| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. "The Great Migration Begins," by Robert Charles Anderson:
"Timothy Tomlins
Origin: Unknown
Migration: 1632
First Residence: Cambridge
Removes: Lynn by 1634
Occupation: On 8 September 1636 "Mr. Tymothy Tomlins is licensed to keep a house of entertainment at Saugust" [MBCR 1:180]. In a case before Salem court on 9 July 1645, Timothy Tomlins deposed of William Prichett [Pritchard] that "[m]y wife and I were out of the house, and he drew more wine himself and drank too much" [EQC 1:82].
Church Membership: Admission to a Massachusetts Bay church prior to 4 March 1632/3 implied by freemanship.
Freeman: 4 March 1632/3 [MBCR 1:367].
Education The various tasks assigned Timothy Tomlins by the General Court presuppose some education.
Offices: "Mr. Tymothy Tomlyns" appointed to a committee to oversee the "powder & shot, & all other ammunition, in the several plantations where they live," 3 September 1634 [MBCR 1:125]; committee "to consider of the act of Mr. Endicott, in defacing the colors," 6 May 1635 [MBCR 1:145]; committee to make a colony-wide tax assessment, 8 September 1636, 1 August 1637 [MBCR 1:180, 201]; committee to "settle the bounds between Charistowne, Boston, & Linn," 6 June 1639 [MBCR 1:263]; committee "to set out the nearest, cheapest, safest, & most convenient way between Linn & Winnetsemet," 13 May 1640 [MBCR 1:289].
Deputy from Lynn to General Court, 3 March 1634/5, 8 September 1636, 18 April 1631, 17 May 1637, 26 September 1637, 2 November 1637, 12 March 1637/8, 2 May 1638, 13 March 1638/9, 22 May 1639, 13 May 1640, 7 October 1640 [MBCR 1:135, 178, 192, 194, 204, 205, 220, 227, 250, 256, 288, 301].
Essex jury, 27 June 1636 (foreman), 26 December 1637, 25 January 1641/2 [EQC 1:3, 7, 33]; grand jury, 26 December 1643, 9 July 1644 [EQC 1:57, 62].
Estate: Granted ten acres at Cambridge, on the west side of the river, 4 August 1634 [CaTR 8]. From the evidence of a mutilated entry in the Cambridge land inventory on 1 May 1635, this was the only parcel of land that he held [CaBOP 5].
Received eighty acres in the Lynn land grant of 1638 [EQC 2:270]. (Essex County deeds from 1660 and later refer to land granted to Timothy Tomlins by Lynn [ELR 2:5, 6, 3:43].)
On 28 September 1641, John Winthrop caused a statement to be recorded indicating that any persons claiming part of Long Island without leave from the Earl of Sterling, who held the King's patent, did so illegally. He specifically mentioned that "Edward Tomlins and Timothy Tomlins, together with one Hansard Knowles, clerk, & others, have lately entered and taken possession of some part of the Longe Iland..." and called them intruders [SLR 1:21-22]. The General Court seconded, this warning, directly ordering that "Mr. Edward [Tomlins] & Tymo: Tomlins, with John Poole, were admonished not to go to the Dutch because of scandal & offence" [MBCR 1:337].
Birth: Baptized Todenham, Gloucestershire, 11 January 1606/7, son of Edward and Mary ( ) Tomlins.
Death: Probably by 17 March 1645/6 when Elizabeth (Spencer) Tomlins appears as a widow, but certainly by December 1647 (when Nicolas Batty of Lynn was appointed guardian of the children of William Ballard in place of Timothie Tomlins who had since deceased [TAG 41:111, EQC 1:131]).
Marriage: Probably Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Gerrard Spencer [TAG 41:109-18].
Child:
i Samuel, named in uncle Samuel's 1661 will [Waters 598].
Associations: Edward Tomlins of Lynn was brother of Timothy. (See sketch of Edward for further discussion of other possible relationships.)
Comments: By analysis of the committee of 3 September 1634 and the list of deputies of 3 March 1634/5, Timothy Tomlins is found to be representing Lynn in both cases.
On 7 March 1636/7 the General Court noted that "Tymothy Tomlins was contented to take only 10s. of John Stretton" [MBCR 1:194]; the details of the matter in dispute are not evident.
In Essex court on various dates between 31 December 1639 and 27 August 1644 as witness, surety or plaintiff [EQC 1:14, 22, 32, 45, 52, 64, 70]."
2. "The Great Migration," by Robert Charles Anderson:
"Jared Spencer
Origin: Stotfold, Bedford.
Migration: 1634 (based on grant of land at Cambridge on 1 September 1634 [CaTR 10]).
First Residence: Cambridge.
Removes Lynn 1636, Hartford 1660, Haddam 1662...
Associations: Jared Spencer was brother of William Spencer {1631, Cambridge} [GMB 3:1721-25], Thomas Spencer {1633, Cambridge} [GMB 3:1718-21], and Michael Spencer {1634, Cambridge} [TAG 27:84].
Elizabeth, the wife of Timothy Tomlins {1632, Cambridge}, was probably sister of Jared Spencer [TAG 41:109-18; GMB 3:1828-30]..."
