ViewsWatchersBrowse |
Family tree▼ (edit)
m. Bef 1649
(edit)
m. 25 Feb 1684/85
Facts and Events
Source:Raymond, John Marshall. Thomas Families of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, p. 96, Plymouth probate files show that on 3 Oct 1689 "Joanna Thomas Relict widdow of David Thomas late of middlebury deceased with sons David Thomas Jerimiah Thomas, her sons" as sureties. Although Jeremiah's life from marriage on can be clearly discerned, this seems to be the only primary evidence that indicates who the parents of Jeremiah Thomas were. This piece of evidence seems to be counter to the consensus that Jeremiah was the son of Nathaniel Thomas of Marshfield. Presumably the consensus position is based on the circumstantial fact that Jeremiah named his eldest son Nathaniel, and named no son David. Against this, Jeremiah's marriage and all his children are recorded in Middleborough where David Thomas lived, and not in Marshfield where Nathaniel Thomas lived. Nathaniel Thomas was born about 1606, based on his age at death, so he would have been 54 at the time Jeremiah was born, whereas Jeremiah fits right in the middle of David Thomas' family. Savage, p. 4:280, indicates the uncertainty surrounding Jeremiah when he says of the only Jeremiah listed, that he was "s[on] I suppose of the first Nathaniel", and then precedes to not list him as a child in the family of Nathaniel. Yet, somehow, this identification seems to have become the consensus despite, the lack of evidence, and apparently incorrectly. Ironically, there wasn't just confusion about Jeremiah. Source:Mayflower Descendant, p. 20:131, says "Unfortunately, the Howland Genealogy, published in New Bedford, Mass., in 1885 confuses two Lydia Howlands, who were first cousins, and assigns each to the husband of the other." Jeremiah's wife Lydia was the daughter of John Howland, not of Joseph Howland. --Jrich 10:05, 2 June 2010 (EDT) References
|