Person:Thomas Gleason (3)

From The "Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Gleason of Watertown , Mass", by Lillian May Wilson

Thomas settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1665, on the east side of Cochituate Pond, or Long Pond, as it was uniformly called in the early records. This pond lies partly In Natick, partly in Sudbury and partly in Framingham. Sept. 29, 1673 he bought by exchange from Benjamin and Mary Rice the northerly one half of eighty acres, which lay between Beaver Dam Brook, Gleason's Pond and Gleason's Hill in Framingham. Gleason's Pond, as it is still called, covers about 13 acres. It was named for Thomas Gleason, and for four generations his descendants lived upon its borders. Thomas' own home was built near it in 1678. Oct 5th, 1678 he was received as an inhabitant in the town of Sherborn, where he enjoyed civil and religious privileges, his estate being taxable there up to 1700. Thomas was a signer of a petition March 3rd, 1692, to the General Court at Boston to purchase adjacent land from the Indians in Natick Bounds for the Incorporation of Framingham. The name of his son Thomas Jr. appears on the same petition. The location of Thomas Gleason's farm near Sudbury is sometimes described as being in Natick's Bounds in the town of Sherborn, but between the years 1667 and 1710 it was recognized as a part of Framingham. The early records show a number of land transfers made by Thomas Gleason. His will, proven Sept. 10, 1705, is as follows:

Will of Thomas Gleason

In the name of God Amen --- the thirtieth Day of April in the Year of our Lord God One Thousand seven hundred and five, I, Thomas Gleason of Sherborn in the County of Middlesex, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in New England (Husbandman) being sick and broak of body, but composed mentally, of disposing mind and memory, Thanks be given unto God therefore, calling unto mind the mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for men Once to Dye, Do therefore make and ordain this my last Will and testament; That is to say, principally and first of all, I Give and recommend my Soul into the hands of God that Gave it: and for my Body I recommend it to the Earth, to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner-nothing doubting, but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me In this Life, I Give, Divide and Dispose of the same in the manner and form following:

ITEM. I give and bequeath to my well beloved son Thomas Gleason and to his assigns three acres of land lying in the town-ship of Sherborn, it being a town right which fell to me in the divided land Lying adjoining to John Eames Land; which is all that I bequeath unto him, the said Thomas Gleason, by reason of the lands he lives on which I formerly passed a deed unto him of.

ITEM. I give and bequeath to my well beloved daughters Patience Gleason and Mary Gleason and to their assigns, all my household goods and household moveables, to be equally divided between them, also to them I bequeath the use and improvement of one of the rooms in my now dwelling house until they shall be married, and no longer.

ITEM. To my son-in-law John Gibbs, who married my daughter Ann Gleason, I give and bequeath Five Shillings in money to be raysed and payed out of my estate.

ITEM. I give and bequeath to my well beloved daughter Sarah Morse, one cow. grands

ITEM. I give and bequeath to my grandson John Gibbs, one cow and his bringing up, and if he shall continue with and faithfully serve my son John Gleason until he arrive at one and twenty years of age, I ordain that my son John Gleason pay unto him ten pounds to be Levyed out of his portion of my Estate.

ITEM. I give and bequeath to my well beloved sons Isaac Gleason and John Gleason (whom I likewise constitute make and ordain the executors of this my last will and testament) all my other estate that may or shall be found after my decease,

1. ↑ Claassen, Judith Gleason. The Origin of Thomas Gleason of Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historical & Genealogical Society, Jan 2014)
   168:13.

   Thomas the son of Thomas Gleson and Susan his wife, [baptized] 21 January 1637/8

2.   Wilson, Lillian May. Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Gleason of Watertown, Mass., 1607-1909. (Haverhill, Mass.: John Barber White, 1909)
   pp. 21-23.

   see Personal History
   Biography, will, inventory, children