Person:Thomas Angell (9)

Origins

Thomas Angell, immigrant, first recorded member of the Angell family in this country, was born in St. Albans, Hertsforshire, England. In Genealogical Gleanings, London (NEHGSR, Vol. 43, pg. 299), Dr. Henry F. Waters quotes Dr. Guild, Brown University librarian, as saying that Angell was "a lad of 14" and servant of Roger Williams. Dr. Waters cites the marriage license of John Pempberton, citizen and grocer of London, and Katherine of St. Thomas Apostle, said city, spinster, daughter of William Angell, of same, citizen and fish monger of London. The will of James Angell, son of this William mentions a wife and six children, among them a son Thomas. In NEHGSR Vol 97, pg. 175, G.A. Moriarty adds "there can be little doubt but that this Thomas is identical with the one who came to New England with Roger Williams."

New England

Legend has it that Thomas accompanied Roger Williams to this country as a young teen aboard the Lyon in 1631, then came with him when he first went to Rhode Island in 1636. (Although there is evidence for this later move from Salem to Providence, there is no evidence of his presence on the Lyon with Williams.) When Williams was ordered to return to England in 1633 due to "religious dissension", he escaped with five supporters, including Thomas. Williams described Thomas as "a lad of Richard Waterman's."

They spent the winter at Seekonk in Plymouth colony, and the following spring they moved to a tract of land farther south which was given to Williams by friendly Indians. This became Providence, where about 20 August 1637 Williams and 13 friends signed a compact to incorporate a 'town of fellowship.'

Thomas's name first appears on a document expressing a desire to be upstanding citizens of Providence, signed by about a dozen young men between 1638 and 1640. In the celebrated will of Williams made in 1638, Thomas Angell received Lot 2, which embraced the present sites of the First Baptist church, the old Normal school, and Angell Street.

Served the town as commissioner, juryman, constable and Town Clerk (the later for nearly 20 years).

1. ↑ Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   1:57.

   THOMAS, Providence, one of the earliest sett. with Roger Williams, one of the freem. 1655, and constable, had James and John, wh. there dwelt 1676, and did not rem. in Philip's war, beside ds. Amphyllis, Mary, Deborah, Alice, and Margery, whose descend. are num. He d. 1694, as is thot. for his will was pro. 18 Sept. of that yr. He came from London, as serv. or apprent. of Roger Williams, as one tradit. has it, but ano. tradit. says, of Richard Waterman. John took o. of alleg. June 1668, and so may have been elder, for James is thus mark. May 1682. Alice m. 26 Jan. 1670, Eleazer Whipple of P. and Mary m. Richard Arnold.

2. ↑ Angell, George N. Genealogy of some descendants of William Angell: great-grandson of Thomas1 Angell, immigrant ancestor of the Angell family. (Portland, Or.: unknown, 1961)
   pg. ii.
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Lovell, Louise Lewis, and Eben Putnam. Israel Angell, colonel of the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979)
   pg. 191.
4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Angell, George N. Genealogy of some descendants of William Angell: great-grandson of Thomas1 Angell, immigrant ancestor of the Angell family. (Portland, Or.: unknown, 1961)
   pg. 23.
5. ↑ -Apprenticed to Roger Williams and embarked with him from Bristol, England in December 1630 on the ship "Lion." After 66 days they arrived in Boston, MA, Feb. 5, 1631. Later they removed to Salem, MA.
   According to Lovell, the tradition that Angell came with Williams from England, is undoubtedly based upon the fact that he was Williams' companion on his short voyage down the river in 1636, and had accompanied him from Salem. There is absolutely no evidence that he accompanied Willaims across the ocean.

Founders of Providence, Rhode Island

Roger Williams was exiled from Massachusetts Bay in June 1636 for his religious beliefs. He settled the area now known as Providence with a few others, and two years in 1638 purchased it from the Narragansett. He then deeded 12/13 of it to twelve other religious dissenters known as the "Original Proprietors." There also exists in City Hall in Providence a manuscript that purports to show the lands of the first settlers, as originally allotted. It is undated, but appears to have been created before about 1650. First Comers with Williams: William Arnold, John Smith, William Harris, Francis Wickes, and possibly Joshua Verin and Thomas Angell Original Proprietors: Stukely Westcott, William Arnold, William Carpenter, John Greene, Thomas James, Robert Cole, William Harris, Thomas Olney, John Throckmorton, Francis Weston, Richard Waterman and Ezekiel Holliman. Other early landowners (from south to north): Robert Williams - Christopher Unthank - William Hawkins - Robert West - Hugh Bewitt - John Lippitt - Matthew Weston - Edward Hart - Thomas Hopkins - Widow Sayer - Widow Tiler - Nicholas Power - William Wickenden - William Man - William Burrow - Adam Goodwin - Thomas Harris - Joshua Winsor - John Field - William Field - Richard Scott - George Rickard - John Warner - Chad Brown - Daniel Abbott - William Reynods - John Sweet - Alice Daniels - Widow Reeve - Benedict Arnold - John Greene Jr. - Edward Manton - Thomas Painter - Matthew Waller - Gregory Dexter Resources: History of the State of Rhode Island - Lands and Houses of the First Settlers of Providence Current Location: Newport County, Rhode Island   Parent Towns: Boston   Daughter Towns: Newport