| BIRTH & DEATH | Thomas was born circa 1590 in or near Hatherup, Glouchestershire, England[1,2] and died in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA before 1634; he was 44[1]. On that date, William Stitson took over his ferry operation. |
| NAMING CONVENTIONS | In some early records, Thomas uses the double name "Williams alias Harris" or simply the surname "Williams". The reason for this is not known, and his descendants only used Harris, the ancestral surname. |
| ORIGIN | No records of Thomas Harris in England have been found other that the mention in his father's 1599 will of Hatherup, Gloucestershire, England (or vicinity)[1]. Since the Winthrop Fleet was assembled mostly from East Anglia and London, one would expect to find evidence of the marriage of Thomas and the baptisms of his children in these areas rather than in Gloucestershire. |
| MIGRATION | Davis suggests, however, that Harris came on the Lyon, which sailed from Bristol and not from London..."[9]. |
| RESIDENCE | Once here, he settled in Winnissimmett (now Chelsea, Suffolk co., MA)[1]. Chelsea was originally part of Boston and split off as its own town in 1739. |
| CITIZENSHIP | Thomas requested citizenship as a Freeman on October 1630 (as "Thomas Will[ia]ms alias Harris") and was admitted 18 May 1631 (as "Thomas Williams")[1,11]. He served the town on the Coroner's jury, 18 September 1630 on the body of William Bateman (as "Thomas Williams")[1,4]. |
| SONS | His sons removed to Ipswich, Rowley & Middletown [now Middleton], Essex co., MA and Boston & Chelsea, Suffolk co., MA - with only William remaining in Charlestown, Suffolk co., MA[10]. |
| OCCUPATION | Thomas was a Ferryman. On 18 May 1631, records note that "Tho[mas] Will[ia]ms hath undertaken to set up a ferry betwixt Winnettsem[e]t [now Chelsea] & Charlton [now Charlestown] [3], for which he is to have after 3d. a person & from Winnettsem[e]t to Boston 4d. a person"[1,4]. This was the first ferry established in all of the colonies[3]. |
| IMPORTANT LEGAL MENTION |
Thomas also had a nephew Richard Iles who also resided at Winnissimmet[5], Suffolk co., MA.
His will is a crucial document used by Anderson to sort out the family ties. To whit:
"...Three documents are critical for defining this family: the 1639 will of Richard Iles of
Winnissimmet; the 1680 deposition of William Stitson; and the will of William Stitson. Iles was nephew of
Thomas Harris, and may have come with him in 1630; in his will he names his cousins Thomas Harris, William
Harris, Anthony Harris, John Harris, Anne Maverick and Daniel Harris, giving 20s. to each, and also a
coverlet to 'my aunt for her pains and her love'[6]. (A discussion of this will
by T. W. Harris is helpful, but must be used with care)[7].
On 15 June 1680, Deacon William Stitson testified that Thomas Harris kept the ferry from Boston to Winnissimmet and Charlestown forty-nine years ago, and that he (Stitson) married Harris' widow[8]. |
| ESTATE |
Thomas Harris died before land records were maintained, and left no will. He does not appear in the lists
of early Charlestown, Suffolk co., MA residents, or in Boston, Suffolk co., MA records, so it is likely
that he supported himself solely by his ferrying operations. Examination of the land records of William
Stitson might show that some land was earlier held by Thomas Harris[1].
In his will of 2 April 1688 William Stitson bequeathed to "John Harris, Thomas Harris, WIlliam Harris, Daniel Harris, and Anna Maverick, relict widow of Elias Maverick, deceased, the children of my first wife"[12]. |
| MARRIAGE | Circa 1605 when Thomas was 15, he married Elizabeth WILLIAMS, in England[13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25]. Elizabeth was born either in 1577 or 1587[13]. 1587 is a more likely date. She died in Chelsea, Middlesex co., MA on 16 February 1669/70; and the records say that she was 93[1,26]. Anderson maintains that she was most likely a decade younger. |
| CHILDREN | 3. | i. | Anna HARRIS | Please see her own page. |
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4. | ii. | John HARRIS | John was born circa 1616 in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA[1]. Before 1645 when John was 29, he first married Bridget [surname not known][1]. On 24 October 1677 when John was 61, he second married Elizabeth ROWLANDSON, in Rowley, Essex co., MA[1]. John third married Alice [surname not known]. |
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5. | iii. | Thomas HARRIS | Thomas was born circa 1618 in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA[5,54]. This birth year is reckoned from the fact that he was deposed in 1658, and aged about forty at that time. On 15 November 1647 when Thomas was 29, he married Martha LAKE, in Ipswich, Essex co., MA[5]. |
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6. | iv. | William HARRIS | William was born circa 1620 in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA[5]. Before 1645 when William was 25, he first married Edith [surname not known][5]. William second married Lydia WRIGHT, daughter of Thomas WRIGHT. |
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7. | v. | Anthony HARRIS | Anthony was born circa 1622 in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA[5]. Before 1651 when Anthony was 29, he married Elizabeth [surname not known][5]. |
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8. | vi. | Daniel HARRIS | Daniel was born circa 1626 in Winnissimmet (now Chelsea), Suffolk co., MA[5]. Before 1651 when Daniel was 25, he married Mary WELD, daughter of Joseph WELD. |
| GENERATION | Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (G9) Grandfather |
| FAMILY NUMBER | 3734 |
| SOURCES |
1. Edward Carroll Death Record,
19 October 1899, Lynn, Essex co., MA,
1866, 192, p. 186, #337.
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Return to the Harris Index page. |
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| Return to the Family Index page. |
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Return to the Surname Index page. |
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Return to the Maddison Side Tree page. |
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