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Mary (Bowne) Thorne (1660 - abt. 1728)

Mary Thorne formerly Bowne
Born in Flushing, Queens, New York, British Colonial Americamap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married about 1679 in Flushing, New Yorkmap
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 68 in Flushing, Queens, New York, British Colonial Americamap [uncertain]
Profile last modified | Created 8 Jul 2011
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Mary (Bowne) Thorne was a New Netherland settler.
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Mary was a Friend (Quaker)

Contents

Biography

Mary was born on January 6, 1660 in Flushing, New York, [1] right at the time of her father's imprisonment by the Dutch authorities. She was the 3rd child in the family of John and Hannah Bowne. An older brother died young and Mary's mother Hannah died unexpectedly in 1677 while traveling in England. By this time she, along with most of her family and the family of her intended spouse Joseph Thorne, had turned to the Quaker faith.

Mary was an infant when John Bowne was imprisoned by the New Amsterdam authorities, sent to the Dutch prisons and finally courts in Amsterdam. He had to passionately plead his own defense built on the logical principles of freedom of conscience that the residents of Flushing held so strongly. Winning the respect of his judges by his uncompromising stance, he was released, and returned triumphantly home in 1664, having been absent from his family for more than 24 months. The final die was cast when New Netherlands by treaty became the English colony of New York and the ideal of religious freedom was upheld. The powerful precedent of the Flushing Remonstrance was embedded in English colonies in North America, and ultimately became a cornerstone for the framers of the American Constitution.

Mary Bowne and husband Joseph were part of the first generation born in the New World to the founders-leaders of the Flushing Long Island community, although Hannah Feake was born in Massachusetts. There was great historic significance to the leadership and sacrifice of Founders and Signers of the Flushing Remonstrance such as John Bowne, and William Thorne father of Joseph.

Marriage and Children

Joseph and Mary Thorne married in 1679/1680 and had 12 children. [2][3]

  1. Hannah Thorne, born 26 Aug 1680, death unknown
  2. Joseph Thorne, born 22 Sept 1682, death unknown
  3. William Thorne, born 7 Nov 1684, death unknown
  4. Mary Thorne, born 22 Aug 1686 in Flushing, Long Island, NY, died 1768
  5. Susannah Thorne, born 18 Jun 1688, death unknown
  6. John Thorne, born 5 Oct 1690, death unknown
  7. Thomas Thorne, born 1 Jan 1692/93, death unknown
  8. Benjamin Thorne, born 9 Nov 1694, death unknown
  9. Abraham Thorne, born 1 Jul 1696, died 1765 in NJ
  10. Isaac Thorne, born 4 Sep 1698, Flushing NY, died 1769
  11. Jacob Thorne, born 20 Mar 1699/00, death unknown
  12. Sarah Thorne, born 20 Nov 1702, death unknown

Abstracts of Wills

Joseph preceded Mary

I, Joseph Thorne of Flushing in Queens County, being aged and indisposed. Being well advised with ye weighty concern I am now about. I leave to my son Benjamin, all my Plantation and homestead where I now live in Flushing, with all housing, orchards, and lands, and all my meadow and woodland. I leave to my wife Mary, the use of 1/2 of all lands and meadows, and 1/2 of all housing and orchards during her life. After he death I leave 1/2 to my son Benjamin and he is to pay legacies, viz.: To his brother Jacob, 100s, and to his brothers, Isaac, Thomas, and Abraham, 20s each. To my son Isaac I leave 5 shillings. I leave to my sons, Thomas, Abraham, and Isaac, all that tract of land lying at a place called (???), in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I leave to my wife Mary, a negro man, and an Indian woman. To my daughter Sarah, a negro girl. I leave to my son Joseph, 5 shillings over and above what I have formerly given him by deed of gift. I leave to my son William, 5 shillings besides what I gave him in West New Jersey. To my son John, 5 shillings and a negro boy. To my wife Mary, 1/2/ of the rest of my movables. To my daughter, Mary Shadwell, a negro girl. I leave to my daughters, Hanna Field, Mary Shadwell, Susanah Hedger, and Sara Thorn, 1/2 of my movables. I make my wife and and my son Benjamin, executors.
Dated July 27, 1724. Witnesses, Thomas Farrington, Richard Laurence, John Haight. Proved, November 27, 1727.

I, Mary Thorne of Flushing in Queens County, widow of Joseph Thorne. June 20, 1726, In order to settle all worldly affairs, as much as in me lies, to prevent contention. I leave to my son Benjamin, my negro man Tom. Also all my share of that our waggon, and all implements of husbandry on the place where he now lives. All the rest of my estate to my seven children and granddaughter, viz.: my children, Thomas, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Hannah, Mary, and Sarah, and my granddaughter, Elizabeth, daughter of Eliahim Hedger. I make my son Benjamin, and my brother, Samuel Bowne, executors.
Witnesses, John Haight, John Bowne, D. Humphries. Proved August 12, 1728 in Flushing.

Sources

  1. Hinshaw, William Wade, et al., compilers. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 vols. 1936–1950. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991–1994.
  2. Torry, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.
  3. Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926.




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Comments: 7

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Isabelle, if you can get a copy of William Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy vol. III, the introductory material gives a clear explanation of how the Friends Meetings that make up New York Yearly Meeting evolved. P. 13 specifically addresses Flushing. And yes, NYYM is what is now Flushing MM.
posted by Joyce (Rosnel) Weaver
Should be included as a source, not a location.
posted by Ellen Gustafson
Hi Isabelle,

Yes, all the people listed under New York Monthly Meeting seem to have Flushing in common. And the weblink below seems to confirm it with the following title: "RECORDS OF NEW YORK MONTHLY MEETING (1671-1828), ALSO KNOWN AS FLUSHING MONTHLY MEETING BEFORE 1795"

http://www.swarthmore.edu/library/friends/NYYM/nymm1.xml

posted by Kenneth Kinman
Hi Kenneth,

I'm doing maintenance on Quaker Meetings categories and I cannot put "New York Monthly Meeting" on the map. New York has Yearly and Quarterly meetings, plus a number of monthly meetings, none of which is called "New York Monthly". Based on the historical background of this profile, I would guess the actual meeting she attended was Flushing Meeting. Would that sound right? Do you have any more info on the meeting? We're looking for the meeting that recorded her life events. Thank you !

Bowne-167 and Bowne-23 appear to represent the same person because: These seem to be the same person. One can contribute source and history to the other
posted by Orinda (Hamon) Spence
Ed Burke-- I checked my chart at home and found that I did not have that middle name for Mary. Someone else must have added it.

But it brought up a big question. I have a copy of Hinshaw's Vol III and, looking at Joseph Thorn in there, I am wondering whether there are two Joseph Thorns or this one married two sisters. The 1728 death date we've used for Mary may be an error. Here's the Hinshaw quote: "Joseph, Flushing m Mary BOWNE, b. 1660 d. Woodbridge, NY 1728." Is that Mary's death or Joseph's?

posted by Joyce (Rosnel) Weaver
Removed middle name Johanna which was the middle name of sister Martha
posted by Ed Burke