Thomas Blanchard: 1600-1654
Tragedy at Sea and Conflict Ashore
Like
many of my ancestors, my tenth-great grandfather Thomas Blanchard arrived in America
by crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He left England in 1639 aboard the ship
Jonathan, accompanied by his second wife Agnes, several children, and his
mother-in-law and her niece. But by the time the ship landed in Massachusetts,
his wife and a daughter were dead, his remaining children were ill, and his
mother-in-law was dying. To top things off, legal questions were raised
regarding what happened aboard the Jonathan
The
questions were revived years later when Thomas’ stepson sued him in the
colonial courts, alleging that Thomas had appropriated his stepson’s
inheritance.
Thomas
Blanchard and his first wife Elizabeth lived in the Goodworth-Clatford area of
Hampshire, England. Thomas was born sometime around 1600, and married Elizabeth
sometime before their first child, George, was born in 1620. They went on to
have six more children before Elizabeth’s death which occurred at some point
after their last son was born in 1633, and before Thomas remarried in 1637.
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| Goodworth-Clatford area |
Thomas’
second wife, Agnes Bent Barnes, was a widow with at least one child from her
first marriage, a son named Richard Barnes. Agnes’ brother, John Bent, had
settled in Massachusetts, and encouraged his sister and new brother-in-law to
follow him to the colonies, and to bring John and Agnes’ mother, Anne Gosling
Bent. In April 1639, the family bought passage on the ship Jonathan, paying a
fare of five pounds per adult.
Sources
and records are unclear on how many of Thomas’ children from his first marriage
accompanied them on the Jonathan. Richard Barnes and Thomas’ son Samuel were
definitely on board, and Agnes had given birth to an infant daughter, also
named Agnes, barely a year earlier—she was christened on April 8, 1638—so
presumably she was aboard as well. I believe Thomas brought all of his
surviving children on the voyage. Thomas Junior, George and Nathaniell
Blanchard are all listed in “U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists
Index, 1500s-1900s” as having arrived in 1639. It doesn’t make sense that they
would have traveled separately, since Nathaniell was only 9 years old, and the
older two only in their teens. Daughter Mary was probably also aboard, and
likely died at sea. Other researchers believe the children traveled separately
with no evidence to support that hypothesis other than their not being listed
on the ship manifest.
The
voyage was apparently very difficult. It took far longer than anticipated—well
over two months. Agnes, her mother and the children were all sick. Agnes died
and was buried at sea. The passengers put together a collection to pay for a
wet nurse for Agnes’ baby, but she too died.
Another
passenger testified in court in 1652 about the voyage, noting that Thomas “at
what time his wife dyed in the ship hee was conceived to be very poore and in
greate necessity by reason of his wives and his childrens sicknesse, that the
passengers made a gathering for him in the shippe to helpe to put his child to
nurse his wives mother also being sicke all the while wee were at sea and wee
knew no other man that looked to her but Thomas Blanchard, but there was a
maide which was her neece tended her — ffurther I Anthony Somerby testifyes
that about the time the ship came to Anchor in Boston Harbor the woman his
mother in law dyed, And Thomas Blanchard procured to carry her to shore to be
buried, I knew no other man that was about it but hee.”
What a horrible
welcome to the New World for Thomas and his surviving children! His wife, one
or two daughters, and his mother in law were dead. He was forced to take care
of arrangements for his mother-in-law’s burial as soon as the Jonathan made
port. He was virtually destitute and had children to support and a new life to
start. He must have felt quite desperate. Thomas turned over his stepson
Richard to the care of Richard’s uncle John Bent, which was probably a relief
to him—one less mouth to feed.
Thomas
initially settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts with his children, and quickly
found a third wife. He married a woman named Mary; she may have lived on
Noddles Island in the
Boston harbor and been the daughter of the island’s owner, Samuel Maverick, but
there is no proof of that. Thomas moved his family to Braintree from 1646 to
about 1650. He must have been successful in his pursuits there, for in 1651, he
“bought of Rev. John Wilson and his son John Wilson Jr., two hundred acres of
land with buildings on the south and west side of the Mystic River, in Feb. 1651,
in that part of Charlestown which is now Malden and moved there later that year.”
(Cutter) The deed states the property included “houses, Outhouses, barnes,
buildings, stables, cow houses, Orchardes, Gardens, fould yardes and
Enclosures”.
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| Charlestown area in 1600s |
Perhaps
this evidence of Thomas’ success spurred Richard Barnes and his uncle to demand
money from him. In 1652, thirteen years after the voyage of the Jonathan, Richard Barnes
took Thomas to court, demanding twenty pounds that he claimed his mother Agnes had
left him at her death. Barnes said Thomas had the money and had kept it even
after Richard reached his majority. There was some mention of Richard being
apprenticed to Thomas as well, and being owed the twenty pounds following the
apprenticeship.
Thomas
countered that the money had been given into the keeping of Richard Barnes’ uncle
and guardian, John Bent. Bent was apparently also alleging some financial issues
between Thomas and Bent’s mother (Thomas’ mother-in-law). There seems to have
been considerable ill will between the two families.
The
court case resulted in several of the Jonathan’s former passengers being called
to give testimony. All agreed that Thomas had done his best to tend to his ill
family members. Several emphasized that although Mrs. Bent had brought along a
niece or great-niece to help care for her on the voyage, the girl was next to
useless. The passengers agreed that Thomas took over caring for the ill woman and
did a fine job, and that Mrs. Bent died in spite of Thomas’ excellent
treatment.
It is
unclear whether the question of Thomas’ care of his mother-in-law was actually part
of the lawsuit. Why was this parade of character witnesses necessary? What were
the real questions and motives behind the suit?
There
were also a series of confusing depositions on the disposition of the mystery
twenty pounds. Several witnesses agreed that Thomas’ wife Agnes had made him
promise to provide an inheritance for her children, and that Richard was the
only surviving child. The depositions claim the twenty pounds was given to John
Bent, or was given to Agnes’ mother, or to John Bent’s friend and fellow colonial
immigrant Peter, or to Thomas. There was repeated mention of a kitchen table
where these transactions were said to have taken place.
What
was the truth behind this lawsuit? Was Thomas trying to cheat his stepson? Was
Richard trying to squeeze money out of the stepfather who had built some
financial success? Everything is uncertain.
However,
the court sided with Richard Barnes, and ordered Thomas Blanchard to pay him
the twenty pounds. Some accounts say Thomas appealed the decision, but I have
found no evidence as of yet. Perhaps Thomas’ death in 1654, a fairly young age
of 54, put an end to any further court proceedings.
Thomas
left a will, distributing his sizable estate among his widow and his three
surviving sons, George, Samuel and Nathaniell.
Sources:
https://www.mhl.org/sites/default/files/files/Abbott/Blanchard%20Family.pdf
Early Records of the Blanchard Family of Andover by Charlotte Helen
Abbott
BANKS,
CHARLES EDWARD. The Planters of the Commonwealth; a Study of the Emigrants and
Emigration in Colonial Times on Ancestry
New England families,
genealogical and memorial : a record of the achievements of her people in the
making of commonwealths and the founding of a nation; by Cutter, William Richard, Vol.
I-IV. New York, USA: n.p., 1915.
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