THOMAS HARVEY (Thomas1), born in Somersetshire, England, in 1617, came with his brother William to Dorchester, Mass., in 1636. Two years later he was settled at Cohannet, as is evidenced by the following deposition recorded in Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, Vol. I., p. 38:
"The deposition of Thomas Harvey of Cohannet yeoman aged xxj yeares or thereabout (taken before Thomas Prince, gent., Govr., the eight day of Nov. in the xiiij yeare of his Maj'y Reigne of England 1638).
"The said Thomas Harvey deposeth and sayth, That be this deponent having a bond or writing under the hand and seale of Walter Knight, Carpenter, whereby the said Walter Knight stood endepted in the sume of five pounds sterling unto Mr. Christopher Derby, which was paid for his passage over, the which five pounds is to be payed unto Mr. Richard Derby here, as this deponent was reading the same (at sd Knights request) in the ship as they came over, the said Walter Knight snatched the said bond or writing out of this deponents hand and immediately tore the same in pieces."
Thomas Harvey was not one of the " first and ancient purchasers" of Cohannet (one reason for this being that he was under twenty-one years of age when the purchase was made), but between 1639 and 1642 he and thirteen others were admitted as "proprietors of Taunton" upon the payment of twelve shillings each; by virtue of which payment, it was voted, the new proprietors—known as "12-shilling men"—had "and shall have a right in future divisions of land."
In 1643, by order of the General Court, a list of "all the males able to beare Armes from xvj Yeares old to 60 yeares, within the seurall Towneshipps," was made. Taunton's list (see Plym. Col. Rec, VIII.: 195) contains fifty-four names, and the only Harvey in the list is " Thorn Harvey." (His brother William was at this time living in Boston.)
Thomas Harvey died in Taunton in 1651, aged thirty-four years...
