Gov. Thomas DUDLEY

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 12 Oct 1576, Yardley-Hawstings, co. Northampton
• Birth: 12 Oct 1576, Yardley-Hastings, Northampton, England
• Immigration: 1630, Came to America in the Arbella
• Fact: 1634, Elected Governor of Mass.
• Fact: 1640, Elected Governor of Mass.
• Fact: 1645, Elected Governor of Mass.
• Fact: 1650, Elected Governor of Mass.
• Burial: 06 Aug 1653, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA

Notes:

Excerpts taken from NEHG Register, 1856, Vol. 10: Thomas was the only son of Capt. Roger Dudley, a warrior slain in battle, when Thomas and a sister were very young. His mother was a relative to Sir Augustine Nicolls of Faxton, Kt., one of His Majesty's Justices of his Court of Common Pleas and Keeper of the Great Seal to Prince Chrles. She probably died soon after her husband. Thomas was a page in the family of the Earl of Northampton., where he remained for several years. Next he became a clerk to his kinsman, Judge Nicolls, under whose instruction he acquired much skill in the law. At twenty, Queen Elizabeth sent him a captain's commission, and he led a large company of the Northampton gallants over to the siege of Amiens, in Pacardy. He became a zealous Puritan, and so continued through life. He was a steward for many years to Theophilus, fourth Earl of Lincoln, and managed the vast estates of that earldom with great success. Toward the close of King James's reign, he retired to more private life at Boston, in Lincolnshire; but was recalled by the Earl, who thought he could not live without Mr. Dudley's advice and assistance. He continued with the Earl till 1630, when a spirit of persecution arising against the Nonconformists, "he came to the deserts of American for the sake of enjoying his liberty to the utmost of what he desired.: Before leaving England, he was chosen an Assistant and Deputy Governor of the Massachusetts Company, John Winthrop, Esq., being Governor. In 1634, He was elected Governor, and 3 times afterwards, 1641, 1645 and 1650. In 1644, he was elected Commander in chief of the military forces of the Colony, with the title of Major General. When not Governor, he was ever Deputy Governor or Assistant, so that he came to be looked up to as a chief pillar of the new commonwealth. He was greatly esteemed for wisdom, piety, justice and zeal.

Excerpts from "A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England 1620-1675": Thomas came to New England in 1630, lived in several places, and finally settled at Roxbury. He was an assistant in 1635, 1636, 1641 to 1644; deputy governor 13 years commencing in 1630; governor 1634, 1641, 1645, and 1650.

Excerpts from Royal Families Americans of Royal and Noble Ancestry: Vol 1, Gov. Thomas Dudley: Gov. Dudley resided in Northampton as a young man, where he became a page for William, Lord Compton ( afterwards Earl of Northampton) from about 1590-5. He received a captain's commission in 1596 at age 20. He raised a company of about eighty soldiers to join the forces sent by Queen Elizabeth to aid Henri IV,Roi de France at the siege of Amiens. He returned to England in 1597 to take up the practice of law. He became a steward in 1616 to Thomas, Lord Clinton, who was a cousin of Lord Compton. Gov. Dudley obtained a patent in 1628 from Charles I, King of England, "for our planting between the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River on the south and the river of Merrimac on the north and three miles on either side of those rivers and bay." He and others sent John Endecott "and some with him to begin a plantation." Gov. Dudley immigrated 13 Jun 1630 to Plymouth on the ship "Arbella" with Gov. Winthrop.......He was a strick Puritan and was often inflexible in his views and autocratic in his behavior. He was known to be a thrifty man and an able man with excellent business acumen. He became one of the largest landowners in Roxbury. William Denison, Isaac Heath and Daniel Weld took an inventory of Thomas Dudley's estate on 8 Aug 1653.

Name:
Gov. Thomas Dudley, baptised Yardley-Hastings, co. Northampton, 12 Oct. 1576, became a page for William, Lord Compton (afterwards Earl of Northampton), say, 1590-5, and steward for the latter's cousin, Thomas, Lord Clinton in 1616; resided Northampton as a young man, raised a company of soldiers to join the forces sent by Queen Elizabeth to aid King Henry IV of France, and to serve at the siege of Amiens; returned to take up practice of law; settled in Massachusetts in 1630; Governor and Deputy-Governor of Massachusetts, 1630-1653; buried aged seventy-six years at Roxbury on 25 Apr 1653.

