of Thomas Alcott, a footnote on p. 25 of Starr's book "Olcott Family of Hartford, Connecticut... " says "The persons whose names are appended to these two inventories were undoubtedly residents of Virginia."^[4]

Will and Death

Will dated 20 Nov 1653, mentions deceased children, wife, son Thomas, mother Mrs Margaret Charlfound, sister Mrs Mary Hardey, brother Will Wadsworth, brother Will Lewis, Sr; inventory taken 13 Feb 1654 value in excess of 1,468 pounds, court record 9 Oct 1666 "request of Mrs Abigail Olcott and Thomas, her son^[5][6]

Thomas Olcott died in 1654 at 41 years of age.^[1] probably in Virginia.^[7]His wife, Abigail died May 26, 1693 at the age of 78 years.^[8]

Children

Children of Thomas & Abigail Olcott:^[8]

1. Thomas married Mary (_____) ^[4]
2. Samuel married Sarah Stocking. ^[4]
3. Elizabeth baptized 7 Dec 1643 married Hyde.^[4]
4. John baptized 3 Feb 1649; married Mary (Blackleach) Wellles. ^[4]
5. Hannah did not sign the agreement for her father's estate, she may not have been of legal age.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)Robert H. Olcott "The English Origin of Thomas Olcott of Hartford, Conn." Vol. 14 (1937) pp 229 - subscriber$
2. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Vol. 6 Hartford Town Votes Vol. 1 1635-1716 Hartford, Conn. : Published for the Society, 1897 lot forfeit p. 11, confirmation p. 15, undivided land rights p. 18, 8 acres p. 23, to Arthur Smith p. 29, 1/2 acre p. 30, constable p. 41
3. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Vol. 14 Original Distribution of The Lands in Hartford Among the Settlers 1639. Hartford, Conn. : Published for the Society, 1912. land inventory 1639/40 See index 683, 684 for other notations
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Frank Farnsworth Starr. "Olcott Family of Hartford, Connecticut, in the Line of Eunice (Olcott) Goodwin, 1639-1807" Cambridge Press, Hartford, Conn. 1899.see at archive.org
5. ↑ "A Digest of the early Connecticut probate records" compiled by Charles William Manwaring, vol 1 1635-1700, publ 1904, p 139-141 https://archive.org/stream/digestofearlycon01manw#page/139/mode/1up
6. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)Charles J. Hoadly. "Will of Thomas Olcott" Vol. 16, p. 342.subscriber$
7. ↑ Robert Charles Anderson. "The Great Migration Directory, Immigrants to New England 1620 - 1640" The New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass. 2015. p. 245]
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "The descendants of Thomas Olcott: one of the first settlers of Hartford, Connecticut" by Nathaniel Goodwin, revised by Henry Steel Olcott, publ 1874, p 5 https://archive.org/stream/descendantsoftho00ingood#page/n5/mode/2up

See also:

• Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut pp.426
• Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford