Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold.          

Pp  64-69 New England Historical & Genealogical Society Register –  January 1915

 

 

64         Parentage of William Arnold and Thomas Arnold

 

THE PARENTAGE OF

WILLIAM ARNOLD AND THOMAS ARNOLD

OF PROVIDENCE, R.I.

 

By EDSON SALISBURY JONES, Esq., of Port Chester, N. Y.

 

IT has been generally accepted that William Arnold of Hingham, Mass., who went to Rhode island with Roger Williams and became an inhabitant of Providence, and Thomas' Arnold of Watertown, Mass., who removed to Providence some twenty years later, were half brothers; but the present writer and several other Arnold descendants have sought in vain for proof of this relationship.  There is in existence a copy of a chart, made in 1819, which represents these two immigrants as thus related; but it is highly probable that the connection was deduced and assumed from some early records of the Arnold family, the first section of which was evidently prepared by William1 and the remainder by his descendants, because the chart repeats information given in those records.  The records in question were printed in the REGISTER, vol. 33, pp. 427-432 (Oct. 1879).

About 1842 there was compiled a genealogy of the descendants of Thomas1 Arnold (William1 and his children were also mentioned), the opening portion of which seems certainly to have been derived from this chart , and the name of Thomas, as the father of the immigrants, was prefixed.*  William,1 in the record which he prepared, did not name his father.  In the "History of Woonsocket," 1876, there is also a genealogy of the descendants of Thomas,1 who is represented as a son of William.1 In the "Life of Benedict Arnold, 1880, the birthplace of William is given as Leamington, England.  No county is named, but there is a well-known watering place called Leamington in Warwickshire.  Savage thought that perhaps Benedict2 (William1) was born in co. Nottingham.

In the REGISTER, vol. 33, pp. 432-438, immediately after the article entitled “Early Records of the Arnold Family,” was printed “Mr. Somerby's Genealogy of the Arnold Family,” a pedigree compiled by the late Horatio G. Somerby, in which the descent of our two immigrants is derived from Ynir, King of Gwentland, a Welsh prince who flourished about the middle of the twelfth century.  This pedigree was taken, with some changes and additions, from the following sources:

From the so-called Ynir1 to Roger,12 inclusive, it was obtained from the Visitation of Monmouthshire. The present writer examined this visitation in the College of Arms, and knows that(besides differences in the spelling of some names) one generation – the true eleventh – was omitted by Mr. Somerby.  As a visual aid to a clear understanding of conditions, a section of the visitation pedigree is presented, the first generation given being the one neglected by the American compiler.

 

      

 

   It wll be noted that Arnhalt ap Arnalt Vychan, Esq., had wife Joan, daughter and coheiress to Madoc ap Thomas ap Rhun; and that to their son Roger Arnald, Esq., was assigned no issue.  Mr. Somerby said that this Roger was “the first of the family who adopted a surname;” but it will be seen that the said Roger had an uncle Richard Arnold; and in the pedigree presented below Roger’s father appears as an Arnold.

  A son for Roger was obtained from a Visitation of Gloucestershire, the first four generations of which are here reproduced.

 

 

 

 

In the Somerby pedigree, Joan as the mother of Roger was discarded, and Sybil was adopted.  In the pedigree given

immediately above, the only grandson of Roger is John.  Mr Somerby supplied another grandson , naming him

Richard Arnold of Street, with wife Emmote, daughter and heir of Pearce Young of Damerham in Wiltshire.  Turning

