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| Notes for Thomas NELSON | ||||||||||||
| 164Thomas Nelson was made freeman,23 May 1639. In 1640, he had erected a saw mill at Rowley. "In May 1640, Mr. Thomas Nelson was appointed by the Court, with Mr.Edward Woodman and Mr.William Paine to view and settle the bounds between Hampton and Colchester (Salisbury) and make returns thereof, which was done." Thomas Nelson was representative to the General Court, 1641. As early as 1643, Thomas Nelson had a grist Mill at Rowley. On the 10th of the Eleventh month,1643,Mr. Thomas Nelson as chairman and three others appointed by the town for the purpose made a survey of the town and registered the house-lots to all the inhabitants as granted and laid out. All who paid nothing were given an acre and a half. While those who paid were given in proportion to what they paid. Thomas Nelson was the wealthiest of the Rogers company. As many persons descended from Thomas Nelson are also descended from one or more of thes early settlers, I [Cora] will give the list: Abbott, Acy, Barker, Bellingham, Boyles, Boynton, Bridges, Brigham, Brocklebank, Burbank, Carlton, Chaplin, Cooper, Crosby, Dickinson, Dresser, Elithrop, Grant, Harris, Haseltine, Hopkinson, Hunter, Jackson, Jarrat, Jewett, Kilbourne, Lambert, Leaver, Lilforth, Mighill, Miller, Nelson, Newmach, Palmer, Parrat, Remington, Reyner, Rogers, Sandys, Sawyer, Scales, Shrove, Smith, Spofford, Stanton, Stickney, Sumner, Swan, Tenney, Thorley (Thurlow), Trumble, Wiscom, Wild. "In 1643 [says Winthrope] our supplies from England failing much, men began to look about them, and fell to manufacture of cotton, whereof we had store from Barbadoes, and of hemp and flax, wherein Rowley to their great commendation, exceeded all other towns." As early as 1643, John Pearson, a clothier, moved into Rowley, and erects the first fulling mill in New England. In January 1644, the town granted to Thomas Nelson, 36 acres in the "Mill Field", ten acres of which was encouragement towards building a mill. The grist mill was built just above tide water near the dividing line between Rowley and Newbury, on Mill River, a branch of Parker River and near the Newburyport Turnpike. The mills built by Thomas Nelson were the first in Rowley and among the first grist mills built in America and were never idle till destroyed by fire in October,1916. There had been additions and improvements and the mills were known as the "Glen Mills" at the time they were burned. At this time there were four mills and the loss by fire was considered to be about $20,000. At the original building, the dam, the waterway and the foundation for the wheel box had been unchanged. The stone wheel of the old mill had ground corn into meal for the soldiers in King Philip's War and for those in the Colonial Wars. In the Revolution, a great wagon loaded there with meal and under a guard went to the relief of the army at Valley Forge. About the time that Thomas Nelson built the grist mill, John Pearson removes (probably from Lynn) and erects a fulling mill and clothiers works very near the grist mill. This wollen mill of John Pearson's was the first wollen mill built in America and was viewed with alarm by English statesmen who feared the development of manufacturing colonies and a cut in English export trade. They refused to send woll to America. Thomas Nelson's will from Essex County Probate Records, Vol.1,p.346 I,Thomas Nelson of Rowley in the Coubty of Essex in New England being by Providence called now to make a voyage into old England, not knowing what may befal me therein upon several considerations dispose of & settle the estate which God hath given me (by way of will) in manner and forme following. Imprimis I give unto my beloved wife Joane for her natural life, my mill, mill house with the aptenances situate & being within the limits of Rowley & all that ground near unto the said mill, which was lately in the occupation of Joseph Wormhill & all that my upland & meadow or other ground which lyeth betweene Rowley ox pasture on one part the common on another part, & the mill river & the brooke that goeth from the town on the other part thereof, all which lands or grounds containeth by estimation fifty acres, be it more or less provided she make noe other claim to any other part of my houses, lands, tenements, hereditaments &c. Item I give her two acres of ground dureing her natural life in the pond field, next Mr.Rogers (leaving out the pond) to build her a house, the remainder or reversion of which mill & land & premises, & all other my houses, lands, tenaments, hereditaments I give among my children & to their heirs as well as that child, which my wife is withall the rest. Item I give & bequeath to my eldest son Philip a double portion, & to my son Thomas Nelson and my daughter Mercy Nelson & the child or children she is withall their equal part, provided if any of them dye before they come to the age of twenty and one years or marriage, then their parts to be equally divided among the surviving children. Item, my will is that Richard Bellingham Esq. & my Honored uncle Richard Dummer Gent. shall have the education of my sonns Philip Nelson & Thomas Nelson,& the