Thomas Wilder
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Thomas Wilder (abt. 1618 - 1667)

Thomas Wilder
Born about in Englandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1640 in Charlestown, Colony of Massachusetts Baymap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 49 in Lancaster, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
Profile last modified | Created 11 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 5,930 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Thomas Wilder migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 373)
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Contents

Biography

Name and Origins

Name: Thomas Wilder, of Charleston and Lancaster, Massachusetts.
In the Book of the Wilders published in 1878, Moses Hale Wilder stated that ‘the strong presumption’ was that Thomas Wilder was a brother of Edward Wilder, and a son of Martha Wilder both of Hingham, Massachusetts. [1] This would make him a member of the Wilder family of Shiplake, Oxfordshire, England. This presumption was accepted as fact for more than a century, and is often repeated. Though, the noted genealogist Mary Lovering Holman in 1948 stated that ‘there seems to be no proof that Thomas was a son of Martha Wilder of Hingham, and removed the purported English ancestry from her analysis of the family. [2] In fact, there is no documentation of any kind to link the Wilders of Lancaster to the Wilders of Hingham other than their shared name. In 2009, a DNA study was published on the NEHGS website which attempted to answer the question as to whether or not Thomas Wilder of Lancaster was related to Edward Wilder of Hingham. The study conclusively proved the two men are completely unrelated. [3] [4] As such we have no evidence of any kind of the English origins of Thomas Wilder.
A previous version of this profile claimed he was son of Thomas Wilder, without source; this father has been detached. Smith-32867 23:10, 19 February 2018 (EST)

Birth

Born: About 1618. [2]
Deposed in June 1665 he was aged 33 (or 35). [5]
Deposed in June 1659 he was aged about 40. [6]

Marriage and children

Married: Anna Unknown. In 1666, Robert Meeres of Boston named as his executors "My beloved brother James Johnson and my brother Mr. Thomas Wilder".[7] They were not brothers in the sense of belonging to the same church. James Johnson is known to have been married to a sister of Robert Meeres. This makes it a very good possibility that Anna was another sister of Robert and that her LNAB should be Meeres. [2]
Children of Thomas and Anna Wilder:
  1. Mary Wilder. Born 30 June 1642 in Charlestown.
  2. Thomas Wilder. Born 4 September 1644 in Charlestown.
  3. John Wilder. Born about 1646.
  4. Elizabeth Wilder. Born about 1648. Many internet resources indicate that Thomas and Anna's daughter Elizabeth married Jerathmeel Bowers, but as far as I can tell, that has not been proved.
  5. Ebenezer Wilder. Born about 1651.
  6. Nathaniel Wilder. Born 3 November 1655 in Charlestown. Killed by Indians 31 July 1704.


Death

Died: 23 October 1667 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Burial: Old Common Burial Ground in Lancaster, Massachusetts.
Inscription: SACRED
to the Memory of
THOMAS WILDER,
from Lancaster in England,
who first settled at Hingham
in 1641, and came to this Town
July 1, 1659, and died Oct 23,
1667, leaving three sons - viz
THOMAS, JOHN and NATHANIEL,
from whom are derived all
of the name WILDER in
this Town and vicinity [8]


Will: Thomas Wilder left a will dated 22 April 1666, and proved 4 Mar 1667/8:
Thomas's estate was inventoried on 29 November 1667 at Lancaster
Theis presents wittneseth the Last will and testament of mee Thomas Willder of Lancaster in the Countie of Middlesex in new England husbandman, being weake in body, but of a good and sound memorie, And a Competent measure of natural understanding,
first I doe herby Comit my body to the dust And my soule to almightie god that gave it, And after my body orderly and decently buried,
first I herby Constitut and apoynt Ann my Loving wife and my sonn Thomas wilder my Executors, As also my Honoured [friend] Major Willard my dearest pastor master Joseph Rowlandson And Ralph AHoughton my overseers of this my Last will as aforesaid, to see this my said will truly and faithfully pformed, according to the true intent theirof,
first as touching those outward blessings the Lord in mercie hath betrusted me with, it is my earnest desire that the family and estate may be kept together soe long as it may be thought convenient by the Executors and overseers aforesaid or the major part of them, And soe to be disposed of according to their discresion as aforesaid, to gether with theis directions after mentoned:
first with Respect to be had to my wifes Comfortable being during her natural Life
2 that my sonn Thomas wilder to have a double portion, And Libertie to keep and improve his owne Estat Either in Catell, or of the Estate, which he now stands posesed of,
And the Rest of my Children namly John nathaniell Elizabeth and Ebenezer to Receive portions at such time as my aforesaid executors and overseers shall se they have need of it, And are capable of making improvement of it, whether it be in Lands or other Estae,
And as for my daughter marie, for as much as see hath allreadie Received a Competent portion and is already provided for, yet nothwsanding it is my desire shee should have sum what, according to the discretion of my Executors & overseers aforesaid, with Respect to be had to the blessing of upon the Estate, in Reference to all my Childrens portions aforesaid,
And if any of the aforesaid my overseers shall by the providence of god be taken away by death or otherwise that then forthwith the other two together with my Executors, shall chuse an other in his place, and so successively that the number aforesaid may be Continued to manage the betrust aforesaid Comited to them,
And in witness wherof I have herunto put my hand and seale this 22 of ii: mon: 1666
Thomas Wyellder


Notes

Timeline
  • 1638 - First appeared Charlestown, Massachusetts.
  • 30 March 1640 - received into the church at Charlestown.
  • 2 June 1641 - made a freeman.
  • 27 October 1643 - purchase of land in Charlestown.
  • 1647 - sold land in Charelestown.
  • 1647 - sold land in Charelestown.
  • 17 June 1654 - gave testimony in court (aged 33 or 35)
  • 2 and 21 June 1659 - gave testimony in court (aged about 40).
  • 26 June 1659 - selectman at Lancaster, Massachusetts.
  • 1 July 1660 - signed the town orders at Lancaster.
  • 3 February 1667 served as Selectman of Lancaster.
DNA Study
Haplotype: R1b-L21 (M269+, P312+, L21+, P66-, SRY2627-, U106-, U152-, M37-, M65-, M153-, M222-) [9]
This Thomas Wilder was the subject of an in-depth and published DNA study. His haplotype and male line descendants are proven by triangulation through three different sons (Thomas, Nathaniel and John).
Note that Edward Wilder of Hingham is R1b-U106 (DF98).