to the section of the pedigree from the Visitation of Monmouthshire, it will be seen that this man was uncle of Roger.  There can be no question as to identity, for Mr. Somerby transferred (in his original volume) this Richard and all his shown descendants to places three generations lower down, and made Richard the grandson of Roger.  He also located the father of his Richard14 in Llanthony, co. Monmouth, whereas the Visitation of Gloucestershire placed him in the latter county. The Monmouthshire pedigree does not state in what county Street was situated; but Somerset was adopted, although there are parishes of the name in Devon and Sussex, and a Street hundred-in co. Kent (where there were Arnolds by 1460).  The extant parish registers of Street, co.  Somerset, 1599-1762, have been printed, but there are but few items for years and then a gap, 1604-1635.  The index discloses no Arnold earlier than 1745.  No will of an Arnold of Street is known to the write, nor has any will of a Somersetshire Arnold, prior to 1553, been found in the calendars of district probate registries and Prerogative Court of Canterbury.  There are wills of Gloucestershire Amolds from 1544, of Arnolds of co. Sussex from 1536, and of Arnolds of co. Surrey from 1482.

The Heralds' Visitations do not give to Richard Arnold of Street any other sons than John and Thomas; but Mr. Somerby furnished the father with an eldest son and heir, Richard,15 who "removed into Dorsetshire and became seated at Bagbere," although he gave no evidence in support of this statement.  This Richard of Bagbere left a will, dated 15 May 1593 (the earliest will found by Mr. Somerby of any person in the ancestral line presented by him), which gave £50 to a son Thomas, whose residence is not stated.  This Thomas was placed in Cheselboume, co. Dorset, and made the father of the immigrants, William1 and Thomas1 Arnold; but here again no proof is given, nor any evidence that said Thomas of Cheselboume had any issue whatsoever.

The present writer had in his possession, for six weeks, the original volume prepared by Mr. Somerby for his client, as well as all Arnold data that could be found in all his English search books known to be extant (more than one hundred).  In the whole no proof is found that Richard of Bagbere was grandfather of William1 or Thomas,1 or that either was a son of Thomas of Cheselbourne.  The nearest semblance of proof was in items that a William Arnold was made administrator of his brother John of Cheselboume and guardian of the latter's children in 1616; and that one of these children referred, in the time of the Commonwealth, to “his uncle in foreign parts.” Examining the record prepared by William,1 it will be seen that he mentioned no brother John.

The key to the true parentage of William1 Arnold lay in that portion of the family record prepared by him, the first two items of which are as follows:

 

Alce Gully the Daughter of John Gully of Northouer.  Who was my Mother. was Baptized ye 29: Septem 1553.

Tamzen, my Sister was Baptized the 4º of Jany. 1571.

 

Mr. Somerby located Northover near Cheselbourne, co. Dorset; but no English gazetteer or map seen discloses such a place - not even the ordnance survey map of that locality on a scale of six inches to the mile.  In the whole of England there is but one parish of Northover, and that is in co. Somerset.  Thither the present writer went in the summer of 1902 and examined the original register, in which were found the following baptismal records:

 

 

Alice Gullye the Daughter of.  John Gullye 29º Septembris aº dm 1553º

Tomsine the Daughter of Nicholas Amolde 4º. Januarij aº dm 1571º

 

It will be observed that the names and dates of the baptized persons agree with the family record of William Arnold, and that the father of Tomsine was Nicholas - not Thomas.  No other Arnold baptism is found in this register in early days.  The only Arnold marriages, prior to 1643, were those of Margarett to Christopher Tuck in 1585 and Margery to Thomas Bumard in 1603.  Records of Gullye burials were seen, among them those of John in 1559, Alice, wife of John, in 1583, and another John in 1591.  No Arnold burials were found prior to 1700.

Adjoining Northover on the south is the parish of Ilchester, the earliest extant register of which, unfortunately, does not begin until 1690; and directly on the east is the parish of Limington,* the extant register of which begins in 1681.  About five miles westerly from Northover and Ilchester is the parish of Muchelney, where resided Thomas Peak, father-in-law of William Arnold, according to the family record.  The extant register of this parish does not begin until 1703. . Here we have proof that the home of the father of William1 was in co. Somerset - not co. Dorset.

In his section of the family record, William1 named the children of two sisters, some of the children of his half brother Thomas, and the births of his own issue.  Among the first was Thomas Hopkins, baptized 7 Apr. 1616; and in the last group was Steven Arnold, born 22 Dec. 1622.

