no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

Thomas Way (abt. 1666 - 1726)

Thomas Way
Born about in Providence, Rhode Islandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1687 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colonymap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 60 in East Haven, New Haven, Connecticut Colonymap
Profile last modified | Created 11 Jun 2012
This page has been accessed 1,159 times.

Biography

Thomas Way was born about 1666, based on a first child born in 1688. Thomas was born in Providence, Rhode Island, based on where his parents, George and Elizabeth (Unknown) Way, were living at the time.

Providence was burned to the ground by a coalition of Native Americans on 29 March 1676, during King Philip's War. The attack was anticipated and most people abandoned the town prior to the attack. George Way was not listed as one of the 30 men who remained in the town, so he must have taken his family to safety, probably to New London, New London, Connecticut Colony, where Elizabeth's stepfather John Smith and her mother Joanna were living. George soon returned to Providence, where he was the town sergeant in 1676, but Elizabeth remained in New London with her children. In 1682 she was presented in court on a complaint of not living with her husband and she was ordered to return to Providence or be imprisoned. Whether she obeyed or ignored the court order is uncertain. George Way died in Providence about 1684. Elizabeth was in New London in 1685, appearing in court on 2 June 1685 for drunkenness[1]

John Smith, stepfather of Thomas' mother Elizabeth, died in New London in 1680, leaving his estate to his wife Joanna. When Joanna died in 1687 her daughter Elizabeth Way, of Lyme, and Elizabeth's sons George and Thomas, inherited Joanna's estate[2].

Thomas Way was listed as an inhabitant of New London in about 1687[2] (p. 266), which is consistent with his being at least 21 years old in that year.

Thomas married Ann Lester, daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Fox) Lester, in New London about 1687, based on the birth year of their first known child[3].

Thomas and Ann had children, all born in New London[4][5]:

  1. Daniel, 23 December 1688
  2. Thomas, 18 February 1690
  3. Ebenezer, 30 October 1693
  4. Elizabeth, 20 April 1695, married Jonathan Fanning
  5. John, 30 April 1698, married Mary Ashburn, then Phebe Ford
  6. David, 20 June 1700, married Esther Russell
  7. May, 15 May 1702, married Abigail _____
  8. James, 3 October 1703, married Dorcas Luddington
  9. Hannah, 8 January 1708/9, married Matthew Moulthrop
  10. Ann, 28 January 1713/4

Thomas is on the list of New London inhabitants given land in 1704 that had been claimed by the town in 1703[2] (p. 259).

Thomas' siblings also appear in New London records. His sister Alice married George Chappelle there[2] (p. 353), and his brother George married, first, Susannah Nest[2] (p. 356). Thomas' sister Joanna was an associate of John Rogers of New London, a religious rabble-rouser, and she appeared in court in 1685 on charges of creating disturbances[2] (p. 211).

Thomas moved to New Haven about 1720[2] (p. 362), and died there about 1726. The Administration Bond on his estate was dated ? May 1726.[6][7][8]. He is on Find A Grave: Memorial #39717490.

Research Notes

Thomas probably lived in the part of New Haven that formally became East Haven in 1785.

FindAGrave has Thomas moving first to Branford, then to East Haven. No source found for this.

Deposition of Thomas Way, Boston mariner, in re Capt. Kidd Sept 20, 1699 Thomas Way mariner of Boston about some goods put on board his sloop by Capt Kidd and delivered to him in Boston Signed Thomas Way Endorsed Reed Sep 20 Read Oct 8 1699 Copy 1 p. [1] (probably not this Thomas way)

Thomas Way, Grandson of the Now wife of John Smith to inherit Sept 1679 • New London, New London Co., CT After her death, Thomas Way, her grandson, was to have several lots of land, including the Lester lot and the old House upon it.