3. FHL book 929.273 Sp33 "The Spencers of the Great Migration," by Jack Taif Spencer and Edith Woolley Spencer (Gateway Press, Baltimore; 1997) vol. 1, pp. 141-155:
"The Tomlins Brothers of Early New England and the Linkage with the Spencers of Bedfordshire, England
I. Origins of The Tomlins Family in England
The genealogy of the "Four Spencer Brothers" of Stotfold, county Bedfordshire, England, has been discussed in some detail in earlier publications from the present authors. The "Brothers", all of whom came to New England, were:
William Spencer (1601-1640)
Thomas Spencer (1607-1687)
Michael Spencer (1611-1653)
Gerard Spencer (1614-1683)
The Spencer brothers came to New England in the early 1630s, almost certainly as passengers in the first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet. William Spencer played an important role in the activities of the Massachusetts Bay Company and was a co-founder of both Cambridge (Newe Towne), Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut. Thomas Spencer was a co-founder of Hartford and a veteran of the Pequot War of 1637. Both Michael and Gerard were among the earliest settlers in both Newe Towne and Lynn, Massachusetts.
It is not widely known that the Four Spencer Brothers had a sister, Elizabeth Spencer (b. 1602), who also came to New England, but whose history is shrouded in the dim ages of the past. The absence of any historical statements on Elizabeth is not unexpected because references to the wives of the early pioneers is almost totally lacking. Our only alternative is to study the records of their spouses and from that limited source attempt to visualize the life and experiences of the females in the wilderness of New England.
Elizabeth Spencer was married to Timothy Tomlins (Tomlyns), a member of a large family which was native to county Gloucestershire, England. The identification of the Tomlins family stems largely from the will of Samuel Tomlins "minister of Northaw in the county of Hertford" which was proved 11 October 1661. The Tomlins siblings of Samuel were listed as follows (not in order of birth):
Samuel Tomlins (-1661); m. Sara Washborne
Edward Tomlins (b. ca. 1605 - living in 1661)
Thomas Tomlins
Timothy Tomlins (d. 1645?) m. Elizabeth Spencer (b. 1602)
Ralph Tomlins
Mary Tomlins m. Thomas Willis of Lynn, Mass.
Elizabeth Tomlins; m. Nicholas Byfield
Ingra Tomlins
Benjamin Tomlins (possibly a son of Edward?)
We shall focus only on the three Tomlins siblings: Edward, Timothy, and Mary who came to New England even in advance of the "Great Migration" which dated from 1630 when the first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet put in their appearance at Boston.
From the records of C.E. Banks, Edward Tomlins was listed as a passenger on the "Four Sisters" which sailed from Gravesend on 5 April 1629 bound for Salem. This ship had been preceded in March of the same year by a group of six ships carrying 350 passengers. The surprising feature of this "convoy" was the fact that it preceded the first six vessels of the Winthrop fleet by one year. Although some of the passengers of 1629 remained at Salem, others eventually settled at Charlestown, Boston, Lynn, and Plymouth.
Neither Timothy Tomlins nor Mary Tomlins were identified as passengers on the "Four Sisters". However, only a handful of names actually were known, so there is no means of determining whether more than one of the Tomlins was present on this ship or others in the group.
Timothy and Edward Tomlins both became prominent in the affairs of the Massachusetts Bay Company and its governing arm, the General Court. Both brothers were important citizens of Lynn, one of the towns which came under the jurisdiction of the General Court. Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins, also served as a deputy to the General Court.
We know that the parents of the Tomlins siblings, Edward and Mary Tomlins, were natives of co. Gloucester, but whether their children remained there before coming to New England, it is difficult to say. The REV. Samuel Tomlins, whose will we referenced earlier, was living at Northaw, Herts, just south of the area in Bedfordshire which was the home of the five Spencer siblings. Could the two families have been in contact before the emigration? This is a distinct possibility since the historians at Lynn have noted that all the early settlers who came in 1630 were heads of families.
There is something of an anomaly in the religious affiliations of the Tomlins siblings. It is presumed that the Rev. Samuel Tomlins was a Vicar of the Church of England. On the other hand, his brothers Edward and Timothy (and probably sister Mary), had close ties to the Puritans of New England or they would not have been participants in this great adventure. It would be interesting if we knew more about the history of the Tomlins family because of these apparent divergent religious affiliations.
Although the Tomlins seem to have been native to Gloucestershire, we note that C.E. Banks (an authority on the Great Migration) had the residence of Edward Tomlins listed as St. Dunstan-in-the-West, London. St. Dunstan was a famous old church on the north side of Fleet Street, dating from the 13th century. This area later became well known because of the "Old Cheshire Cheese" coffee shop and its relationship to several famous writers of the seventeenth century such as Dr. Johnson, Goldsmith, and Boswell.
II. The Arrival in New England
We note from the "History of Lynn" (Newhall) that fifty male settlers were listed in the influx of 1630 and all were identified as "heads of families". Both Edward and Timothy Tomlins were identified on this list of fifty settlers, as was Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins. Newhall gives the distinct impression that these fifty settlers were passengers on one or more of the first eleven vessels of the Winthrop Fleet which reached New England in 1630.
A much different and undoubtedly more accurate record is provided by C.E. Banks who identifies Edward Tomlins as a passenger on one of six ships reaching New England a year in advance of the Winthrop vessels of 1630. These earlier vessels of 1629 did not sail as a unified "convoy", but rather came from several widely scattered ports in England with approximately 350 passengers. The six vessels were Talbot, Lyon's Whelp, Lyon, George Bonaventure, Four Sisters, and the Mayflower. In some cases, specific names of passengers could not be correlated with specific ships. Such was the case with Edward Tomlins.