Among the Bishop's transcripts in the Diocesan Registry of Bath and Wells, the writer found the following from the parish of Ilchester:

 

Thomas the sonne of Wm Hopkins bapt: seaventh of Aprill, 1616. 

Stephanus filius Williami Arnolde baptizat vicessimo sexto die Decembris, 1622.

Nichalaus Amolde sepultus vicessimo sexto Januarij, 1622.

 

The name and baptismal date of the Hopkins child agree with the family record, and the baptism of Stephen Arnold was four days later than the birth date of Stephen2 (William1) in the said record.  As will soon appear, the Nicholas Arnold who was buried 26 Jan.,1622 was the father of William.1 In the same registry was also found an original return from Ilchester parish, in 1622, signed by John Ravens, rector, and Melchesadeck Jones and William Arnold, churchwardens.† The signature of the last-named closely resembles that of William1 in 1650 and 1659, except for the first and last letters.  From this registry was also obtained (at second hand) the following items from Ilchester parish:

     1595, Oct. 5            Robert Hacker & Thomasine Amoll married.

      1595, -                     Agnes, dau. of Nicholas Arnoll, buried.

      1596, Apr. 12         Isabell Amoll baptized.

      1596, Apr. 25         Alice, wife of Nicholas Arnoll, tailer, buried.

      1596, Nov. 15         Nicholas Arnoll baptized.

      1635, Oct. 15          George, son of Thomas & Jane Arnold, baptized.

 

     * The will of Gov. Benedict2 Arnold (William1') mentions his "Lemmington Farm," which was very probably named in remembrance of this parish.

In Samuel Gorton's " Simplicity's Defence" we read that William1 “Arnold was a great professor of religion in the West of Old England."

 

YOL.  LXIX.        5

 

 

The first of these items was evidently the marriage of William1 Arnold's sister, and the fourth was the burial of his mother.

 

In the District Probate Registry of Wells the writer found a will of which the following is an abstract:

The Will of Nicholas Arnold of Ilchester in the Countie of Somersett Taylor, 18 Jan. 1622 [1622/31.  To Grace Arnold my wief all my goods movable and unmovable w’thin and wth thout Dores to thintent she shall guid & bringe up my two youngest Daughters her Children and when it please god to take her out of this mortal lief to Dispose the said goods at her pleasure unto theis two Children. . Grace my wief to be sole executrix , My sonne Wam Arnold & Ambrose Chappell my frend to be over seers. Witnesses: John Raven, Thomas Arnold.Proved at Wells 28 July 1623. Inventory, £7. 16s. 5d. (Wells Registry, lib. 43, fo. 5.)

This Will makes it clear that Grace was not the first wife of the testator; and the family record shows that the father of William1 had been twice married, that Thomas was a son by the second wife, and that this Thomas had a son Nicholas, who was baptized in 1627. No real evidence has been seen that this Thomas emigrated to America.

In the Probate Registry of Wells as thorough search as circumstances permitted was made; but no Arnold will was found which disclosed a son Nicholas, nor any Gully will that named a John who might be father of Alice.  In such search as could be made in the Probate Registry of Taunton nothing was discovered to aid in extending the ancestry of William1 Arnold.  Deeper investigations are needed.

Nicholas Arnold of Ilchester, tailor, the testator of .1622/3, seemingly was not the only one of the name in that region, as in Martock parish, four miles west-southwest of Ilchester, a Nicholas Arnold and Margaret Pound were married, 6 Oct. 1570.  Here also were baptized Nicholas, son of Thomas, in 1604, William, son of George, in 1605, and others.  In this parish are recorded marriages of John Gully in 1561 and 1603.  A John Gully was married in 1556, and a Johanna Arnell in 1563, in Kingsdon parish, two miles north of Ilchester where also Robert Arnold was churchwarden in 1594 and Thomas Arnold in 1611.  Thomas Amolde was married in 1572 and Mary Arnald in 1578, in Yeovil, five miles south of Ilchester.  Henry Arnold married in 1562, in Taunton.

