Thomas
Macy
Born about in Chilmark, Wiltshire, England
[uncertain]
[uncertain]Son of Thomas Macy
[uncertain]
and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of
Sarah (Hopcott) Macy
— married
about 1644 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]
Descendants [uncertain] 
Father of
Sarah (Macy) Worth, Mary (Macy) Bunker, Bethiah (Macy) Gardner, Thomas Macy, John Macy and Francis Macy
Died
at about age 74
in Nantucket, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Profile managers:
Darlene Athey-Hill 
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| Created 27 Mar 2011
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| Thomas Macy was a founder of Nantucket. Join: Nantucket Founders and Descendants Project Discuss: nantucket |
| Thomas Macy migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 217) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm |
Contents |
Biography
Thomas Macy was born in Wiltshire, England.
Thomas Macy was born in England about 1608 (age 74 April 1682 when he died). His parents are unknown. The Great Migration Directory p 217 lists his origins as unknown although he is reputed to be of Chilmark, Wiltshire.
It is unknown exactly when Thomas immigrated. Thomas Macy, of Chilmark, Wiltshire, England was made freeman at Newbury, Mass., September 6, 1639. He was one of the founders of Salisbury, Mass. (named for the Shiretown of Wilts). His religious denomination was Baptist, and he preached occasionally. Because of religious persecution, he with nine others, purchased the island of Nantucket in Februarymac 1659, the deed being dated July 2, 1659. Nantucket at that time was under the jurisdiction of New Netherland. Thomas Macy's wife, Sarah (Hopcott) Macy, also came from Chilmark[1], and they were undoubtedly married in England. He died in Nantucket, April 19, 1682, aged seventy-four years[2], and his widow died in 1706, aged ninety-four years.[1][3]
For excellent information, see this site: Thomas Macy
- Ancestor of noted actor William H Macy[4] through his son John.
- Settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and thrived there as a merchant until 1659.
- 12 Nov 1659 was fined 30 shillings and be admonished by the governor for allowing some Quakers to shelter in his home during a storm.
- Purchased and moved to Nantucket, along with a group of others. They were the first European settlers on the island.
- Eventually converted to Quaker.
Residence
"The Macys settled in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts by the end of 1640. The Macy-Colby house in nearby Amesbury, which Thomas built, still stands. The house lot was bounded, in 1654, on the West by the land of Edmund Elliott and the burying ground, called Union Cemetery since 1663, and on the East by what is now Main Street. This early home of Macy's is about one quarter of a mile below the lights at the junction of Route 110 and Main Street. Although Macy was buried on the island of Nantucket, as were some of his descendants, his name appears on the Golgotha Stone near the Powow river. Here, he was a representative in 1664, according to Savage. Austin states that he was one of those given full powers to order all the affairs of the town in 1643, 1647, and 1653 and served as a juryman in 1648 and deputy in 1654." [5]
- Place: Nantucket, Massachusetts[1]. He (Thomas Macy) was prosecuted and fined for allowing four Friends on a journey to take shelter in his house about three quarters of an hour one rainy day, in 1659, as his own letter to the court informs us. It is worthy of note that his grandson and many others of his descendants became Friends. Like Roger Williams, he fled from persecution in Massachusetts. His family were the first white settlers in Nantucket, then under the jurisdiction of New Netherland (later known as New York). Edward Starbuck and Isaac Coleman, a lad 12 years old, accompanied them.[6]
Immigration
Circa 1635 from Chilmark, England to Salem, Massachusetts[1]
Marriage and Issue
- Husband: Thomas Macy
- Wife: Sarah Hopcott
- Marriage Place: England[3] See Research Notes section
- Date: 9th August 1639[7] See Research Notes section
- Sarah, born 9 July 1644 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, died in 1645 -1646 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts.[7][6]
- Sarah (1646-1701) m. William Worth (1642-1724)[1] on 11 Apr 1665 in Nantucket, [7][6]
- Mary (1648-1729) m. William Bunkers (1648-1712)[1][6]
- Bethiah (1650-1732) m. Joseph Gardner (1652-1701)[1][6]
- Thomas (1653-1675)[1] [6]
- John(1655-1691) m. Deborah Gardner (1658-1712)[1][6]
- Francis, (1657-1658)[7][6]
Death
- 1682 April 19[6]
Per the book, Nantucket Lands and Land Owners, p. 71, his death occurred on 19 June 1682. Another book lists the date of death as 19 April 1682.
