Person:Jeremiah Thomas (2)

Jeremiah Thomas
b.Abt 1660
m. Bef 1649
  1. David ThomasAbt 1649 - Bef 1733
  2. Joanna ThomasAbt 1657 - 1718
  3. Jeremiah ThomasAbt 1660 - 1736/37
  4. Sarah ThomasAbt 1663 - 1700
  5. William ThomasAbt 1665 - 1734
  6. Edward Thomas1669/70 - 1726
  • HJeremiah ThomasAbt 1660 - 1736/37
  • WLydia Howland1665/66 - 1717
m. 25 Feb 1684/85
  1. Nathaniel Thomas1686 -
  2. Sarah Thomas1687 - 1756
  3. Jeremiah Thomas1688/89 - 1763
  4. Elizabeth Thomas1690 -
  5. Mary Thomas1692 -
  6. Lydia Thomas1694 -
  7. Thankful Thomas1695 -
  8. Jedidiah Thomas1698 -
  9. Bethiah Thomas1701 -
  10. Ebenezer Thomas1703 -
  11. Priscilla Thomas1705 -
  • HJeremiah ThomasAbt 1660 - 1736/37
  • WMary Sanford1664/65 - 1749
m. 29 Apr 1720
Facts and Events
Name Jeremiah Thomas
Gender Male
Birth[1] Abt 1660
Marriage 25 Feb 1684/85 Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United Statesto Lydia Howland
Marriage 29 Apr 1720 Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United Statesto Mary Sanford
Death[1] 2 Feb 1736/37 Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

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
  1. 1.0 1.1 "Gravestone Records from the Old Cemetery at 'The Green', Middleborouogh, Mass., in Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Mayflower Descendant: An Illustrated Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy, History and Biography
    14:215.

    Thomas, Jeremiah, died 2 Feb 1736, in his 77th year. [Age 76, so birth about 1660.]
    [In the introduction to this multi-part article on p. 12:66, the gravestones of Jeremiah's two wives are discussed. Jeremiah "lies buried between his wives, with Lydia at the right and Mary at the left".]