Thomas Dudley (bef. 1576 - 1653)

Born before 12 Oct 1576 in Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Yorke) Dudley — married 25 Apr 1603 in Hardingstone, Northamptonshire, England

Husband of Katherine (Deighton) Allin — married about 4 Apr 1644 (to 31 Jul 1653) in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 31 Jul 1653 after age 76 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Magna Carta Project WikiTree [send private message], Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], and Mary Atkins [send private message]

Thomas Dudley migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 581) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Magna Carta Gateway Ancestor Descendant of Surety Barons William d'Aubigné, Richard de Clare, and possibly others (see text). Join: Magna Carta Project Discuss: magna_carta

Biography

Thomas Dudley is Notable.

Thomas Dudley

Origin: Sempringham, Lincolnshire

Residences: Charlestown 1630, Cambridge 1631, Ipswich 1635, Roxbury by 1644^[1]

"The son of a military man who died when he was young, Dudley saw military service during the French Wars of Religion, and then acquired some legal training before entering the service of the Earl of Lincoln. Along with other Puritans in Lincoln's circle, Dudley helped organize the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, sailing with Winthrop in 1630. Although he served only four one-year terms as governor of the colony, he was regularly in other positions of authority."^[2]

Baptism and Parents

Thomas Dudley was baptized October 12, 1576, at Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire, England.^[3][4] His parents are not named in the record.^[5][6][7]

He was the son of Captain Roger and Susannah (Thorne) Dudley,^[1][3] based on statements made by Cotton Mather;^[8] that Thomas Dudley was mentioned in the will of John Purefoy in 1579;^[9] and the baptism of Thomas Dudley in Yardley Hastings.^[10] Also baptised in Yardley Hastings was a Mary Dudley on 16 October 1580 daughter of "Mr. Dudley."^[11]

Life in England

Thomas was a legatee in the 1579 will of John Purefoy, Esq., his great uncle. As a child, he served as a page in the home of William Compton (1560-1630), 2nd Lord Compton, later 1st Earl of Northampton.^[3]

Anne (Pell) Purefoy (abt.1535-) was the widow of Thomas (Nicholls) Nicolls MP (abt.1529-1568) and had remarried Richard Purefoy (abt.1539-). As Mrs Purefoy, she was reputed to have acted as a teacher to Thomas Dudley in Yardley Hastings, where Dudley had spent his childhood in an orphanage. She arranged for him to also attend Latin School. ^[12]

Thomas raised a company of soldiers to fight with King Henry IV of France at the Siege of Amiens in 1597, later returning to England. .^[3]

On his return, Mrs Ann Purefoy arranged for Thomas Dudley to clerk from 1598 until 1616 for Anne’s son, the eminent circuit judge, Sir Augustine Nicolls (1559-1616). ^[13]

Sir Augustine inherited the manor at Faxton, Northamptonshire and Thomas resided there for a while. ^[14]

Thomas was named as an overseer of the will of his father-in-law Edmond Yorke^[3] of Cotton End in Northampton, yeoman, dated 18 November 1614 and proved 17 April 1614[?]. Thomas' children Samuel and Anne were also named in Edmond's will.^[15] From 1616-1628, he served as a steward to Theophilus Fiennes, Earl of Lincoln.^[3]

The following are the names of those living at Sempringham during the 1620s who developed the idea to form the Massachusetts Bay Company that led to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony:^[16]

• Elizabeth Knyvett Clinton Fiennes, mother of the following children and widow of the third Earl of Lincoln:
• Theophilus (son) and Bridget Clinton Fiennes, his wife (fourth Earl and Countess of Lincoln.)
• Frances Clinton Fiennes (daughter) and her husband John Gorges.
• Arbella Clinton Fiennes (daughter) and her husband Isaac Johnson,
• Susannah Clinton Fiennes (daughter) and her husband John Humphrey,
• Thomas and Dorothy Dudley (steward to the Earl of Lincoln)
• Simon and Anne Bradstreet (Dudley's assistant and son in law, and Anne, oldest daughter.)