Administration on his estate was granted on 1 August 1682 to his son John. The estate was valued at £71, of which about 1/2 was land and the rest cattle. Claims against it were established so that it was insolvent. [8]
Research Notes
Marriage: A marriage date for Thomas Macy and Sarah Hopcott has been given as August 9, 1639, at England, without sources.[7] To date, no evidence has been found of their marriage there. Furthermore, it is doubtful that he married in August 1639 in England, as he was made freeman in Newbury, Massachusetts less than a month later, on September 6, 1639. Another reference, the site The Macy-Colby House says, without sources, that Thomas and Sarah married in 1643, and that Sarah had arrived in Salem in 1640.[1]
Great Migration Directory: Macy, Thomas: Unknown; 1639; Newbury, Salisbury, Amesbury, Nantucket [NeTR 37; MBCR 1:376; SyTR 3; EPR 1:23; Hoyt 236-37; TAG 30:158; Silvanus J. Macy, Genealogy of the Macy Family from 1635-1868 (Albany, New York, 1868)].
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 The Macy-Colby House Thomas Macy. The Macy-Colby House, 257 Main Street, Amesbury, MA 01913 USA · Phone: 1-978-388-3054 Copyright © 2016 The Macy-Colby House All Rights Reserved • The Macy-Colby House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Accessed 2016 November 22 by amb
- ↑ Vital Records of Nantucket, Massachusetts to the year 1850, Volume 5 - Deaths, 1687-1850. Published by NEHGS Boston, MA 1928. Pg. 434 Thomas [dup. Macey], Mr., Apr. 19, 1682. [Macy, h. Sarah Hopcot, 19th, 4 mo., a. 74, PR38. Macy, 19th, 3 mo., PR63.] Note: "4 mo" comes from PR38 - private record, from the William C. Folger genealogical records in the possession (1911) of the Nantucket Historical Association. (This compilation has been used because of the valuable clues it affords, but its statements should be received with caution, as it is not free from errors. It should also be understood that in many instances the events recorded did not take place in Nantucket, and in a few cases attention has been called to the question of residence.) "3 mo" comes from PR63 -private record, from a copy of a manuscript kept by Hon. Isaac Coffin, Judge of Probate, in the possession of the Nantucket Atheneum.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Edward Norris Wentworth, Jr., The Genealogy of Edward Norris Wentworth Junior. Publication: Location: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA; Date: June 1928. Page: 50-51. Special Project Submitted in Courses in Community Life and Advance Biology at the University High School, University of Chicago
- ↑ "Puritans and Pioneers." Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Season 4, Episode 3). PBS. 17 Oct 2017.
- ↑ http://oliveandeliza.com/ennis/macy/thomasandsarah.html
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 The old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts ; with some related families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich and Hampton, by Hoyt, David Webster, 1833-1921. Published 1897 Accessed 2016 November 22 by amb
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 © 2004 by Michelle Boyd, All rights reserved. Thomas Macy & Sarah Hopcot. Accessed 22 November 2016 by amb
- ↑ Nantucket Lands and Land Owners, by Henry Barnard Worth, publ. 1901 by Nantucket Historical Association, Vol. II, Bulletin No. 1, p. 71
See also:
- Barney Genealogical Record. Nantucket Historical Association. Person ID I7698.
- Wentworth, Edward Norris , Jr., The Genealogy of Edward Norris Wentworth Junior, Chicago, Cook, Illinois’ June 1928; (Special Project Submitted in Courses in Community Life and Advance Biology at the University High School, University of Chicago)
- Starbuck, Alexander, History of Nanucket, 1969; F72.N257
- Pearson, Ralph E., Macy Family History, v.1; 1982; CS71.M177
- Macy, Silvanus Jenkins, Genealogy of the Macy family from 1635-1868. Albany: J. Munsell, 1868. Page 67. link
- Philbrick, Nathaniel. Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890, New York: Penguin Books, 2011. Chapter 3 - Thomas Macy's Great Escape.
- Moriarty, G. Andrews. "Hannah, First Wife of Thomas Gardner, Jr. of Salem, Mass." in The American Genealogist (1950) Vol. 26, Page 108.
- Nantucket burials: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/163116141/person/292134269862/media/be2742de-b272-4e4e-94fd-8da6702b9088?_phsrc=ZCG14622&usePUBJs=true
- Hinchman, Lydia S. Early Settlers of Nantucket: Their Associates and Descendants (Ferris & Leach, Philadelphia, 1901) Page 14-18.
- Douglas-Lithgow, Robert Alexander, Nantucket, A History (G.P Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1914) Page 61-62.
