Thomas Mills (1615 - aft. 1681)

Born 1615 in Exeter, Devon, England

Husband of Mary (Wadleigh) Mills — married Aug 1642 in Wells, York, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died after 17 Dec 1681 after age 66 in Wells, York, Maine

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Biography

THOMAS MILLS

b. Exeter, England

m. MARY WADLEIGH (b.c.1630 Bristol)- d. John Wadleigh

d. after 17 Dec. 1681

Thomas was a fisherman and lived in Saco and Wells. By his daughter, Martha’s, baptismal record in Québec, it appears that he was originally from Exeter, England:

He arrived by Aug of 1642 when he and James Gibbins bought 100 acres of land at Winter Harbor. He was in Wells by 1653, and granted land 1659 [York Deeds 12: 336]. In 1664 he was a constable. He died after 12 JUL 1681 in Wells, York, Maine [York Deeds 3:105]. He married Mary2 Wadleigh (John1) in Wells. They had five children: John, Mary, Sarah, Martha and Susanna

Martha Mills, daughter of Thomas of Exeter, England and Mary Wadel of Bristol, England, born 18 Jan. 1653 in Saco, married first James Smith, second Christopher Grant, taken captive 18 Nov. 1690 by Hertel and lives with M. Crevier of St. Francis, baptized 29 June 1693 in Montréal.^[1]

In Aug.1642 Thomas, along with James Gibbins, bought 100 acres at Winter Harbor from Henry Boade.

"Rich: Vines of the River of Saco, Gent… doth… grant… unto Thomas Mills fisherman & James Gibbines planter all that one messuage… lately in the possession of Hen: Boad, Gent: Contayning one hundred acers of Land next adjoining to the Land of Robert Sankey deceased & bounded… with a small Rivolett Cauled Boads brooke within six acers of marsh ground… neare winter Harbor in Saco… with free liberty for ffishing & ffowling… paying therefore to… Rich: Vines… rent charge of ffive shillings yearly to be pd at the feast of Saynt Michaell, the arke angeli, Two dayes worke of one man at Harvest, & one fatt gowse on the 25 day of Decem, yearly… the second day of August… 1642…
Rich: Vines
In prsens of
ffran: Robinsone
Hen: Norton"^[2]

He was in Wells by 1653 and was granted land there in 1659 (1)

"Decembr 7:1659:
Given & granted by the freemen of the Town of Wells, at a Legall Town Meeting unto Robert Wadleigh, Fran: Littlefield Junior, Thomas Littlefield & Tho: Mills, a Certen Tract of upland & Marsh liing at a place commonly called Totnocke, that is to say all the right yt the Town hath thereof, the Marsh yt is at Totnocke, & the Willows, with two hundred acers of upland a peece as Convenient to yt Marsh as may bee" ^[3]

Thomas was a constable in Wells in 1664.

Wras William Smalledge, Tho: Mills, Geo: Phippeney & William Battine were Joynt partners with Thomas Warner Lately deceased in a fishing voyage, for the caring on & Manageing wrof, wee the sayd prsons received severall necessarys & pvissions of Capt Bryan Pendleton to the valew of Twenty pounds 3s 11d/ In Consideration of which some due, wee the sd persons do Joyntly & severally Ingage or selves to pay or Cause to be payd the above named some of 20 3 11 unto capt Bryan Pendleton… in good Mrchandable fish to bee Deliverd at Cape Porpus… at or before the 26th of May next Insewing… this 5th of Aprill 1660…
Geo: Phippenny
Thomas Mills
William Smallidge his Marke O
William Battine
His marke X
In the psence of
Edw: Rishworth
John Davesse"^[4]

Thomas married Mary Wadleigh, daughter of John, who in 1651 was with an eloping party arrested at Barnstable and sent home.^[5] In 1664 John deeded to Mary and her children the house they were living in and in his will 7 July 1671 he gave her a pair of oxen, household stuff and two-thirds of his cattle. ^[6]

