AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT
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Thomas Wheadon see FAMILY TREE
Born: 1635 Axminster, Devon, England
Married: 24 May 1661 to Mary Ann Small, New Haven, New Haven, CT
Died: 16 Oct 1691 New Haven, New Haven, CT
WIFE
CHILDREN
1.
Thomas Wheadon
b. 31 May 1663
2. Sarah Anne Wheadon
b. 23 Apr 1666
m. Samuel Elwell before 1691
3. Esther Wheadon
b. 26 Jan 1667/8
m. Edward Johnson bef. 1691
4. John Wheadon
b. 22 Dec 1671
m. Mary Frost 1696
5. Hannah Wheadon
b. 21 Jul 1674
m. John Thompson 1702
Biography of Thomas
Wheadon, Sr.
by Susan Brooke
April 2020
Thomas Wheadon, Sr. was apprenticed sometime before 1644
to John Meigs, a tanner, currier and shoemaker, who can be traced back to
Axminster, Devon, England. Wheadon may have been an orphan in 1644 since
it appears he was apprenticed at about the age of 9. He came to New Haven
with John Meigs who is recorded Feb 24, 1644 as having been admitted a member of
the court and admitted as freeman in New Haven, so we know Thomas Wheadon, Sr.
was in New Haven as early as 1644. (1)
John Meigs had promised to teach Thomas Wheadon the trade of currier over seven
years. However, after their arrival John Meigs transferred his contract
with Thomas Wheadon to Matthew Gilbert for five years. In 1658 Wheadon
brought suit, claiming he had been promised a trade and further he saw that
other servants' contract were for four years, while his was for seven. As
a minor under indenture he did not have any authority to contract himself to
Meigs and it was ruled it was proper fulfilling the terms of the agreement with
Matthew Gilbert. (2) Wheadon was about 23 in 1658. He probably had
turned 21 when he took the oath of fidelity on Feb 7, 1657.
Ann Small was a servant working for Thomas Yale whose step-father, Theophilus
Eaton, was governor of the New Haven Colony. Francis Harvey, a Frenchman,
was called into court on January 3, 1659 for entering into a "treaty of
marriage" with her. Since she had hired herself out as a servant for one
year she could not marry without the consent of her master. Mr. Yale
accused her of lying and stealing some gloves and a scarf. Harvey was told
he had broken the law and had to pay of fine of 40s. Ann was sentenced to
pay 10s for lying, 2s for stealing a scarf, and 12s for the gloves. Harvey
was warned to move out of town. This must have been a staggering debt to her, an
indentured servant. But, four months later Ann Small married Thomas
Wheadon Sr. on May 24, 1661. (3) She must have been out of debt.
Two months later in Aug 1661 Wheadon was sued for slander by Abraham Dickerman.
Seems Thomas Wheadon when coming into town one night had heard Dickerman's wife
screaming at her husband, "I think you are mad & what ails you? & I think the
Devil is in you." Then Dickerman came out of the house crying.
Wheadon reported to the court that Goodwife Dickerman was beating her husband.
Dickerman brought a case of slander against Wheadon and Thomas Wheadon was fined
20 shillings. (4) The next year Thomas Wheadon brought suit of slander against
William Bassett and wife who had said that Wheaton had participated in an
"execution of justice" for gain. (William Potter had been executed for
bestiality in June of 1662.) (5) Thomas Wheadon had a busy life in the
courts.
"He was sued in court at New Haven on 5 Dec 1665 for slander and defamation for
having called the wife of Richard Newman a "rayler": found guilty and fined 40
shillings plus costs. At the same court he was also found guilty of slander and
defamation for accusing William Bassett of stealing 3 bundles of flax, fined 15
shillings plus costs, "and left a serious admonition about his Carriage with the
neighbors for the future."
He then moved to Branford. He undoubtedly thought it time for a new
beginning. On April 20, 1668 John Ward sold to "Thomas Wheadon of
New Haven" a "home lot which was formerly Thomas Blackley's for a
consideration between him & I agree upon." (7) Thomas Wheadon had a wife
and three young children at that point and he was beginning to acquire live
stock and land. In return for working for the town to build a dam or a
bridge, etc., he would be allotted a small parcel of land.. (8) If
he didn't get what he thought he had been promised, Thomas Wheadon went to
court. Or, in one case, he was already in court, being sued.
