Thomas Fitch, Sr., of Bocking

My 8th Gt Grandfather .. THOMAS FITCH

Thomas was the eldest child and inherited his father's properties in the town of Edwardstone.

He was born about 1580 in Brazenhead, Bocking, Essex, England The three sons and James Fitch went to America. James in 1638, the others with their mother in 1650. The other sons, Jeremy, John and Nathaniel remained in England. There were three or possibly four daughters as well. My 7th Gt Grandfather, John, stayed in Essex.

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Place of birth has also been (erroneously?) reported to be Braintree, Essex, England.

Date and place of birth have also been (erroneously?) reported to be:

• circa January 18, 1632 at Braintree, Essex, England
• January 1633 at Braintree, Essex, England
• 1648 at an unspecified location

THOMAS FITCH Thomas was the eldest child and inherited his father's properties in the town of Edwardstone. He was born about 1580 in Braintree, Essex. Thomas, like his father, was a clothier and merchant. Bocking was the center of the wool making industry in England. He lived in Bocking and married Anne Reve of Gosfield on August 8, 1611. They were married in the church of Saint Mary in Bocking. Anne was a daughter of John Reve or Reeve and Mary Brock. Thomas not only was a merchant and cloth manufacturer, but by 1630 had fairly large holdings in lands around Bocking and Braintree. He died in early 1633. He wrote his will December 11, 1632 and it was proved in court on February 12, 1632/33. He probably died in late December or early January.

Anne never remarried and went with three of her sons, Thomas, Samuel and Joseph to America in 1650. She was still living in Hartford, Connecticut in 1669, but probably died soon afterwards. The above three sons and James Fitch went to America. James in 1638, the others with their mother in 1650. The other sons, Jeremy, John and Nathaniel remained in England. There were three or possibly four daughters as well. [my 8th GGfather]

Thomas Fitch was born in 1590 and christened 1598 in Brazenhead, Bocking, Co Essex, England. He was a Clothier about 1612. Thomas Fitch and Anne Reeve (Reve) were married on 8 August 1611 in St Mary's Church, Bocking, Co Essex, England. Thomas signed a will on 11 December 1632 in Bocking, Co Essex, England. He died in January 1633 in Brazenhead, Bocking, Co Essex, England and was buried in Sawbridgeworth, Co Hertfordshire, England.

Children

1. Thomas Fitch, b. 24 Oct 1612, Bocking, Sussex Co., England, d. 06 Oct 1704, Norwalk, Fairfield Co., CT..
2. Mary Fitch, b. Mar 1627/28, Bocking, Sussex Co., England, d. Aft. 1644.
3. James Fitch, b. 24 Dec 1622, Bocking, Sussex Co., England, d. 18 Nov 1702, Lebanon, New London Co., CT..

(additional source) Archbold genealogy > compiled by Don Lorenzo Stevens published privately 1976... entry of 2-26-1951: Thomas Fitch. b. Braintree (?) Essex, England, 1590, son of George and Joan Thurgood Fitch. Lived Bocking, Essex, where he was a manufacturer of cloth. married Anna Pew (ed. birth name at odds with above) 8-8-1611. He dies 1-??-1632. She emigrated from Braintree, Essex to Hartford with three sons in 1638, having been preceded by two other sons. The sixth son also came to Connecticut but when is not clear. Children (6) i. Thomas b. 1612 m. Anna Staire 1632 d. 1704 ii . James b. 1622 m.(1) Abigail Whitfield 1648 ; m. (2) Priscilla Mason 1664 d. 1702 iii. Joseph iv. Samuel v. John vi. Zachary "

links

• FamilySearch AFNs: 2VDK-LJ, 2VDL-B9?
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/i/b/Robert-E-Gibson-Ca...

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GEDCOM Note

Not very many sources here, the Fitch family have been extensively researched and documented. There are several genealogies of the family, the most recent in 1990, and the research has apparently been accepted by the genealogical community. I'll go back as far as the genealogies go, whether or not I find sources on Ancestry.