portion of their estates both of lands & goods for their education & maintenance, till they come to twenty one years and then they to receive their estates & the overplus above their maintenance, giving a sufficient discharge. Item my will is that my wife & my uncle Richard Dummer shall have the education of my daughter Mercie Nelson & the other child my wife is withall & the proportion of their estates both of lands & ???? for their education and mayntenance till they marry and then they to receive their estates & the overplus above their mayntenance, giving a sufficient discharge. Item I give and bequeath unto my wife Joane four choice cows, one choice mare, and ten pounds to build her a house. Item I give unto my son Philip Nelson ten pounds, which was given him by my aunt Kathren Witham and is in my hands and his plate marked with his name PN & to my second sonn Thomas Nelson a wine boule and one silver spoon, all the rest of my personal estate, my debts being paid I give unto my children to be equally divided as above only my eldest sonn Philip to have a double portion. Item I make Mr.Richard Bellingham & my uncle Richard Dummer my executors of this my last will and testament, & my desire is & I would intreat Mr.Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley & Mr.John Norton of Ipswich to be my overseers,& my mind further is, if any difference arise concerning this my last will & testament my overseers shall have the hearing & deciding of the same. Item I give unto my wife all her wearing apparel her chest, box, bed, & furniture & a silver beaker. December 24,1645 Thomas Nelson Sealed,signed & delivered in the presence of Jeremy Houchen, Ezekiel Northend Deposed by Jeremy Houchen the 21 of the 10 mo. 1649 before the court, Increase Nowell Cleric Deposed by Ezekiel Northend the 26th of the first month 1650 before the court at Ipswich Robert Lord Cleric In 1643, Mr. Thomas Nelson (and three others) "surveyed the towne". It was estimated that by 1640, there were 4,000 families in English colonies (21,000 subjects). | ||||||||||||
| Research | ||||||||||||
| Resided in Rowley, MA in 1638 census. 1676:Estate was L.1685. | ||||||||||||
| Notes for Dorothy (Spouse 1) | ||||||||||||
| Dorothy never left England. Parents of from NEH&GS Reg.,Apr 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Notes for Joane (Spouse 2) | ||||||||||||
| r152 Contract of marriage between Thomas Nelson of Rowley and Joane Dumer dated 15:12:1641 "Know all men by these prsents,that whereas there is a Contract of marriage betwixt Thomas Nelson of Rowley in New England Gent:& Joane Dumer Spintr ye daughter of Thomas Dumer of Badgeth in old England Gent: and whereas alsoe Richard Dumer of Newbury in New England Gent hath engaged & bound himselfe for ye payment of two hundred pounds for or towards ye marriage portion of the said Joane, as by his bond bearing even date wth these prsents appeareth, Now the said Thomas Nelson (In Consideracon of his marriage wth the said Joane) doth hereby bind himselfe his heirs Execurs: Administrators & assignes & every of them unto ye said Richard Dumer his executors adminrs & assignes & to every of them, in ye summe of fower hundred pounds, to be paid unto them or some one of them, in case therebe a failing to pforme the Condicins Following: Vizt. That if after the Compleating of the marriage Contract above mentioned, the said Joane doe survive the said Thomas Nelson then (imediately upon the death of the said Thomas) the summe or vallue of two hundred pounds & Likewise soe much more as the said Thomas Dumer shall ad unto the said porcon of two hundred pounds (t0gether alsoe wth what else the said Thomas Nelson shall thinke fitt) shall be allowed payed or delivered unto ye said Joane for her owne use behoofe & beneffit And further that as Ye Eldest sonn of the said Thomas Nelson shall have a double porcon out of his estate , soe the remainder of his estate shalbe equally devided amongst ye rest of the children, as well those as shall be ye Joynt issue of them ye sd Thomas & Joane (if any such be) as ye other: wch condicons being performed according to ye true intent & meaning of these prsents, Then the bond in these Prsents conteined shalbe utterly void or els it shall stand remaine & be in full force & vertue; Dated ye fifteenth day of ye Twelfth month 1641" Sealed & delivered in ye prsents of Richard Saltenstall Tho Nelson Ez: Rogers Wm: Wakefeild Md: that before ye ensealing & delivery of ye prsent Writing, it was agreed that the whole porcon that shalbe Reced by the above named Thomas Nelson shall (upon ye Requirey & according to ye advise of ye Friends of his prsent Contracted wife) be disposed & assured for the maintenance of his sd wife during her life (in case she survivethe said Thomas) & afterward to be equally divided amongst there Children, but while they both Live it is to be for there Joynt maintenance. Alsoe it is agreed that ye sd porcon shalbe Received & disposed of from time to time by the advise of ye friends indifferently of the said Thomas & his said wife;ec. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Mass., Volume 11, 1658-1662. | ||||||||||||
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