1. Thomas WHEELER [scrapbook] was born 1602 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England and was christened 20 Nov 1603. He died 6 Mar 1686 in Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut and was buried in Old Whitehall Cemetery, Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut.
Thomas was christened 20 Nov 1603.
HISTORY OF STONINGTON CT, by Richard Anson Wheeler, page 636.
First appears in Lynn MA in 1635, where he was elected constable, and held other offical positions later on. In 1642 He was admitted as freeman of the commonwealth of MA, purchasing large tracts of land there, including a mill site, upon which he built and opperated a saw and grist mill.
Thomas sold out his business and real estate there, and removed to Stonington in 1667. He was an intimate friend of Rev. James Noyes.
Freeman of CT in 1669. and was nominated and elected one of the Stonington reps. to the CT General CT in 1673. 1674 his name appears among the immortal nine who organixed the First Congregational Church of Stonington, June 3, 1674. Built a residence in North Stonington, where Col. James F. Brown now resides, where they lived and died.ANCESTORS OF ALDEN SMITH SWAN AND HIS WIFE MARY ALTHEA FARWELL, by Josephine C. Frost, The Hills Press, New York, MCMXXIII, page 229.
Thomas appeared as a resident of Lynn, MA, in 1635, when he was elected Constable there, and later held other offical positions. In 1642 he was admitted to the privilege of a freeman of the Commonwealth and purchased large tracts of land, including a mill site, upon which he built and poerated a saw and grist mill. During his residence in Lynn he married Mary, whose maiden name is not known. They were married in 1645 and prior to 1667 he disposed of his holdings in Lynn and removed to Stonington, CT. He was made freeman of CT in 1669 and represented Stonington in the General Court in 1673. In 1674 he was one of the nine men who organized the First congresational Church, and his wife Mary was one of the partakers of the first communion service. They built their home in North Stonington, where Col. James F. Brown resided in 1900, and they lived and died there. His will was burned when the traitor Arnold burned the city of New London in 1781.
He died March 6, 1686, aged 84 years, and he and his wife are buried in the old Whitehall burial place on the east bank of the Mystic River. He served in King Philip's War and was Captain of a Company of Horse in 1669.THE WHEELER FAMILY IN AMERICA,THE DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS WHEELER, STONINGTON, CONN., pages 289 through 349, by Inez E. Coolby-Brayton, 1934. Located in the DAR Library, Washington, DC.
The following from the HISTORY OF STONINGTON, CONN., by Judge Richard Anson Wheeler is, perhaps, the best experssion of all that is known of his life.
"Thomas Wheeler, the ancestor of the Wheeler family of Stonington, Conn., and region round about, was doubtless of English origin, but the place of his birth, and nationality are not certainly known, nor has the time of his migration to this country been ascertained, so as to associate him with any of the passengers of the early emigrant ships. The first knowledge that we have of him in this country is when he appears as a resident of the town of Lynn, Mass., in 1635, when and where he was elected constable, and held other official positions later on. In 1642 he was admitted in the privilege of a freeman of the commonwealth of Mass., purchasing large tracts of land there, including a mill site, upon which he built and operated a saw and grist mill. During his residence in Lynn he married Mary ____, a young lady of his acquaintance, whose family name in unknown, but our family traditions represent her as a woman of pleasing and attractive accomplishments, and in every way worthy of her liege loard; she graced her domestic duties with cheerfujl loveliness, filling his home with light and love. They were married in 1645, and became the parents of three children.
What induced our ancestor, Thomas Wheeler, to leave Lynn, Mass., and sell out his business and real estate there, and take up his abode in the town of Stonington in 1667, is not fully understood, but whatever motive actuated him in coming this way it is plainly evident that he intended to make Stonington his final home. He was an intimate friend of Rev. James Noyes, who came to Stonington the same year that he did, and it has been supposed that the friendship between them was the cause of his coming. But that as it may, there were men of his name that lived in the English home of the Noyes family, and crossed the ocean about the same year that he did. Thomas Wheeler was made freeman in the Connecticut Colony in the year 1669, and was nominated and elected one of the Stonington representatives to the Connecticut General Court in the year 1673. The next year his name appears among the immorial nine who organized the First Congregational Church of Stonington, June 3, 1674, and his wife, Mary Wheeler, was one of the partakers with the church in their first communion service. Soon after Thomas Wheeler and his wife came to Stonington to live, he and his son Isaac built them a residence in North Stonington, where Col. James F. Brown now resides, where they lived and died. Thomas Wheeler left a will, which was lost by being burned when the infamous Arnold burned the city of New London, Sept. 6, 1781. The existence of his will is proved by his descendants referring in it in later instruments conveying the real estate that belonged to him and given to them in his will. They are both buried in the old Whitehall burial place, situated on the east bank of the Mystic river. He died March 6, 1686, age 84 years, consequently he was born 1602.FIFTY GREAT MIGRATION COLONISTS TO NEW ENGLAND AND THEIR ORIGINS (1990) by John Brooks Threlfall; BET; N.E. Marriages Prior to 1700; National Society of the Daughters of American Colonists Lineage Books, Vol 4 and Supplement 1; Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, Vol. III; Headstone Inscriptions of Stonington; History of the First Congregational Church of Stonington, Conn; History of the Town of Stonington; Pioneers of Massachusetts; Saturday's Children--A History of the Babcock Family in America by C. Merton Babcock; Founders of Early American Families; History of Essex County, Mass., compiled by D. Hamilton Hurd; History of Lynn, Mass., by Alonzo Lewis and James R. Newhall.; The Great Migration, 1634-1635, p191, 192, 256.
