THOMAS
FAMILY
| Grandfathers Family | Grandmothers Family | Grandfathers Family | Grandmothers Family |
Father Thomas
{sjt#7-2} These notes are from a
report
by Brian L. Cartwright for James Thomas: |
Mothers Family |
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John Thomas, son of Father Thomas, was born about 1670 in Myddfai, Carmarthen Co, Wales and died after 15 Mar 1714 in Myddfai, Carmarthen Co, Wales.
General Notes: Yeoman (farmer who farms his own land, one step below the gentry) "March ye 29th 1715 In the name of God Amen: I John Thomas of the pitt of Mothvey in the Country of Carmarthen Yeoman, being sick in body but of good and perfect memory, thanks be to almighty God, and taking to remembrance the uncertain estate of this transitory life and all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call do make constitute ordain and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following. Item I give unto Mredith my brother 20s two Shootes of Clothes and I give to my sister Nel one yew and lamb and to my sister Elizabeth one yew and lamb and to my brother William one yew and lamb and one pig and I give to my sister Margaret one shilling and one shilling to my father. And I give to Anne Thomas, one sixpence and to John William one sixpence: and all rest of my goods I do give them totally unto Alixander Thomas and I do make him my executor of all chatteles good and deptes. Signed and delivered in the presence of William Lewis and John William. Thomas John the mark of Thomas John" "about 1678, Robert Owen had married Rebecca...The witnesses were...John Thomas, Owen Thomas...Cadwalader Thomas ap Hugh, of the township of Kiltalgarth, in Llanvawr, Merionethshire. He was the son of Thomas ap Hugh, ap Evan, ap Rees Goch, ap Tudor, ap Rees, ap Evan Coch, of Bryammer, in the parish of Gerrig y drudion, Denbighshire, derived from Marchwerthian, Lord of Issallt, who bore Gules, a lion rampt., arg., armed, and langued azure. Cadwalader Thomas died prior to 9th February 1682, as appears by the will of his brother, John Thomas of Laithgwm, "gentleman," dated as above and proved in Philadelphia, 1688. " (Pg. 535-537)
"Jonathan Jones...married at Merion Meeting, 11th mo., 8th, 1742, Sarah, daughter of 'Thomas Jones, of Merion, deceased, yeoman,' son of John Thomas, of Llaithgwm, Merionethshire, Wales, descended from Evan Coch, of Gryammer, Denbighshire. (See Penna. Mag., Vol. IV)" (Check this out - according to book, "Genealogies of Pennsyulvania Families" 1983)
We can see from John's will that he was a yeoman, which is defined as a farmer who farms his own land, one step below the gentry. He may also have been a miner, as he describes himself as being "of the pitt of Mothvey" (Myddfai). In Wales coal mines are the only mines referred to as pits. We can also deduce from the will that Alixander was his oldest son, since by English law of primogeniture the eldest son inherited everything, as Alixander did. The purpose of primogeniture was to prevent a man's estate from being subdivided among all his heirs. Thus the English estates passed intact from eldest son to eldest son.
John leaves bequests to each of his five siblings and to his father (how we wish he had included his father's name). He must have died relatively young, as he predeceased his own father. He leaves a sixpence to Anne and John William who were probably Alixander's siblings. Anne could have been an older or younger sister, and John William was a younger brother, but at least twenty-one, as he witnessed the will. The small bequests to siblings were to ensure the will could not be contested on the grounds that these persons had been inadvertently omitted.
Noted events in his life were:
• He was employed about 1700 in Myddfai, Carmarthen Co, Wales.
• He signed a will. "March ye 29th 1715 In the name of God Amen: I John
Thomas of the pitt of Mothvey in the Country of Carmarthen Yeoman, being
sick in body but of good and perfect memory, thanks be to almighty God, and
taking to remembrance the uncertain estate of this transitory life and all
flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call do make constitute
ordain and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following.
Item I give unto Mredith my brother 20s two Shootes of Clothes and I give
to my sister Nel one yew and lamb and to my sister Elizabeth one yew and
lamb and to my brother William one yew and lamb and one pig and I give to
my sister Margaret one shilling and one shilling to my father. And I give
to Anne Thomas, one sixpence and to John William one sixpence: and all rest
of my goods I do give them totally unto Alixander Thomas and I do make him
my executor of all chatteles good and deptes. Signed and delivered in the
presence of William Lewis and John William. Thomas John the mark of Thomas
John"
Children from this marriage were:
Alexander Thomas (born about 1693 in Wales - died about 1760 of St Agnes,
Cornwall, England)
Anne Thomas.
John William Thomas.
ALEXANDER [I] |
Born about 1693 in Wales - died about 1760 of St Agnes, Cornwall, England |
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ANNE |
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JOHN WILLIAM |
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