Thus, it is clear that the arrival of the Tomlins families in New England was quite different from the arrival of the Four Spencer Brothers who almost certainly came with the Winthrop vessels of 1630 or 1631. Edward and Timothy Tomlins most likely spent the first year at Salem and then moved on to Lynn as part of the fifty families which came to Lynn in 1630. The same scenario undoubtedly applied to Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins.
One of the striking aspects of the prior arrival of the Tomlins families in advance of the Spencer Brothers is the real possibility that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was in New England a year in advance of her brothers that is, 1629 compared to 1630. It seems certain that the Spencer Brothers (at least the two older ones, William and Thomas) could not have come before 1630 when the first vessels of the Winthrop Fleet came to Boston. We know Edward and Timothy Tomlins came in 1629 in advance of the Winthrop Fleet. The historian of Lynn (Newhall) states that all the males who came to Lynn in 1630 were heads of families. In any event, we have a strong probability that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins arrived in the New World in advance of her brothers and may have been the trigger which launched her male siblings upon the "Great Adventure."
Both Timothy and Edward Tomlins became prominent in the affairs of the Massachusetts Bay Company and in its governing arm, the General Court. Both brothers were important citizens of Lynn, one of the towns which came under the jurisdiction of the General Court.
Savage also noted the presence of Ralph Tomlins in Massachusetts in 1636, but we find no mention of his name in any of the other early records. He was known to be a sibling of Edward and Timothy.
Before concluding the story of the arrival of the Tomlins siblings in New England, we must note that the name of Edward Tomlins appears once again as a passenger on the Susan and Ellen in 1635. His age was noted as 30 years. Also on the same ship was Benjamin Tomlins, age 18. There has been no agreement on the identity of this later Edward Tomlins. Some believe he was a son or a nephew of the Edward Tomlins who came to Salem in 1629 and to Lynn in 1630. Savage states that Edward of Lynn removed to Long Island (as did some other Lynn residents), but returned to Lynn in 1644 and eventually went back to London and thence to Dublin in 1679. The year 1645 may have been a turning point for the Tomlins families in Lynn because this marked the approximate year of Timothy'S death. There is further evidence that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins returned to England because she was a beneficiary in the will of RichardA Spencer, proved 8 June 1646. (Waters) In this will, Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was named a co-beneficiary (along with two other female relatives) of a messuage in Grace Church Street, London. Such an arrangement of income from property in England would have seemed unlikely if Elizabeth had remained in New England.
Elizabeth and Timothy Tomlins had one child, Samuel Tomlins, who is mentioned in the will of the Rev. Samuel Tomlins of Northaw, Herts, in 1661.
III. The Beginnings of Lynn, Massachusetts, and the Distribution of Land Allotments.
The beginnings of Lynn, Massachusetts, occurred even before the arrival of the first ships of the Winthrop Fleet at Salem in June of 1630. Indeed, the settlement at Lynn was begun by a handful of settlers from Salem in June of 1629. Unfortunately, the names have not been preserved, but the group was believed to consist of about five heads of families and a total of about 20 persons. We are greatly handicapped by a lack of original records on Lynn since none are known to be extant before the year of 1691.
The year of 1630 represented a milestone in the history of Saugus (Lynn) when the first ships of the Winthrop Fleet arrived at Salem and fifty heads of families decided to settle at Saugus.
The impression is created by Newhall that these fifty families were passengers on the first ships of the Winthrop Fleet which arrived in 1630. As discussed earlier, such was not the case, at least for Edward and Timothy Tomlins, who had come to Salem in 1629, a year ahead of the Winthrop vessels of 1630. No doubt there many others who came to Lynn in 1630 who actually were passengers in the six vessels of 1629 which had no apparent connection with the Winthrop Fleet of 1630.
The identity of the wife of Edward Tomlins never has been ascertained. One historian (Savage) listed another brother, Ralph Tomlins, as present in Massachusetts in 1636, but there is no further information on this individual. The same comment pertains to Benjamin Tomlins who came to New England in 1635.
A review of the history of Saugus (Great Migration Project) reveals a population which was distinct from most of the other towns under the Massachusetts Bay Company. They were a well-to-do class (perhaps wealthy?), each of whom came to New England with one or more male servants. Several of the emigrants carried the designation of "Mr." (Master). Such an appellation represented a class above that of the average "yeoman" who might be addressed as "Goodman" or "Goodwife". Despite a population of upper class individuals at Lynn, it did not seem to result in any sizeable land allotments in the first years of the town. This land policy apparently changed after a half dozen years or so when large landowners appeared on the town list. Thomas Willis, for instance, emerged as an owner of 500 acres, while his brother-in-law Edward Tomlins had 220 acres and Timothy Tomlins had 80 acres. Sometimes the acreage reflected an occupational status, for it was common for artisans (as one example) to have smaller land allotments. The Tomlins were engaged in several business enterprises (such as the corn mill) and hence probably had little need for large acreages of land.
As a first step, the early settlers received grants of a small lot for a house, varying in size from two to fifteen acres. Usually the size was about five acres. In addition, they had a small area of marsh or meadow and some plowland. It was apparent in these early years that the allotments of sizeable acreages were not considered of great value. These patterns of limited land distribution were quite customary in the towns under the control of the Bay Company. Saugus, however, probably was one of the slower towns in increasing land allotments.
Another interesting aspect of the slow development of Saugus was the rate at which heads of families achieved the rank of "Freeman". The MBC elevated 118 heads to "Freeman" on 18 May 1631, of whom only three were from Saugus. "Mr." Edward Tomlins was one these, a clear indication that Edward was one of the leaders in the community of more than fifty families.
