vital records sources
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Thomas's signature from his will

Bio in progress

     Thomas appears in various records as a resident of Essex County, and some specifically put him in Marblehead. Marblehead town records mention him on 1 November 1675 and 2 April 1677. He had a house there, which he kept when he moved to Oyster Bay on Long Island, Province of New York. On 18 February 1678 he was already in Oyster Bay when bought the home lot of Joseph Crooker there.1 OB town records 1:115-6, 230 see below In Marblehead, he sold a house he was renting to Thaddeus Ridden on 7 October 1678.1 5:41.

10 February 1678/79, he witnessed a deed in Oyster Bay.1 OBTR 1:115 Oyster Bay Town Records vol. 1 (New York: 1916)

30 June 1679, Richard and Hannah Knott sold to Thomas, no residence given, land, no amount or place noted,1 5:64 but this is a recording of an endorsement on the back of a deed from John Hudson and Mary his wife to Knott on the same day selling him his house and garden, fenced in, in Marblehead.

22 November 1679, his father John Gatchell and his wife Mary testified in court that Thomas and his brother Jonathan Gatchell were given summons to testify in a case involving their brother Joseph Gatchell and Thomas Dixy.1 ICQC 7:298

At this point, the family moved to Portsmouth. Daughter Priscilla isn't recorded in the Marblehead or Portsmouth births. This could be because they moved shortly after she was born and the Marblehead town clerk didn't have a chance to her information. They were in Portsmouth long enough for her two younger siblings to have been born there, but they aren't recorded either. The family was in Dartmouth about 1697. Priscilla's birth is recorded there by itself. Her brother John, son of her stepmother Mary, has his birth recorded also, but also separately.

On 9 April 1681, Abraham Alling asked the town to confirm the deed in which Crooker sold his land to Thomas and then lay out bounds for it.11:241 Presumably the Gatchells lived on this property, so this may have been a confirmation of the bounds as well. The Gatchells may have moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island Colony, by then. On 5 August 1681, Thomas was a surety for his brother Jonathan and had put up his house and land in Marblehead as colateral.1 8:219 The was likely the property he had bought from the Knotts in 1679.

Thomas was in Portsmouth by 18 September 1683, when town records mention him on a coroner's jury. 299 He had a cattle earmark recorded on 5 June 1684.1 (Gershom Wodell's mark was entered on the same day. 289)

29 July 1684, burglary case1 9:276-83 14 July 1684, of Portsmouth, testifying in Newport1

He was still in Portsmouth on 13 June 1687 when sold the Oyster Bay home lot he bought in 1679 to Richard Harcutt, bounded by John Newman on the north, Aaron Forman Jr. on the south, highway on northwest, William Butler on the southeast.1 OBTR 1:424 described as being on the NE side of Aaron Furman when the town grant (3 acres) to Crooker on 2 April 16771 1:230 (is this the citation for town grant to Crooker?

On 10 December 1696, Joseph Earle sold Thomas of Portsmouth 100 acres at "Namquid" Neck in Dartmouth, also 60 acres of undivided land there.1 4:73

On 11 July 1698, Samuel Allen sold him an acre right in the undivided meadow land in Dartmouth (Thomas of Dartmouth)1 13;374 9 January 1699/1700, he was a juryman for the Bristol County Court of Common Pleas1

He was elected a selectman on 20 March 1704/051 Town Records, with Births, Marriages, and Deaths, image 19?


Thomas's will:1

In the name of God amen I, Thomas Gatchell, of the town of Dartmouth in ye County of Bristoll in ye Province of the Masachusets Bay in New England, taylor, being now in my good health and in sound and disposing memmory, thanks be given to God for the same, do make this my last will and testament in wrighting in manner & form following, that is to say first and principally my body I commit to ye earth from whence it was taken to be desently byried & my soule I commit to God that gave itt

Itim I do give and bequeth unto my dear and loving wife Mary Gatchell whom I do make sole executor of this my last will and testament in wrighting that is to say after my funerall charges defrayed and all my debts payed accourding to ye maner and form following

Itim I do give and bequeth und to my wife Mary Gatchell all that my moveable estate without doors and also in ye house to be for her owne use and benefit during her naturall life with ye use of the house and the barn and allso four akers of land which lyeth round sd house and barn together with all the previlegs belonging to sd premises

But at my decease Itim I do give and bequeth unto my son John Getchell my greate Bible which is known by the name of the Church Bible

Itim I do give to my daughter Mary Ells one shilling in money

Itim I do give and bequeth unto my daughter Sarah Gatchell one fether bed and bedding convenient for one bed which things here in named is to be delivered to my children herein named at my deseace and then what is left after ye deseace of my wife Mary Gatchell is to be equally divided betwen my daughter Priscilla Burgis and my daughter Sary Gatchell only it is further agreed on that my wife is to dispose of one bed as shee shal see cause.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto se[t] my hand and seal this sixteenth day of February in the year one thousand seven hundrd and 1718 or 1719...