Common Errors to Avoid

Origins: It was speculated in the Book of Wilders and often copied that he was a brother of Edward Wilder and a son of Martha Wilder of Hingham, Massachusetts. This is incorrect. A 2009 DNA study published on the NEHGS website conclusively proved the two men were completely unrelated. The study involved using the DNA of descendants from three different sons of Thomas Wilder (Thomas, Nathaniel, John), and two sons of Edward Wilder (John 2 lines, Jabez). The genetic distance between the two ancestral haplotypes is so great that the descendants of Thomas and Edward Wilder were not patrilineally related within the last 1,000 to 2,000 years.
Hingham: The reference to him living at Hingham on the latter day stone erected in the cemetery (see photo and inscription) is incorrect. It is based on the false belief that he was related to the Edward and Martha Wilder of Hingham.

Sources

  1. Wilder. Book of the Wilders. (1878): page 6-7.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Holman. Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens, volume 1 of 2. (1948): pages 43-44.
  3. Hansen. DNA Solves A Wilder Ancestral Enigma, (Published online: NEHGS website, May 2009. [WayBackMachine, archived page from 5 May 2010]
  4. Also, American Ancestors Magazine (Spring 2010): 46-48. DNA Resolves a Wilder Ancestral Mystery, by Donald F. Hansen and Michael F. Hansen.
  5. Middlesex County, MA: Abstracts of Court Files, 1649–1675. (NEHGS website, 2003): vol. 1. page 28.
  6. Middlesex County, MA: Abstracts of Court Files, 1649–1675. (NEHGS website, 2003): vol. 1 page 100.
  7. Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers. (AmericanAncestors.org online database). Probate #466, probate of Robert Meares d. 1666.
  8. This gravestone is not contemporary and was placed by later descendants. It contains a number of errors including his origins (unknown), setteld in Hingham (never did), and three sons (he had more).
  9. L21is a subclade of P312, which is a subclade of M269, which is a subclade of R1b
See also:
  • Holman, Mary Lovering. Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife Francis Helen Miller, vol 1of 2. (Concord, NH: Rumsford Press, 1948): 43-44.
  • Middlesex County Court. Middlesex County, MA: Abstracts of Court Files, 1649–1675. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003): vol. 1. page 28; vol. 1 page 100; vol. 2 p. 39.
  • American Ancestors Magazine (Spring 2010): 46-48. DNA Resolves a Wilder Ancestral Mystery, by Donald F. Hansen and Michael F. Hansen. AmericanAncestors.org LINK.
  • Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Genealogical Publishing Com, 1926; p. 81. (see attached source image)
  • Davis, Mavis F., Research on the French Family of West Hartland, Connecticut, Including the Wilder and Tiffany Families, Connecticut Nutmegger (Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Glastonbury, Conn., July 2016) Vol. 49, No. 1, Page 61.
  • Nourse, Henry S: "Annals of Lancaster, Massachusetts"; 1884, Multiple references
  • Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers. (AmericanAncestors.org online database). Probate #466, probate of Robert Meares d. 1666.




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Comments: 10

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Source #2 is evidently incorrect in saying Robert Meeres referred to Thomas Wilder as "brother" in his will. A transcript of the will, published in "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register," 17:345, says this: "I doe also make my beloued [sic] brother, James Johnson and Mr. Thomas Wilder, Ouerseers [sic] of this my last will." I haven't seen the original will, if it still exists, but this source is still preferable to Holman's book. I use "sic" only to indicate that the writer of the will used a common, contemporary form of "v" that appears to later readers to be a "u," but the intent was "v." Similar to "s" that looks like "f, but was not intended to be read as "f," and therefore a (minor) transcription error.
posted by Doug Sinclair
The clerk's transcript is here in the Suffolk Probate records, Vol. 6:3:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9Y5-P2HL?i=200&cat=120561

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
The page of the original will naming my brother James Johnson and my brother Mr. Thomas Wilder is here: https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/suffolk-county-ma-probate-file-papers/image?volumeId=48697&pageName=466:5&rId=69446200

Case 466: P. 5: Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers.Online database.

posted by Chris Hoyt
Which shows that the clerk's transcript was used for the NEHGR article, not the original. Great find Chris!
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Ah, good. I could swear I looked for the original at americanancestors.org and didn't find it. Probably half asleep at that point. A great example of the benefits of going to the original. Thank you!
posted by Doug Sinclair
edited by Doug Sinclair
We need to resolve the spouse's surname. There are duplicate profiles that need merging. But conflicting data about names.
posted by Jillaine Smith
Wilder-1527 and Wilder-38 appear to represent the same person because: Sames names and dates except wife, and Wlder1527 has source for wife name
posted by Hayward Houghton II
Wilder-1332 and Wilder-38 appear to represent the same person because: Same name & wife's name; identical death info.
posted by Carole Partridge

Rejected matches › Thomas Walter (abt.1616-)

W  >  Wilder  >  Thomas Wilder

Categories: Lancaster, Massachusetts | Puritan Great Migration