Thomas Stiles (1612 - 1673)

Born 7 Feb 1612 in Milbrook, Bedfordshire, England

Ancestors

Died 1673 at about age 60 in Flushing, Colony of New York

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Thomas Stiles migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 6, p. 528) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Thomas Stiles immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for Flushing, New York

Thomas Stiles was born on 7 February 1612/13 in Milbrook, Bedfordshire, England, the youngest of eight children and five sons of Thomas Stiles and Maria Unknown. He was baptized the same day in Millbrook.^[1][2]

In 1673, when he was in his earlier sixties, Thomas died.

Alternate death information: Before 29 Sep 1683.^[2]

Thomas Stiles is a featured name in the Great Migration Series.^[2]

In England, Thomas was a husbandman, but apprenticed himself for five years to Henry Stiles, carpenter, and was to sail with him to New England and live with him and learn to be a carpenter.^[2]

In 1635, when he was twenty, Thomas sailed on the ship Christian de London, John White master, London to Boston, between 16 March1634/35 AND 16 June 1635^{[3][4][5][1][2]}

After arriving in New England, Thomas lived in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, ^[1]where he had a house lot, but the entry is undated.^[2]

He served in the Pequot War (1636-1638), and it was reported that he and one John Dier were shot in the knots of their handkerchiefs, tied around their necks, and were not hurt.^[2]

On 10 October 1645 [NS]. William Kieft, the governor of New Netherland, issued the patent for Flushing, with Thomas Stiles being one of the patentees [Doc Rel NY Hist 14:362]. (On 15 February 1666, Governor Richard Nicolls confirmed the patent, again listing Thomas Stiles as one of the patentees, but, on 24 March 1685, when Lieutenant Govenor Thomas Dongan again issued a patent for Flushing. "Margaret Stiles” was included in the list of patenttees.)^[6]

By 1648, Thomas was living in New Netherland, where he opposed contributing to the support of a Reformed minister:

"On 17 January 1648 [NS]. “[w]hereas one Jan Tonsen, Eduwart [sic] Tomas Styls, Jan Laurensz and Jan Hick, inhabitants of Flushing in New Netherland, are with others the principal opponents to the general vote and decision of their neighbors in contributing toward the support of a Christian and godly Reformed minister and to the nomination of a schout, wishing, contrary to the custom of the fatherland, to nominate and elect but one person only and request the honorable general and council to confirm the same; it is resolved for the best interest, advantage and peace of this province to have the said person summoned to appear on the 23d of January before the honorable director and council and, in case of refusal or declining to appear, said person may be arrested by the fiscal to be proceeded against as the case may require. Furthermore it is resolved to write to the inhabitants of Flushing to obey the already issued orders by nominating three persons for the election of a schout, and that Schout Harelt shall continue until said order be obeyed and the appointment be made by us."^[7]

Marriages and Family

1. Ann (maiden name unknown) Wood. By 6 December 1664 a warrant was issued "for the restoring of the wife of John Wood: Whereas I am informed that Ann the wife of John Wood of Road Island, is and hath been for the space of about two years past, harbored by Thomas Styles of the Town of Flushing, who, in her absence from her husband, hath had two children, these are to require you to make inquiry into the business, and to prevent further scandal, that you cause the said Ann to be restored to her husband, with what goods are in the custody of Thomas Styles, belonging to the said John Wood, or his wife"^[8]
2. Margaret (maiden name unknown). There is evidence that at the time of his death Thomas had a wife named Margaret. "The Fiushing tax list for 1675 includes 'Thomas Stilles,' while that for 29 September 1683 has an entry for “Margrett Styles." In the regrant of the Flushing patent on 15 February 1666, Thomas Stiles was one of the patentees, whereas on 24 March 1685, at the next issuance of the patent, he had been replaced by Margaret Stiles. Henry Reed Stiles suggested that Margaret might have been one of the supposed children of Thomas Stiles, but this pattern of replacement in the records is more likely the that of a widow succeeding her deceased husband.^[9]

Children with Ann Wood

1. (possibly) Child Stiles b. say 1662. Assumes the two children born while living with Thomas were fathered by him. No Further Record.
2. (possibly) Child Stiles b. say 1664. Assumes the two children born while living with Thomas were fathered by him. No Further Record.