In the REGISTER, vol. 48, pp. 374-375, was printed an abstract the will of Richard Arnold of London, goldsmith, dated 8 Nov. 1644, which was reprinted in Waters's “Genealogical Gleanings in England,” pp. 882-883.  This testator was born at Gillingham, co.  Kent, and his will names, among others, his uncles Richard and William Arnold, both deceased; the former's son Richard of Killingworth [an old name for Kenilworth], co. Warwick; and the latter's son Richard of Kelshall [Kelsale], co. Suffolk, the last two to pay 20s.  "unto every of their brothers and sisters . . . except Thomas Arnold who is now supposed to be in New England or some other part beyond the seas," his legacy to be paid upon his demand or that of his assigns.  The only Thomas Arnold known to have been in New England in 1644 was Thomas1 of Watertown; and it seems very probable that he was the legatee named.

 

It will be noted that the Specifically mentioned son of the testator's uncle Richard was of Killingworth, Warwick.  Six miles southeast from this place is the parish of Offchurch.  The will of Richard Arnold of Offchurch, husbandman, names, among others, his mother Margaret Arnold, wife Alice, sons Thomas, John, and Richard, and daughters Elizabeth and Mary - all the children under age on 2 July 1604, the date of the will, which was proved 3 Aug. 1604.  The specifically named son of the London goldsmith's uncle William was of Kelsale, Suffolk, a parish about twenty miles northeast from Ipswich.  Thirteen miles Southerly from-Kelsale and twelve miles east of Ipswich is the parish of Hollesley.  The will of William Arnold of Hollesley, husbandman, dated 22 Nov. 1616 and proved 24 Feb. 1616/17, names wife Katherine, sons Richard and Thomas (both under age), daughters Cleere and Katherine, and nephew Richard Arnold. Here, then, are two Thomas Arnolds who are in harmony with the London goldsmith's will, as well as with the probable age of our Thomas1 at the respective times; but there is a speculative preference for the Thomas of co. Suffolk, as there seems to be a possibility that Thomas Arnold married Phebe Parkhurst before he emigrated, and her father, Georgel Parkhurst, was a resident of Ipswich, co.  Suffolk, where his daughter Phebel was baptized 29 Nov. 1612.*

There were Arnold testators in co.  Suffolk from the middle of the fifteenth century, who were largely resident in the easterly half of the shire.  The earliest wills of such, yet seen, were those of Robert of Framlingham and John of Eye, respectively fourteen and eighteen miles northerly from Ipswich.  By the year 1650 at least sixty-five wills of Arnolds of this county had been proved in various courts, twenty of which were of testators within a radius of twelve miles from Ipswich.

Thomas1 Arnold was of Watertown, Mass., as early as 25 July 1636, when he had a grant of thirty acres from the town.  The earliest date at which Watertown records disclose George1 Parkhurst was 10 May 1642, when he received land.  The present writer questions the statement that Thomasl Arnold, aet. 30, embarked for Virginia in the Plain Joan, in 1635.  He died at Providence, R. I., in Sept. 1674, but at no time is his age of public record.  His first child whose birth was recorded in America was Ichabod, who was born I Mar. 1640 (Watertown records); but the father had had an earlier child, Susanna, who married in Boston, 7 Apr. 1654, John Farnum. - If she were then twenty years old, she was born two years prior to her father's recorded appearance in Watertown.  The later children of Thomas1 were Richard, Thomas, John, Eliezer, and Elizabeth.

Herein have been presented the true name and residence of the father of William Arnold; but the parentage of Thomas1 is as yet uncertain.  The writer hopes that the information furnished will stimulate further investigations.

 

* Cf. REGISTER, VOI. 68, p. 373.

 

The New England Historic and Genealogical Society's Great Migration series has a good synopsis on William Arnold and his family on pages 84-91.