Thomas Paine (1694 - 1757)

Born 9 Apr 1694 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 30 May 1757 at age 63 in Braintree, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Thomas Paine (1694-1757), a native of Barnstable, Mass., graduated from Harvard College in 1717. He worked as an itinerant preacher until, in 1719, he was ordained as the minister of Weymouth. In 1721, he married Eunice Treat of Boston, daughter of Rev. Samuel Treat of Eastham and granddaughter of Rev. Samuel Willard of the Old South Church, Boston. Paine left the ministry in 1734 and embarked on a career as a merchant in Boston, often suffering from the vagaries of trade in the 1740s. In 1754, he moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, but became ill and returned to Boston in 1756. He died the following year in Germantown at the home of his daughter Abigail Greenleaf.^[1]

Children of Thomas and Eunice (Treat) Paine:

1. Abigail Paine, b. 06 Mar 1725 Weymouth; m. Joseph Greenleaf.
2. Robert Treat Paine, b. 09 Oct 1727 Weymouth; d. 21 Oct 1727 Weymouth.
3. Thomas Paine, b. 03 Jul 1729; d. 19 Aug 1730 Weymouth.
4. Robert Treat Pain, b. 12 Mar 1730[/31]; m. Sally Cobb; he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
5. Eunice Paine, b. 30 Apr 1733; d. 02 Feb 1803; unmarried; frequent correspondent of Robert Treat Paine.

Slaves

Thomas Paine "owned" one black slave named Cato. On Oct. 20. 1746, Thomas Paine's daughter Abigail wrote to her brother, "Mother is much worse than She has been for a Long time and to add to these afflictions Cato is Laim with a Sore in his arm which has been breeding ever Since this day fortnight, and Last wednessday it was Lanch't. He is unable to do any work and for a Long time was in great pain. The Cause of the Sore was pricking his arm with a pin and their has been great danger of Losing his arm. The Rest of the family are in usuall health...." ^[2]

According to research reported by the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS), "Paine deeded Cato to his three children on Mar. 9, 1748/9 in repayment of a legacy from their maternal grandmother. He rewrote this on Nov. 28 in favor of Abigail and Eunice alone although 'reserving Cato to me my life time.' Cato was still with the family as late as 1754 when he was hired out as a laborer and was perhaps sold to a Ralph Morgan of Boston in that year.^[3]

On Dec. 10, 1754, Thomas Paine's son Robert wrote, "You left wth me no papers but those of Ralph Morgan's relating to Cato, & the Deed of the Still house, which I got Recorded."^[3] MHS Footnote 3: "This reference is probably to the lease of Cato's services to Ralph Morgan, a Boston gentleman."

On April 12, 1757, Joseph Greenleaf (Thomas Paine's son-in-law) wrote, "The bearer (Cato) is to receive his money tomorrow & promises to leave it either wth. my father or you for me if he has not Liberty to return to us. If the weather be fair I intend to be wth. him when he receives it but lest I should not I write this that you may prevent his fooling it away when he comes to Boston."^[4] MHS Footnote: "This is the last reference in the Paine Papers to Cato, the family slave. His later history is not known."

Sources

1. ↑ "Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1", © 2023 Massachusetts Historical Society, accessed March 27, 2023, June 02, 1757 RTP to James Freeman.
2. ↑ "RTP Papers, Volume 1", Oct 20, 1746 Abigail Paine to RTP.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "RTP Papers, Vol. 1,"December 10, 1754 RTP to Thomas Paine.
4. ↑ "RTP Papers, Vol. 2," April 12, 1757 Joseph Greenleaf, with Enclosure, to RTP

See aso:

• Austin, John D., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Vol 6, Stephen Hopkins, Plymouth, Mass.: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2001 [3rd edition], pages 44-45, 192.

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 18 April 2022), memorial page for Rev Thomas Paine (9 Apr 1694–30 May 1757), Find A Grave: Memorial #68188479, citing North Weymouth Cemetery, Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Arthur Ridley (contributor 47235113). (No gravestone, no sources.)