Person:Thomas Flint (43)

"Thomas (Flint), Concord, br. of Rev. Henry, sold the Matlock est. wh. had been in the fam. sev. ages (as father Flynt, his gr. neph. writes), to come to N. E. 1636, freem. Mar. 1638; was rep. 1637-40, and Assist. 1642 to his d. 8 Nov. 1653. He had brought £2,000, says his pastor, Rev. Peter Bulkley, in 3 Mass. Hist. Coll. I. 38; and Rev. Dr. Ripley, in his Dedic. sermon, p. 35, shows, that it was exp. chiefly for the benefit of the town. He had other ch. perhaps one or more b. in Eng. besides Ephraim, b. 14 Jan. 1642; and John; … but tho. his will, made 21 Dec. 1651, 'intending a voyage to our native country of Eng.' provides for w. and childr. it does not name them, but commends the latter to care of Rev. Peter Bulkley and Rev. Henry Flint, Capt. Simon Willard, and uncle William Wood of Concord."

"Thomas Flint, of Concord, Mass., was originally from Matlock, England, a parish in Derbyshire, sixteen miles N. N. West of Derby. He arrived in this country about the year 1638, and settled in Concord, of which town he was immediately chosen deputy, and successively continued in that office until made assistant in 1642. This latter office he retained for eleven years, until his decease in 1653.

Contemporaries agree in representing him as a gentleman of wealth, talent, and an eminently Christian character. The fortune he brought with him from the old world, variously estimated at from £2000 to £4000, was liberally parted with for the benefit of the Plantation.

Johnson, in his Wonder Working Providence, after speaking of the arrival of his brother, the Rev. Henry Flint, in 1635, makes the following honorable mention of the assistant:

'Here is to be remembered Mr. Thomas Flint, a sincere servant of Christ, who had a fair yearly revenue in England, but having improved for Christ by casting it in the Common Treasury, as it appears in the former part of this history, he waits on the Lord for doubling his talent if it shall seem good unto him so to do, and the meantime spending his person for the good of his people in the office of a Magistrate.'

Thomas Flint … died October 8, 1653, aged 50. His wife Abigail died December 18, 1689, aged 82."

"Thomas Flint.—21, 10, 1651 [December 21, 1651]. I, Thomas Flint of Concord, in New England, intending by the leave of God a voyage ere longe to our native Contrey of England, and not knowing how God may dispose for my returne, doe hereby expresse my mind concerning my worldly estate, leauing both it and my selfe alsoe to the wise hands of him from whom I haue receiued all, to order as may be most for his own glory and the best good of my wife and the Children which God of his grace hath given vnto vs. My Children, being some young and non of them disposed of, I leaue them all vnder the power and government of my wife, by the Councell and advise of my Reverend and Louing freinds, Mr Bulkley, Teacher of our Church of Concord, my brother Flint, Teacher of the Church at Brantrey, Captain Simon Willard, of Concord, and my vncle William Wood, of the same. If God should take mee out of this world by death before my returne vnto my family, not knowing what estate I shall dye seised of, I doe hereby intreat such helpe from my forementioned freinds that the will of God may onely sway in devideing my estate after my death. Whatever my estate at my death shalbe, lesse or more, my mind is, that it should in a principall manner be improved for the good and comfort of my wife, during her life. My Children being all alike deare vnto mee, I desire they may alike partake in the succour and supply of that estate I leave behind mee, the lawe of God being ob served to my first borne, and due acknowledgement given to such as shall most tenderly endeavour the comfort of theire mother. My true intent is, that my estate should be kept & improucd together, to rise and fall vnto the whole family, my wife and children, till some necessary p^rvidence call for some devision of all or of part. If my wife should alter her condition, I leave it to her liberty to choose either the house wherein I now live, together with the accommodations belonging to it, whether meadow or vpland, whereof I am now posessed, on both sides the river, or the farme now in the occupation of Joseph Wheeler, w^th all the accomodations therto belonging, during the terme of her life, and then to descend vpon my children. If any of my Children shall desire his or her p^rportion, either in case of marriage, or vpon other reason, my will is, that my wife w^th my overseers shall have power to determine theire present portion, and the child not to plead and haue his or her whole p^rportion vpon an equall devision; for my mind is, that noe Child shall take forth his or her full part to the vnnecessary detriment of the whole. And therefore, though I intend an equall portion to all my yonger children, first or last, yet if any desire to receiue his or her portion before a generall devision, I leaue it to the discretion of my wife and overseers whether they shall haue all or but a part of that w^ch a generall devision of the estate will cast vpon them. If God call my wife to alter her condition, I desire my Elder Children may Endeavor to keepe the yonger, together w^th themselues, vpon the rest of my estate w^ch is left, after my wife hath made choyce, either of my dwelling house or farme, vnlesse my yonger children, w^th theire portion, goe alonge w^th my wife, after shee is maryed, or if my wife should dye, my yonger children being small, my mind is, they shall continue vnder the care of the elder, and that the elder doe improove the whole estate for the good of all my children, yonger and elder.

Thomas Flint.

Signed & sealed in the p'sence of Joane Hoare, her mark. Henry Flynt.

M^r Henry Flint appearing before M^r Bellingham, y^e Deputy Gou^rn^r, 'M^r Nowell & M^r Hibbins, Attested vpon oath, that his Bro: M^r Tho: Flint, being of good vnderstanding & memory, made this his last will & testament, 2 (1) 1654 [March 2, 1653/54]. Tho. Danforth, Recorder.

Inventory of the estate of M^r Thomas Flint, of Concord, taken 9: 9: 1653 [November 9, 1653]. Prizers, Simon Willard, William Wood, Samuel Basse. Mentions land 'at Bullocks wigwam,' &c; debts due from Mr James Oliver, Mr. Joseph Temple. Mr Daniell Hoare, John Miles, Thomas Hincksman, Baptist Smedley, Joseph Merriam, Henry Wooddis, Thomas Brookes. Debts owing to Majo^r Willard for strong water, & for a debt paid by him to M^r Starre; to Deacon Merriam, Ensigne Savage, Goodman Penticost, Goodman Cutler, George Wheeler.

2: 1: 1654 [March 2, 1653/54]. M^r Henry Flint deposed."