Thomas (Welles) Wells (abt. 1595 - abt. 1637)

Born about 1595 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Frances (Albright) Coleman — married 13 Oct 1625 in All Saints, Alcester, Warwickshire, England

Descendants

Died about 1637 at about age 42 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England

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Biography

Thomas Welles , son of Walter Wells (1564-1638)^[1]

Confusion Caused by Early Works

An 1890 article by George Sheldon, published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, claimed that Hugh Wells was married to Frances and settled in Wethersfield (NOT CORRECT).^[2] History of Ancient Wethersfield, by Adams and Stiles, repeated and embellished these mistakes.^[3] Another book, A History of Hatfield by Wells (1910), attributes facts to Hugh Wells which actually apply to Thomas Wells/Welles.^[4] This mis-information has been picked up by data bases everywhere.^[5]

These authors confounded Thomas Wells of Evesham, Worcestershire, England, with Hugh Wells of Hartford and Wethersfield, Connecticut, sometimes making them father and son, sometimes combining the two.^[5] There is no known relationship between the two families.

Thomas Wells married, as her 1st, to Frances Albright who married, as her 2nd, to Thomas Coleman.

Hugh Wells b c. 1625, was 53 yrs old when he d 22 Dec 1678. Origin unknown. Appears at Wethersfield before 1645. Married 19 August 1647 at Hartford, Connecticut, to Mary Ruscoe (b c. 1628), daughter of William Ruscoe of Hartford.

Hugh Wells did not marry Frances Belcher, (although it is reported in various data bases online). In fact, the Wells Family Research Association contends that Frances Belcher may not have existed.^[6] Hugh Wells also did not marry Frances Albright.

Uncertain Origin

Thomas Wells was born "say" 1595.^[7] or available at ^[8]

Douglas Richardson contends that Thomas' exact place of birth and parents are unknown. We do have some information about the origin of Thomas's wife, Frances. Her widowed mother lived at Alcester, Warwickshire, and the Wells family probably lived nearby. Before 1637, Thomas and Frances had moved to Evesham, co. Worcestershire, where Thomas worked as a weaver.^[7]

In his will, Thomas called himself, "Thomas Welles of Evesham [Worcestershire] weaver."^[7] Evesham is a parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. (these places are near each other) There are many Wells or Welles families in the area, and thus far, his has not been identified.^[7]

These parents were reported (without evidence or citation):

• Father: Thomas Welles
• Mother: Helen Sidney (poss.)

Marriage

Thomas married c. 1625 in England to Frances Albright.^[7] According to Constance Wells, the marriage took place on October 13, 1625 in Evesham, Worchestershire, England.^[9] daughter of Richard Albright and his unknown wife.^[7] According to Richardson, none of the parish records for their marriage, or for their three children's baptisms, have been found.^[7]

Will of Thomas Welles

Will of Thomas Welles, dates 9 February 1637:

In the name of god amen be it knowe to all men that I Thomas Welles of Evesham weaver doe make my last will and testament the ninth day of February 1637 the aner and forme as foloweth first I beequeth my soule unto the hands of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ whoo had Redemed it next I bequeth my body to the earth and all my worldly goods In maner and forme following first I forgive my father the 5 pownd which he oweth to me and I give to my father 6 pownd more to be paid in three yere by equell somes fourty shillings a yeare but if he dy the mony that is unpaid to remain to the Exseckiter. Next I give to my eldest son Thomas 20 pownd to be paid at the age of 21 yeares and my house after the death of his mother Item I give to my daughter Mary 30 pownd likwise to my son John 30 more but if my wife be with child and it live then it is my will that 10 pownd a pece shall be taken from John and Mary and given to it and it is my will that my son John shall be paid at the age of 21 yeare and my daughter Mary at hur day of mariage or at the age of 21 yeares: but if they prove stouborne and dissobedent then it shall be left to the will of thir mother and the overseers when they shall have it: and further it is my will that if my son Thomas dy without a aire then it is my will that it shall come to my son John and if John dy without a a ire then to com to the other son if it be a son or elce to remaine to the Daughter if ther are two or elce to remaine to my daughter Mary. Item I give to my man CHARLES WHITELL a shipe & Hoge worth eight shillings or two hachibs which he nowe doth work with upon his good behaviour to his dame. Item I give to my godsons JOSEPH BLISSORD and JOHN WELLES 2 shillings a pece Item I give to JOHN PATHIT 2 shillings. Item I give to ANN ALBRIGHT and JONE the daughters of JOHN ALLBRIGHT 2 shillings a peece. Item I give to JOHN ALLBIRGHT and CATHERIN the sonne and daughter of RICHARD ALLBRIGHT 2 shillings a peece. Item I give to JOHN LOE and SARA LOE the son and daughter of GRIFFEN LOE 2 shillings apeece. Item I give to SARA ORDWAY 2 shillings. Item I give to my brother JOHN ALLBRIGHT my cloake. Item I give to my brother RICHARD ALLBRIGHT my best coate. Item I give to the pore 5 shillings to be geven to whome my wif and EDWARD ORDWAY and WILLIAM LAMPIT think good and I make my wife my whole exseckiter and my brother JOHN ALBRIGHT and my brother RICHARD ALBRIGHT ovorseres.