March 2, 1674/5 was one of his more interesting days. John Rogers was
suing Thomas Wheadon for damage done in service to the town to the value of ten
bushels of Indian corn. The court ruled Wheadon give Rogers five bushels of
merchantable Indian corn and pay the costs of the court. That very same
day Thomas Wheadon entered an action against William Hoadly and Samuel Ward for
debt due to him for work done for the town. With damages he was suing for
40s.. Court ruled Ward and Hoadly would pay £1.11s with the plaintiff to
pay the costs of the court. (9) Won one: lost one.
He had five children by 1675. All in all he was doing well. In 1680
Thomas Wheadon was named Constable. (10) And in January of that year he sold 2
acres to Nathaniell Ffoott for £9. (11)
He continued to acquire and sell land, sue and be sued. In January 1687 it
was agreed to allow Thomas Wheadon Sr. and Nathaniel Ffoot Each of them two
shillings and six pense which they paid the last year for fines. (12)
So, if you got fined for something, you just worked for the town some more and
paid off those fines.
Thomas Wheadon, Sr. died in 1691 at the age of 56 leaving an estate valued
at that time of £195. (13) His wife must have been alive at the time of
that distribution but seems to have died within the following year. On Nov
4, 1692 the three oldest heirs were back in court for themselves and the two
youngest children of Thomas Wheadon, Sr. giving an updated account of the value
of their father's estate. Thomas Wheadon's son John Wheadon was
about 20 when their father died and their sister Hannah Wheadon had been only
17. Stated in this record, "the estate being impaired by Expenses of their
mother in her life time with her
two youngest children." Apparently she had died and thus there were no more
expenses to her for raising the two youngest children. Their
father's estate was now valued to an additional £427.14.7. Thomas,
the eldest son, was to receive a double portion of £142.12.08 and each of the
other four children was to receive £71.06.04. (14)
The oldest son, Thomas Wheadon, Jr., died in 1707 and his brother-in-law, Edward
Johnson, took over the handling of the estate of Thomas Wheadon, Sr. In
May of 1713 Edward noted 121 acres in the 4th division and another 121 acres in
the 5th division valued at a little over £230. (15) A few months later another
12 acres were presented by Edward Johnson. (16) Finally on June 6, 1715
the adjustments were made and the heirs of the "Eldest Son" were to
receive another 41 acres in 5th Division Land and some land in the 4th Division
for a total of £83.06.07. The other four children were each to receive
£41.13.3 1/2 (17)
Starting as an orphan with nothing, Thomas Wheadon, Sr. had left a valuable
estate. (18) He could not read or write as is evidenced in the deed to Charles
Tyler in 1687. (19) His sons, however, received enough schooling that they
could sign their names. (20) Thomas Wheadon, Sr. had found the American
Dream.
(1) http://www.wheatonjk.co.uk/Thomas_WHEATON_1635.htm
(2) https://commonheroes3.wordpress.com/11th-generation/gilbert-matthew-jane-baker/
as described in the book, The
Piglet’s Paternity, by Jon C. Blue, an indentured servant named Thomas
Wheadon sued for his freedom from his master, one John Meigs, claiming that
Meigs had broken the terms of their contract. To make the long story shorter,
Wheadon was an orphan under the age of majority, who had assigned himself to
Meigs aboard ship on the passage to America. Meigs claimed he had the assent of
the boy’s previous master in England, but without written proof, this claim was
considered dubious. (Was Wheadon a runaway servant?) Meigs had contracted with
Wheadon to teach him the trade of currier over seven years. However, once at New
Haven, Meigs stated that our Matthew Gilbert “desired one of his servants.” With
Wheadon’s consent, Meigs transferred the contract to Gilbert for five years.
After these arrangements had been made, Wheadon had second-thoughts, claiming
that he had been promised a trade — a lucrative one, at that — which he was not
being taught. Further, he saw other servants’ contracts were for four years,
while his was for seven. He felt he had been taken advantage of.
After a great deal of testimony, the court came to an interesting decision. It
agreed that Wheadon, as a minor still under indenture to an English master, did
not have the authority to
contract himself to Meigs aboard ship, so that contract was null and void.
However, it ruled that Wheadon was required to fulfill the terms of his
agreement for service to Matthew Gilbert.
