Thomas Wells

Citations

1. [S1256] Douglas Richardson, "The Widow Frances (Albright) Wells, Wife of Thomas Coleman of Wethersfield and Hadley", New England Historical and Genealogical Register 146 (1992): p. 33, the first time the name has been published.
2. [S738] James M. Crafts, History of the Town of Whately, Mass. 1661-1899 (Whately, MA: Town of Whately, 1899), pp. 612 ff, entry for Wells. Hereinafter cited as History of Whately (Crafts).
3. [S1254] Donald Lines Jacobus and W. Herbert Wood, "Widow Frances Wells and Hugh Wells of Wethersfield", The American Genealogist Vol. 28 (1952): 232, "In 1890 George Sheldon, who a little later published a History of Deerfield, Mass., contributed to the New England Hist. and Gen. Register (44:208) a note on the family of Frances Wells. In this he states that there was a "Hugh Wells, who came from co. Essex, Eng., about 1635, with wife Frances and at least four chi1dren,- Thomas, Hugh, Mary and John. He settled in Wethersfield, where he died about 1645. Wid. Frances became second wife of Thomas Coleman. They removed to Hadley with her sons Thomas and John in 1660." As we have seen, John did not remove to Hadley with his mother; Mr. Sheldon did not, apparently, know of his Stratford sojourn and lists his wife merely as a Sarah. He then adds some data of value on the children of Thomas, and omits the youngest (fourteenth) child, Joshua, whose date of birth is given in some accounts. The statement that the first husband of Frances was named Hugh, that he died early in Wethersfield, and that the known documented Hugh of Wethersfield was the second of the name and a third son of Frances, has found wide acceptance and has been enlarged on in various books printed since 1890. Stiles, in the genealogies in his History Wethersfield (2:780), repeats the entire tale, adding to it that the first Hugh "prob. came to New Eng. in the Globe, 1635; was of Htfd.,
   1636, and appears in Weth. abt. 1645, where he is supposed to have d. abt. the same time." With so much detail, later writers have accepted these statements as having substance; among the many, be it confessed, one of the present writers (Jacobus, Families of Old Fairfield, 1:127, 659).
4. [S1256] Douglas Richardson, "Widow Frances (Albright) Wells", p. 28.
5. [S1256] Douglas Richardson, "Widow Frances (Albright) Wells", p. 31.
6. [S1256] Douglas Richardson, "Widow Frances (Albright) Wells", p. 29-30, citing Consistory Court of Worcester, 1637, No. 145, on FHL Microfilm 98,054:
   In the name of god amen be it knowe to all men that I Thomas Welles of Evesham weaver doe make my last will and testament the ninth day of feberrary 1637 the maner and forme as foloweth
   first I beequeth my soule unto the hands of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ whoo hath Redemed it next I bequeth my body to the earth and all my worldly goods In maner and forme following
   first I forgive my father the 5 pownd which he oweth to me and I give to my father 6 pownd more to be paid in three yere by equell somes fourty shillings a yeare but if he dy the mony that is unpaid to remain to the Exsecldter.
   Next I give to my eldest son Thomas 20 pownd to be paid at the age of 21 yeares and my house after the death of his mother Item I give to my daughter Mary 30 pownd likwise to my son John 30 more but if my wife be with child and it live then it is my will that 10 pownd a pece shall be taken from John and Mary and given to it and it is my will that my son John shall be paid at the age of 21 yeare and my daughter Mary at hur day of mariage or at the age of 21 yeares: but if they prove stouborne and dissobedent then it shall be left to the will of thir mother and the overseers when they shall have it: and further it is my will that if my son Thomas dy without a aire then it is my will that it shall come to my son John and if John dy without a aire then to com to the other son if it be a son or elce to remaine to the Daughter if ther are two or elce to remaine to my daughter Mary.
   Item I give to my man Charles Whitell a shipe & hoge worth eight shillings or two hachibs which he nowe doth work with upon his good behaviour to his dame.
   Item I give to my godsons Joseph Blissord and John Welles 2 shillings a pece.
   Item I give to John Pathit 2 shillings. Item I give to Ann Albright and Jone the daughters of John Allbright 2 shillings a peece.
   Item I give to John Allbright and Catherin the sonne and daughter of Richard Allbright 2 shillings a peece.
   Item I give to John Loe and Sara Loe the son and daughter of Griffen Loe 2 shillings apeece.
   Item I give to Sara Ordway 2 shillings.
   Item I give to my brother John Allbright my cloake.
   Item I give to my brother Richard Allbright my best coate.
   Item I give to the pore 5 shillings to be geven to whome my wif and Edward Ordway and William Lampit think good and I make my wife my whole exseckiter and my brother John Albright and my brother Richard Albright ovorseres.
   
   "The will, not signed, was witnessed by Thomas Handy (mark TH), William Lampit, and Edward Ordway."
7. [S1256] Douglas Richardson, "Widow Frances (Albright) Wells", p. 33.