Massachusetts

Thomas was a passenger in 1630 aboard the Flagship Arbella of the Winthrop Fleet.^[6] They settled first at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and eventually removed to Ipswich and then to Roxbury.^[3][4] He owned substantial land in Roxbury.^[17]

"Thomas Dudley, deputy governor" was admitted to the Boston Church at its founding in 1630 as member #2, preceded only by John Winthrop, governor.^[18]

Governor of Massachusetts Bay and Other Public Service

Thomas served as Governor of Massachusetts Bay 1634, 1640, 1645 and 1650. He served as Deputy Governor 1630-1633, 1637-1639, 1646-1649 and 1651-1652.^[3][4] He was Assistant of Massachusetts Bay 1635-1636, 1641-1644; Commissioner of the United Colonies of Massachusetts Bay in 1643 and 1647; and Sergent Major General in 1644.^[3]

"Governor Thomas Dudley (12 October 1576 – 31 July 1653) was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home. He provided land and funds to establish the Roxbury Latin School and signed the charter creating Harvard College during his 1650 term as governor. Dudley was a devout Puritan who was opposed to religious views not conforming with his. In this, he was more rigid than other early Massachusetts leaders like John Winthrop, but less confrontational than John Endecott."^[2]

Marriages and Children

On April 25, 1603, at Hardingstone, near Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, Thomas married Dorothy York(e),^[19][20] daughter of Edmund Yorke of Cotton End, Northamptonshire.^[3][4]

By wife Dorothy, he had 1 or 2 sons and 4 daughters:

• Thomas^[3][4][21]
• Rev. Samuel^[3][4]
• Anne, wife of Simon Bradstreet^[3][4]
• Patience, wife of Daniel Denison^[3][4]
• Sarah, wife of Benjamin Keayne and Thomas Pacy^[3][4]
• Mercy, wife of Rev. John Woodbridge^[3][4]

Dorothy died about December 24, 1643, and was buried December 27, 1643, in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[22]

Thomas married second on April 4, 1644, at Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to Katherine (Deighton) Hackburne,^[23] daughter of John and Jane (Bassett) Deighton and the widow of Samuel Hagborne/Hackburne.^[3][4] He was 67 and she was 29. They had two sons and one daughter.

• Joseph^[3][4][24]
• Paul^[3][4][24]
• Deborah,^[24] wife of Jonathan Wade^[3][4]

Death and Burial

Thomas died on July 31, 1653, at Roxbury, Massachusetts,^[3][4] aged 76, and was buried at Roxbury on August 6th.^[25][26] The first tomb built in the Eliot Burying Ground in Roxbury was that of the Dudley family, built before 1653. Buried there are Governor Thomas Dudley, his son Governor Joseph Dudley, and grandsons Chief Justice Paul Dudley and Col. William Dudley.^[27]

His widow Katherine married third to Rev. John Allin of Dedham on 08 November 1653^[28] and had three sons, Benjamin, Daniel and Eleazer.^[3][4] Katherine died 20 August 1671.^[3][4]

Will

The will of Thomas Dudley of Roxbury, executed on 26 April 1652 and presented 15 August 1653, asked to be buried next to his first wife if his present wife be still living at his death. He stated that his intention was to dispose of his estate "as justly and equally as I can contrive it, betweene the posteritie of my childn by my first wife, and my children by my last wife, accounting Thomas Dudley & John Dudley my grand children (whome I have brought upp) in some sort as my immediate children." He named son Joseph Dudley to have a double portion, Paule Dudley & Deborah Dudley each a single portion. He mentioned unnamed children of his son Samuel Dudley, unnamed children of daughter Bradstreet, unnamed children of daughter Denison, unnamed children of daughter Woodbridge, and daughter Sarah Pacy. All of these children were still living. Friends John Elliot, teacher of the Roxbury church, and Samuel Danforth, pastor of the same church, John Johnson, Surveyor Generall of the Armes, and William Parks of the same church, to be executors. He mentions that in a previous will his sons were to be executors, but "better considering of their remote dwelling" he had chosen his friends to serve.

On 13 April 1653, he added a codicil to add college expenses for his grandson Thomas, as well as rearranging a few items among his wife and children. He mentioned that his son Samuel had been insistent that he pay for his grandson Thomas' education and maintenance, so that being done with the codicil, he revoked from Samuel and his other children their share in the mill, and money given in his will to grandson John was replaced with the mill share.

On 08 July 1653, he again added a codicil in which he says "the charge of my long sicknesse," made him need to revoke a portion of his will intended for his older children and settle it upon his three younger children for their care and education.^[29][30]

Notable Descendants

Dudley's descendants include his daughter Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672), who was the first poet in English North America, his son Joseph also a governor of Massachusetts Bay, and son Paul who was Register of Probate for the County of Suffolk. One of the gates of Harvard Yard, torn down in the 20th century, was named in his honor, and Harvard's Dudley House is named for the family.

