Gov. Thomas DUDLEY

1576 - 1653  (77 years)

• Name	Thomas DUDLEY  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  	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. [1]
  Prefix	Gov.
  Birth	1576	Yardley-Hawstings, co. Northampton, England   [2, 3, 4, 7]
  Christening	12 Oct 1576	Yardley-Hastings, Northampton, England   [1, 8]
  Gender	Male
  Baptism	12 Oct 1576	Yardley-Hawstings, co. Northampton   [7]
  Birth	12 Oct 1576	Yardley-Hastings, Northampton, England   [8]
  Immigration	1630	Came to America in the Arbella   [3]
  Fact	1634	Elected Governor of Mass.   [3]
  Fact	1640	Elected Governor of Mass.   [3]
  Fact	1645	Elected Governor of Mass.   [3]
  Fact	1650	Elected Governor of Mass.   [3]
  Death	31 Jul 1653	Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts   [1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]
  Burial	31 Jul 1653	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA   [8]
  Burial	06 Aug 1653	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA   [7]
  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.
  Person ID	I20082	Main Tree
  Last Modified	21 Apr 2018

  
  

  Father	Capt Roger DUDLEY,   b. Abt 1550, London, London, England d. Bef Oct 15888, Okley (in War), Northamptonshire, Eng (Age 433 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Susanna THORNE,   c. 05 Mar 1559/60, Yardley-Hastings, Northampton, England d. 1577, Northampton, England (Age ~ 16 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	8 Jun 1575	Lidlingto, co. Bedford   [1, 6, 8]
  Family ID	F08844	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Dorothy YORKE,   b. 25 Apr 1582, Cotton End, co. Northampton, England d. 27 Dec 1643, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	25 Apr 1603	Hardingstone, (Near Northampton), England   [1, 8]
  Children	1. Rev Samuel DUDLEY,   c. 30 Nov 1608, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England d. 10 Feb 1682/3, Exeter, New Hampshire (Age ~ 74 years)  [Birth]   2. Anne DUDLEY,   b. Abt 1612, Northampton, England d. 16 Sep 1672, Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts (Age 60 years)  [Birth]   3. Patience DUDLEY,   b. Abt 1613, Northampton, England d. 08 Feb 1689/90, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, USA (Age 77 years)  [Birth]   4. Sarah DUDLEY,   b. 1620, Sempringham, co. Lincoln, England d. 03 Nov 1659, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA (Age 39 years)  [Birth]   5. Mercy DUDLEY,   b. 27 Sep 1621, Yardley-Hastings d. 01 Jul 1691, Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts (Age 69 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F06637	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Apr 2018

  
  

  Family 2	Katherine DEIGHTON,   b. Jan 1614/5   d. 29 Aug 1671, Dedham, Massachusetts (Age 56 years)
  Marriage	14 Apr 1644	Roxbury, Massachusetts   [1, 3, 6]
  Married	14 Apr 1644	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts   [8]
  Children	1. Deborah DUDLEY,   b. 27 Feb 1645, Massachusetts d. 01 Nov 1683, Medford, Massachusetts (Age 38 years)  [Birth] + 2. Gov. Joseph DUDLEY,   b. 23 Sep 1647, Roxbury, Suffolk Co. , Massachusetts d. 02 Apr 1720, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts (Age 72 years)  [Birth]   3. Paul DUDLEY,   b. 08 Sep 1650, Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts d. 01 Dec 1681, Boston, Massachusetts (Age 31 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F06598	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Apr 2018

  
  

• Event Map

  Marriage - 25 Apr 1603 - Hardingstone, (Near Northampton), England  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S5008] David Faris, "Plantagenet Ancestry of Seventeenth-Century Colonists", (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.). [S02736] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 1856, Vol. 10. [S02871] Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts, Vol. 1. [S01653] A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England 1620-1675 by John Farmer. [S01647] 2149100- Langdon, Hubbard.ged. [S5840] Frederick Lewis Weis, Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonist Who Came to America before 1700. [S03310] Royal Families Americans of Royal and Noble Ancestry: Vol. I Governor Thomas Dudley and Desc. through 5 Generations by Marston Watson. [S01647] 2149100- Langdon, Hubbard.ged. Date of Import: Jun 27, 2003