Also of significance for the Tomlins family was the choice of two men for Freemanship from Saugus on 4 March 1632. One of these men was Timothy Tomlins. Clearly the Tomlins brothers were at the forefront in the early history of Saugus.
Perhaps the delay in electing Freemen at Saugus was caused by friction within the town church. The congregation was split into opposing factions and the early church was held in disfavor by such powerful figures as John Winthrop at Newe Towne. These difficulties were not resolved until 1636 when a reorganization of the church gave it a new lease on life.
IV. The Chronological History for the Tomlins Brothers and Thomas Willis
Almost the entire bulk of the records on the Tomlins family is to be found in six publications. The most important is the official record of the General Court of the MBC which was compiled by Nathaniel Shurtleff in 1853. The symbol "MBC" will designate this source. The letters "HL" will designate the "History of Lynn" by Lewis and Newhall, 1899. Under the same letters will be records found in the "History of Essex County" by D.H. Hurd, 1888. The letters "NR" will identify "The History of Cambridge" by L.R. Paige or "The Records of Cambridge 1630-1703" published in 1901. The letters "GMP" will identify the "Great Migration Project", a special study sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) since 1990.
1629-HL: A small group of men from Naumkeag (Salem) establish a settlement at Saugus (Lynn). This was three years after the settlement at Salem and one year before the arrival of the first Winthrop vessels at Boston.
1630-HL: Fifty new families appear at Saugus (there apparently were no unmarried males). Among the fifty heads of families were Edward and Timothy Tomlins and Thomas Willis.
18 May 1631-MBC: Mr. Edward Tomlins made a Freeman this date. (This clearly implied that Edward had achieved membership in the Puritan Church. He was a carpenter and built the first mill at Lynn in 1633. Of the 188 Freemen elevated this date, only three were from Saugus.)
4 March 1632-MBC: Timothy Tomlins was elevated to Freeman on the same date as William Spencer (at Newe Towne), but one year after his brother Edward had been made a Freeman.
14 May 1632-MBC: Mr. Edward Tomlins and John Sanford "are intreated by the Court to take notice of the ordnances, powder and shott, and to make reports to the next Court in what condition they are in." (This is the second mention of Edward Tomlins in the records of the General Court of the MBC).
12 July 1633-HL: The inhabitants at Lynn grant Mr. Edward Tomlins the privilege to build a corn mill at the mouth of the stream which flows from the Flax Pond. (Originally this pond was known as "Tomlins Pond". Of historical interest is the fact that the "Walden Pond" made famous by Thoreau is barely a stone's throw west of Tomlins Pond).
4 March 1634-MBC: The General Court meets at Boston. The Deputies who were present included William Spencer (for Newe Towne), John Spencer (for Ipswich), and Timothy Tomlins (for Lynn). Captain Mason was present who became the leader of the militia in the Pequot War of 1637. (This is the first mention of Timothy Tomlins in the records of the General Court of MBC).
14 May 1634-MBC: The General Court meets at Boston. Mr. Willis listed as present. (This is the first mention of Thomas Willis, the husband of Mary Tomlins Willis).
4 August 1634-NR Timothy Tomlins was granted ten acres of land on the west side of the River at Newe Towne. (The question arises as to how this entry can be reconciled with the presence of Timothy at Lynn dating from the year 1630. Newhall states that "Timothy was one of the first proprietors at Newe Towne, but he did not reside there." If this statement is true, could it mean that Timothy simply saw an opportunity to acquire land at Newe Towne and preserve it for possible future usage? Such an acquisition would have been contrary to the prescribed rules in the Bay towns, all of which had locked in the system of certain privileges reserved for the original settlers. However, Timothy Tomlins had visited Newe Towne earlier that year to attend the meeting of the General Court and no doubt was well acquainted with the established rules. Also, his brother-in-law, William Spencer, was a prominent figure in the circles of Newe Towne and might have used his influence on behalf of Timothy. There is no easy means of determining why Timothy possibly could have been a landowner at Newe Towne.
There is one aspect of the relationships between the Spencer and Tomlins families which should not be overlooked. This is the removal of the two younger Spencer brothers (Michael and Gerard) to Lynn from Newe Towne after several years at the latter location. It would seem highly probable that the presence of the Tomlins siblings at Lynn, as well as the presence of Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins, was the magnet which drew the Spencer brothers to the same location. These families also had the advantage of close communications due to the frequent visits of both Edward and Timothy Tomlins as deputies to the meetings of the General Court both at Newe Towne and at Boston.
3 September 1634-MBC: Timothy Tomlins was appointed as overseer of the powder and shot and all other ammunition in the Saugus plantation. (The appointment of Timothy was similar to other appointments made for each of the towns under the Bay Company).
On this same date, the Court issued the following directive: "It is ordered that Mr. Edward Tomlins, or any other put in place by the commissioners for war, shall have power to press men and carts, for ordering wages, to help towards the making of such carriages and wheels as are wanting for ordnances."
These two appointments for the Tomlins brothers indicate they were very much involved in the defensive arrangements for Saugus in the period leading up to the Pequot War of 1637.
6 May 1635-MBQ: Timothy Tomlins, along with eleven other committee members, (including William Spencer of Newe Towne) was appointed "to consider the act of Mr. Endicott in defacing the colonies (?) and to report to the Court how far they judge it to be censureable." (This seems comparable to the establishment of a grand jury for investigative purposes).
