Thomas Nichols, the Immigrant

NOT THE SON OF ISRAEL NICHOLS. WRONG HAPLOGROUP.

HG= R-U152

25 Sep 1697 married Susanna Checkleton in Rugely, Staffordshire, England.

England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940 View Record Name Thomas Nicholls Gender Male Marriage Date 25 Sep 1697 Marriage Place Rugeley, Staffordshire, England Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Map 10391 Spouse Susanna Checkleton Search Photos Rugeley, Staffordshire, England Household Members Name Age Susanna Checkleton Thomas Nicholls

http://www.palmspringsbum.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I857... http://www.riverwye.us/getperson.php?personID=I7405&tree=Watkins http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kenzie/Desnichols.htm

From http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kenzie/GenNICHOLS.htm

In England, Nicole met an English woman, who was a follower of George Fox, (1624-1691), of Market Drayton, Warwick, Founder of the Society of Friends. Their records reveal Thomas Nichols (Nicole) married 7th Month, 13th Day 1704, (old calendar) at Rugeley, Monthly Meeting, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, (perhaps his second wife) to Mary Ludford, born 9th Month 7th Day 1687, daughter of John and Ann Ludford, Baddesley Ensor, M.M., in a nook of Coventry. Mary's background included a long line of Ludford Barristers and a Thomas Ludford, Fellow, at Magdalen College, Oxford University, whose epitaph reveals his grave is in the middle alley of the College Chapel, died 1 September 1687, in 28 years of this age. Underneath was first interred Thomas, eldest son of George Ludford, Esq., who died young A.D. 1627 and also his son, John Ludford, Esq., A.D. 1675. James Ludford, age 44, died 29 December 1699).

In December 1711, Thomas Nichols with wife Mary and children, departed Rugeley, M.M., Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, bearing Society of Friends Certificate of Removal, signed by many Friend member well wishers, which they registered March 1712 in Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Without tarrying, they registered at Centre, M.M., Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. One mile distant, Thomas purchased 200 Acres of land from Letitia Penn Aubury a part of William Penn Manor, given to Letitia by her father William Penn. The land was situated South of Brandywine Creek, bounded on the west by the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line between Burnt Mill and Snuff Mill Roads (off of Delaware State Road No. 52)

In 1714 Thomas Nichols had warrants for 200 Acres in Delaware and 500 Acres in Chester County, Pennsylvania

In 1728, Mary Ludford Nichols witnessed, as a widow, the wedding of her son John, of Kennett, Thomas Nichols, d. circa 1724-28.

On 2 March 1724, Mary Ludford Nichols was chosen Overseer, at Centre, M.M., and, on 5 April 1731, certified to be joined to the Meeting of Ministers and Elders; she continued in that capacity of an acknowledged Minister for Centre, Kennett and Concord, Meetings, "One of the most useful members of the Monthly Meetings, abundantly employed in the discipline and in the religious visits to the families of Friends."

Mary died in 1770, age 83 years. Her eulogy was published in "The Friend Magazine" Vol. 35, p. 116, December 7, 1861, No. 15, Vol. XXX. In can be read at New York City Public Library.

Ref: Samuel Nichols 1870 "Nichols Genealogy Collection," copied by John Cox and added to the "Gilbert Cope" Collections, See "N" section, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; also Cleveland public Library, Copy of England Court Rec.; Philadelphia Annual meeting vault records; Hinshaw Encyclopedia of Am. Quaker Gen. Pa., Va., Ohio Volumes

In 194, son Thomas Nichols willed the Delaware Plantation to his sons, Daniel and Amor, and divided it between them. Daniel received the homestead of Thomas and Mary (Ludford) Nichols in his half. Daniel willed his half to his son, Eli Nichols (born 3 March 1808, died 7 March 1888), who married on 29 November 1843 to Sarah Palmer; in turn, the homestead half was willed to his son, Eli Nichols, M.D., (born 1869). In 1932, when bachelor physician, Eli Nichols' estate was settled, Philip Dupont bought the Thomas and Mary (Ludford) Nichols homestead (Hald). Recently Phil's daughter, Jane Lunger, (Mrs. Harry W.), occupied the homestead. She owned race horses.The Main House has a wing which was the one of Thomas and Mary (Ludford) Nichols. It contains glass window panes they brought with them from England in 1711. - Maurice Evan Bell, Ph.D.

Monthly Meeting and Cemetery are on the National Historical Register.

Friends were registered at Concord Monthly Meeting, then at Newark Monthly Meeting.

Winter fording at Brandywine river grew difficult and permission was given, in 1687, for a Monthly Meeting for Friends at Centre.

A large dwarf English Boxwood indicates the rows of Nichols burials. An unmarked row of Nichols burials is in a row farther away from the Centre Monthly Meeting, beyond the partial row of Nichols headstones, where the English boxwood.

A cemetery headstone has the date 1610.

Note: Society of Friends Cemeteries has policy no headstone on graves prior to 1850. After 1850, the policy changed, permitting headstones to mark graves. After 1850, a few Friends did erect tombstones on graves of ancestor who died prior to 1850. - Alan G.R. Bell.

Links

• http://www.mundia.com/ca/Person/11366210/1987706961