Sarah Foster

Thomas and Sarah [Marshfield] Miller were married and was their first marriage. ALL of the children were full blood brothers and sisters - NO HALF-BROTHERS and NO HALF-SISTERS. Sarah remarried Edward [Edmund] Foster Jr after Thomas Miller was killed on 17 January 1684 in Springfield, MA.

She was the mother of 13 children: Sarah b 9/3/1650-d 8/29/1683; Thomas Jr b 4/1/1653-d 3/5/1690; Samuel b 4/20/1655-d 2/11/1727; John b 4/23/1657-d 1735; Joseph b 7/27/1659 - d 11/10.1659; Josiah b 9/27/1660; Deborah b 11/9/1662; Martha b 11/4/1665-d 5/21/1691; Ebenezer b 8/25/1667-d 2/6/1754; Mehitable b 11/12/1669; Joseph 12/13/1671-d 12/26/1671; and Experience b 5/19/1673 - d 12/13/1731, All born in Springfield, MA.

Baptism record England & Wales Christening Records 1530-1906. Source Citation: Place: Balderton, Nottinghamshire, England; Collection: [BTs; Date Range: 1630 - 1640; Film Number: 503473]. Name: Thomas Miller. Gender: Male. Birth Date: ca 1633. Christening Date: 27 December 1633. Christening Place: Balderton, Nottingham, England. Father’s name: Robert Miller. Mother’s Name: Elizabeth.

3. 1636-1675. Early History of Springfield. Pages 27-28. Thomas Miller was one of the white men that had troubles with the Indians. Indians complained that Miller, then a young man, had committed an assault upon their father, striking him with the butt of the gun.

"May 9, 1660. Thomas Miller complayned against certayne Indians yet came to his house, which, as his wife sayth, scarred his children by throwinge stickes at them; his wife cominge out of her house & callinge to her husband for help, he was going into his house to fetch a cudgell & his wife followed him & at the doore of his house one of the Indians stroke his wife on her head with his fist yet shee fell down with the blow & Thomas Miller turninge back layd hold on the Indian that struck his wife; then another of the Indians laid hold on Tho. Miller & rescued him yet struck ye woman & the other Indians struck Tho Miller diverse blows while he & the Indian were scuffling: the Indians being pursued by diverse men & horses, three of them were taken & brought before ye case but the Indian that stroke the woman could not be taken: the names of those yet were taken & found guilty were Kollabauggamitt & Maullamaug who dwell in Nipmuck county they were adjudged to pay for themselves & yet escaped 14 fathom on wampum: the Indians paying the wampum 6 fathom was delivered to ye constable to defray the charges of 10 men & 5 horses that pursued them or yet were required to waite on the service & 8 fathoms was given to Tho. Miller in way of satisfaction for ye injury done to him & his wife." Thomas Miller was unquestionably a brave, stout man, and evidently bore no special good will toward the Indians, being ever ready, when occasion offered, to engage in a fray with them.

SOURCES:

• [a] Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Death for Thomas Miller, in Springfield on 5 October 1675. Killed by Indians during the burning of Springfield, Massachusetts.
• [b] New England Marriages page 509.
• [c] CD 310. Colonial America 1607-1789. Middletown, Middlesex Co., CT years 1669, 1670 and 1673. W. Springfield, Hampton, MA page 283 1661 and page 287 1720.