Thomas Bills (1650 - 1721)

Born 1650 in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Anna (Twining) Bills — married 3 Oct 1672 in Eastham, Massachusetts

Husband of Joanna (Twining) Bills — married 2 May 1676 in Shrewsbury, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 2 Apr 1721 at about age 71 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., NJ

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kristin Mcneal [send private message]

Biography

Thomas was a Friend (Quaker)

Thomas was born about 1650, he passed away about 1721. While it is frequently seen that Thomas is the son of William Bills, Sturgis Library in Barnstable wrote in Sep 2018 that Thomas Bills is the grandson of William Bills rather than the son. Additional research is needed on the possible or probable intervening generation.

He married Anna Twining 3 Oct 1672.^[1][2] Anna died 1 Sep 1675^[3] and he married her sister Joanna on 2 May 1676.^[3][4][5]

He is known to have been resident in Eastham, Massacusetts in 1695^[6] but probably soon after moved to Shrewsbury, New Jersey. He died Shrewsbury 2 Apr 1721.^[7][8]

From This Old Monmouth of Ours (see attached):

THOMAS BILLS (1), by occupation a weaver, bought land in Shrewsbury Township in 1697, of John Starkey. He sold one half of this purchase in 1707 to David Killie, his son-in-law. Thomas died in Shrewsbury 2-2-1721. His wife was named Johanna, who died 4-4-1723. He is said to have had a sister, Johanna, who was married to John Scudder (son of John and Mary King), who was born in 1645. It is quite certain that there were other members of the family who came to Monmouth, and who appear, from time to time without traceable connection. His children were Thomas (3); Johanna (4), died Apr. 1, 1728, married 11-27-1708, George Williams; a daughter (5) whose name may have been Johanna, tho' called Anna, who married before 1700, David Killie; Nathaniel (6); and Mary (7), who married John Scott, of Gravesend born 11-9-1769 died 1736. It is thought that there were other children.

Children of Thomas Bills and Anna Twining Bills^[9][10][11]

Anna b Jun 1673

Elizabeth b 23 Aug 1675

Children of Thomas Bills and Joanna Twining Bills^[12]

Nathaneel borne the 25th day of June in the year 1677

Mercy borne the fourtenth day of aprill 1679

Mehitable was borne the 26th day of March 1681

Thomas was borne 22nd day of March 1684

Gershom was borne the fifth day of June in 1686

Joanna was borne the second day of december in the year 1688

Research Notes

There has previously been confusion as to whether Thomas had one wife whose name is seen both as Anna and Joanna or whether there were two wives who were sisters. There were two wives who were sisters. There are Massachusetts town records for two marriages to two different people named Anna Twining (m 3 Oct 1672, she died 1 Sep 1675) and secondly to Joanna Twining (m 2 May 1676, she died 4 Jun 1723 in Shrewsbury). The existing town records have two different marriage records to the two sisters and this is also the conclusion reached by Clarence Tory in his New England Marriages Prior to 1700.^[13]

A manuscript called "Town Records, Orleans"^[14] has the following entry. Orleans was originally known as South Parish of Eastham, settled in 1644. It is located in Barnstable Co., MA.

Children of Thomas Bills and Anna, his wife

Anna Bills, was born June 18th, 1673. Elisabeth Bills, was born August 23rd, 1675. Nathaniel Bills, was born June 25th, 1677. Mary Bills, was born April 14th, 1679. Mehitabel Bills, was born March 26th, 1681. Thomas Bills was born March 22d, 1684. Gershom Bills was born June 5th, 1686. Joanna Bills was born December 2d, 1688.

There is no distinction in this entry between "Anna" and "Johanna."

Sources

1. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Barnstable Transcript of Records, 1643-1714; Vol· 1
2. ↑ Cutler, William Richard, New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the ..., Volume 1, Lewis Historical Pub Co., New York, 1913, Page 48: record of Thomas' marriage to Ann 1672.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Eastham Mass Vital Records, Vol I, Pt II, p. 4 of original document, Transcribed by George Bowman, published by Mayflower Society 1976
4. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Records, 1637-1853
5. ↑ Births, marriages, deaths, 1649-ca.1840; intentions of marriage, 1700-ca.1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8979-9X4W  : 27 September 2022), , FHL microfilm 007009735, image 108, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 8-9.
6. ↑ Massachusetts, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890
7. ↑ Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Births and Deaths Book; Collection: Quaker Meeting Records; Call Number: MR Ph:585
8. ↑ Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Births and Deaths Records Book; Collection: Quaker Meeting Records; Call Number: MR Ph:584
9. ↑ Eastham Massachusetts Vital Records, Vol I, Pt II, p 5 of original record, transcribed by George Bowman, The Mayflower Society, 1976
10. ↑ Bill, Ladyard, History of the Bill Family, New York, 1867, https://archive.org/details/historyofbillfam1867bill
11. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).Orleans and Eastham Records
12. ↑ Easthman Massachusetts Vital Records, Vol I, Pt II, pg 5 of original record, transcribed by George Bowman, The Mayflower Society, 1976
13. ↑ TORY, Clarence, New England Marrriages Prior to 1700, Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD
14. ↑ Town Records, Orleans, MA

See also:

• BILL, Ledyard, History of the Bill Family, Published in New York, 1867, https://archive.org/details/historyofbillfam1867bill
• Hornor, William S. This Old Monmouth of Ours. Moreau Brothers of Freehold New Jersey, 1932. page 116.
• Shotwell, Ambrose Milton. Annals of Our Colonial Ancestors and Their Descendants. 1895.

Acknowledgment

• This profile updated with new and inline citations by T Stanton Oct 2018
• WikiTree profile Bills-102 created through the import of Hilliard Morris.ged on Aug 18, 2011 by Lawrence Schliessmann. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Lawrence and others.
• WikiTree profile Bills-100 created through the import of Mary Lee Morris.GED on Aug 18, 2011 by Lawrence Schliessmann. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Lawrence and others.
• This person was created on 21 March 2011 through the import of Martin_O_Daniels_Lorentz_Toale.ged.
• Kristin Mcneal, firsthand knowledge. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Kristin and others.