Thomas Jewell

Thomas Jewell was born in 1608 in Kingston, Surrey, England. His parents were Edward JEWELL and Johan SHEARNE. He arrived in American on the Planter of London, Nicholas Trerice, Master. She sailed from London 2 Apr 1635 and arrived at Boston on Sunday, 7 Jun 1635. He is listed as “Jewell (Jernell), Thomas 27, miller” which would mean he was born in 1608 instead of 1600 as published in many sources. Forty seems old for a first marriage in those days, so I’m going with 1608. He married Grissell FLETCHER in 1640 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass. Thomas died 21 Jul 1654 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass.

• Reference: Miner Descent

Thomas Jewell was probably born in England, not far from the year 1600. We have been unable positively to connect him with any European family; but various circumstances coincide to render it most likely he was from the same original stock as Bishop John Jewell, who was born in the north of Devonshire in 1522, and died in 1571.

The name has been written Jule, Joyell, Jewel, then Jewell.

The first authentic account of Thomas is in the early part of 1639, but little more than 18 years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth; and shows that he had then a wife and one child, probably a daughter. The Boston record is as follows:

"The 24th day, 2d mo., 1639. Also there is granted to Thomas Jewell, of the Mount, Miller, for three heads, 12 acres, upon the covenant of three shillings per acre."

This "Mount," was Mt. Wollaston; first settled in 1625, and named from Capt. Wollaston; incorporated as Braintree in 1640; Quincy was set off in 1722, and Randolph in 1793. The tract was laid in Boston by the General Court of Legislature, in 1634; and Dec. 11th of that year the inhabitants after a lecture chose seven men who should divide these lands to those that might improve them, at the rate of 4 acres to each person in the family; gratuitously to citizens of Boston, and for three shillings per acre to others. Thus we find, "24th day, 12th mo., 1640, Granted to Henry Adams (a progenitor of the President,) for 10 heads, 40 acres, upon the same covenant o three shillings per acre."

The following copy of his will, as witnessed by Wm. Scant and Hannah H. Harbor. "The will of Thomas of Brantray, while he is yet in perfect memory. My Soule I commit into the hands of Almighty God in ye mediation of Jesus Christ, and my body to the dust. All ye Estate whch God hath given me I doe give to my wife for to be hers as long as she is a widow, and so remainds; but if she shall marry, then to divide it into three parts; and two parts to be divided among my children, and the third to be hers. I doe by this will give power to these two my friends herein mentioned, namely William Neadam and Tho. foster, to take the care and oversight of all this my estate for my wife and children good, according to your best wisdom to be ordered.

dated the 10th, 2d month, 1654."

The Probate records show that administration was granted to Grissell, the widow of Thomas Jewell, July 21, 1654; but on the 5th Oct. 1655, she being about to marry Humphrey Griggs, William Needham and Thomas Foster above named, were appointed executors (probably de bonis non.) Griggs agreed to bring up Jewell's children, of which there were several, both sons and daughters, and all under age. She was soon left again a widow; as administration was granted to Grisell Griggs, on the estate of her late husband Humphrey Griggs, Aug. 18, 1657."

From the Jewell Register (1860)

• Reference: Google Books

CAME TO AMERICA ON THE "PLANTER"

• Reference: My Ancestral Legacy
• Reference: Miner Descent

Came to America on the ship, "Planter" in 1635. Thomas was a miller in England. In Braintree MA, he bought land and built a mill.

More information on Thomas Jewell and most of his descendants can be found in the "Jewell Register", published in 1860, by Pliny Jewell, businessman of Hartford CT and Rev. Joel Jewell Of French's Mills PA. The "Jewell Register" was continued in the 2004 by Robert Winsor Jewell of New York State.

Born about 1608 (aged 27 on 8 April 1635). Miller who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635 on the "Planter." (On 8 April 1635, "a miller, Tho[mas] Jewell," aged 27, was enrolled at London as a passenger for New England on the Planter).

First settled in Boston MA; later moved to Braintree MA. Died between 10 April 1654 (date of will) and 21 July 1654 (probate of will).

Married by 1639 Grissell Fletcher, daughter of ROBERT FLETCHER. She married (2) at Braintree on 1 November 1655 Humphrey Griggs. She married (3) at Dorchester on 8 October 1657 Henry Kidby. She married (4) at Braintree on 12 November 1661 John Gurney (the groom's name published incorrectly as "John Cheny Senior")]. She married (5) at Chelmsford on 3 July 1667 John Burge. She died at Chelmsford on 9 July 1669.

Noyes, Libby and Davis state that Grissell Fletcher was second wife of Thomas Jewell. This may be because the Braintree vital records do not contain the birth record for son Thomas Jewell, accompanied by the assumption that only the children with Grissell were recorded in Braintree. The reason that Thomas Jewell was not included in the Braintree vital records would be that he was born before Braintree was separated from Boston, and so, by the rules of collecting records obtaining at the time, would not have been included by the town clerk, regardless of who the mother was. The Boston town clerk would not have included the birth record for Thomas in the Boston records because by 1644 the Jewell family was no longer resident at Boston. Finally, the 24 February 1639/40 grant of land by Boston was for a family of three heads, which would be Thomas Jewel, the immigrant, his wife, and his eldest son, Thomas. If the son Thomas Jewell were born in late 1639 or early 1640, just before the grant of land, there would be a gap of slightly more than two years before the birth of the next child, as one would expect if Grissell were the only wife of the immigrant and the mother of all his children.

• Reference: Find-A-Grave