Nathaniel Thomas (1643 - 1718)

Born 26 Nov 1643 in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Deborah (Jacob) Thomas — married 19 Jan 1663 (to 17 Jun 1696) in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony

Husband of Elizabeth (Wilkey) Thomas — married 5 Oct 1696 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Elizabeth (Dunster) Thomas — married 1714 (to 22 Oct 1718) in Marshfield, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 22 Oct 1718 at age 74 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Nathaniel Thomas (1643 - 22 October 1718) was an English colonial magistrate, politician, and militia officer. Born in Marshfield, then in the Plymouth Colony, he represented the town in the colonial assembly during the 1670s, and was active in its militia during King Philip's War. In 1689, he served as clerk of the local court, and, following the combining of Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colony into the Province of Massachusetts Bay, from 1702 to 1707 he was an Plymouth County probate judge. From 1692 to 1712 he also served as a magistrate in the court of common pleas. In 1712, he was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature (the province's highest court), a position he held until his death in 1718. Captain Nathaniel Thomas, Junior, was baptized at Marshfield, Plymouth Colony, on 26 November 1643. His parents were Capt. Nathaniel Thomas Sr. and his wife Mary.

Nathaniel Thomas, a leading citizen of Plymouth Colony, held many important positions in government. He was elected representative from Marshfield in 1672, and for seven years thereafter. He served in King Phillip's War as captain of a company of Light Horse troops on the first outbreak. He was a member of Plymouth Colony's Council of War in 1681, and again in 1685. When Plymouth County was created in 1686 he was made Clerk of County Court. He served the county as judge of Probate Court for 16 years, judge of County Court for 23 years, and judge of Superior Court for 6 years. After Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies were united under one jurisdiction in 1692, he again represented Marshfield, and sat on the Massachusetts Council for ten years.

In 1694/5 Nathaniel Thomas purchased 250 acres from the Indians in what is now the center of Hanson. He built a dam across the Indian Head River and erected a saw mill. Nathaniel Thomas was one of thirteen male members of the Congregational Church of Marshfield when Edward Tompson became pastor in 1696^[1]

Family

Nathaniel Thomas married for the first time at Marshfield on 19 January 1663/64 Deborah Jacob, the daughter of Nicholas Jacob and his wife Mary Gilman, who was baptized at Hingham, Massachusetts, on 26 November 1643^[2]. Nathaniel's first wife, Deborah, died at Marshfield on 17 June 1696^[3], in her 53rd year, and was buried the same day at Winslow Cemetery, Marshfield.

Captain Nathaniel Thomas Junior married for the second time at Marshfield on 3 November 1696^[4]. Cotton Mather presided at this, his marriage to Elizabeth (Wilkie)(Condey) Dolberry. It was her third marriage. ELIZABETH WILKIE was born about 1652/53, based on her age at death, daughter of John Wilkie and his wife Elizabeth. She had first married Captain WILLIAM CONDEY about 1681. After his death she married, at Boston, Massachusetts, on 31 December 1689, ANDREW DOLBERRY. Elizabeth (Wilkie) (Condey) (Dolberry) Thomas died at Marshfield on 11 October 1713^[5], in her 61st yr.

Captain Nathaniel Thomas married for the third time in 1714, to widow Elizabeth (Dunster) Wade. A daughter of the Reverend Henry Dunster, ELIZABETH DUNSTER was born at Charlestown, Massachusetts, on 7 February 1637. She had first married JONATHAN WADE, who died on 24 November 1689.

Children

Nathaniel Thomas and his first wife, Deborah Jacob, had the following children:

• NATHANIEL THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 18 October 1664^[6]

Religion. Congregational at Marshfield on 1 May 1698 (admitted to church)^[7]

d. at Plymouth, MA, on 24 February 1738

m (1). at Ipswich, MA, on 20 June 1691 MARY APPLETON (by Mr. John Rogers, Minister)^[3]

b. at Ipswich on 15 April 1673

d. at Marshfield on 7 October 1727^[8]

m (2; her 2d). at Norton, MA, on 3 September 1730 ANNA TISDALE^[9]

b. at Taunton, Ply. Col., on 27 January 1672^[10]

Child of John Tisdale and Anna Rogers

d. at Norton in September 1733^[11]

m (her 1st). at Taunton on 4 July 1695 George Leonard^[12]

b. at Taunton on 18 April 1670/71^[13]

Child of Thomas and Mary (Watson) Leonard

d. at Norton on 5 September 1716 (in 46th yr)^[14]

m (3; her 2d). at Plymouth on 8 November 1734 MARY DOTY

b. at Plymouth on 9 July 1671^[15]

Child of Edward Doty Jr. and Sarah Faunce

m (her 1st). at Plymouth on 21 December 1699 Joseph Allen^[16]

b. at Barnstable, Ply. Col., on 7 April 1671

• JOSEPH THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 25 August 1666^[17]

d. at Marshfield on 13 July 1690^[17]

• DEBORAH THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 28 September 1668^[18]

d. at Plymouth on 14 June 1741

m. at Marshfield on 1 December 1692 JOHN CROADE^[19]

b. at Salem, MA, on 14 June 1663

• DOROTHY THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 6 November 1670^[18]

d. at Montville, CT, on 10 January 1755

m. at Marshfield on 20 November 1688 JOSEPH OTIS (by Mr. Thomas Mighell, Minister)^[3]

b. at Scituate, Ply. Col., in 1665

bp. at Hingham, MA, on 3 June 1666

Child of John Otis Jr and Mary Jacob

d. at Montville, CT, on 11 June 1754

• WILLIAM THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 4 December 1672^[18]

d. at Boston on 27 December 1746

Occ. sea captain

m (her 2d). at Boston on 4 June 1701 ABIGAIL RUCK

b. at Boston on 5 June 1664

d. at Boston on 4 May 1717

m (her 1st). bef 1694 Hezekiah Henchman

d. at Boston on 1 May 1694 (Samuel Sewall’s Diary in GR 6:75)

