Thomas Arnold (abt. 1604 - abt. 1674)

Born about 1604 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Unknown (Unknown) Arnold — married before 1629 in England

Husband of Phebe (Parkhurst) Arnold — married before 1640 in Watertown, Providence, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died about Sep 1674 at about age 70 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message] and Carol Davis [send private message]

Thomas Arnold migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Disputed Origins. The specific origins and parents of this Thomas Arnold are not known. He was also not the brother or half brother of immigrant William Arnold (1587-bef.1677). See Research Notes below.

His birth date is unknown. He was not the Thomas Arnold baptized April 15, 1599, as is sometimes said.^[1] His birth date is a rough estimate based on the birth of his first child in 1629.

Thomas died in September 1674.^[2][3]

He married (1) ________ in England.^[4]

He married (2) Phebe Parkhurst (died after 1688), daughter of George and Susannah Parkhurst.^[2][3]

Timeline:^[2][3]

• Settled in Watertown
• 13 May 1640 Freeman
• 20 Dec 1648 bought 30 acres from George Parkhurst
• Oct 1651 fined 20s for offense against law concerning baptism
• 2 Apr 1654 fined L5 for neglecting public worship 20 days
• 30 March 1655 sold to his brother in law George Parkhurst, 30 acres which he had bought in 1648 "from our father George Parkhurst and his wife Susanna"
• 2 April 1655 fined L10 for neglecting public worship 40 days
• after being fined once for neglecting the law of baptism and twice for neglect of public worship, he was driven to Providence, living in that part now Smithfield; swore allegiance 1666.
• 17 Oct 1661 of Providence, he sold land in Watertown to John Whitney
• 20 Oct 1662 he and wife sold house barn and 16 acres in Watertown
• 19 Feb 1665 he had lot 83 granted in a land division
• 1666, 67, 70, 71, 72 Deputy
• 1672 Town Council
• 1685 June 29. He died in Sept 1674, By word of mouth he told his wife and children how he wanted to dispose of his estate. Heirs: wife Phebe, children, Richard the eldest son, Thomas, John, Eleazer, and Elizabeth Comstock.
• 1 Sep 1687 Widow was taxed 6d.

Children

Thomas had seven known children:^[4]

With his first, unknown wife:

1. Susanna b abt Sep 1629, England? m. 1654 Apr 7 John Farnum

With second wife Phebe Parkhurst:

1. Ichabod b. 1 Mar 1640/1; died young
2. Richard b. 22 Mar 1642/3 ; died 22 April 1710; m. Mary Angell and (2) Sarah Smith (probably the widow of John Smith, miller)
3. Thomas b abt 1644 died aft 12 Sept 1721
4. Elizabeth b. abt 1645 died 20 Oct 1747 m. Samuel Comstock
5. John b. 19 Feb 1647/8; died 5 Jan 1723; m. Hannah
6. Eliazer b. 17 June 1651; d. 29 Aug 1722; m. Eleanor Smith

Disproven Children Based on the mistaken belief that Thomas was the brother of William Arnold, earlier sources included two sons by his first wife.^[2][3] These are these are the sons of a different Thomas Arnold, and are not known to have come to New England:

1. Thomas b. 2 or 3 May 1625
2. Nicholas b. 1627

Estate

LAWS, Made an past by the General Assembly of His Majesty's Colony of Rhode-Island, nd Providence-Plantations, Begun and Held at Newport, the first Day of March, 1663 (sic); https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N04574.0001.001/1:7.4?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

An Act for the Probate of Wills, power of proving Wills, and Granting of Administrations of the personal estates of persons was enacted by the General Assembly.

And be it further Enacted, that when, and so often as, any person shall die intestate, administration of such intestate's personal estate shall be granted to the widow, or next of kin to the intestate that shall desire the same. And in case of their refusal thereof, to such principal creditor or creditors, as the said Town Council shall think fit.

According to the following disposition of Thomas's estate, it would appear his widow refused administration:

Thomas Arnold of the Town of Providence in the Colonie of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England departed this life in the month of September, 1674. He left an estate of land, goods and c(h)attel, but had no written or formal will. By word of mouth with his wife and children he directed the division of his estate following his decease.

In order to avoid any discord concerning the estate, Thomas Olney, Town Clerk, determined the form and manner of settlement.