Anderson writes that

The marital career of this immigrant is murky. On at least four occasions in 1661, John Winthrop Jr. treated a woman who might have been the wife of the subject of this sketch: “Stiles [blank] his wife of Hemsted now a while at Winsor,” 21 March 1660/1; “Stiles [blank] his wife of Hemsted,” 1 April I661; "Stiles [blank] his wife," 3 April 1661; and “Stiles [blank] his wife of Long Island now at Winsor." 13 May 1661 [WMJ 501, 504, 506, 507]. Thomas Stiles was not known to have resided at Hempsteoad, but neither did anyone else of the surname. There was s Stites family at Hempstead, but the entries in the Winthrop record are very clearly “Stiles.”

There is more information in Anderson.

On 30 August 1673 Thomas Styles of Flushing, New Netherlands, took the Oath of Allegiance to the Dutch Government.^[2]

In 1675 he is found and was assessed in Flushing, Queens County, New York.^[1][2] Also a Margaret Styles with no adult males was assessed on 29 September 1683.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Stiles, Henry Reed. The Stiles family in America: Genealogies of the Connecticut family, 1895.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB397/i/12124/528/147530363
3. ↑ Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Place: New England; Year: 1635; Page Number: 127. Source Bibliography: Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete Book of Emigrants: A Comprehensive Listing Compiled from English Public Records of Those Who Took Ship to the Americas for Political, Religious, and Economic Reasons; of Those Who Were Deported for Vagrancy, Roguery, or Non-Conformity; and of Those Who Were Sold to Labour in the New Colonies. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1607-1660. 1988. 600p. Page: 127 Data: Text: Name: Francis Stiles Year: 1635 Age: 35 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1600 Place: New England. Primary Immigrant: Stiles, Francis
4. ↑ Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 8, 1843. Savage, James http://books.google.com/books?id=bbEyAQAAMAAJ. The James Savage article starts on Page 243. James Savage writes: "Perhaps the acquisition most valuable in the opinion of our local antiquaries is copious extracts from a MS. volume in folio at the Augmentation Office (so called), where presides, in Rolls Court, Westminster hall. It contains the names of persons, permitted to embark, at the port of London, after Christmas 1634, to the same period in the following year, kept generally in regular succession. This was found only a few months since, and may not have been seen by more than two or three persons for two hundred years. P. 252
5. ↑ John Camden Hotten, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality...1600-1700. 1874. URL: http://books.google.com/books/?id=VN_A5wlsjQQC. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years, Apprentices, Children Stolen, Maidens Pressed, and Others, who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700 Page 42 & 43
6. ↑ Great Migration, citing [G. Henry Mandeville, Flushing, Past and Present: A Historical Sketch (Flushing 1860), 13-23].
7. ↑ Great Migration, citing NYHM:D. Volume IV. Council Minutes, 1638-1649. 474-75.
8. ↑ Anderson citing NYHM:E Books of General Entries of the Colony of New York 1664-1673, 1:68
9. ↑ Anderson, p532, citing [Doc Hist NY 2:459, 517] and [Stiles Gen 39].

• Anderson citing NYHM:E Books of General Enrtries of the Colony of New York 1664-1673, 1:68

• Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants: A Comprehensive Listing Compiled from English Public Records of Those Who Took Ship to the Americas for Political, Religious, and Economic Reasons; of Those Who Were Deported for Vagrancy, Roguery, or Non-Conformity; and of Those Who Were Sold to Labour in the New Colonies. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1607-1660. (1988). 600p. Page: 127. Name: Francis Stiles Year: 1635 Age: 35 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1600 Place: New England. Primary Immigrant: Stiles, Francis.

• Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 8, 1843. Savage, James http://books.google.com/books?id=bbEyAQAAMAAJ. The James Savage article starts on Page 243. James Savage writes: "Perhaps the acquisition most valuable in the opinion of our local antiquaries is copious extracts from a MS. volume in folio at the Augmentation Office (so called), where presides, in Rolls Court, Westminster hall. It contains the names of persons, permitted to embark, at the port of London, after Christmas 1634, to the same period in the following year, kept generally in regular succession. This was found only a few months since, and may not have been seen by more than two or three persons for two hundred years." P. 252.

• Great Migration ,1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. URL: https://www.americanancestors.org/DB397/i/12124/528/147530363.

• Hotten, John Camden. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years, Apprentices, Children Stolen, Maidens Pressed, and Others, who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. (1874) Pages 42 & 43. URL: http://books.google.com/books/?id=VN_A5wlsjQQC.

• Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Place: New England; Year: 1635; Page Number: 127. Source Bibliography:

• Stiles, Henry Reed. The Stiles family in America: Genealogies of the Connecticut family. (1895).

• The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1860) Vol. 14, Page 302

• Blaydes, Frederic. Genealogia Bedfordiensis (Chiswick Press, London, 1890) Page 203.