Person:Thomas Jewell (2)

Source:Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol. IV (I-L), p. 62, discusses whether Thomas Jewell had one wife or two. He shows only one, surmising that people like Source:Noyes, Sybil. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire and Source:Backus, Mary Elizabeth Neilson. New England Ancestry of Dana Converse Backus were misled into thinking there were two based on the fact that the birth of Thomas was not recorded but the others were. They certainly don't seem to give any evidence, rather presenting it as a given. Source:Pope, Charles Henry. Pioneers of Massachusetts (1620-1650) goes with one wife, listing Thomas as a twin of Hannah. This idea may be inspired by the fact that a birth in 1640 (necessary to add Thomas as a non-twin) would make Thomas over 30 at time of marriage, but there is no evidence to support Pope, and there appears to be one child in the family in early 1640 which would still want explaining if we don't put Thomas there. Anderson points out that Jacobus in Source:McArthur, Selim Walker. McArthur-Barnes Ancestral Lines leans toward the idea of two wives.

[I tend to agree with Anderson that the timing of births does not suggest a discontinuity of wives and I have found no evidence of two wives. Grissell does not mention several of her living children in her verbal "will", meaning lack of mention of Thomas probably is not indicative of anything. Referring to son Thomas in one petition will just be interpreted as son, or step-son, as the reader is pre-disposed, and is not conclusive either. The problem is not resolvable with the evidence at hand, but it seems like, barring some kind of evidence to prove two distinct wives, that everything is explainable by, and the presumption should be, one wife. --Jrich 10:12, 7 July 2011 (EDT)]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Backus, Mary Elizabeth Neilson. The New England Ancestry of Dana Converse Backus. (Salem, Massachusetts: Backus, 1949)
   96.

   Thomas Jewel came in the ship Planter, 1635, age 27, certified from Kingston, Surrey, d. between 10 Apr 1654 (will) and 21 Jul 1654 (will proved), m. (1) unknown wife, m. "in or about 1641" Grissell Fletcher.