Anne Bradstreet's verse was written on Harvard Yard's Dudley Gate (torn down in the construction of the Lamont Library) :^[31]

One of thy founders, him New-England know,

Who staid thy feeble sides when thou wast low,

Who spent his state, his strength, and years with care,

That after comers in them might have share.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Anderson, Robert Charles, Thomas Dudley: Featured Name (1995, Volume I, Pages 581-88) The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database accessed June 4, 2015: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Wikipedia contributors, "Thomas Dudley," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed February 4, 2020).
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011, vol. II, page 97, DUDLEY 18.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. Salt Lake City: the author, 2013. Volume II, page 477, DUDLEY 21.
5. ↑ Northamptonshire Anglican Parish Registers and Bishop’s Transcripts. Textual records. Northamptonshire Record Office, Northampton, England. Reference Numbers: 377p/1 image 17. Accessed at Ancestry 1 Feb 2020. ($ubscription.) (NOTE: The entry simply lists his name and date; parents not stated.)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Banks, Charles Edward. Passengers on the Winthrop Fleet 1630; An Account of the Vessels, the Voyage, the Passengers and their English homes and Original Authorities (Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, MA 1930). Online at Internet Archive: pp 53-4 p 68
7. ↑ Stokes, Anson Phelps, and Helen Louisa Stokes. Stokes Records. Notes Regarding the Ancestry and Lives of Anson Phelps Stokes and Helen Louisa (Phelps) Stokes. (New York: privately printed, 1910), 1:93.
8. ↑ Mather, Cotton, "The Life of Mr. Thomas Dudley, Several Times Governor of Massachusetts Colony, in New England," Massachusetts Historical Society. Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. (Boston: The Society, 1870), Vol. 11:207-222
9. ↑ "Genealogical Gleanings in England - John Purefay," NEHGR, Vol. 49(1895):507
10. ↑ Bartlett, Joseph Gardner, "Notes - Parentage of Gov. Thomas Dudley," NEHGR, Vol. 65(1911):189
11. ↑ FreeReg.org.uk index (accessed 03 Feb 2020). (Note: Ancestry indexes this record with father as "Wm." which appears to be incorrect.)
12. ↑ Dudley, Dean. History of the Dudley Family. Number 1, 1886. pp.18-19, Internet Archive
13. ↑ Dudley, Dean. History of the Dudley Family. Number 1, 1886. Internet Archive.
14. ↑ Northampton Past and Present. - Anne Bradstreet, the first American Poetess and her father Governor Thomas Dudley. by Holtgen, Karl Josef. Journal of the Northamptonshire Record Society, Delapre Abbey, Northampton. Vol V 1976 No 4, pg 328, 329 [1] accessed 2.6.2022
15. ↑ Waters, Henry F., "Genealogical Gleanings in England" NEHGR, Vol. 47(1893):120-21, citing Northampton Wills, Book 8, 137.
16. ↑ Charles W. Allen. Journey of Promise: West from Sempringham. [2] Accessed March 17, 2016
17. ↑ A Report of the Record Commissioners of the city of Boston Vol. 6:12-13 Roxbury Land Records, Book of Possessions.
18. ↑ “Boston, MA: Church Records, 1630-1895” The Records of the Churches of Boston. CD_ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008 .) "Records of the First Church in Boston" p. 2, citing original Vol. 1:1 (Link by $ubscription.)
19. ↑ Hardingstone Parish Register image 72 by subscription at: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/9198/100430917_00017?pid=1605426 accessed 1 Feb 2020.
20. ↑ Talbot, Mary K., "Notes and Queries - Dudley" NEHGR, Vol. 56:206
21. ↑ Richardson shows Thomas, but Wikipedia thinks the evidence is thin.
22. ↑ Boston, Mass., Record Commissioners. A Report of the Record Commissioners of the city of Boston. Boston, Mass. : Rockwell & Churchill Vol. 6:171
23. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (13 July 2016), Suffolk > Roxbury > Births, marriages, deaths 1630-1844 > image 51 of 252; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2} Essex Institute. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-19260, 2 vols. Vol. 1:115- 117.
25. ↑ Page 175: Roxbury Church Records. "1653 Moneth 5 day 31. being ye Lds day, at night Thomas Dudley Esqr. dyed & was buryed on ye 6th day following."
26. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (13 July 2016), Suffolk > Roxbury > Births, marriages, deaths 1630-1844 > image 84 of 252; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.