GENEALOGICAL & FAMILY HISTORY OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Vol. III, and Boston Transcrip.
he was the father of Elizabeth Wheeler.PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS,
"Thomas Wheeler, miller, yeoman, Salem, worked on the bridge in 1646; propr. 1647. Removed to Lynn and with wife, Mary, sold Lynn land in 1657. He `deposed' in 1653, age about 50 years." This sounds like it could be the right Thomas since Elizabeth's children were born in Lynn, according to first source. So she could have lived there. Pioneers of Mass., however, says children were Isaac and Zipporah.NEW ENGLAND MARRIAGES PRIOR TO 1700,
Thomas Wheeler (1603, 1606-1686) marrying a Mary ___. Two children born in 1646 and 1648. Lived in "Lynn/Salem/Stonington, CT." 1603 birth date and places of residence jibe with above info.NAT'L SOCIETY OF DAUGHTERS OF AMERICAN COLONISTS Lineage Books, Vol. 4 & Supplement 1,
He was born in 1602. Latter says he was of Lynn, Mass., and Stonington, Conn.; was a representative to the General Court, served in the colonial militia, and married in 1645. Former says he a representative to the General Court from Stonington in 1673. Vol. 18 says he was constable of Lynn in 1635.HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON:
He first appeared in New England in Lynn, Mass., in 1635. Served as constable and later held other official positions. Freeman in 1642. Purchased large tracts of land and built and operated a grist mill. Met and married his wife Mary while living in Lynn. Sold his property and moved to Stonington in 1667. He was an intimate friend of Rev. James Noyes, who moved to Stonington the same year, and that may have been the reason Thomas left Massachusetts. Also, Wheeler men had lived in the English home of the Noyes family and crossed the ocean about the same year that he did. Freeman in Connecticut in 1669 and a representative to the General Court in 1673. Among nine men who organized the First Congregational Church of Stonington June 3, 1674. He left a will, but it was lost when Benedict Arnold burned New London Sept. 6, 1781; The Great Migration, 1634-1635, pages 191, 192, 256.HISTORY OF THE 1st CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF STONINGTON, LDS film 547,548:
He was among those who began the Church of Christ in Stonington 3 June 1674. Mrs. Thomas Wheeler was among the "Pertakers" at the ordination of Rev. James Noyes 10 Sept. 1674.BOSTON EVENING TRANSCRIP:
Born 1602, died 6 March 1686, age 84; married 1645 in Lynn to Mary __.HEADSTONE INSCRIPTIONS OF STONINGTON, CONN. (974.65/S1, V3h):
Whitehall Cemetery, Thomas Wheeler, died 4 March 1686, age 84. Mary, wife of Thomas. No dates.Fifty: Thomas Wheeler, baptized 20 Nov. 1603; died 6 March 1686, age 84. (g.s.), Stonington, New London County, Conn. He was in Lynn, Mass., in 1635 and was a constable. Married Mary, had 3 children.
Hurd: Thomas Wheeler "removed from Lynn to Stonington, Conn., in 1664, and became the largest landholder in the place, was an honored member of the church, and died there in 1686, at the age of eighty-four."
[Since Thomas Wheeler was 43 when he married Mary _, it is possible he had a previous wife.]
C.M. Babcock: Thomas Wheeler was a miller who came to Salem on the James in 1633. He lived with his wife Mary at Lynn, MA, and Stonington, CT, where he "took up about 4,000 acres of land, the best in town." He was Constable in 1668 and one of the "seven pillars" (founders) of the Puritan Church (in North Stonington).
Saturday's Children: Thomas Wheeler sailed to New England in 1633, possibly on the ship James. His point of origin was Berkshire, and his distination was Lynn, Mass.
Founders: Thomas Wheeler, Lynn, MA, 1635, Stonington 1667. Died there 6 March 1686.
History of Lynn: 1 April 1653, Samuel Bennet, carpenter, sold his corn mill to Thomas Wheeler for 220 pounds. "A vessel owned by Captain Thomas Wiggin, of Portsmouth, was wrecked on the Long Beach, and the sails, masts, anchor, etc., purchased by Thomas Wheeler, on the third of June (1657).
Migration: On 28 June 1680, Thomas Wheeler of Stonington, yeoman, sold to Willim Bassett Sr. of Lynn, yeoman, nine acres of fresh marsh. On 1 April 1653, Samuel Bennett of Lynn, carpenter, sold to Thomas Wheeler of Lynn, miller, a watermill in Lynn, the lands belonging to it, and two dwelling houses with eleven acres and five acres of marsh.
