Thomas Fenner (bef. 1617 - abt. 1647)

Born before 20 Jul 1617 in Horley, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Died about 15 May 1647 after about age 29 in Branford, New Haven Colony

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Biography

This is the profile of the Thomas Fenner, one of the early settlers of Branford, New Haven in the 17th century.

The search continues for good sources with which to document his life.

Birth and parentage

"Thomas" was baptised on 20 July 1617 in Horley, Surrey, England to Arthur Fenner^[1], husband of Sara (Laker) Fenner.^[2] He was their second-born child and first-born son.^[3]

Those were are believed to have been the parents of the subject of this profile (Arthur Fenner (1575-1640) and Sarah (Browne) Fenner (bef.1592-aft.1633)) died in England.

Several of those who are believed to have been the siblings of the subject of this profile immigrated to New England:

1. Sarah (Fenner) Lay (bef.1615-1676) settled in the area of Saybrook, Connecticut.
2. Arthur Fenner (bef.1619-1703) settled in Providence, Rhode Island.
3. William Fenner (bef.1625-bef.1680) settled in Newport, Rhode Island.
4. John Fenner (1631-1709) settled in the area of Saybrook, Connecticut
5. Phebe (Fenner) Ward (bef.1633-abt.1691) settled in Hartford, Connecticut

No record of Immigration

While at least one secondary source stated that Thomas lived for a period in Wethersfield, Connecticut^[4], a record documenting this has yet to be found.^[5]

No record of marriage or children

Records from Totokett / Branford

Thomas Fenner was among the earliest proprietors of Branford, New Haven , or "Totokett" as it was called for some years, who were named in a town record from 7 July 1646 (dividing up the meadows).^[6][7][8][9]

"Thomas Fenner" was also named in records from the 10th day of the 10th month of 1646^[10], the 8th day of the 11th month of 1646^[11] and "The 4th of Aprill 1648"^[12] as being among those who were to be alloted land in various quarters of the new settlement.

These were to be the last records so far located in which Thomas was referred to as being alive.

The record dated "The 4th of April 1648" cannot be explained in light of documentation (see next section) that Thomas died in 1647. It appears that one record or another must have been incorrectly recorded the date..

His life according to a secondary source

Atwater included a brief biography of Thomas Fenner in his 1881 history of New Haven^[13] : "THOMAS FENNER was a trader carrying on a business by boat or vessel between Hartford and Branford or New Haven. His inventory taken two days after his death, May 15, 1647, would indicate that he had a stock of merchandise in both Hartford and Branford. It is evident that he died while away on a trip to Hartford."

Death in Hartford

The record of the inventories of his estate stated that Thomas Fenner had died on 15 May [year unspecified]. A note at the end of the record was signed "17th of the third month [May] of 1647".

An inventory done at Hartford stated that his estate included "His boat and lyne which he brought up" as well as beaver skins, cloth, wampom and Dutch money. It is probably from this that Atwater inferred that Thomas was a trader who had died on a trip from Totokett to Hartford.

The transcritions of the record suggest that, on the same date (17 May), two separate inventories were taken -- one in Hartford and one in "Totokett" (about 25 miles away as the crow flies but a journey that, at the time, would have taken several days by boat).^[14][15] How this could have been done on the same day defies understanding. Could the Hartford inventory (and his death) have occured in May 1646 ? Such an hypothesis is not consistent with multiple records from Totokett / Branford.