• ELISHA THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 20 February 1674/75^[20]

d. bef October 1718

• JOSHUA THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 17 August 1677^[21]

d. at Boston bet 11 November 1742 and 16 May 1744 (between will and probate (Suffolk Co.))

m. ANN

• CALEB THOMAS

b. at Marshfield on 11 October 1680^[22]

d. bef 27 March 1723

m (her 1st). at Topsfield, MA, on 21 September 1708 PRISCILLA4 CAPEN (Joseph3, John2, Bernard1)

b. at Topsfield on 1 September 1685

Child of Joseph Capen and Priscilla Appleton

d. bef 11 September 1747

m (her 2d). at Topsfield on 27 March 1723 Deacon Nathan Peabody

b. at Boxford, MA, on 21 July 1682

d. at Boxford on 4 March 1733

m (her 3d). at Boxford on 1 June 1736 Job Tyler

b. at Rowley, MA, on 16 December 1675

d. at Rowley in 1754

• Lt. ISAAC THOMAS b. at Marshfield on 19 October 1682

• MARY THOMAS

b. at Marshfield in April 1686^[18]

d. at Weymouth, MA, on 27 January 1746 (VR Wey 2:274)

m (1). bef 1739 The Reverend JAMES GARDNER

Ordained. at Marshfield on 14 May 1707^[23]

b. at Scotland

d. at Marshfield on 14 September 1739^[24]

m (2; his 2d). at Boston on 12 July 1743 JOHN GOOLD^[25]

b. probably at Hull, MA, about 1672^[25]

d. at Hull on 16 November 1762 (aged 90)^[25]

m (his 1st). at Hingham on 17 January 1698/99 Lydia Jacob^[25]

b. at Hingham on 18 April 1681^[25]

Child of Capt. John Jacob and Mary Russell

d. at Hull on 28 January 1741/42^[25]

Prior to her marriage to Nathaniel Thomas, Elizabeth (Wilkie) Condey and her husband William had the following child:

(a son) Condey b. at Boston on 2 January 1682/83

Death

Nathaniel Thomas died at Marshfield on 22 October 1718^[26], in his 75th year, and he was buried at Winslow Cemetery. Nathaniel's widow Elizabeth died at Medford, Massachusetts, in 1729.

Nathaniel was born in 1643. He passed away in 1718.

Probate

His will is dated 29 September 1718 with a codicil and proved on 10 December 1718 in Plymouth. He mentions his wife, Elizabeth, and his children, Nathaniel (eldest son), William, Joseph, Caleb, Isaac, Deborah (& her son Thomas), Dorothy, Mary, and his grandson Nathaniel Croade. His real estate inventory was recorded on 17 July 1718.^[27]

His inventory was taken on 8 December 1718. He was a slaveholder and his inventory included an enslaved black man, a woman, and two children, and Sarah, an Indian woman.^[28]

On 16 February 1720/21 the estate settlement mentions his children, Nathaniel, William, Joshua, Isaac, Deborah Croade, Dorothy Otis, Caleb, and Mary Gardner.^[29]

Sources

1. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 11, Page 37
2. ↑ History of Hingham
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} VR of Marshfield: 19
4. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 22
5. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 10, Page 49
6. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 7,17
7. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 11, Page 38
8. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 10, Page 50
9. ↑ VR of Norton: 269
10. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 20, Page 52
11. ↑ VR of Norton: 396
12. ↑ VR Taunton: 2:291
13. ↑ VR Taunton: 1:252
14. ↑ VR of Norton: 381
15. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 1, Page 143
16. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 13, Page 207
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} VR of Marshfield: 17
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3} VR of Marshfield: 18
19. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 4, Page 126
20. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 14,17
21. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 17,15
22. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 18,11
23. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 11, Page 123
24. ↑ Mayflower Descendant: Vol. 9, Page 184
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5} Smith: Vol. 143, Page 45
26. ↑ VR of Marshfield: 38
27. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-FNPH : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1717-1724 and 1854-1862 vol 4-4Q > image 95-96 of 485; State Archives, Boston.
28. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-FNX3 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1717-1724 and 1854-1862 vol 4-4Q > image 177-178 of 485; State Archives, Boston.
29. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-FNXM?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-W68%3A337879301 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1717-1724 and 1854-1862 vol 4-4Q > image 180-181 of 485; State Archives, Boston.

Information on this family can be found in the following:

• History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (The Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893) Vol. 2, Page 372

• Pane-Joyce, David. Scituate Genealogies

• Raymond, John Marshall. Thomas Families of Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Itasca, Ill.: Thomas Family Publications, Harlan Carter Thomas, pub., 1980. pp. 249,272.

• Richards, Lysander Salmon. History of Marshfield, Massachusetts, 2 Vols, (Plymouth,MA: Memorial Press, 1901) Vol. 2, Page 86-87.

• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1862) Vol. 4, pp. 281-82.

• Smith, Ethel Farrington, "Seventeenth Century Hull and Her People," The New England Historical & Genealogical Register 143:45. (GR)

• Wikipedia:Nathaniel_Thomas_(Massachusetts_judge)

• Thomas, Miss M. A., Marshfield Inscriptions, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1850) Vol. 4, Page 317

• Vital Records of Marshfield, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Rhode Island, 1970)

• The Mayflower Descendant (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants)

• Vital Records of Taunton, Massachusetts, to the year 1850

• Vital Records of Norton, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (The New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1906)

Footnotes

• More information: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KV2X-FXN