Person:Thomas Purchase (1)

In his will, dated 2 May 1677 and proved but set aside 25 June 1678, "Thomas Purchase Senior ... being now in good health" bequeathed to "my well beloved wife Elizabeth Purchase" one-third part of all my goods chattels, houses and lands (if any standing); to "my five children equally to be divided" two-third parts; the third part which "I have given to my wife my will is that it shall return again unto my five children after her decease"; "my well beloved friends Mr. Henry Jocelin, my cousin Mr. Olliver Purchase of Hamersmith, & my cousin Mr. Edward Alline of Boston" supervisors 20s. each paid by "my son Thomas Purchase"; "my son Thomas Purchase" executor [EPR 3:231].

Petition of "Elizebeth Purchas, widow of Thomas Purchase": "your petitioner's husband being an hundred & one years of age, deceased about five or six weeks since at Lynn, who left behind him besides your petitioner five children to be provided for, and but little or no estate having lost most of what he had by the Indians to the eastward, but it pleased him to make a will which we here withal present unto your Honors, in which will he made his eldest son Thomas Purchas his executor, who by reason he knows not how much his father was indebted, but knows his father left little or no estate behind him besides a parcel of land to the Eastward, and being a young man is fearful to accept of the executorship for fear of involving himself into many troubles. And your petitioner understanding that the law requires either some executor or administrator to be approved of by the next court in the county where the party deceased, humbly supplicates this honored Court that by reason that he that was appointed executor refuseth to accept thereof, humbly requesteth that this Honored Court would be pleased to grant letters of administration to her and her son Thomas or otherwise to order & settle that little estate that is, as in your wisdom you shall think meet." Elizebeth Purchas, Thomas Purchas [EPR 3:232-33].

Sources of information: 1) Dorchester Parish Register. 2) History of Windsor, Vermont Vol 2. 3) Pope's Pioneers, Comp. of American Genealogy V61 VI, pg 110. 4) N.E.H.G. Vol 21, pg 356 & Vol 8 pg 234. 5) Essex County Court Files XXVII 147. 6) Thomas Purchase Will, Essex Index Collections Vol 2, pg 276 974 B 2e.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Thomas Purchase, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995).

   His widow indicated that he was 101 years old at his death. Though generally unlikely, that would be consistent with what is otherwise known about the people thought to be his siblings.