THOMAS KING 1613-1691

[Ancestral Link: Marguerite Anderson (Miller), daughter of Hannah Anderson (Anderson), daughter of Mary Margaret Edmiston (Anderson), daughter of Martha Jane Snow (Edmiston), daughter of Gardner Snow, son of James Snow, son of Mary Trowbridge (Snow), daughter of Jerusha Park (Trowbridge), daughter of Richard Ensign Parke, son of Sarah King (Parke), daughter of Thomas King, son of Thomas King.]

[Ancestral Link: Marguerite Anderson (Miller), daughter of Hannah Anderson (Anderson), daughter of Mary Margaret Edmiston (Anderson), daughter of Martha Jane Snow (Edmiston), daughter of Gardner Snow, son of Abigail Farr (Snow), daughter of Mercy Winslow (Farr), daughter of Thomas Winslow, son of Mercy King (Winslow), daughter of Thomas King, son of Thomas King.]

This is the story of the discovery of Thomas King's headstone. The story appeared in "Historia: A magazine of Local History" Vol. 1, Norwell Massachusetts, November 1898, No. 1

"THE KING STONE.

"There is something extremely satisfactory in locating the graves of our ancestors. It is a duty, also that we owe to our progenitors, so see that the spot where their bodies were laid to rest by their loving friends is kept sacredly free from wanton trespassers.

"It is a sad fact that the first buying ground in that part of old Scituate which is now Nowell was broken up some sixty or seventy years since and tradition, only, tells the location of the yard.

"It was with great satisfaction that the writer obtained a clue to some of the old grave-stones, and it was a great pleasure to him to carry the search to a successful culmination.

"The facts cannot be better related than in the issue of Hanover Branch for April 29, 1898, from which the following paragraphs are quoted.

"'An interesting discovery was made at Greenbush last Saturday by Mr. George C. Turner of Norwell, who sends the particulars to this paper.

"'The First Unitarian Church at Norwell Centre was formed in 1642, and its first meeting-house stood on Wilson's Hill near the Norwell-Scituate line. Here the society began a burying ground and continued its use until late in the 17th century, when it became neglected, and finally, probably about 1830, some mercenary person pulled up the old gravestones and made the spot a mowing field.

"'Mr. Turner learned from conversations with aged people that some of the stones were carried to the old Chandler Clapp place in Greenbush, and put under the corners of an old corn house. Last Saturday he visited the place with Mr. Frederic Cole and Mr. Charles O. Ellms of Scituate, and was delighted to find his surmises correct. Two stones were found, but only one had an inscription. This one is well nigh perfect, and reads as follows:

HERE LYES YE BODY
OF THOMAS KING
who died September 24,
1691.
aged about 78 years.'

"Elder Thomas King was born in England in 1614, and came to this country in the ship 'Blessing' in 1635. He was chosen Elder of the Church to succeed Elder William Hatch. He was the common ancestor of the branch of the King family which forms the basis of the valuable 'King Genealogy' published by Harvey B. King at Hartford, Connecticut in 1897. He was a very prominent man and his name appears often in the early records. Let us hope that this ancient burial place will some day be properly marked."

Birth: February, 1613, Harwich, England
Death: September 24, 1691, Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
Baptized at Cold Norton, Essex, 24 February 1613[/4?]. (He was aged 21 on 17 June 1635.)

Died in Scituate 24 September 1691.

MARRIAGES: (1) By 1639 Sarah _____. She died at Scituate on 6 June 1652.

(2) Scituate 31 March 1653 Jane (Young) Hatch, widow of WILLIAM HATCH {1635, Scituate}. She died at Scituate on 8 October 1653.

(3) By an unknown date Anne _____. She married (2) at Scituate on 3 August 1702 Abraham Suttliff. (The bride's surname is not given in this marriage record, but, in his will of 5 November 1711, Thomas King, son of the immigrant, made provisions for "my mother-in-law Anne Suttlife.