A covenant, conclusion, determination, and full and joint agreement to the settlement terms was signed on June 9, 1685, by his widow, Phebe Arnold; his sons, Richard Arnold, Thomas Arnold, John Arnold, and Eliezer Arnold; and, jointly sealed by his daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Samuel Comstock. Witnessed by Thomas Olney (Jr.), and John Browne.^[5]

DNA

Thomas Arnold's Y-DNA Haplogroup is; R1b, M343 (Subclade R1b1a2, M269) (the source is my Arnold cousin, male obviously who did the test for the family. -17 July 2018- Judith Arnold)

Research Notes

Not the son of Nicholas Arnold This Thomas Arnold was NOT the son of Nicholas Arnold!

In 1870, Horatio G. Somerby compiled a false genealogy of the Arnold family, which was published in [NEHGR, vol. 33, pp. 432-38, as ”Mr. Somerby’s Genealogy of the Arnold Family.

Immediately after a better-sourced article entitled "Early Records of the Arnold Family." NEHGR 33: 427, was published. Somerby's errors (intentional or otherwise) are discussed in the 1915 article "The Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold of Providence, R.I.," in NEHGR, vol. 69 (1915), pp. 64-69: in which William Arnold's father is proven to be Nicholas Arnold not Thomas as stated by Somerby. No real evidence has been seen that Thomas, son of Nicholas and Grace, emigrated to New England.^[6] (Later research showed this Thomas died in England.)

The mistaken belief that William Arnold and Thomas were brothers has caused mass confusion between the generations of Thomas Arnolds. It was believed that Thomas was bapt. 18 April 1599, the brother of William Arnold, who also settled in Rhode Island.

• Following an interesting trail involving several wills, there is a good possibility, but yet uncertain, that Thomas was from Hollesley, co Suffolk, England.^[6]
• This information was used to make the correction to Arnold's Gen. Dict. of Rhode Island.^[7]

The 1915 article also disputes the statement made by Savage and Austin that Thomas arrived May 1635 on the Plain Joan.^[6]

Briefly:

• Neither Thomas nor William Arnold, who both went to Providence, came from Cheslebourne.
• William Arnold was the son of Nicholas Arnold, of Ilchester, and Alice Gulley. Nicholas’ second wife was Grace Peake.
• William was not the son of Thomas Arnold (sometimes referred to as Nicholas Thomas Arnold) and Alice Gulley and grandson of Lord Richard Arnold and Jaquita Young.
• Nicholas and 2nd wife, Grace, had a son Thomas bapt. in 1599. This Thomas died in England.
• Thomas, of Providence, Rhode Island has no known parents.

(move following to profile of William's father, Thomas?)

Thomas' children with Margaret: 1) Thomas (1599) 2) Joseph (1604) 3) Seth (1606) ???

Thomas' children with Alice Gulley: NOTE: Alice Gulley was the first wife of his father not his wife. 1) Robert (1583) 2) John (1585) 3) William (1587, immigrated to New England) 4) Henry (1589)

Note: The above children are listed here only as suppositions. Solid documentation / proof is needed. This was taken from the most carefully thought out genealogy I could find, which is most likely not conclusive proof. We welcome feedback on other genealogists' conclusions.

Sources

1. ↑ Hubbard, Edwin. “Early Records of the Arnold Family.” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 33: 427-pp 427, 428
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Austin, John Osborne. Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising Three Generations of Settlers Who Came Before 1690 : With Many Families Carried to the Fourth Generation. Albany: J. Munsell Sons, 1887 p.240
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862. Vol. ? Page ?
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Benson, Richard H. The Arnold Family of Smithfield, Rhode Island. Boston, Massachusetts: Newbury Street Press, 2009. pg 10. Internet Archive (borrow)
5. ↑ The Early Records of the Town of Providence, Volume IV, pages 115 to 122; Horatio Rogers, George M. Carpenter, and Edward Field, Record Commissioners https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/20523/?offset=0#page=121&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Jones, Edson Salisbury. "The Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold of Providence, R. I." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 1915 Vol 69:last paragraph 68 & 69 Link at Archive
7. ↑ Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Additions and Corrections to Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island." The American Genealogist, (1944) Vol 20:120. AmericanAncestors.org (by subscription)

See also:

• Benson, Richard H. The Arnold Family of Smithfield, Rhode Island. Boston, Massachusetts: Newbury Street Press, 2009. pg 1-10. Internet Archive (borrow)
• The Early Records of the Town of Providence, Volume IV, pages 115 to 122; Horatio Rogers, George M. Carpenter, and Edward Field, Record Commissioners (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/20523/?offset=0#page=121&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=)
• Find A Grave: Memorial #183085510