GEDCOM Source

@R1503248714@ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,7836::0 Source number: 166.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: CCC 1,7836::412936

GEDCOM Note

2 AGE About 41-42

GEDCOM Note

Biography

• Thomas was the eldest child and inherited his father's properties inthe town of Edwardstone.
• He was born about 1580 in Braintree, Essex.* Thomas, like his father, was a clothier and merchant. Bocking was the center of the wool making industry in England.* He lived in Bocking and married Anne Reve of Gosfield on August 8, 1611. They were married in the church of Saint Mary in Bocking. Anne was a daughter of John Reve or Reeve and Mary Brock.* Thomas not only was a merchant and cloth manufacturer, but by 1630 had fairly large holdings in lands around Bocking and Braintree.* He died in early 1633. He wrote his will December 11, 1632 and it was proved in court on February 12, 1632/33. He probably died in late December or early January.* Anne never remarried and went with three of her sons, Thomas, Samueland Joseph to America in 1650. She was still living in Hartford, Connecticut in 1669, but probably died soon afterwards.* The above three sons and James Fitch went to America. James in 1638,the others with their mother in 1650. The other sons, Jeremy, John and Nathaniel remained in England. There were three or possibly four daughters as well.

Land Record

On 27 Sep 1630, Thomas bought 130 acres of land in Suffolk, includingseveral houses, from William Brock of Thelnetham (his wife's first cousin). He paid 660 lbs. of lawful money of England. Property included:
Meadow (containing 3 roods) with appurtenances called Goose Meadow lying at the south end of a meadow called Holemeade in Copford. Meadow (containing 3 roods) late of Robte Warde North lying in the parish of Stanwaye in the county of Essex, between the lands of Chrystopher Jemmy Elginer in the "Righte of Bridgett his wife" called Stubbingsin the east and north part and the meadow of Bartholomewe Brooke and now of the said William upon the south and west part, and were sometimes parcel of the possessions of the late Monastery of St. Johns in Colchester in the County of Essex and now in the occupation of John Phillipps and all manner of "Woods underwoods comons mewes rents Revercons remaynders comodityes & profitts to the saide freehold belonginge or apperteyninge with their and every of their appurtenances." Also that "messauge or tenement" with appurtenances called Nevers, also Pages, or by what other name or names soever the same is called or known, wherein John Phillipps now dwelleth, situate and being in the parish of Much Birch in the county of Essex and also all the houses, buildings, barns, stables, tofts, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements andherditaments, meadows, pastures, feedings, rents, woods and underwoods to the same messuage belonging or otherwise pertaining to or used oroccupied or accepted ...now in the occupation of John Phillipps containing by estimation 130 acres more or less. Also all other messuages, lands, tenements and heriditaments whatsoever of William Brock situated in the parishes or fields of Much Birch, Copford and Stanwaye aforesaid in Little Birch in the county of Essex or in any of them with the appurtenances now in the occupation of John Phillipps, and also all woods, underwoods, commonways, waters & rents belonging or in any way pertaining to the estate, right, title, interest, claim & demand of William Brock.

