Thomas Bliss, of Hartford

Evidence needed to support as son of Thomas Bliss (Sr. in UK)
Parents unknown. Married 1) Margaret Snowe, 3 children 2) Margaret Huling, 9 children

Thomas Bliss

b. circa 1590, d. 1 February 1650/1
Updated 4 November 2023

He was born circa 1590 at Gloucester, England.

He married twice.

Thomas Bliss married Margaret Snowe, as his first wife, 14 April 1616 at St. John the Baptist Parish, Gloucester, England. Margaret was buried 4 June 1621 at St. Nicholas Parish, Gloucester. They had three children.

He married Margaret Hulings, daughter of John Anthony Hulings Jr., and Margaret Lawrence/Hulings (Lawrence), on 18 October 1621 at Gloucester, England. They had nine children. She died 28 August 1684 in Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Thomas Bliss died on 1 February 1650 at Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States of America.

Family Margaret Snowe d. bef. 4 Jun 1621

Children

1. Thomas Bliss, bp. 23 Jan 1617/8, d. 15 Apr 1688
2. Ann Bliss, b. abt 1620, d. 20 Nov 1685
3. Sarah Bliss, bp 23 April 1620. d.y.

Family Margaret Hulings d. 28 August 1684

Children

1. Nathaniel Bliss+ d. 8 Nov 1654
2. Mary Bliss b. c 1625/26, d. 29 Jan 1712
3. Lawrence Bliss b. c 1628, d. 8 Nov 1676
4. Hannah Bliss b. 1633, d. 25 Jan 1660
5. John Bliss b. c 1635, d. 10 Sep 1702
6. Samuel Bliss bp. 4 Feb. 1637, d. 23 Mar 1720
7. Sarah Bliss b. c 1638, d. 27 Sep 1705
8. Hester Bliss b. c 1640, d. 12 Jun 1683
9. Elizabeth Bliss b. c 1640, d. 2 Oct 1683

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Thomas Bliss, Sr., was born (according to the Bliss Genealogy) in Okebampton, in the village of Belstone, Co. Devon, son of Thomas Bliss, of Belstone. He settled first at the "“Mount,” afterward Braintree, now Quincy ; rem.to Hartford, where he was one of the proprietors “by courtesie of the town” in 1639-40; his house-lot was on a highway west of the present Lafayette Street, and he possessed fifty-eight acres. He d. in 1650 ; inv. Feb. 14, 1650, £86. 12. 8. His widow, Margaret, removed to Springfield after a time with the larger part of her family ; d. there Aug. 28, 1684.

Source: http://www.foundersofhartford.org/founders/bliss_thomas_sr.htm

Disambiguation

NOTE: The several Thomas Bliss' of New England have had their vital records, family relationships and biographical facts mixed and matched in a Gordian knot by those who were less than attentive to details as they imported unevaluated and unsourced data including fanciful pedigrees into their family trees. In brief, we are dealing with three or possibly four individuals of the name Thomas Bliss:

• Thomas Bliss (called Sr) b. before 1595 a founder of Hartford, wives Margaret Snowe and Margaret Hullings (and the subject of this family)
• Thomas Bliss b. about 1618 of Saybrook and Norwich son of #1, wife Elizabeth Birchard who may or may not be the Thomas Bliss, called Jr. in early Hartford records and counted as a founder.
• Thomas Bliss of Rehoboth, Mass. Wife Dorothy Wheatlie, father: John.

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Disputed Information

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bliss-1

• Mother of Children: Disputes over whether Thomas had one wife or two and questions of which children if any belong to a first wife are now solved by finding a record of his first wife and her burial.
• There is no known family relationship between Thomas of Hartford and Thomas of Rehoboth as reported by John Homer Bliss in his 1881 Genealogy of the Bliss family in America, from about the year 1550-1880. [2] This was reviewed by Donald Lines Jacobus in 1951[3] and found to be without any basis in fact. However, descendants generally accept that they were cousins of uncertain degree.[28]
• The father of Thomas Bliss was not Thomas of Belstone. He did not come from Belstone Park In the Genealogy of the Bliss family in America[29] J H Bliss included two chapters on the family of immigrants Thomas and George Bliss. Whose alleged father was Thomas of Belstone Park. English research published by Charles Arthur Hoppin in The Bliss Book: a romantic history of the Bliss family... found that Thomas and George were sons of John of Preston Parva.[30] John Homer Bliss published a correction, which unfortunately, is not in every copy. The version on Ancestry does not have the correction. The version at Archive.org has the replacement pages. It also has the replaced pages with X drawn on them, so we can compare.
• Thomas of Hartford, was not the man from Daventry / Preston Parva, son of John. Hoppin also made errors. He jumped to the conclusion that the Thomas of Preston Parva was Thomas of Hartford. Jacobus notes: “There is evidence of only one Thomas Bliss born about 1590, belonging to the Daventry and Preston Capes family, and he was of John; common sense makes this Thomas the one who married Dorothy Wheatley in 1614 and who was most certainly the emigrant to Rehoboth, Massachusetts. As for Thomas Bliss of Hartford, Conn., there is not the slightest evidence or even reason to believe that he belongs to the Daventry of Preston Capes family.”[31]
• Thomas of Hartford was from Gloucestershire. Newer research has located family members and the marriage of Thomas to Margaret Hulins in Gloucestershire.[two TAG Articles]
• Margaret Lawrence was a made up person. Given name Margaret is known from the will of Thomas of Hartford. Lawrence was an assumption because they named a son Lawrence, but this was a common enough given name.