- Find a Grave, database and images
- (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10904420/thomas-macy: accessed 03 May 2023), memorial page for Thomas Macy (1598–19 Apr 1682), Find A Grave: Memorial #10904420, citing Founders Burial Ground, Nantucket, Nantucket County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Greg Derylo (contributor 46561377).
- (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54957772/thomas-macy: accessed 03 May 2023), memorial page for Thomas Macy (1608–19 Apr 1682), Find A Grave: Memorial #54957772, citing Golgotha Burial Ground, Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Scott Connor Barnard (contributor 47118264).
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Thomas:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Thomas:
-
~0.78%
~1.56%
Doris (Staples) Coleman 
:
Family Tree DNA Family Finder, GEDmatch CZ1489703 [compare], FTDNA kit #980796
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Featured National Park champion connections: Thomas is 11 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 19 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 12 degrees from George Catlin, 10 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 21 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 12 degrees from George Grinnell, 24 degrees from Anton Kröller, 13 degrees from Stephen Mather, 21 degrees from Kara McKean, 14 degrees from John Muir, 15 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 23 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Puritan Great Migration Project Needs Relationship Check | Puritan Great Migration Project Needs Research | Nantucket, Massachusetts | Chilmark, Wiltshire | Salisbury, Massachusetts | Newbury, Massachusetts | Founders Burial Ground, Nantucket, Massachusetts | Golgotha Burial Ground, Amesbury, Massachusetts | Puritan Great Migration
As for his immigration, Anderson in The Great Migration Directory on page 219 says that he arrived in New England in 1639, and that his origins are not known.
If Thomas Macy was a Quaker, his death would have been recorded by them in the Minutes, using the number of the month. I suggest he died 4th month 19 1682 which would be June, the fist month being March. Finding the minute would confirm.
ETA: I found a transcript at http://dunhamwilcox.net/ma/nantucketi97.htm reading, "Thomas [dup. Macey], Mr., Apr. 19, 1682. [Macy, h. Sarah Hopcot, 19th, 4 mo., a. 74, PR38. Macy, 19th, 3 mo., PR63.]"
edited by Connie Mack
"3 mo" comes from PR63 -private record, from a copy of a manuscript kept by Hon. Isaac Coffin, Judge of Probate, in the possession of the Nantucket Atheneum. I'd say the probate judge might keep more accurate records. the 3 month of 1682 was May. It would still be good to track down the Quaker records though.
ETA: I've added the birth source from the book at familysearch. The age at death was 74 so his birth year should be 1608. When in edit mode there are two errors showing connected to his birth date that need to be addressed.
edited by Connie Mack
In the future it would be great if you could get in touch with the PGM project before making any changes to project protected profiles. As you observed yourself, not all sources can be trusted and we usually analyze them before we add them to a profile. I realize the profile needs more research and cleaning up. I'm adding categories so it will be added to our to-do list.
I've also fixed the problem with the death date.
Thanks!
edited by Marcia (Bonnet) Benjamin
Ten years ago, I had posted online about the Thomas Macy and his wife that are now attached. See here: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/macy/553/ I never received any responses.
I also had posted the will of a John Macy in Chilmark in 1575. See here: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/macy/505/ If you follow the links, I also posted a transcript of the will: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/macy/509/
I believe that John Macy who made his will in 1575 is likely the great-grandfather of 'our' Thomas (of Nantucket fame).
edited by Darlene (Athey) Athey-Hill
"Nantucket at that time was under the jurisdiction of New Amsterdam."
The profile contradicts itself by saying both New York and New Amsterdam (sic? for New Netherland). Can anybody point me towards a definitive primary source or reputable secondary-source narrative of the series of transactions and their jurisdictions?
1) In the body of his bio, we should include the county: Salisbury, Essex, Massachuetts (and Salem, Essex, Massachusetts). Since they existed at that time.
Note that Salisbury was enormous in the beginning. His residences in now-distinct Newbury and Amesbury were within Salisbury, until Amesbury was eventually incorporated as a separate town (which he was first clerk of) shortly before he fled. The one constant, is he lived in Essex County from the day he arrived, right?
2) Nantucket County did not exist in his lifetime. Neither was it ever legally part of Massachusetts during his lifetime.
After he died it was temporarily part of Dukes County, New York, IIRC from 1683-1691; and then after 1691 it was absorbed (for the first time) into Massachusetts. Nantucket County dates from >1691 when the island was split out from Dukes County.
The correct "use their conventions not ours" style here is to call the island simply: Nantucket. Because it belonged to no higher-level political jurisdiction, at the time of his death. (Neither were there any town names on the island, when he arrived-- right? As I recall he was one of the first surveyors in the relative wilderness. (Is that correct?))