Thomas Church (1720 - bef. 1792)

Born 20 Jan 1720 in Scituate, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Perry) Church — married after 11 Jan 1745 in Scituate, Massachusetts

Husband of Huldah (Soule) Church — married 24 Feb 1760 in Pembroke, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died before 3 Oct 1792 before age 72 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer Lapham [send private message]

Biography

Thomas Church was born 20 Jan 1720 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, the son of Nathanial and Jerusha Church.^[1][2]

Note the image includes a list of fourteen other children of Nathaniel including two with his second wife Mary who were born in the 1760s.

Thomas Church married Mary Perry, intentions published at Scituate, Massachusetts on January 11, 1745; ^{[3] [4]} and

Captain Thomas Church of Pembroke (Scituate per V.R. Pembroke^[5]) married Mrs. Huldah Soul of Pembroke Feb. 24, 1760, in Pembroke. The intention was recorded as "Mrs. Hulde Sole of Pembrook",^[3]

Captain Thomas Church was born in 1721 and died 21 Sep 1792. He married Mary ( ) of Plymouth who was born in 1725 and died 2 Nov 1757. The children mentioned are:

Mary was born in Boston Massachusetts in 1749, married Aaron Magoun in 1768

Ruth married Consider Rowland and had one son, Luther

Hannah married William Ford and d. without issue

Capt. Thomas Church, Jr. married Maria Woodworth, of Scituate. and had four daughters ^[6]

Capt Thomas Church was born 20 Jan 1720 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusettsand died there 21 Sep 1792 (aged 72). He was buried in the Church Hill Cemetery in Norwell, Plymouth County, Massachusetts

"Thomas Church, Son of Nathaniel & Jerusha (Perry) Church. married Mary Perry in Scituate - 11 Jan 1745"

Findagrave provides a link to his second wife:

Huldah Soule Church 1736–1802 (m. 1760)^[7]

Research Notes

The source of Church-6781, (merged into this) is a second findagrave profile for a Thomas Church born 1736, died 31 May 1802 (aged 65–66) buried in the Old Burying Ground in Kingston, Plymouth County, Massachusetts - Find A Grave: Memorial #40110319 - which included the marriage to Huldah Soule. It states:

"Possibly the same Thomas Church buried at Church Hill Cemetery in Norwell, memorial #74105787, but the dates are completely different. Ancestry supplies two trees with the same information as these two memorials, the one for this Thomas has no sources."

The reference to Huldah as "Mrs. Huldah Soul" in the marriage record is concerning because that usage seems to generally refer to a widow or otherwise previously married woman. In this case however her parents do seem to be correctly identified as Aaron & Lydia Soule. It is possible that Huldah Soule married an unidentified Mr Soul and was widowed or divorced before she was 24. (Researcher's Note: The prefix Mrs. in the 1700s was used for married women as well as for unmarried women over the age of 18 years old at the time of her marriage.)

Probate

Thomas Church of Scituate, mariner died intestate and on 3 October 1792, Thomas Church and David Stockbridge were granted the administration of his estate.^[8]

His inventory was taken on 18 October 1792 in Scituate.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4LQ-SQY : Thu Oct 26 01:39:51 UTC 2023), Entry for Thomas Church and Nathanial, 20 Jan 1720.
2. ↑ Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Silver Books, Volume Eighteen, Part 2, The Descendants of Richard Warren Through His Children Mary, Anna, and Elizabeth, 2011 Edition, Published 2016, Page 283
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Vital Records of Scituate, Massachusetts to the year 1850: "Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, NEHGS, Boston, Massachusetts, 1909, pg 58
4. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-7XR5?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D4-449%3A353350201%2C353448301%2C353448302 : 22 October 2020), Plymouth > Scituate > Births, marriages, deaths 1640-1801 > image 186 of 264; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
5. ↑ "Vital Records of Pembroke, Massachusetts to the year 1850: " NEHGS, Boston, Massachusetts, 1911, pg 349
6. ↑ "Descendants of Aaron and Mary (Church) Magoun of Pembroke Mass..." Samuel Breck; Rufus H Darby Book and Job Printer, Washington DC, 1891; pg 5
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images accessed 14 November 2023, memorial page for Capt Thomas Church (20 Jan 1720–21 Sep 1792),Find A Grave: Memorial #74105787, citing Church Hill Cemetery, Norwell, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Linda Church (contributor 47249283).
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-X7BP : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1778-1794 vol 26-27 > image 479 of 549; State Archives, Boston.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-7318 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1791-1808 vol 32-33 > image 366 of 539; State Archives, Boston.

Acknowledgements

• Stanley Wood, Wednesday, July 16, 2014.