"I Thomas Mills of Wells… give my beloved sonn in law John Cloyce of Wells… too Acres of saulth Marsh liing in Wells at the lower end of my father Wadlows Marsh joyneing to the Town Marsh butting upon a little sea Wall joyneing upon Webb hannett River & further I do give… one halfe of my Marsh at the Necke of Land which I had of my father Wadleigh being bounded… by Thomas Littlefields Marsh &… with John Cloyces… on ye East side of Mr. Wheelewrights Necke of Land… this 12th of July 1681…
Thomas Mills
In Prsence of us
John Wheelewright
William Frost"^[7]

"I Thomas Mills of Wells… in Consideration of the filiall portion which I intend to give… do now give… unto my beloved sonn in Law Nathanll Cloyce… a Certen Tract… of Marsh or Meddow Land… halfe of a part Parcell… granted unto mee… by my father Wadleigh deceased: liing & being on the East side of Mr. Wheelewrights Necke of Land bounded… of Thoms Littlefields his Marsh… with the Marsh of my son in law, his brother John Cloyce his Marsh… this seaventeenth day of Decembr 1681…
Thomas Mills his marke X
In the Presence of
Edw: Rishworth
John Cloyce his marke I "^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ English Captives in Canada- William Appleton- NEHGR- Vol. 28, p. 159 (Apr. 1874)
2. ↑ York Deeds- Vol. I, pt. I, fol. 33
3. ↑ York Deeds- Vol. II, fol. 82
4. ↑ York Deeds- Vol. I, pt. I, fol. 91
5. ↑ Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire- p. 483
6. ↑ Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire- p. 483
7. ↑ York Deeds- Vol. III, fol. 105
8. ↑ York Deeds- Vol. III, fol. 105

1.↑ Noyes, Sybil, Charles T. Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire (Portland, Me.: Anthoensen Press, 1928–29, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company, 1972) 483, 707 12 THOMAS, fisherman, Saco, Wells, b. in Exeter, Eng., by Catholic rec. when his dau. Martha was bp. in Canada. In Aug. 1642 he and James Gibbins bought 100 a. at Winter Harbor lately Henry Boade ‘s. Wells 1653, and granted land 1659 (Y. D. 12: 336). Lists 252, 261-263, 253, 244d, 28. See also Gibson (2), Lee (3). Wells constable 1664. Liv. 12 July 1681 (Y. D. 3: 105). He m. Mary Wadleigh (John), who in 1651 was with an eloping party arrested at Barnstable and sent home. In 1664 her fa. deeded to her and her chn. the ho. they were liv. in, and by will 7 July 1671 gave her a pr. of oxen, h.h. stuff and 2/3 his cattle. Ch: John, suppos. the wit. with Robert Wadleigh ab. John and Joan Andrews in 1657. Nothing surely kn. of him except that his relatives paid his debts (Y. D. 9: 250), but see Mrs. Godfrey’s apprent. under (11). Mary, m. John Cloyes (2). Sarah, m. Nathl. Cloyes (4). Susanna, m. 1st Isaac Cousins (2 jr.), m. 2d Lt. Peter Folsom (7). Martha, b. at Saco in N. E. 18 June 1653 (‘N. E. Captives’ 1: 186); m. 1st James Smith, m. 2d Christopher Grant (1). 2.↑ Torrey 2:1042 1652 Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States MILLS, Thomas & Mary [WADLEIGH/WADELS?]; by 1652; Salisbury/Saco, ME/Wells, ME {Salisbury Fam. 605; Reg. 69:189-190; GDMNH 483, 707; Fulton Anc. 350; Harmon Anc. 53; Wentworth 1:78; Pillsbury Anc. 229} 3.↑ Mary Lovering Holman, Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury ... 2 vols. (Concord 1938), p. 1:229 4.↑ Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives Carried to Canada: Between 1677 and 1760 during the French and Indian War (Bowie: Heritage Books, reprint 1989) 1:186 5.↑ Wentworth, John, The Wentworth Genealogy: England and America, 3 vols. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1878) Werner: LI Fam.: Werner, Charles J., Genealogies of Long 1:78 6.↑ Leonard, Clarence Ettienne, The Fulton- Hayden-Warner Ancestry in America (New York: T. A. Wright, 1923) 350 7.↑ NEHGR 69:189, 28:158-160 shows that Martha (Mills) Smith's father Thomas1 Mills was born in Exeter, Devon, England