The inventory in Tototokett was done by fellow Totokett proprietors Robert Rose and John Plum (who was the town clerk at the time).^[16] They noted that "The writings in his chest you wrote for, are sent with this Inventory ..." Again, this suggests some delay between the death, the written request sent from Hartford to Totokett, the inventory taken in Totokett and the note written by Robert Rose and John Plum. The date "17th of the third month [May] of 1647" follows immediately after the names of Robert Rose and John Plum, as if this were the date of the note. Is it possible, however, that the date refers only to the inventory done in Hartford and the note of Robert Rose and John Plum was added later? Clearly, the original, handwritten source(s) for this probate record need to be examined to resolve these inconsistencies.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRH9-KB8 : 5 February 2023), Arthure Fenner in entry for Thomas Fenner, 1617.
2. ↑ "England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJDX-775M : 11 March 2018), Arthur Fenner and Sara Laker, 1614.
3. ↑ The Fenner Family Tree (https://www.fennertree.com/arthur-fenner-1575-1646) . This web page does not indicate any sources for the information posted. "Arthur Fenner, son of Thomas and Mary Fenner, was born in 1575 and died ca. 1646. Arthur m Sarah Browne [bpt 22 Oct. 1592; d after 1633/4] on 9 January 1613/4, possibly at St. Mary Magdalene, Rusper, Sussex. The family lived in Horley, Surrey, England, and attended St. Bartholomew's Church, which still stands. All of the children were baptized there except Samuel. Sarah was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Browne [bur 15 Oct. 1633] and Margery or Mary Patching [bur 15 Dec. 1603]. Rev. Joseph m 2nd Elizabeth Stone [bur 15 Sept. 1616] on 12 February 1606. Children:
   1. Sarah [bpt 26 Nov. 1615; d 25 May 1676 at Saybrook, CT] married twice.
   2. Thomas [b 2 July 1617; bpt 20 July 1617; d 15 May 1647 at Branford, CT]. He lived and/or worked in Wethersfield, CT. [Note that the only record for Thomas Fenner in the authoritative History of Ancient Wethersfield stated his year of death but did not suggest that he had any land there (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924096458587&seq=309; also https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924096458595&seq=386 )]. He was a merchant and Indian trader. In his will [While an inventory of his estate has been found, no Will has so far been located], he left a boat, Dutch money, beaver skins, and trading goods. [The inventory showed that his estate included a boat, Dutch money, wampom, beaver skins and trading goods.]
   3. Captain Arthur [b 17 Oct. 1619; bpt 1622; d 10 Oct. 1703
   4. Samuel [bpt 22 Sept. 1622 at Ifield, Sussex, England] he was probably baptized by his uncle Benjamin Browne, rector of Ifield.
   5. William [bpt 11 Sept. 1625; d 30 Aug.–6 Sept. 1680 in Newport, RI], had no children; in his will, his property was divided among his siblings.
   6. Joseph [b 11 June 1628; bpt 22 June 1628].
   7. Captain John [bpt 13 Feb. 1630/1; d 1709 at Saybrook, CT] m Sarah Clarke.
   8. Phoebe [bpt 5 Jan. 1633/4] was 2nd wife of William Ward; they were married on 26 Mar. 1660.
4. ↑ The Fenner Family Tree (https://www.fennertree.com/arthur-fenner-1575-1646) . "Thomas ... lived and/or worked in Wethersfield, CT."
5. ↑ The only record for Thomas Fenner in the authoritative History of Ancient Wethersfield stated only his year of death and did not suggest that there were any Wethersfield land or other records for him. (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924096458587&seq=309; also https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924096458595&seq=386 )
6. ↑ Branford town records. Volume 1. Page 1 [1]
7. ↑ History of the colony of New Haven to its absorption into Connecticut. By Edward Atwater. 1881. Page 597. (https://archive.org/details/historycolonyne00smitgoog/page/596/mode/2up) Atwater listed what he thought were the original settlers and noted that they included some from New Haven in addition to the group from Wethersfield.
8. ↑ "Fenner" was NOT on the list of early Totoket settlers provided by John L. Rockey in his 1892 History of New Haven County, Connecticut. See Volume 2. Page 3. (https://archive.org/details/historyofnewhave01rock/page/2/mode/2up)
9. ↑ Unlike almost all of the other earliest proprietors, his name was NOT included among those who, on the 16th day of the 9th month of 1646, agreed to construct and maintain a 5-mile fence around the core part of the town – to prevent grazing livestock from damaging the home lots. Branford land records. Volume 1. Page 7 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3LF-Q?i=9&cat=157834)
10. ↑ Branford land records. Volume 1. Page 9. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3LX-3?i=10&cat=157834)
11. ↑ Branford land records. Volume 1. Page 11. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3LN-2?i=11&cat=157834)
12. ↑ Branford land records. Volume 1. Page 13. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3L6-M?i=12&cat=157834) Allotment of lands on in the Mullener's Neck quarter of Totokett. His is the 2nd name in the 2nd column.
13. ↑ History of the colony of New Haven to its absorption into Connecticut. By Edward Atwater. 1881. Page 618. (https://archive.org/details/historycolonyne00smitgoog/page/618/mode/2up)
14. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records (R. S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904) Vol. 1, Page 10
15. ↑ The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut</i> (Hartford, Brown & Parsons, 1850) Vol. 1, Page 477 The date of the Hartford inventory was "May the 17" [year unspecified] while the date of the Totokett inventory was "17th of the third month [May] of 1647"
16. ↑ Branford town records. Volume 1. Page 5. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-B3LX-F?i=8&cat=157834) "december the 15th 1645 -- This daie it was ordered by the Inhabitants of this place (comonlie called Totokett) that John Plum shall keepe the townes books."

Also see:

• FindAGrave web memorial of Arthur Fenner. (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=26345603)
• Moriarty, G. Andrews. Additions and Corrections to Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, The American Genealogist (1949) Vol. 25, Page 250 [Access is behind a paywall. Someone should please include in this profile a transcription of the sources noted and what they are said to document.]