2 September 1635-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Edward Tomlins is listed as a Deputy from Lynn. (This is the first mention of Edward as a Deputy to the General Court. He had been preceded by his brother Timothy in March of 1634 and his brother-in-law Thomas Willis in May of 1634).
March 1636-HL: Timothy Tomlins was licensed as a retailer at Lynn "to draw wine for the town of Saugus." He also was licensed to "keep a house of entertainment." (The latter item probably should be interpreted to mean "tavern" or "bar").
7 June 1636-MBC: Timothy Tomlins, along with William Spencer and Joseph Andrews, was placed on a committee to examine debts of persons as well as debts of the country.
8 September 1636-MBC: The General Court meets at Boston. There were 30 Deputies in attendance, including Mr. Timothy Tomlins (Lynn), Mr. William Spencer (Newe Towne), and Mr. JohnSpencer (Ipswich).
Undated 1637-HL: "Jarrett" Spencer settles at Lynn.
18 April 1637-BBC: The General Court meets at Boston, including LEIFT. Spencer and Timothy Tomlins. This was a special meeting for prosecuting the war against the Pequot Indians. All towns were assigned quotas of men for war service to make up a total of 160 in the Bay militia.
17 May 1637-MBC: The General Court was held at Newe Towne. Among the 32 Deputies were Timothy Tomlins and Mr. William Spencer. Further instructions for the Pequot War included the designation of Sgt. Tomlins (Timothy) as "canonere". (Probably signifies "chief of artillery").
August 1637-MBC: The General Court sets levies against 13 towns amounting to a total of 400 pounds. Representatives from the various towns agree to the local rates. Mr. Timothy Tomlins represented Saugus.
26 September 1637-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Among the 27 Deputies were Timothy Tomlins and William Spencer. The Court orders a day of public thanksgiving for the successful campaign against the Pequots.
2 November 1637-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Among the 31 Deputies was Timothy Tomlins. (There was no mention of any representation from the Spencer family).
20 November 1637-HL: The name of "Saugus" was changed to "Lynn".
Undated 1638-HL: "The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts" was organized. This was a forerunner of the local militia in America. The origin of the AHACM dates back to the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547) in England. Six men from Lynn were among the first members, including Edward Tomlins. (Timothy Tomlins was not on the list of 1638).
March 1638-HL: At Lynn, a committee which had been appointed to divide the lands, completed their task. The allotments had a wide range, but usually were 30 to 60 acres. Only a small number of men exceeded 100 acres and several were as low as 10 acres.
One of the three largest landowners was Thomas Willis who had 500 acres. Edward Tomlins had 220 acres, while Timothy Tomlins had 80 acres.
The Spencer brothers, Michael and "Jarrett," each 30 acres. Here we see that the Tomlins families were several notches above the Spencer brothers in respect to land ownership at Lynn. I seems certain that this is a reflection of the fact that the Tomlins brothers would have been considered original proprietors and hence eligible for higher allotments than the Spencer brothers who had come on the scene at Lynn a few years after the original settlement. Actually, it is somewhat surprising that the Tomlins brothers had any substantial acreage allotted to them due to the fact that they were involved in several commercial enterprises rather than being restricted to "tillers of the soil". Their business interests included milling, liquor sales, and participation in the fishing industry at nearby Nahant.
12 March 1638-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Thirty Deputies present, including Mr. William Spencer and Mr. Timothy Tomlins. At this meeting the Court ordered that all towns under its jurisdiction compile a compendium of local laws. The central committee of seven members, including Mr. William Spencer, was to make a summary of these laws "adding yet to the same or detracting therefrom and present a report to the Court."
2 May 1638-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Among the 32 Deputies was Timothy Tomlins. (There was no mention of William Spencer as a Deputy, although the Court approved a grant of 300 acres to William along the Alewife River near Concord).
13 March 1639-MBC: The General Court meets at Boston. Among the 33 Deputies was Timothy Tomlins. (Although William Spencer was not listed as a Deputy, he was named along with three others to be members of "The Military Company of Massachusetts").
13 May 1639-HL: A committee of three, including Timothy Tomlins, was appointed to lay out the nearest, cheapest, safest way between Lynn and the Winnismet ferry.
Also, Timothy Tomlins and William Hathorne, who had been appointed to lay out the bounds of Lynn. made a report that they had fixed the bounds at the Charlestowne line, Reading Pond, the Ipswich River, and Salem.
Undated 1640-NR: Edward Tomlins reportedly removed to Long Island, but soon returned to Lynn. Presumably he returned to England in 1644. (As noted previously, there is a possibility that there were two Edward Tomlins, one being a son or nephew of the earlier Edward at Lynn. There has been no confirmation of this hypothesis). (There was also a report that Edward Tomlins was in Dublin in 1679).
September 1640-HL: At the September Court in Salem, John Pickering was found guilty in a defamation suit brought by Timothy Tomlins and ordered to pay damages.
1 June 1641-HL: Edward Tomlins at Lynn, having been arraigned for expressing opinions against singing in the churches, was discharged, he having retracted.
June 1642-HL: Mr. Edward Tomlins at Lynn "was appointed by the Court as a Commissioner to treat with the Indians." He also was appointed Clerk of Writs.
Undated 1644-HL: Edward Tomlins was a Deputy to the General Court. (This is the last record of the Tomlins brothers in the History of Lynn. From the probate records in England, it appears that Timothy Tomlin had died in 1645. Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins was listed as a widow and beneficiary in the will of RichardA Spencer, proved 8 June 1646. Elizabeth was designated as a co-beneficiary with the Bland sisters for income from certain properties located in London. This bequest carries the implication that Elizabeth may have returned to England after the death of her husband, Timothy Tomlins).
