Hester Bliss

Notes:

From the Bliss Genealogy it appears that a Hester Bliss, who arrived in Boston after the Thomas Bliss Sr family was established in Hartford (1640), was married to an Edward Foster, himself a servant of John Pynchon. The question arises: was the Hester Bliss of Boston the same Hester Bliss, daughter of Thomas Sr? There is also the question of her twin sister Elizabeth. Why isn't Elizabeth mentioned in conjunction with Hester?
It appears likely that (1) Hester of Boston is probably not the Hester of Hartford. If she is eliminated as a child of Thomas Bliss Sr. the question of her twin sister still remains. Another possibility, (2) Hester of Hartford did not marry Edward Foster.
I will keep Edward Foster as husband because of the strong John Pynchon link to Springfield and that Hester died in Springfield.
[Dec. 26, 1661, Edward Foster, a servant of John Pynchon, Esq., a merchant in Springfield, Mass., was m. to "Hester Bliss", supposed by some to have been a member of this family, came to this country after the death of Thomas Bliss, sen. It appears by the "account book" kept by John Pynchon, Esq...[he] agreed with Hester at Boston, to serve bim a year for four pounds sterling, and that she commenced her service with him Nov. 1, 1658. And Mr. P. paid on her account, at Boston, two pounds to the "pinnace master;" which indicates that she had then lately arrived from England, and that that sum was the balance due for her passage. For this reason Judge Morris excluded her name from the list of the children in the {Thomas Bliss Sr family].
The birthdates and places of the twins Hester and Elizabeth Bliss are not clear. I have stated they were born in Hartford Plantation in 1640 because there is evidence Thomas Bliss Sr was in Hartford "as early as 1640". If they were born before 1640 Glouscestershire seems likely or aboard ship which seems less likelly.

Hester married Edward Foster on 26 Dec 1661 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Edward died on 22 Feb 1719/20 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

There is substantial evidence that Thomas Bliss Sr was born in Gloucestershire, South West England and was married twice: firstly to Margaret Snowe and secondly to Margaret Hulings (Hulins, Hulinge). There are entries for these names in the records of the St Nicholas Church of Gloucestershire a church that was not affiliated with the Church of England. Due to religious persecution Thomas (hereafter Thomas Bliss Sr) and his younger brother George and their families embarked about 1635 at Plymouth England for the New World. Upon their arrival at Boston Thomas Sr resided temporarily at Braintree MBC (Massachusetts Bay Colony) whence he removed to Hartford Plantation[*] before 1639. George settled first in the MBC town of Lynn in 1637, then Sandwich in 1638, and finally Newport. Both Thomas Blisse Sr and Thomas Blisse Jr had house-lots and divisions of land in Hartford as early as 1640. The senior died in Hartford leaving nine children and his widow Margaret. Apparently a woman of resolute independent character, she removed with the younger part of her family to Springfield. - History of Norwich. The Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford lists Thomas Bliss (Sr) as a founder of Hartford settling there before February 1640. Other lists of Hartford founders also list Thomas Jr along with his father. [*]The first English settlers arrived in 1635. Pastor Thomas Hooker and Governor John Haynes led 100 settlers with 130 head of cattle in a trek from Newtown (now Cambridge, Massachusetts) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and started their settlement just north of a Dutch fort (set up as early as 1623; abandoned 1654). The settlement was originally called Newtown, but was changed to Hartford in 1637 to honor the English town of Hertford. - Wikipedia
From: NEXUS, Vol viii, No 6, New England Historic Genealogical Society, pub Dec 1991: Thomas Blisse Sr d. apparently so suddenly, Hartford, Conn., late 1650 or early 1651, that he had no chance to leave a written will, merely telling Margaret and dau Mary that he left all his estate to her and nothing to his ch. (testimony of dau. Mary (BLISS) PARSONS, Hartford. (Probate Rec., Vol. 11:28, 14 Feb. 1650/1; nuncupative will of Thomas Bliss Hartford - Court Records, 20 Feb. 1650/1).
Thomas Bliss and Margaret Hulings have a Mormon posterity of approximately 270,000 and an American posterity of approximately 18 million placing them in the top seven largest families in America. (Mormon Pioneer Genealogy Library Acquired by NEHGS; Michel L. Call and Gary Boyd Roberts; Published Date: June 1985)

Thomas married Margaret Hulings on 18 Oct 1621 in Gloucestershire, England. Margaret was born about 1590-1600 in South West England; died on 28 Apr 1684 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Not long after her husband's death, Margaret (Hulings) Bliss removed to Springfield* where she was granted land as "Widdow Bliss" on 22 Jan 1651/52. Her house lot there was purchased from Thomas Tomson. She proved herself to be a woman of capacity...leaving an estate appraised at

Notes:

Married:
Married at St. Nicholas Church, Gloucester