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Birth: 1583
Fairford, England Death: Feb., 1650 Hartford Hartford County Connecticut, USA

From the WorldConnect Database: "Sanford-Shulsen Family", by Evelyn Beran:

"John Homer Bliss' "Genealogy of the Bliss Family" and Charles Hoppin's "The Bliss Book" both trace the ancestry of Thomas Bliss who settled at Rehoboth, and contain nothing pertaining to the ancestry of Thomas Bliss of Hartford. County Gloucester is definitely "Bliss country" in terms of wills and baptismal/marriage records, but nothing has been found to prove the ancestry of Thomas Bliss of Hartford.

Myrtle Stevens Hyde identified Margaret, wife of Thomas Bliss, as the daughter of John Hulins of Rodborough, county Gloucester, England, and found the baptism of their son Nathaniel at Rodborough, but did not identify where the young couple lived. A later article in TAG 60 said: "The marriage is recorded in the registers of the parish of St. Nicholas, city of Gloucester: '1621. Thomas Blisse and Margret Hulings weere married October the 18th'. The "Nathaniel son of Thomas Blisse" baptized on 28 December 1622 at Rodborough, eleven miles south of Gloucester, was surely the first child of Thomas and Margaret. Frequently first children were baptized in their maternal grandparents' parish, even though the young parents resided elsewhere."

Thomas immigrated to New England with his family about 1635. On 24 February 1639/1640 Thomas was granted 36 acres at Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony, at a cost of 3 shillings per acre on the basis of a family of nine. That same month he was recorded at Hartford CT, owning several pieces of land, on one of which he built a home. He was not an original proprietor of Hartford, but is listed on the Founders Monument. He was a freeman.

His home lot at Hartford, #58, adjoined that of his son Thomas (#59). On 4 March 1646 Thomas was fined 2s-6p "for not trayneing".

The probate record shows that Inventory for Thomas Bliss of Hartford was taken 14 February 1650; inventory amounted to £86-12-08. His nuncupative will was admitted on the testimony of John Pinchon, Hen: Smith and daughter Mary Parsons of Springfield. Thomas desired that his wife should have the entire estate for life. On 20 February 1650/1651 the court granted "Adms. to the Relict, She to keep the whole Estate in her Hands for her Use and the Education of the children during her life, then to be divided among the Children, viz: to Lawrence, to John, to Samuel, to Hester, to Elizabeth, to Hannah and to Sarah Bliss." Thomas, Ann, Mary and Nathaniel presumably had received their portions at marriage. "

From the WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT", by Julie Barrows:

"WILL: Inventory 14 Feb 1650. "

Sources:
1.Media: Online Database Title: WorldConnect Database: "Sanford-Shulsen Family" Author: Evelyn Beran Publication: January 24, 2008; RootsWeb.com Date: 5 Jun 2008 Note: Quality: Exceptional Repository: Name: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sanford-shulsen 2.Title: Early Days in New England: Life & times of Henry Burt of Springfield Note:

• *** [Note: This source was added during the import of the WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT", by Julie Barrows, dated 10 Sep 2009. Imported on 4 Mar 2011.] Repository: Name: Ancestry.com

Page: 257 Quality: 3 3.Media: Book Title: History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, 1886 Author: Rev. Samuel B. Orcutt Publication: Fairfield County Historical Society, 1886 Note:

• *** [Note: This source was added during the import of the WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT", by Julie Barrows, dated 10 Sep 2009. Imported on 4 Mar 2011.] Repository: Name: Newtown Library-Genealogy Dept Main Street Newtown, CT

Page: vol. 2 p. 1202 Quality: 3 4.Media: Book Title: Families of Ancient Windsor Author: Henry R. Styles Publication: Hartford, CT, 1892 Note:

• *** [Note: This source was added during the import of the WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT", by Julie Barrows, dated 10 Sep 2009. Imported on 4 Mar 2011.] Repository: Name: Newtown Library-Genealogy Dept Main Street Newtown, CT

Page: 107 Quality: 3 5.Media: Book Title: Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts Publication: Chicago, IL; J H Beers & Co.; 1912 Repository: Name: Ancestry.com

Page: 809 Quality: 3 6.Title: "WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT"," database, \i RootsWeb.com\i0 Author: Julie Barrows [j_barrows@sbcglobal.net] Publication: (http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db... : 10 September 2009) Page: ); Julie Barrows. Quality: 3 7.Title: "WorldConnect Database: "Black/NobleCT"," database, \i RootsWeb.com\i0 Author: Julie Barrows [j_barrows@sbcglobal.net] Publication: (http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db... : 10 September 2009) Page: ); Julie Barrows.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ricktallm...

Also according to further research, BELSTONE IN DEVON COUNTY WAS NEVER THE HOMETOWN OF THOMAS BLISS OR ANY OTHER BLISS. ALL GENEALOGIES BASED ON BLISSES AT BELSTONE ARE MISTAKEN.

Aaron Tyler Bliss, in his "Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America", does not support that Thomas Bliss of Belstone, Devonshire, England is the father of Thomas Bliss of Hartford. Anyway, the use of the title "Sr." applies to England only, because in America Hartford property documents list Thomas Bliss of Hartford with "Senior" or "Sen" or "Sr." in modern uses, so the son Thomas is "Jr." only in England. Similarly, the grandson Thomas Bliss would be called Thomas Bliss "III" in England, but called Thomas Bliss "Jr." in America according to the Hartford property documents.

~My Ancestor~ There is much confusion & differences of opinion as to where Thomas Bliss came from in England, who he married, etc. for which each opinion has it's own reference/s. So, I am going to put down my own opinions. Thomas Bliss & his sons were severely persecuted by Archbishop Laud and lost most of their wealth before coming to America. He and his wife probably migrated with four of their children to Boston in Massachusetts Bay to Braintree around 1638. He was granted 35 acres of land there in 1639.

By 1640 they were living in Hartford in the Colony of Conn. where he was a landowner along with his son, THOMAS, JR. On March 4th, 1646, "Tho: Blissse" was fined two shillings for not training.

The names of Thomas Bliss Sr. & Thomas Bliss, Jr. are on the Founders Monument in this cemetery.

Thomas Bliss of Hartford had a nuncupative will, which required the testimony of John Pinchon & Henry Smith that his property went to his wife. His daughter, Mary Parsons of Springfield, Mass. also testified to this fact. His inventory, taken February 14, 1650 by Nathaniel Ward & Joseph Mygatt, amounted to 86 pounds, 12 shillings, and 8 pence. On February 20, 1650/51, the administration of his estate went to the relict (Margaret). She was to keep the whole estate for her use and the education of the children during her life - then to divide it among the children.

Family links:

Spouse:

 Margaret Lawrence Hulins Bliss (1595 - 1684)

Children:

 Sarah Bliss Scott (____ - 1705)*

 Ann Bliss Chapman (1617 - 1685)*

 Thomas Bliss (1618 - 1688)*

 Nathaniel Bliss (1622 - 1654)*

 Samuel Bliss (1624 - 1720)*

 Mary Bliss Parsons (1628 - 1712)*

 Lawrence Bliss (1628 - 1676)*

 Elizabeth Bliss Morgan (1637 - ____)*

 Hannah Bliss (1639 - 1661)*

Burial: Ancient Burying Ground Hartford Hartford County Connecticut, USA Created by: Nareen, et al Record added: Feb 21, 2009 Find A Grave Memorial# 34066224 -tcd

Removed from profile Nov 4 2023

Birth March 20, 1583 - Painswick, Gloucestershire, England

References

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34066224/thomas-bliss

1. Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 13 2018, 21:48:28 UTC
2. GEDCOM Note source - "The Hale Brothers" by David A. Helm Library of Congress CCN 97-93625
3. Bennett, Anne Selene. "The First Wife and Older Children of Thomas Bliss of Gloucester, England and Hartford, Connecticut. The American Genealogist Vol 91, No1 January 2019. p. 43-45
4. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 March 2021), memorial page for Margaret Snowe Bliss (1586–Jun 1621), Find A Grave: Memorial #205355440, citing St Nicholas' Church, Gloucester, City of Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England ; Maintained by Ro§e❈ (contributor 47359710) Burial Details Unknown.
5. Boyd, Michelle, "Thomas Bliss and Margaret Snowe," article, Olive and Eliza, < link > last accessed [4 November 2023].