Thomas GLEASON

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Thomas Gleason settled in Framingham near his father, his lot being No. 14, at the southeast corner of Main and Sutton streets; house No. 194. Years later a brick house was built on the same site. He removed to Oxford, Mass. about 1723. On Oct. 3, 1723 he deeded his home lot, house No. 194, to his son Thomas, who sold it to Jacob Cummings Nov. 21, 1726. he and his wife, with about thirty others, were signers of the Covenant, and were the founders of the church in Oxford, Jan. 18, 1720/1. He was one of the Selectmen of Oxford from 1723 to 1726; Constable 1721. On Sept. 6, 1709 he served on a committee in Framingham "to lay out such highways as are needful for the 17 families to go to meeting, and to mill, and to market." On tax list June 27, 1710, rated is 7d. Thomas and his two brothers, Isaac and John were signers of a petition dated June 11, 1711 to his Excellency Joseph Dudley relative to purchasing 4000 acres from the Indians of Natick.

The site of Howarth's Mill was sold by Abraham Skinner, the original proprietor, to Thomas Gleason in March 1722. This included the house, lot and water privilege of Skinner, located at Augetteback Falls. Thomas, who was a man of means, settled here, built a grist mill and saw mill. His estate included "mills and streams, with homestead and buildings."

Thomas married Mary MELLEN on 6 Dec 1695 in Framingham, Massachusetts. Mary was christened on 5 Dec 1686 in Watertown, Massachusetts; died on 13 Mar 1727 in Oxford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Aaron GLEASON was born on 26 Apr 1720 in Farmingham, Massachusetts; died on 4 Dec 1796 in Rowe, Massachusetts.

Thomas married Mercy HOVEY on 10 Jun 1729 in Oxford, Massachusetts. Mercy was born in Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts; died in Dec 1767 in Oxford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Thomas settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1665, on the east side of Cochituate Pond, or Long Pond, as it was uniformly called in the early records. This pond lies partly in Natick, partly in Sudbury and partly in Framingham. Sept. 29, 1673 he bought by exchange from Benjamin and Mary Rice the northerly one half of eighty acres, which lay between Beaver Dam Brook, Gleason's Pond and Gleason's Hill in Framingham. Gleason's Pond, as it is still called, covers about 13 acres. It was named for Thomas Gleason, and for four generations his descendants lived upon its borders. Thomas' own home was built near it in 1678. Oct 5th, 1678 he was received as an inhabitant in the town of Sherborn, where he enjoyed civil and religious privileges, his estate being taxable there up to 1700.

Thomas was a signer of a petition March 3rd, 1692, to the General Court at Boston to purchase adjacent land from the Indians in Natick Bounds for the incorporation of Framingham. The name of his son Thomas Jr. appears on the same petition.

The location of Thomas Gleason's farm near Sudbury is sometimes described as being in Natick's Bounds in the town of Sherborn, but between the years 1667 and 1710 it was recognized as a part of Framingham.

The early records show a number of land transfers made by Thomas Gleason.

His Will was proven Sept. 10, 1705.

Thomas married Sarah ?. Sarah died on 8 Jul 1703 in Framingham, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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The early records contain no entries of consequence regarding Thomas Gleason, and from the little that can be gathered from this source, it would seem that he was of a somewhat arbitrary disposition, which not infrequently got him into trouble with the town authorities on minor matters of conduct.

In 1658 Thomas Gleason removed to Charlestown, and on Dec. 3, he leased from Capt. Scarlett, a portion of the Squa Sachem lands.

In 1639 Squa Sachem had deeded to the town of Charlestown, her lands lying in what is now Medford, reserving to herself certain tracts on the west side of Mysticke Pond. By her will, she bequeathed all her property to certain prominent citizens, among whom were Gov. John Winthrop and Edward gibbons. The latter secured possession of the lands on the west side of Mysticke Pond, and this was the land subsequently leased to Thomas Gleason.

Soon after this lease was made a question arose as to the rightful ownership of these lands, and in March 1662, the town of Charlestown instituted a suit against Thomas Gleason, for the purpose of obtaining possession. All of Thomas Gleason's resources were swallowed up in the litigation, and the case was unsettled when he died in the spring of 1686.

Thomas married Susanna PAGEEngland. Susanna was born in England; died on 24 Jan 1691 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]