"Thomas King came to New England on the same vessel as WILLIAM VASSALL {1630, Boston} [GMB 3:1871-75], with whom he was closely associated in New England. Vassall's wife was Anna King of Cold Norton, Essex, daughter of George King, indicating that the Thomas King baptized at Cold Norton on 24 February 1613[/4?] was the immigrant. Also on the same vessel with Vassall and Thomas King in 1635 was "Suzan King," aged 30, presumably also a close relation of Thomas. (The will of George King, father of Anne (King) Vassall, names a son Thomas, but this Thomas would appear to be too old to be the subject of this sketch.

His grave was discovered in the Second Church Graveyard in Norwell, Massachusetts, just over the border from Scituate. "Historia: A magazine of Local History" in Norwell, Massachusetts in November 1898.

Spouses: Sarah King Jane Young Hatch King (1597 - 1653) Anne King Sutliffe
Burial: Second Church Graveyard, Norwell, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA

found on findagrave.com - Find A Grave Memorial# 36926735

Common Great Grandfather DEACON THOMAS KING to Annis family and author EDGAR ALLEN POE.

Elder Thomas King, Payne-Joyce Genealogy

Thomas King sailed from London 17 June 1635 in the ship Blessing at the age of 21 in the company of Mr. William Vassall and family, whose whife was Anna, Thomas’s sister. He built his house on the top of the hill at Bell house neck, a few rods south of Mr. Vassall’s He was admitted to the church 25 February 1638. He succeeded Elder William Hatch as elder in the Second Church. Thomas’s second wife was the widow of Elder Hatch. Thomas also had lands on the north side of Rotten marsh. After the death of Elder Thomas King, the office of Ruling Elder was allowed to lapse, and the duties of that office were merged with those of deacon."Elder King's will, dated 1691 [30 June and proved 16 March 1692], gives 'to wife Anne—to daughter Sarah Besby land at Gravelly beach—To grandsons John and Thomas Rogers 10 £ each. Item: it is my will that Robin, my negro, be set free, and receive of my estate a bed and 5 £ in money—Item: to son Thomas all my property not otherwise disposed of in New and Old England.'"6
found on ancestry.com


WillTo "wife Anne King the East End of my dwelling house Called the Parlour to dwell in and the Chamber over it with a liberty to make Some use of the Cellers and and leantoos .... during her life time Alsoe two Cowes One Bed and Bedding thereto belonging One Trunk and one Box and the one third of all my moveable Goods which are in the house or household Stuff in Such of Sd Goods as may be most Sutable for her use And Said two Cows and Said Goods sloe is to have them for her own to dispose of as she pleases And .... my said wife Shall have five pounds by the year paid to her the one half of it in money the other half of it in Come and other Provision also wood provided for her fire and winter meat and Sumer meat for two Cows by my Executor .... during the life of my said Wife" To "my Daughter Sarah Besbey the use and Improvement of three acres of my marsh land up the River in Marshfield next to the Gravelly Beach there and So by the upland side during her naturall life and the life of her husband" also £30 "fifteen pounds of said thirty to be paid to her Out of my moveable Estate within one month after this my Will is Proved .... And the other fifteen pounds .... within two years after my decease the one half of it in money the other half of it in Good Currant merchantable Countrey pay" To "my Grandson John Rogers" No, "five pounds of 5d Sum to be paid .... out of my moveable Estate within one month after this my Will is Proved the other five pounds to be paid the one half in money the other half in Good merchantable Countrey pay within two years after my decease To "my Grandson Thomas Rogers" No, with the same provisions as governed the bequest to the grandson John Rogers. "Robben my Negro Servant [p. 121] Shall be set free .... and I do Give unto said Roben ye Negro the Bed whereon he Comonly useth to lodge in with the Beding thereunto belonging and also .... five pounds .... in Good Currant pay .... fifty shillings of it within one year after my decease and fifty shillings of it within two years after my decease" "all the Rest of my Estate .... both in New England and in old England I do Give .... unto my Son Thomas King whome I do hereby Constitute .... the sole Executor" The witnesses were John Cushing, John Cushing, Jr., and Joshua Cushing. "John Cushing Esq" and John Cushing, Jr., made oath to the will of "mr Thomas King", at Plymouth, 16 March 1691/2.
Elizabeth Saunby added this on 12 January 2009
http://www.geocities.com/dustyhills/b32.htm
found on ancestry.com