The will was not signed. However it was witness by THOMAS HANDY (mark TH), WILLIAM LAMPIT, and EDWARD ORDWAY.

Source: will probated 1637 (Edward Alexander Fry, ed., Calendar of Wills and Administrations in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Worcester, 1660-1642 [London, British Record Society, 1910],164. Original will filmed and available from LDS on FHL microfilm 98,054. Will dated 9 Feb. 1637, Thomas Welles referred to his wife, but not by name, and to his three minor children, Thomas, Mary and John. To his eldest son, Thomas, he bequeathed his house, after the death of his mother."

From Constance Wells, Family Group Sheet: Will dated 9 Feb 1636/7 or 1637/8? There was a Thomas Wells buried in the parish of All Saints on 13 Feb 1636/7. Father mentioned in will, but no name given. (Brothers of Frances Albright listed in will (lived in town 10 miles east of Evesham--Alderminster, Warwickshire.) Parishes of All Saints and St. Lawrence have churches that are immediately adjacent to each other in the center of the town of Evesham.^[9]

Death and Legacy

Thomas died about 1637 at Evesham, Worcestershire, England.^[7]

Thomas' will was written on 9 February 1637, and it as proved the same year.^[7] In the will, he left the house to his elder son, Thomas, to have after the death of his mother. The will of Thomas Coleman shows that this was property brought into the family by Frances (Albright) and held for son, Thomas Wells.^[7]

Children

According to Jacobus and Wood, there is no reason to believe there were more than the three known children, mentioned in the wills of their parents: Mary b c. 1627, Thomas b perhaps c. 1629, John b perhaps c. 1635.^[5] Douglas Richardson agrees in his 1992 article, "The Widow Frances (Albright) Welles."^[7]

Known children of Thomas Wells/Welles with Frances Albright:

1. Mary Wells, b. c. 1627, England, d. 03 Jul 1700, Hartford, CT; m, as his 2nd, to Jonathan Gilbert of Hartford
2. Thomas Wells, II, b. betw 1625 - 1629, England, d. Between 30 Sep and 14 Dec 1676, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA; m1. Mary Beardsley .
3. John Wells, b perhaps c. 1635, England, d. 18 Oct 1692, Hatfield, Hampshire Co., MA; m1. Sarah Curtis

The following child is claimed by some, without evidence or citation.

• Sarah Wells, b. Between 03 Feb 1631 and 1632, Evesham, England, d. 26 Jun 1636, Evesham, Worcester Co., England

Note: Thomas Welles had no son named Hugh.^[5] There was only one Hugh Wells of Wethersfield, and he was not known to be related to the Thomas Welles family.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQLS-3LY : 10 April 2021), Thomas Wells, 1595.
2. ↑ Sheldon, George, (1890) "Notes and Queries." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 44. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS (Vol 44, Page 208) NOT CORRECT.
3. ↑ Adams, Sherman W., (1904) The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut ... New York: Grafton Press, Archive.org (Pages 31, 34, 48, 73, 118) GENEALOGY INCORRECT - otherwise useful.
4. ↑ Wells, Daniel White, (1910) A History of Hatfield, Massachusetts, in Three Parts: ... F.C.H. Gibbons, Archive.org (Page 447) NOT CORRECT.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Jacobus, Donald Lines and W. Herbert Wood, (1952) "Widow Frances Wells and Hugh Wells of Wethersfield." The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS (Vol 28, Pages 227-235).
6. ↑ Hugh Welles/Wells & Frances Belcher of Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA Wells Family Research Association, accessed October 25, 2015
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10} Richardson, Douglas, (Jan 1992) "The Widow Frances (Albright) Wells, Wife of Thomas Coleman of Wethersfield and Hadley." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS (Vol 146, Pages 28-34).
8. ↑ Richardson, Douglas, (Jan 1992) Excerpts from "The Widow Frances (Albright) Welles." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, NEHGS randmwaddell.net (Vol 146, Pages 28-35) Thomas Coleman's Will, giving name of wife.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} "Welles Genealogy." Citing an article written by Charles R. Barr for The Wells Chronicles Vol. 2, No. 3, July-Sept. 1989. Others cited: Kathryn Metcalf, John Frederick Mason, Constance R. Wells, June Elizabeth Wells, Clayton H. Wells, Byrl Ward, and Dorothy R. Rooney. Archive.org, saved 24 Jun 2017 (Caution incorrect).