Person:Thomas Lillibridge (3)

BIOGRAPHY: The Lillibridge Family and its Branches By Joel N. Eno, A. M. The Tuttle Company, Printers Rutland, Vermont 1915 - Page 3 Thomas Lillibridge, the founder of the Lillibridge family in the United States, was born in England in 1662. The reference in East Greenwich, R.I. Land Evidence, v. 2, p. 190, to his oldest daughter "Elizabeth Easton, the wife of Richard Easton of Great Briton in ye County of Devon in ye parish of Chaldon" (i.e. Cheldon, near Chulmleigh, North Devon), offers a clue to the locality whence he emigrated; there is also a "Lillibridge Road" in Brompton, near London. His earliest known American record is as a signer of a petition, dated Newport, Sept. 26, 1699, to the Earl of Bellomont, then in Newport, R.I. to use his influence with "his Majesty" William III, for the establishment of a Church of England at Newport. (S. G. Arnold, History of R.I. vol. 1, p. 599.) This is the original Trinity church, in which Thomas Lillibridge was a warden 1709 and 1713, and where he owned pew 8 till 1719. He was admitted a freeman at Newport May 6, 1701, and was vestryman 1718, 1722-24 in St. Paul's "Narragansett" church, built in 1707, moved to Wickford, about 5 miles north of it original site in 1800; still occasionally in use, and said to be the oldest Episcopal church building north of the Potomac. He settled in old Westerly, 1715, the part originally called Shannock, and incorporated Aug. 22, 1728, as Charlestown, in the section north of the Pawcatuck river which was set off Aug. 18, 1747 as Richmond, R.I. where he died Aug. 29, 1724. "The whole of ye Inventory excepting the slaves (Ming and Ring) is 1160pds 18s." He left by will, dated Aug. 24, 1724, to "my eldest son Thomas.. one of my homested farms..to take which he likes best"; this contains the family burying ground of this son, just west of Richmond town hall and is now known as the "Nelson K. Church place "; a second farm, adjoining, he gave to his son Robert, and it still remains in the Lillibridge family; further in Richmond "a tract of land I bought of Samuel Wilbour," also 100 acres of a tract deeded Nov. 26, 1711 by Thomas Stafford, and a pond in Shannock Purchase; in Newport two dwelling houses, "also a lott of land" bought of Benj. Bull July 10, 1713; also to his four youngest children "all my out lett and unsettled lands, saving only one hundred acres of land lying in the Narrogansett Contry." This last, situated, in East Greenwich, he had already deeded Feb. 16, 1716, to his daughter Elizabeth, as mentioned above. He bequeathed to his brother Edward a maintenance "if he shall come into this country"; and to "John, my brother's son" one riding mare. This John was apparently he who married Mary Joslin in South Kingstown March 29, 1730; admitted freeman, April, 1734; the "Tavern keeper," who bought of John Watson land adjoining Thomas Joslin, 1735; and had John (admitted freeman May, 1757).

1. ↑ Richmond Births and Deaths, in Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850: First series, births, marriages and deaths. A family register for the people. (Narragansett Hist. Publ. Co., 1891)
   30.

   LILLIBRIDGE, Thomas, died, in his 63d year, Aug. 29, 1723 (sic).

2. ↑ Abstracts of Westerly Wills, in Rhode Island Genealogical Register. (Princeton, Massachusetts: A. G. Beaman)
   215-216, April 1984.

   Thomas Lillibridge of Westerly, yeoman. Will dated 24 Aug 1724, proved 28 Sep or 26 Oct 1724, pps. 148-151.
   Wife Sarah.
   Sons: Thomas, eldest, Rogert under age 21, Benjamin, John and Edward - last 3 called 3 youngest sons.
   Daughters: Elizabeth Lillibridge, Cattron Willcox, Sarah Finch wife of George Finch, Mary Lillibridge, Esther Lillibridge under age 21, and Patience Lillibridge, youngest.
   Son-in-law Robert Willcox.
   Brother Edward Lillibridge.
   John Lillibridge my brother's son.
   Capt. Malbone of Newport.
   Isaac George of Newport.
   Land bought of Samuel Wilbur in 1722. Land bought of Benjamin Bull in 1713. Land bought of Thomas Stafford in 1711.
   Servants Ming & Ring.
   Witnesses: Joseph Woodmansee, John Witter and Daniel Brown.