V. The Significance of the Chronological Record for the Tomlins Siblings and their Spencer Relatives.
The genealogy of the "Four Spencer Brothers" of county Bedfordshire, England, who came to New England in the early 1600s, was extensively documented a half century ago in The American Genealogist by Donald Lines Jacobus. However, little information was available on their sister, Elizabeth1 Spencer (1602-), who also was an early New England settler along with her husband, Timothy Tomlins. This gap in the records on Elizabeth can be remedied to some degree by looking at the history of Timothy Tomlins and his brother, Edward Tomlins.
Fortunately for the historian-genealogist, the Tomlins brothers were prominent leaders in their community of Lynn (Saugus), Massachusetts, just as the Spencer brothers were among the leaders in Newe Towne (Cambridge), Massachusetts, and Hartford and East Haddam, Connecticut.
We can make an assessment of the roles played by the Tomlins brothers largely by their participation in the activities of the governing body of the Massachusetts Bay Company, that is the General Court. During the early years of the Commonwealth, this Court exercised all the legislative executive, and judicial functions for at least thirteen towns under their control. The members of the original Court were known as "Assistants", but later they were aided in their deliberations by representatives (Deputies) from each town in the Commonwealth, usually being limited to two persons.
Neither the Tomlins or the Spencer brothers attained the rank of an Assistant on the Court, but on the other hand, during the decade of the 1630s, both families had members who were constantly present as Deputies at countless meetings in both Newe Towne (Cambridge) and Boston. Consequently, their lives were closely intertwined in apolitical as well as a family sense. One of the results of this close relationship probably was the eventual settlement of two of the younger Spencer brothers (Michael and Gerard) at Lynn after living their earliest years at Newe Towne.
Recently, the "Great Migration Project" of the New England Historic Genealogical Society has described the early settlers at Lynn as being mostly of the wealthy class, with one or several male servants, in contrast to so many settlers in other towns in the Bay area who were predominantly of the yeoman class largely oriented to agricultural pursuits.
It is quite apparent that the Tomlins brothers at Lynn did not fit into the yeoman class. Edward Tomlins was a carpenter and built an early mill at Lynn, perhaps the first in that area. Timothy, on the other hand, seemed adept at a variety of enterprises. He had an early liquor (wine) license at Lynn and also was authorized to operate a "house of entertainment" (tavern?).
In addition to their commercial interests, both Tomlins brothers were very active participants in the military defense of the settlements. The decade of the 1630s was characterized by intensive conflicts with the Indians, highlighted by the Pequot War of 1637. Timothy Tomlins was especially prominent in his capacity as "overseer" of the ordnance at Lynn and in his capacity as "canonere". It does not appear that either of the Tomlins brothers actually served in an active field capacity against the Indians (as did Sgt. Thomas Spencer), but rather might be considered as "quartermasters" in modern military terminology. Not only were they keepers of the ordnance, but also they were active in a production capacity related to "carriages and wheels" for military operations. The fact that Edward Tomlins in 1638 became a charter member of the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts" (as did William Spencer) is an indication of the esteem in which he was held by the General Court of the Bay Company.
Finally, what was the fate of the Tomlins brothers and especially of Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins? We need a great deal more research both in America and in England to elucidate an answer. We do know that Timothy Tomlins died at a relatively young age, probably in his mid-forties at Lynn in 1645. In this respect, his life was similar to that of his brother-in-law, William Spencer, who died at Hartford in 1640, barely 39 years of age. As we noted earlier, there is some evidence that Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins returned to England after the death of her husband. Elizabeth and Timothy Tomlins were known to have had a son, Samuel Tomlins, of whom nothing further is found in the records.
As for Edward Tomlins, it seems certain that he was still living in 1661 when the will of his brother, Samuel Tomlins, was proved on 11 October 1661 in county Hertfordshire, England. Not only was Edward named as a beneficiary, but the same was true for Samuel Tomlins, the son of Timothy and Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins. Just where Edward Tomlins was living at this stage in his life is a matter of conjecture. The last record of Edward at Lynn was in 1644 when he was chosen as a Deputy to the General Court of the Commmonwealth. Since there is no further mention of Edward Tomlins in the history of Lynn, it would be reasonable to expect that Edward, like his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Spencer Tomlins and her son Samuel, may all have returned to England. Some of the historians (such as Paige) believed that Edward Tomlins was living in Dublin in 1679.
As a final note, we do find a mention of a widow of Thomas Tomlins at Hartford in 1685 in the records of "Distribution of Lands". Elizabeth Tomlins had married a second time to John Large. Exactly how Thomas Tomlins was related to Edward and Timothy is unknown, although the earlier brothers at Lynn did have a sibling named Thomas. On the other hand, perhaps the Thomas Tomlins of Hartford was of the second generation. The exact relationship may not be known until much more research is done on the surname of Tomlins.
References:
Banks, C.E. "The Planters of the Commonwealth". Gen. Publ. Co., Baltimore, 1979.
Hurd, D. Hamilton (Editor). "History of Essex County, Massachusetts". Chap. XIII, "Lynn", by James R. Newhall, 1888.
Jacobus, Donald Lines. "The Four Spencer Brothers, Their Ancestors and Descendants". The American Genealogist. Beginning Vol. 27, No. 106, April 1951. Vol. 27-30. 1951-1954. (96 pp.).
