Thomas Call

brief biography

Thomas Call is believed to be the first member of the Call family to emigrate to America.

THOMAS CALL (last name also spelled Calle, Caul), son of John Call (1577-1630) and Anne ---(abt 1575-1630), was born 15 June 1597 in Faversham, Kent, England. Thomas married Bennett Harrison sometime before July 1623. Bennett Harrison was born 21 May 1597 in Hernhill, Kent England. They lived initially in Hernhill, Kent, England where their daughter Anne was born 2 Mar 1624, Phillip b. in 1627, Paul b. 2 Feb 1629, Margaret b. 30 May 1631, Thomas b. 6 Oct 1633, and John b. 6 Mar 1636 Faversham Kent, Eng. How many of these children survived is unknown; it was not unusual then to lose half of the children before they could reach age five.

On 11 May 1637, at the age of 39, Thomas Call along with his wife Bennett Harrison and three children presumed to be: Margaret, Thomas and John left the port of Sandwich, Kent, England on the ship Hercules for The Bay Colony around Boston, Massachusetts. He and his family lived in Charlestown Mass. by the ferry across the Mystic River'' about two miles from Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. In 1637 Mary Call was born in Charlestown, Elizabeth was born 21 Dec 1640 in Charlestown and Mercy Call was born 7 Nov 1643 in Charlestown-. Bennett would have been 46?? and may not have survived the birth of Mercy. They later moved to Malden, Mass. a town near Charlestown. Thomas secondly married Joanna Shepherdson sometime after 1643. Joanna was the widow of Daniel Shepherdson. His professions are listed as: tile maker, baker and husbandman (livestock owner). Thomas died on 17 May 1676 at the age of 79 years and is buried Bell Rock Cemetery Malden Mass. where his headstone is still visible. (Use Google and search for: "headstone of thomas call malden massachusetts")

Thomas Call (also spelled Caul Calle) was a Puritan dissenter who decided to leave England for new opportunities and to lead a new life closer to what he believed was taught in the Bible. He is living in the same area where the majority of Puritans come from--East Anglica (Norfolk, Suffolk &Kent) England located on the East side of the English Isles.

By 1637 Charles I King of England is beginning to wonder exactly who was leaving and how to extract whatever taxes he could from the passengers leaving for America. Charles I instituted a loyalty oath and an oath that they had paid all the taxes he demanded. Most passengers went along with Charles and subscribed their names to these oaths lists (and maybe crossing their fingers) giving us a rare list of early New England passengers. Charles I raised enough ire with the Puritans and the Parliamentarians that he was opposed in the English Civil War (1642-1649) led by Oliver Cromwell that was terminated with Charles's execution.

On April 1637 the ship "Hercules" Left Sandwich England for Charlestown Mass. and among the passenger lists we find:

THOMAS CALLE of Faversham husbandman and BENNET his wife 3 children {2]

The three children are thought to be John , Margaret and Thomas II Call. Children born in Charlestown: Mary, Elizabeth and Mercy Call.

notes

[1] Few early colonial passenger lists have survived but this one does

[2] THE ORIGINAL LISTS OF PERSONS OF QUALITY, EMIGRANTS; RELIGIOUS EXILES; POLITICAL REBELS; SERVING MEN SOLD FOR A TERM OF YEARS; APPRENTICES; CHILDREN STOLEN; MAIDENS PRESSED; AND OTHERS WHO WENT FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO THE

"AMERICAN PLANTATIONS 1600 - 1700" . Hotten John Camden , pg 14 (amazingly he used this list as an example of data taken from "History of Sandwich" by W. Boys, 1792, pp. 752). Other sources also list the "Hercules's" passengers.[ If searching the web use the Thomas Calle spelling.]

[3] Thomas  is listed in the early Charlestown Mass town records and in the town of Malden Mass. where he eventually moved.  

[4] See: "Spragues of Malden" by George W. Chamberlain and the "Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century,"  for other records.

comments

Date of immigration at Cape Cod, Massachusetts has also been (erroneously?) reported to be 1636.