Person:Thomas Gleason (1)

Biography

From The "Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Gleason of Watertown, Mass", by Lillian May Wilson, publ. John Barber White

"Thomas Gleason settled in Framingham near his father, his lot being No. 14, at the southeast corner of Main and Sutton streets; house No. 194. Years later a brick house was built on the same site. He removed to Oxford, Mass. About 1723. On Oct. 3, 1723 he deeded his home lot, House No. 194 to his son Thomas, who sold it to Jacob Cummings Nov. 21, 1726. He and his wife, with about thirty others, were signers of the Covenant, and were the founders of the church in Oxford, Jan. 18, 1720-1. He was one of the Selectmen of Oxford from 1723 to 1726; Constable 1721. On Sept. 6, 1709 he served on a committee in Framingham "to lay out such highways as are needful for the 17 families to go to meeting, and to mill, and market." On tax list June 27, 1710, rated 1s 7d. Thomas and his two brothers, Isaac and John were signers of a petition dated June 11, 1711 to his Excellency Joseph Dudley relative to purchasing 4000 acres from the Indians of Natick.
The site of Howarth's Mill was sold by Abraham Skinner, the original proprietor, to Thomas Gleason in March 1722. This included the house, lot and water privilege of Skinner, located at Augetteback Falls. Thomas, who was a man of means, settled here, built a grist mill and saw mill. His estate included "mills and streams, with homestead and buildings."
The following land transfers, to which Thomas Gleason was party, appear of record.
May 27, 1723, Thomas Gleason deeded to Jonah Gleason, Husbandman, "in consideration of love, good will and affection which I have and do bear toward my well beloved son Jonah Gleason" a certain 61 Lot which Thomas Gleason bought of Joseph Chamberlain, situated & lying in Oxford Village.
Apr. 21, 1724, he deeded to his son Elijah "in consideration of love, good will and affection" a certain sixty acres of land situated on Prospect Hill in Oxford, being the 16th lot by draft in the second range.
May 27, 1723, he also deeded to his son Thomas, who is styled a Husbandman, in consideration of "love, good will and affection" a 40 acre home lot in Oxford Village, together with a certain lot of meadow, which was the 2nd in number-reserving a drift way between the two pieces; also 20 acres of land, being a part of the first 60 acre division, and the second 60 acre lot belonging to the house lot which Thomas, the father, had taken up in Oxford by draft in the 2nd range, and one lot lying in the Great Cedar Swamp in Oxford, being the second lot by draft.
This deed was not registered until Oct. 3, 1723.

Feb. 12, 1721-2, Abraham Skinner, blacksmith, of Oxford, sold to Thomas Gleason of Framingham, in consideration of £200 10s Sundry parcells, messuages of land in Oxford, viz.: a certain 40 acre home lot of land, together with 2 acres of meadow, lying within that home lot, and also a certain piece of upland estimated at one acre and a half; also a certain sawmill standing & being on the River being considered within the home lot, with all the irons appertaining thereto, the Damm & stream belonging to the same.
Jan. 23, 1721, Thomas bo't of Benoni Twitchell, a husbandman of Oxford, for £24, a sixty acre division or tract of land situated in Oxford upon Prospect Hill, being the 16th lot in number of the 2nd division in the 3rd range. [Deed here].
Jan. 28, 1721, Thomas bo't of Joseph Chamberlain, husbandman, of Oxford, for £23 7s a sixty acre lot lying in Oxford, upon the easterly part of Prospect Hill, being the 22nd in number of the 2nd division in the 3rd range."

1. ↑ Deaths, in Oxford, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Oxford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1906)
   p.283.

   GLEASON, Thomas, Sr., [died] Jan. 11, 1731-32.

2. ↑ Excerpt, in Wilson, Lillian May. Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Gleason of Watertown, Mass., 1607-1909. (Haverhill, Mass.: John Barber White, 1909)
   pp.31 - 34 .

   See Personal History