Lewis, A. & J.R. Newhall "History of Lynn, Essex County, Mass., including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott, and Nahant, 1629-1864". Publ. at Lynn by G.C. Herbert, 1899.
McCracken, George E. "Tomlyns, Willis, and Byfield - Elizabeth Spencer's Tomlyn Relatives". The American Genealogist, Vol.144, No. 1, Jan. 1965.
Newhall, J.R. "History of Lynn, 1864-1890". Publ. at Lynn by George C. Herbert, 1890.
Paige, L.R. "History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877". Cambridge University Press, 1877.
Savage, James. "A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England". Four Vol., Gen. Publ. Co., Baltimore, 1990.
Shurtleff, N.B. (Editor). "Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England". Six Vol., Boston, 1853. Vol. I: 1628-1641.
Spencer, Jack T., Edith W. Spencer, Virgil Spencer. "A Comparative Analysis of Genealogical Records for Ancestors of the Four Spencer Brothers in England". Le Despencer, Jour. of Spencer Hist. Gen. Soc. Vol. 17, 1993.
Waters, Henry F. "Genealogical Gleanings in England". Two Vol. 1907. Reprint Gen. Publ. Co. of Baltimore, 1981.
"Great Migration Newsletter. "Focus on Lynn", New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1990.
"Original Distribution of the Lands in Hartford (Conn.) Among the Settlers, 1639". Conn. Hist. Soc. Collections, Vol. XIV, 1912."
4. FHL book 929.273 Sp33 "The Spencers of the Great Migration," by Jack Taif Spencer and Edith Woolley Spencer (Gateway Press, Baltimore; 1997) vol. 1, partial excerpts concerning Timothy Tomlins from pp. 115-133 (see one of the four Spencer brothers for the full transcript and references):
"The Four Spencer Brothers of Bedfordshire in the Earliest Records of New England.
I. The Beginnings of the Massachusetts Bay Company.
The voluminous records of the Massachusetts Bay Company (six volumes) were commenced in England in 1628. After the arrival at Boston of the first six ships of the Winthrop Fleet in the summer of 1630, the records were maintained either at Boston or at Newe Towne (Cambridge). Weshall review all the entries for the decade from 1630 to 1640 because this is the period in which the Four Spencer Brothers (William, Thomas, Michael, and Gerard) first lived at Newe Towne in Massachusetts. Their sister Elizabeth, who was married to Timothy Tomlins, probably also spent some early years at Newe Towne since we believe Timothy was a resident there when he first went to New England...
II. The Chronological Records
The entire data found in the records of the General Court of the MBC as well as those kept for Newe Towne (and the Proprietors' Records) will be given in chronological order. The following abbreviations will be used:
MBC: Records of the General Court of the MBC.
NR: Newe Towne (Cambridge) Records, including those known as the "Proprietors' Records".
HL: The History of Lynn (generally by Lewis & Newhall).
4 March 1634-MBC: General Court meets at Boston. William Spencer (Newe Towne), John Spencer (Ipswich), and Timothy Tomlins (Lynn). John Spencer legally elected as "Deputy" from Ipswich. Capt. Mason present (probably the leader of the militia in the Pequot War of 1637).
6 May 1635-MBC: Mr. Spencer and Timothy Tomlins on a committee of thirteen (Jury?) "to consider the act of Mr. Endicott, in defacing the col's (colony?) and to report to the Court how far they consider it censureable." (It seems likely that Mr. Endicott had sent an unfavorable letter to England regarding the governance of the MBC).
2 September 1635-MBC: General Court meets at Newe Towne. There were 28 Deputies (Townsmen) present, including Mr. John Spencer (Ipswich) and Edward Tomlins (Lynn).
8 September 1636-MBC: General Court meets at Boston. Thirty "Deputies" (Townsmen) in attendance, including Mr. William Spencer (Newe Towne), Mr. John Spencer (Ipswich) and Mr. Tymothy Tomlins (Lynn).
18 April 1637-MBC: General Court meets at Boston. Thirty one Deputies were in attendance, including Leift. Spencer and Timothy Tomlins. This was a special meeting for prosecuting the war against the "Pecoits". One hundred and sixty men were to serve from all the towns, including 9 from Newe Towne, 17 from Ipswich, 8 from Newbury. Boston was listed for 26. The Court provided funds for an expedition.
17 May 1637-MBC: General Court meets at Newe Towne. Thirty two Deputies present, including Mr. William Spencer and Timothy Tomlins. Mr. John Spencer is discharged from being Captain at Newbury and Edward Bodman (?) is chosen Leiftenant at Newbury.
The Court assesses 400 pounds in taxes from 13 towns. Several representatives from the towns agree to a local tax rate, including Mr. Tymothy Tomlins (for Saugus).
27 September 1637-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Twenty seven Deputies present, including William Spencer and Tymothy Tomlins. A day of public thanksgiving was ordered for the subduing of the "Pecoits".
2 November 1637-MBC: The General Court meets at Newe Towne. Thirty one Deputies present, including Tymothy Tomlins. There was no mention of a Spencer being present.
1638
March 1638-HL: At Lynn, a committee appointed to divide the lands completed their task. The allotments had a wide range, but usually were 30 to 60 acres. Only a small number of men exceeded 100 acres and several were as low as 10 acres.
One of the three largest landowners was Thomas Willis, husband of Mary Tomlins, who had 500 acres. Edward Tomlins had 220 acres. Timothy Tomlins had 80 acres.