Thomas Gatchell Signed sealed and delevered in presents of us thes wittnesses

Olever his x mark Allen
Phillip his x mark Sherman
Ephraim Shearman

The will was brought to court and proved on 21 November 1738.

An inventery of all the goods rites and chattles of Thomas Gatchell late of Dartmouth decesed taken by us the Subscribers on ye 17th day of November 1738 to a bible and other books (£)3/10 (shillings) to truckle bedsted bed and beding 6/10 to bedsted bed and beding 15/5 a screen 1/ 2 powdering tobs [tubs] 1/ to sadle and bridle /10 to a sidesadel £1 – 15 s pillion £1 2/15 to horse gears /16 to 4 chests 2/00 to 2 tabels 1/15 to a pair of wosted comes & come pot 2/5 to a pair of Belloses 8 s box iron & heaters 8 s 16/ to a pair of andirons £2 two trammels £1 3/ to a gridirons 10 s frying pan 15 s 1/15 to iron pots and pot hooke 1/ to 1 citel 8 s shears and goos 5 s /13 to 2 brass citels 2/5 to a warming pan 1/8 to 3 pewter basons 1/3 to 3 porngers 5 s to 4 platers £1-9s 1/14 to 6 plates 1/04 to 5 boles 6 s tunell 2 s-6 /8/6 (pence) to 3 bouls 3 s a churn 5 s /8 to 2 tubs 3 s a pail 2 s 2 runlets 4 s money scales 10 s 19/ to 5 chears £1-2 s one iron bar 12 s 1/14 to a grinstone 12 s to two tubs & a bell 4 s 1/4 to pair of specticels /4 to 4 baskits 6 s to old lumber 1/6 to an oager & drawing knife /9 to money due upon lease 23/ £80/16/6 Peleg Smith John Shepherd James Howland

The three signatories had agreed to take this inventory the previous day, showing that Thomas was dead by 16 November 1738. The following is the account of James Tripp, who agreed to serve as executor of the estate when his widow Mary and daughter Sarah refused.

The accompt of James Tripp of Dartmouth administrator to the will annexed of Thomas Gatchel late of Dartmouth deceased

the accomptant chargeth himself with an inventory exhibited into the registry of the court of probate amounting to the sum of £80 16 6

the accomptant prays allowance for the payment of several debts & legacies as followeth

to Philip Sherman (£)2 1 (shilling) 0 (pence)

to Ephraim Sherman 2 0 0

to Peleg Smith 1 0 0

to James Howland 0 18 0

to John Shapperd 0 17 0

settle administration 0 10 0

proving the will 0 6 6

recording the will & copey 0 10 0

allowing and recording the inventory 0 9 0

two citations one to the widow 0 2 0

and another to Sarah Russell 0 2 0

their refusals 0 2 0

copey of the inventory 0 3 0

going to Bristol to carry the will 1 13 0

notifying the appraisers and witnesses 0 10 0

my time when the inventory was taken 0 6 0

my going to Rochester to pay Mary Ellis legacy 0 13 0

my time and expenses when I came to prove the will being three days 2 0 0

my time being one day in delivering the movables to the legates 0/18 0

a legacy to Priscilla Burge in movables and money 30 2 3

a legacy to Sarah Russel in movables and money 30 2 3

recording ye discharges from ye lea[?] side 0 6 0

a legacy given to John Gatchel deceased with a large Bible [appraised?] all delivered to Capt. John Aken guardian to the children of the sd John Gatchel 3 8 0

my journey coming to make up this accompt 0 16 10[?]

one jorney to Bristol to get a copy of the lease that was in the law betwixt Capt. John Aken guardian to John Gatchel children and Isaac Howe and executor in the second degree 1 10 0

drawing this accompt 0 4 0

allowing & registering this acct 0 14 0
------------------------
£82 3 0

children of Thomas Gatchell and Sarah Brayton:

i. Priscilla, b. 8 December 1680
ii. Mary, m. Joel Ellis, 5 May 1715
iii. Sarah, m. Mr. Russell between 16 February 1718/19 and 4 July 1734

Child of Thomas Gatchell and Mary Tripp:

v. John, b. 5 July 1695

vital records sources:

1.