Sources

  1. Smith, Dean Crawford, The ancestry of Emily Jane Angell, 1844-1910, 1992, pages 531-537, borrowable on Internet Archive
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Caulkins, Frances Manwaring, History of New London, Connecticut, from the first survey of the coast in 1612 to 1860, 1876, viewable at Internet Archive; multiple pages referenced: page 252 ; page 362 ; page 266 ; page 323 ; page 259 ; page 353 ; page 356 ; page 211
  3. New England Marriages to 1700. (Torrey's, page 1610), (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. TEXT: WAY, Thomas (-1726) & Ann [LESTER]; by 1688; New London/E. Haven, CT {New London Hist. 362; New Haven Gen. Mag. 1957; Fanning 101; Reg. 81:158; New London VR 313}; by subscription, NEHGS member site
  4. New Haven, CT: Families of Ancient New Haven. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as New Haven genealogical magazine. vols. I-VIII. Compiled by Donald Lines Jacobus. 8 vols. Rome, New York: Clarence D. Smith, 1923-1932. Vol 8, pages 1957-1959, NEHGS member site
  5. Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 , New London, pages 189, 313-314 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928; NEHGS member site
  6. Probate Packets, Washburn, John-Welch, Thomas, 1683-1880. Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. Thomas Way, 1726, #11259, New Haven. Accessed at Ancestry.com
  7. General index to probate records : all districts in Connecticut 1641-1948, FamilySearch film 166062, DGS 7626877, image 1724 FamilySearch
  8. East Haven [CT] Register: Part 3, Deaths, 1647-1832. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006.) Originally published as: The East-Haven register : in three parts. Part I. containing a history of the town of East-Haven, from its first settlement in 1644, to the year 1800 ... Part II. Containing an account of the names, marriages and births of the families ... to the year 1800 ... Part. III. Containing an account of the deaths ... from the year 1647 to ... 1823 / compiled by Stephen Dodd . New Haven : Published for the author, and sold by A. H. Maltby, 1824 : (T.G. Woodward); by subscription, NEHGS member site

"A genealogical history of the descendants of the Rev. Nehemiah Smith of New London County, Conn. : with mention of his brother John and nephew Edward. 1638-1888". Author H. ALLEN SMITH, BROOKLYN, N. Y.Pub. by Munsell's in 1889





Is Thomas your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message private message private message a profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

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 test-takers in his direct paternal line. Mitochondrial DNA test-takers in the direct maternal line: It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Thomas:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 5

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
WikiTree correctly has Thomas Way marrying Ann Lester, Lester-687, daughter of Daniel Lester and Hannah Fox; and Daniel's sister Ann, Lester-828, marrying Nathaniel Millet. However, the "extra" Ann Lester, Lester-3554, should be detached as a wife of Thomas, her daughter Elizabeth attached to Lester-687, and then Lester-3554 merged with Lester-828. (I have made the above changes and proposed the merger), but wanted to give the PMs a heads-up on the issue.
posted by Gregg Purinton
edited by Gregg Purinton
p.362 George and Thomas Way were brothers their father was George Way of Lyme or Saybrook and theu mother the only child of John and Joanna Smith Thomas Way appears to have lived from childhood in New London His wife was Ann daughter of Andrew Lester and he had ten children ranging in birth from 1688 to 1714 About the year 1720 he removed with the younger part of his family to East Haven where he died in 1726 His sons David and James married in East Haven John another son settled in Wal lingford

Detail p. 362 Web address http://books.google.com/books?id=7N0TAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA362&dq=%22Daniel+Way%22++%22new+London%22&hl=en&ei=lNiMTcP8J4umsQOTwpiYCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Daniel%20Way%22%20%20%22new%20London%22&f=false Edit source Source information Title History of New London, Connecticut: From the first survey of the coast in ... Author Frances Manwaring Caulkins Publisher Frances Manwaring Caulkins in 1852

posted by Anne X
This Thomas Way may be related.

Granted land in Saggobannago July 1653 • York County, Maine Captaine Sommarset of M Hiscongus have sold unto Thomas Way William Parnell and William England one thousand hakkers of land in Saggobannago being quiet Possed by William Parnell and Thomas Way and William England. See [[1]]

posted by Anne X
Way-707 and Way-314 appear to represent the same person because: Way-707 and Way-314 appear to represent the same person because:

both are Thomas Way b. 1656 in Lyme, New London, Conn. d. 30 Oct 1726 in East Haven, New Haven Conn. m. Ann Lester

posted by John Sullivan III
Way-707 and Way-314 appear to represent the same person because: Way-707 and Way-314 appear to represent the same person because:

both are Thomas Way b. 1656 in Lyme, New London, Conn. d. 30 Oct 1726 in East Haven, New Haven Conn. m. Ann Lester

posted by John Sullivan III

Rejected matches › Thomas Wade (abt.1666-1720)

W  >  Way  >  Thomas Way