Thomas NEWMAN

Male Abt 1584 - 1660  (76 years)


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  • Name Thomas NEWMAN  [1
    • "Connecticut Ancestry": Thomas Newman made his will at East Towne in New Netherland (later the town of Westchester in Westchester County, New York) on 2 June 1659, and died sometime in March, 1660, possibly at Stamford. He was born presumably in England, about 1584. The Rev. Mr. Huntington called him "probably son of William," but this may simply have been a deduction based on the name of Thomas' oldest son.

      The name of his wife and mother of his children has been given as MARY MORRTON, apparently based on a marriage record for Thomas Newman and Mary Moorton at St. Saviours Church, Southwark, Surrey, England dated 28 September 1607. No confirmation has been found, however, that this record refers to the same Thomas Newman of Stamford and east towne. It has also been claimed that he married one Mary Carles, daughter of joseph Carles, and this is probably related to the fact that his will mentioned a GRANDDAUGHTER named Mary Carles, who married John Archer. The granddaughter could have been his own, or his wife's or both of theirs together, and therefore, Catherine Carles is not necessarily a descendant. His will uses the specific phrase "my now surviving wife Mary," but this does not automatically mean that he was married more than once, or even that he had two different wives named Mary. the will further stipulates that his son William Newman of Stamford was to provide for his widow "in all respects whatsoever as a woman of her age & degree ought to be, during her surviving." This mention of "degree" could indicate a particular social status, which could lead in turn to a better indication of the widow's identity.....

      Another Thomas Newman is said to have come to America in 1634 on the ship "Mary and John", along with his father William, wife Mary, and son John. This Thomas Newman has sometimes been confused with the Stamford man, but they were entirely different persons. Thomas Newman of Ipswich, the "Mary and John" passenger, was leaving records there in Ipswich, Massachusetts in about 1673, leaving a widow Alice, who died 19 November 1679. Savage said that he left sons Thomas, John and Benjamin, and these persons are evident in the Ipswich records. Thomas Newman of Stamford mentioned no such people in his will.

      Donald L. Jacobus thought it possible that William Newman of Stamford (and therefore Thomas of Stamford) may have been related to one Richard Newman who was in New Haven in 1641, died after 1680, and had children Samuel, John, Sarah and Mercy. Except for this possible clue, there seems to be no other indication of Thomas Newman's origin, presumably in England.

      The lands of Thomas Newman were records at Stamford on 1 March 1649/50 as part of a general recording project that took place at that tie. His holdings then were the following:

      1. One house and home lot containing an acre and a half, bounded by the highway north, Robert Rugg south, butting to the highway east and Jeffrey Ferris west;
      2. In the North Field 6 acres of upland, bounded by Daniel Scofield and Henry Ackerly on the south, and Henry Smith and william Newman to the north, butting to the highway west and the fence east;
      3. In the East Field a little island encompassed with (by?) the meadow of David Mitchell on the east and north, and the meadow of Obadiah Seeley to the south and west;
      4. In the same field, 5 more acres of meadow, bounded by Robert BAtes to the south, Richard Ambler to the north, butting to the highway west and the Sea east;
      5. In the Rocky Neck, 2 acres of meadow, bounded by Thomas Morehouse to the south & William Mead on the north, butting to the highway west, and the upland of William Newman to the east;
      6. In the North Field, 3 acres of upland, bounded by thomas Morehouse to the south, William Newman north, butting to the highway east and the River west.

      Thomas Newman was one of the Stamford residents who were uncomfortable with the government of their Colony located at New Haven, and apparently had signed a letter that was "very offensive" to the Court at New Haven in 1653. William Newman was summoned to the Court representing his father "in respect of his age", and expressed to the Court that both he and his father were sorry for the disrespectful things they had done, and that it would not happen again. William Newman was not fined, but was required to post a L20 bond to help insure that both he and his father would be more cooperative with the New Haven jurisdiction in the future.

      Possibly because of this political difficulty with the New Haven jurisdiction, Thomas Newman moved to Oost-dorp or East Towne New Netherland (later the town of Westchester), some time before 16 March 1656 (probably 1655/56) when his name was listed among the 14 English residents of that place that "voluntarily submitted themselves to the government of the New Netherlands." At the end of December 1656 an official delegation fro Director General Peter Stuyvesant's office visited East Town. The delegation dines at Mr. Newman's home on Sunday 31 December after which the delegation attended church services with the inhabitants of the village. That portion of their journal reads as follows:

      "Went to examine the Village somewhat. It is a very stoney place, thickly covered with trees. At noon were invited to dine at Mr. Newman's. After dinner Conrelius Van Ruyven went to the house where they assemble on Sundays, to observe their mode of worship, as they have not as yet any clergyman. There I (Briah Nuton) found a gathering of about 15 men and 10 to 12 women. Mr. Baly (BAiley) made a prayer, which being concluded, one Robert Basset read a sermon from a printed book composed and published by an English minister in England. After the reading Mr. Baly made another prayer and they sung a Psalm and separated. In the evening we were invited to supper to Robert Basset's, and having taken our leave we went to sleep at John Lord's house; neither he nor any of the members of his family came home that night, which much surprised us."

      The journal goes on to report that John Lord and his family returned in the morning and that they had stayed away overnight in order that the official visitors not be overcrowded in what must have been a very modest home in a wilderness location. It also mentioned that on the following day, 1 January 1657:
      "We requested him (meaning John Lord) to have the drum beaten forthwith to get the people together; to which he said, he had given orders to beat the drum, and the majority of the inhabitants being assembled we communicated to them the object of our mission, and that the Hr Director General of N. Netherland had from the six persons named by them elected three as Magistrates for Oostdorp, vix. Mr. Newman, Mr. Lord, & John Smith, and exhibited and read to them the commission granted to the Magistrates."

      His will, made on 2 June 1659 at East Town, is the source of much of the information we presently have on Thomas Newman, and many of its provisions have already been noted. He called himself, "in good health of body and of sound minde & understanding, yet not knowing how soone my chang may be..." Because we know he was in good health and sound mind it is therefore significant that he signed the will with his mark, a capital letter N, written backwards. It named his wife Mary and son William of Stamford and left legacies to his granddaughter "Katherine Carles alias Archer, the wife of John Archer" (20 shillings), and to "every of his (William's) surviving children at my decease, the sume of five pounds per piece." His son William was to be executor, and to receive the entire estate, except for the above provisions for others and his responsibility to care for the widow. The will was witnessed by Richard Mills and Samuel Mills, transcribed and attested under oath by them at Stamford before the town clerk Richard Law on 22 day 12th month, 1660, or 22 February, 1659/60.
      [1]
    Birth Abt 1584  England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Death Mar 1660  [1
    Person ID I69159  Main Tree
    Last Modified 4 Sep 2012 

    Family Mary UNKNOWN,   b. England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. William NEWMAN,   b. Abt 1610, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 18 Aug and 18 Nov 1676, Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID F27847  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 18 Aug 2012 

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  • Sources 
    1. [S4955] Connecticut Ancestry 2008 November Vol. 51 No. 2.