The Spencer brothers, Michael1 and "Jarrett"1, each had 30 acres. Here we see that the Tomlins families were several notches above the Spencer brothers in respect to land ownership. Also, it is clear that the Tomlins brothers were very active in several commercial enterprises including liquor sales, milling, and the fishing industry.
12 March 1638-MBC: The General Court was held at Newe Towne. Thirty Deputies were present, including Mr. William Spencer and Mr. Tymothy Tomlins. At this meeting, the Court ordered that all towns under its jurisdiction compile a compendium of local laws. The central committee of seven members, including Mr. William Spencer, was to make a summary of these laws "adding yet to the same or detracting therefrom" and to present a report to the Court."
5. FHL book 929.273 Sp33 "The Spencers of the Great Migration," by Jack Taif Spencer and Edith Woolley Spencer (Gateway Press, Baltimore; 1997) vol. 1, pp. 105-106:
"Since the achievement of "Freemanship" was so important a designation, how was such a distinction attained in the Puritan society? First of all, Freemanship was entirely dependent upon membership in the Church, which in turn was dependent on a "Confession of Faith". This latter step constituted an important hurdle to overcome before attaining the desired goal. In its essentials, the Confession required each candidate to recount step by step how he or she had arrived at a "saving grace".
Fortunately, the MBC maintained full records of the names and dates of those persons who attained the status of Freemen in the various communities under the jurisdiction of the General Court. These dates give important clues as to the presence of individuals in each community. It does not necessarily indicate time of arrival, because "Confession of Faith" often required months and even years to be attained.
In the following tabulation for attainment of "Freeman", we will list only the names of the Spencer siblings or individuals possibly related in future generations as collateral families. The other names are included because they were prominent in the affairs of the MBC.
16 May 1631 - a total of 18, including William Spencer, Timothy Tomlyns (husband of Elizabeth Spencer).
1 April 1633 - a total of 78, including Rev. Thomas Hooker, Thomas Spencer, James Parker
4 March 1634 - many, including Mr. William Andrews Robert Parker.
6 March 1635 - many, including Joseph Andrews
6 May 1635 - many, including Robert Andrews, George Phelpes.
26 May 1636 - many, including Barnaby Deryfall (Derifield) brother to Ann Deryfall first wife of Sgt. Thomas1 Spencer. Also Mr. William Coddington for whom Ann Deryfall worked as a maid servant.
9 March 1637 - Gerrett (Gerard1) Spencer.
17 May 1637 - John Hanchet.
March, 1638 - Michael Spencer
3 May 1638 - Thomas Sweetman, whose daughter Rebecca married Michael Spencer, son of Michael. Michael's son owned the land on which the famous Harvard yard is now located.
13 March 1638 - Mr. Joseph Peck, Mr. Robert Peck.
13 May 1640 - William Andrews. There were two Freemen in Cambridge bearing this name, one being a ship captain.
2 June 1641 - William Parker."
6. The periodical "Connecticut Nutmegger," by Jack T. Spencer, CSG, "The Families Linked to Sgt. Thomas Spencer, a Co-Founder of Hartford," vol. 29, pp. 14
"I. BACKGROUND
Sgt. THOMAS1 SPENCER was one of the "Four Spencer Brothers" of Bedfordshire, England, who were among the earliest settlers of New England and who almost certainly were passengers in the earliest vessels of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 or 1631. THOMAS1 was the second oldest of the Spencer Brothers. The older was WILLIAM1 SPENCER (1601-1640). The two youngest brothers were MICHAEL1 SPENCER (1611-1653) and GERARD SPENCER (1614-c.1683). There also was a sister, ELIZABETH1 SPENCER (1602- ) who came to New England as the wife of TIMOTHY TOMLYNS and settled at Lynn, Massachusetts.
The male Spencer siblings (William, Thomas, Michael, Gerard) first settled at Newe Towne (Cambridge, Massachusetts.) A few years later the two older brothers, along with other pioneers, became co-founders of Hartford, Connecticut. Michael and Gerard eventually settled at Lynn, Massachusetts, but Gerard made another move in later years to become the "patriarch" of Haddam, Connecticut.
All of the Spencer siblings were born at Stotfold, co. Bedfordshire, England. Their parents were GERARDA SPENCER (1576- ) and ALICE WHITBREAD SPENCER. These Spencers were descendants of a long line of this surname in Bedfordshire whose ancestry can be traced back with certainty to the middle of the 14th century. Tracing the general lineage to even earlier times, we know that the original ancestors came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066 and participated in the Battle of Hastings. In the ensuing two or three centuries, the "Despencers" ranked among the highest of the Norman nobility, sometimes gaining and sometimes losing (their lives) for this close relationship.
In earlier publications (see reference list), we have described the important activities undertaken by WILLIAM1 SPENCER in the founding of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was the first Town Clerk of Cambridge and later served as a "Selectman" for several years. William played even more important roles for the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Company, especially in regard to surveying and setting the boundary lines for many of the towns under the control of the Court. For many years he served as a Deputy representing Newe Towne at the frequent meetings of the General Court in Cambridge and in Boston.
As for ELIZABETH1 SPENCER, we already have documented the activities of her husband, TIMOTHY TOMLINS (see reference list), who was a co-founder of Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630. Timothy, like William Spencer, was a prominent leader in Lynn and served as a Deputy to the General Court and in many other civic and military capacities before his untimely death about 1645..."
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
1607 - Bef 1646 (~ 39 years)