    "1653 Thomas Dudly d. Roxbury, buried July 31"

27. ↑ Drake, Francis S., The town of Roxbury: its memorable persons and places, its history and antiquities, with numerous illustrations of its old landmarks and noted personages, (Roxbury, Mass.: Pub. by the author, 1878) p. 99.
28. ↑ Don Gleason Hill, compiler, The Record of Births, Marriages & Deaths ... Town of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635-1845 2 vols. (Dedham, MA: Town of Dedham, 1886), p. 127
29. ↑ Suffolk County, Mass., Probate file #129, Thomas Dudley 1653.
30. ↑ "Abstracts of the Earliest Wills upon Record in the County of Suffolk, Mass.," NEHGR Vol. 5(1851):295-97, Thomas Dudley.
31. ↑ Dudley House, Harvard University History] Wayback Machine, archived page captured 5 Dec 2020

• Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. Online database of AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010).
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. Salt Lake City: the author, 2011. See also WikiTree's source page for Magna Carta Ancestry.
• Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. Salt Lake City: the author, 2013. See also WikiTree's source page for Royal Ancestry.

See also:

• Capen, Nahum (ed) (1851). The Massachusetts State Record, Volume 5. Boston: James French. OCLC 1770853. Pages 53-54.
• Weis, Frederick Lewis, Th.D., The Magna Carta Sureties, 1215 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 5th Edition - 1999) (Available at Amazon.com): Line 28, p. 37, married Katherine Deighton.
• Lewis, Marlyn. Gov. Thomas Dudley, Judge of the Common Pleas entry in Our Royal, Titled, Noble, and Commoner Ancestors and Cousins website, accessed 5 Feb 2020.
• Bremer, Francis (2003). John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founder. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-514913-5. OCLC 237802295.
• Bremer, Francis; Webster, Tom (2006). Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America: a Comprehensive Encyclopedia. New York: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-678-1. OCLC 162315455.
• Bunting, Bainbridge; Floyd, Margaret Henderson (1985). Harvard: an Architectural History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-37290-0. OCLC 11650514.
• Craig, F. N., (1988) "Maternal Ancestry of Governor Thomas Dudley: Purefoy, Ayot, and Denton Lines." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. NEHGS, AmericanAncestors.org (Vol 142, Page 227).
• Dudley, Dean. (1848) The Dudley genealogies and family records. Boston: s. p., Archive.org (Page 17).
• Moore, Jacob Bailey. Lives of the Governors of New Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay (C. D. Strong, Boston, 1851) Page 273-96
• Hinman, Barry. Edmund Yorke of Cotton End, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire, Father-in-Law of Gov. Thomas Dudley, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., Spring 2018) Vol. 172, WN 686, Page 124.
• "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Volume 172, Whole Number 686, Spring 2018". Title: " Edmund Yorke of Cotton End, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire, Father-in-Law of Gov. Thomas Dudley ". Author: Barry E Hinman. American Ancestors by New England Historic Genealogical Society. © 1996–2018 New England Historic Genealogical Society. All Rights Reserved. Paid membership required to view this article. americanancestors.org. (Accessed 03 Aug 2018).

Article includes:

An abstract of the 1614 will of Edmund Yorke of Cotton End, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire, Father-in-Law of Gov. Thomas Dudley, was published in the Register in 1893. Author Barry E. Hinman has reviewed the registers of Hardingstone and two parishes in the town of Northampton to produce an expanded account of Edmund Yorke’s family. Dorothy (Yorke) Dudley’s mother was named Katherine, but it is unclear whether she was the Katherine Robins who married Edmund Yorke in 1568.

Acknowledgements

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was reviewed, expanded and citations checked 4 Feb 2020 by PGM member Bobbie Hall (thanks Bobbie!!). The profile was checked against the project's checklist and approved for the Magna Carta Project by Thiessen-117 on 5 February 2020.

Thomas Dudley is listed in Magna Carta Ancestry as a Gateway Ancestor (vol. I, pages xxiii-xxix) in a Richardson-documented trail to Magna Carta Surety Baron Richard de Clare (vol. II, pages 95-98 DUDLEY). Through his mother, Thomas Dudley is also the Gateway to several other surety barons, including William d'Aubigny and Robert de Ros. These trails were badged 10 March 2024 by the Magna Carta Project and are set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of his mother's profile.

Thomas may also be a Gateway to thirteen surety barons through his father, Roger Dudley. However, the identification of Roger's parentage is contentious, and is not supported by Douglas Richardson (RA 2:476). See Roger's profile to view the possible trails.

See Base Camp for more information about Magna Carta trails. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".