Thomas married Dorothy YORKE on 25 Apr 1603 in Hardingstone, (Near Northampton), England. Dorothy (daughter of Edmund YORKE and Katherine ?) was born on 25 Apr 1582 in Cotton End, co. Northampton, England; was christened on 14 Jun 1583 in All Saints, Northampton; died on 27 Dec 1643 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was buried on 27 Dec 1643 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Rev Samuel DUDLEY was born in Canon's Ashby, Northamptonshire, England; was christened on 30 Nov 1608 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England; died on 10 Feb 1682/3 in Exeter, New Hampshire; was buried on 10 Feb 1682 in Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire.
2. Anne DUDLEY was born about 1612 in Northampton, England; died on 16 Sep 1672 in Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
3. Patience DUDLEY was born about 1613 in Northampton, England; died on 08 Feb 1689/90 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
4. Sarah DUDLEY was born in 1620 in Sempringham, co. Lincoln, England; was christened on 23 Jul 1620 in Sempringham, Lincoln, England; died on 03 Nov 1659 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts.
5. Mercy DUDLEY was born on 27 Sep 1621 in Yardley-Hastings; died on 01 Jul 1691 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts.

Thomas married Katherine DEIGHTON on 14 Apr 1644 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Katherine (daughter of Dr John DEIGHTON, Gent. and Jane BASSET) was born in Jan 1614/5; was christened on 16 Jan 1614/5 in St Nicholas, Gloucester, England; died on 29 Aug 1671 in Dedham, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Deborah DUDLEY was born on 27 Feb 1645 in Massachusetts; died on 01 Nov 1683 in Medford, Massachusetts.
2. Gov. Joseph DUDLEY was born on 23 Sep 1647 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co. , Massachusetts; died on 02 Apr 1720 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts; was buried on 8 Apr 1720 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.
3. Paul DUDLEY was born on 08 Sep 1650 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts; died on 01 Dec 1681 in Boston, Massachusetts; was buried in Boston, Massachusetts.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Possibly the son of Capt. Henry Dudley, b. 1517

Notes:

Name:
Note from author of Plantagenet Ancestry: No study of the Dudley-Sutton families, including a through review in 1993 (as yet unpublished in detail) by Marshall K. Kir, has uncovered any information providing direct identification of the father of Capt. Roger Dudley. The best clues remain (1) that the will of Gov. Thomas Dudley included a seal of the baronial Sutton-Dudley arms differenced with a crescent (i.e. indicating descent from a second son of a Sutton-Dudley baron), (2) that the known associations of Thomas as a young man are with individuals from families with prior connections with Capt. Henry Dudley, and (3) that American descendants of Thomas Dudley as early as 1820 believed they were descendants of John, Duke of Northumberland(also a crescent bearer, and who had two sons name Henry in the generation to be father of Roger, the American descendants being unaware that both Henrys, third cousins of this Capt. Henry, are known to have died as young men without issue.) The only second son of a baron of the appropriate generation from whom a descent was possible is this Capt. Henry Dudley (b.1517) whose children, however, if any, are unknown. Mr. Kirk in preparing his review of the Dudleys, credits Prof. David H. Kelley for first observing the complex circumstantial links between (Henry and Roger) in unpublished notes about 1968.

Capt. Roger Dudley, son, evidently, was born (Perhaps in the fortress at Boulogne), say 1550. He may be the Roger Dudley who was matriculated as pensioner at Christ College, Cambridge University, in1566, but left without degree (when Capt. Henry Dudley was in financial difficulty). He was married, as Mr. Roger Dudley, at Lidlington, co. Bedford, on 8 June 1575 to Susan or Susanna Thorne, daughter of Thomas Thorne, Gent., of yardley-hastings, co. Northampton, by Mary daughter of Edward Purefoy, of Shalston, co. Buckingham. She was baptised at yardley-Hastings on 5 Mar. 1559/60. The will of John Purefoy in 1579 mentions Thomas Dudley. Capt. Roger Dudley was slain in battle before Octoer 158, perhaps at the siege of Zutphen in 1586 (Rev. Cotton Mather of Boston wrote that Thomas Dudley's father was 'Capt. Roger Dudley, who was slain in the wars, when this, his son, and one only daughter were very young'). The will of Thomas Dorne of Yardley Hastings, Gent., dated 29 Oct. 1588, bequeathed "to the children of Susan Dudley, my Daughter, widow, L10 to be equally divided." Cotton Mather also stated that Thomas Dudley was aided in obtaining his education by Mrs. Purefoy (sister-in-law of John Purefoy) "a gentlewoman famed in the parts about Northampton for wisdom, piety and works of charity".

Roger married Susanna THORNE on 8 Jun 1575 in Lidlingto, co. Bedford. Susanna (daughter of Thomas THORNE and Mary PUREFOY) was born in Yardley, Hastings, , England; was christened on 05 Mar 1559/60 in Yardley-Hastings, Northampton, England; died in 1577 in Northampton, England; was buried in Northampton, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]