Thomas Marshfield

Notes:

Thomas Marshfield has been the subject of many books and articles largely due to his being a disreputable merchant who caused an uproar in the Towne of Windsor for the entire decade of the 1640s. To top it all off, he disappeared leaving his family destitute and his wife the subject of witchcraft rumors that eventually drove her out of town. He emigrated from Exeter, Devonshire, England to Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 on the Regard of Barnstaple. He was accompanied by his unnamed wife, daughters Sara and Mercy, and son Samuel.
He became a freeman 6 May 1635. He was a co-founder of Windsor Connecticut Colony, probably settling in that area of the Connecticut River Valley by 1636, about a year after, the Valley's first settlement, Wethersfield, was founded in 1635. At some point Marshfield, then of Windsor, became a partner with Henry Wolcott and Samuel Wakeman when they chartered two vessels, the Charles of Bristol and the Hopewell of London to be bound for New England. Marshfield borrowed

Thomas married Mercy (Wife of Thomas Marshfield) [?] about 1632 in England. Mercy was born about 1605 in Exeter, Devonshire, England; was buried on 30 Sep 1654 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Samuel was born about 1625 - 28 and died at Springfield, Massachusetts on May 8, 1692. He married February 13, 1651 to Hester Wright, daughter of Deacon Samuel and Margaret Wright of Springfield. Hester died April 3, 1664. Samuel married (2nd) on December 28, 1661 to Catherine (Chapin) (Bliss) Gilbert. Catherine was baptized at Berry Pomeroy, co. Devon in 1626; daughter of Deacon Samuel and Cicely (Penny) Chapin. She died February 4, 1712.

Notes:

The evidence that Mercy Jr was the daughter of Thomas Marshfield and Mercy Sr is circumstantial but Douglas Richardson in the American Genealogists makes a compelling case that she was. Furthermore, the marriage of John Dumbleton and Mercy Marshfield Jr is also based on circumstantial evidence (her husband could have been no other than John Dumbleton at that time in Springfield).

Mercy married John Dumbleton before 1650 in Springfield, Non-County Area 1, Massachusetts Bay Colony. John was born about 1625 in England; died on 27 Jul 1702 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sarah was baptized at St. Mary Arches, Exeter, co Devon on August 25, 1633. She died in Springfield on March 9, 1709. Married to Thomas Miller at Springfield on October 12, 1649 - he was killed by the Indians at the Sack of Springfield on October 5, 1675. She married (2nd) to Edward (or Edmund) Foster who was possibly the Edward Foster who was baptized at Chipping Barnet, co. Hertford, England, on June 22, 1637; son of Edward and Dionis Foster. He died February 22, 1719/20. Edward's 1st wife was Hester Bliss who was born about 1640 and died at Springfield on June 12, 1683; daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Hullings) Bliss. Edward Foster testified that he came from "Barnett" in England on September 9, 1650.

Notes:

From the Cooley Genealogy p 451 "Daniel Cooley married again, in 1709, the widow of Jonathan Burt, Lydia by name, daughter of John and Mercy Dumbleton."

Lydia married Daniel Cooley on 17 Jun 1709 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. Daniel (son of Benjamin1 Cooley and Sarah (wife of Ensign Benjamin Cooley) [?]) was born on 2 May 1651 in Springfield, Non-County Area 1, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 9 Feb 1726/27 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lydia married Jonathan Burt on 8 Dec 1681 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. Jonathan was born on 12 Sep 1654 in Springfield, Non-County Area 1, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 19 Jun 1704 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]