Will

Thomas made his will on 11 Dec 1632 in Essex. He died a wealthy man by the standards of the day, but his first bequest is a small one: three pounds to the poor people of Bocking, to be paid within one month after his death.
He owned two houses in Bocking: the one he lived in and one next door,occupied by his eldest son Thomas who had just married Anne Stacie. He left both houses to Thomas as well as more houses, buildings and lands which he had purchased from William Collin in Bocking and still more tenements and lands which he had bought from Edward Poppen and JohnAmptill. To this he added a barn in Panfield Lane that he had purchased from Thomas Trotter. Out of the income from all this, Thomas was to pay "my Sister Stracey" twenty shillings yearly during her natural life. She is also to have the right to take anything in the barn in Panfield Lane should Thomas default on her annuity. He gives John, who we learn is not yet 21, another "messuage" in Bocking that he had bought from Paul Usher, Peter Kirby and the widow Ursula Bond. This place included houses, buildings, yards and gardens. Healso gave John a garden or orchard in Bocking, now being used by Richard Skinner, a churchwarden. In addition, he gave him part of the same properties in Panfield Lane that he had bought from Thomas Trotter; these included a tenement, occupied by Thomas Laye, and the great orchard adjoining it. Finally, he gave him 200 lbs., all of the above when John turned 21. To James, he was to receive 100 lbs. when he had been enrolled for twoyears in a bachelor of arts program at Cambridge "for I desire he should be bredd up a scholar." To see young James through school, he wasalso to receive 30 lbs. a year, paid out of the lands and tenements, from his mother from the time of his admission to Cambridge until suchtime as he would become a "master of arts." Then come two more of the sons, Nathaniel and Jeremy. Each of them isto receive half of the farm, messuage, land and rents in Birch and elsewhere in Essex that Thomas had bought from William Brock. This is to take effect as each turns 21. Thomas asks that Anne (with the advice of "Supervisors"), within one year after his death, buy as much land and tenements within the county of Essex that 650 lbs. will buy and purchase in a good and frugal manner. These were for the use of his two youngest sons, Samuel and Joseph. (This amount closely matches the 660 lbs. he had paid for the Brock lands, which he had now given to Nathaniel and Jeremy.) The next paragraph states that Ann is to have all the lands given to the four youngest son and that she is to use the income therefrom to bring up the boys and their sisters. When each of the boys reaches 16, however, she is to separate out the rent, issues and profits of their several lands and tenements and use that for each son's from each lad's share for his own particular benefit until they turn 21. Although the will mentions only three daughters by name, Thomas and Ann may have had an elder daughter named Elizabeth; if so, she may have married the month before to Henry Allen. Each of the other three, Mary, Anne and Sara, are to receive 300 lbs each, receiving 200 lbs. whenthey are 18, and the other 100 when they reach 21. If any of the girls should marry without his wife's and Supervisors' consent, she is tolose 100 lbs. of her legacy & the same is to be divided amongst his sons. Further, if any of the girls die without issue before receiving their legacy, the other two surviving sisters shall receive her amount. If any of his younger sons die before age 21 without lawful issue, then the land, tenements and appurtenances willed to them shall be equally divided among the rest of his sons or their heirs equally. Also if John or James die before they receive their money legacies, then the money shall be equally divided among the remaining living sons. There are several small bequests to friends. He gives 20 shillings each to Mr. Hooker, Mr. Nathaniel Rogers, Mr. Daniel Rogers and Mr. Collins "as a token of my love". (The Mr. Hooker was probably Thomas Hooker, the Rector of Chelmsford, who became James' mentor. Nathaniel Rogers was the curate at Bocking; Daniel may have been his brother. Mr. Collins is probably Samuel Collins, Vicar of Braintree from 1610-56.) He leaves a couple of lead cisterns for oil to Thomas and John. Then 20 shillings each to "my brother John Malden and my sister his wife." (This probably refers to his sister Francis.) He leaves 5 lbs. to HenryStracey "my kinsman." He gives 40 shillings each to "my brothers JohnReeve and William Stacy" and 20 shillings to "my brother Jeremy Reeve" as "a token of my love." (John & Jeremy Reeve are his wife's brothers, and William Stacy is Thomas Jr.'s father-in-law.) Thomas concludes the will by leaving everything else to his wife for and towards payments of his debts, legacies and performance, under the condition that within a month after his death she enters bond of 2000 lbs. to John Reeve and William Stacy with condition to prove his will with 2 months after his death to carry out the legacies & bequeaths ofhis will. Furthermore, if she should decide to remarry, he wants hernext husband -- on the day before their marriage -- to put up another2000 lb. bond to make sure all the legacies are handed out. Otherwise, Reeve and Stacie are to take over as executors.

Probated in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 12 Feb 1632/3.

Thomas was born in 1590. He passed away in 1632.

Sources

• A Fitch Family History - English Ancestors of the Fitches of Colonial Connecticut by John T. Fitch, publ. 1990 by Picton Press, Camden, Maine.* The Fitch Family (pdf file), based on John T. Fitch's A Fitch Family History.
• Genealogies of Connecticut Families, Page 424
• Roscoe Conkling Fitch, A History of the Fitch Family (College of Arms, London, England. Haverhill, Mass.: Record Pub. Co., 1930)
• Fitch, John G. The Genealogy of the Fitch Family (1886)
• The First Register of Saint Mary's Church, Bocking, Essex, England (James Junius Goodwin, 1903) :
• Page 196: Nuptiae 1611. August. Thomas Fytch & Anna Reve nupti 8.::
• Page 213. 1632. "Henricus Allen & Elizabetha Fitch nupti 29."
• Will - Probated in Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 12 Feb 1633
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fitch-12