Records of the Colony of Jurisdiction of New Haven pg. 250 by Charles Jeremy
Hoadly
From the court records 31 May 1658
Meigs testified that Wheadon was to serve him 7 years from the time he came across and when on ship he did voluntarily engage to teach him a trade - afterwards Mr Gilbert desired one of his servants and Wheadon consented to five years.
(3) http://www.wheatonjk.co.uk/Thomas_WHEATON_1635.htm
From "WHEATON Family" by Earnest WHEATON: Anne HARVEY may have been a widow
whose maiden name was Ann SMALL, daughter of Francis Small. New Haven Town Rec
pp. 426-27, Dec 1659 - Jan 1659/60: At a Court held at New Haven the 3rd of Jan
1659. Francis HARVEY, a Frenchman, upon summons appearing, was told that he was
to give answer concerning a treaty of marriage with a maid, carried on as its
understood & as they both have confessed, to the engaging of themselves to one
another, & without consent of parents of governor, contrary to a law here
published, which was read, & they both were told that they had directly broke
the law. To which he answered that there was no such law in the places where he
hath been, nor did he know that there was any such law here; he was told that
excuses him not, and that he must (if he live here) acquaint himself with the
Laws established and submit to them. Ann SMALL was asked what she said to it
having hired herself a servant for a year, she should within a month enter a
treaty of marriage with a man, without consents of master, contrary to the Law.
Ann SMALL pleaded that she was both ignorant of the Law & the breach of it, &
that she intended to serve out her time with her Master; but Mr. YALE her
Master, said that she had within a short time after she came to him, moved to be
free; to which it was said that was the fruit of such treaties, that having got
a suit of clothes of her master, by and by she would be gone from him & engage
herself to a man, without the consent of her mother, who she confessed was
living, for ought she knew, to whom it would be a great grief to hear of her
irregular proceedings. Mr. YALE informed that the carriage of Ann SMALL was very
burdensome to them, not only in respect of that particular before spoken of, but
also she was a notorious liar & unfaithful, concerning which he declared that
there lodging a woman of Connecticut at his house, she left a small scarf behind
her, which sometime after was inquired for by John BENHAM to which Ann SMALL
presently answered that there was none left there; but upon that occasion he
asked his maid where she had that scarf which she wore; to which she answered
that she had it when she lived with her master TOMPSON but she did not wear it
because she thought it would be trouble to her dame & that she left it with
Goodwife MALLERY who since sent it to her by John WAKEFIELD's daughter;
whereupon he inquired of Goodwife WAKEFIELD & Goodwife MALLERY growing
suspicious of Ann SMALL asked him if he brought any kid gloves out of England;
he told her, yes; she told him that his maid had given her a pair of kid gloves,
which gloves upon inquiry at home he found that she had stolen from him; besides
other things are gone, but how he knows not. Ann SMALL was asked if this that
was spoken by her master was true; she said yes; she was told that she had the
more cause to be ashamed: she was asked what else she had taken from her master,
being other things are wanting; she said that she had nothing else but the
gloves...Page 428 Francis HARVEY was told that he had broken the law by his
irregular proceeding in this treaty of marriage with Ann SMALL & thereby he
falls under the fine of 40, that must forthwith be paid & that the court had
little encouragement to give liberty for him to settle here. Ann SMALL was also
reproved for her impudent & insensibility under such miscarriages, & sentenced
to pay 10 as fine for her lying; as for stealing the scarf, she is to pay 2, and
12, for the gloves; for her other miscarriages, it was declared that she
deserves corporal punishment, which the Court will take their time to consider
of, which she must expect unless her better carriage prevent it. Mr. YALE
desired that he might be freed of Ann SMALL who has carried it so unsatisfyingly
in his family; but no place being propounded to the satisfaction of the court,
she left with Mr. YALE until further order.
New Haven Town Records Feb 1659/60: Francis HARVEY & Ann SMALL who were both
fined the last Court, their fines being demanded; they were told that the Court
approved not their going on in that league which had been witnessed against;
Francis was warned to remove out of town this spring; he said he was sorry for
what he had done, & desired that he might stay.
New Haven town records by New Haven Colony Historical Society
(5)
New Haven town records by New Haven Colony Historical Society
(6)
Lethal Imagination: Violence & Brutality in American History. pg 65
"Interestingly, Thomas Wheadon had troubles with another married couple five years later. He was sued by Richard Newman for calling Mrs. Newman a "rayler." and for complaining that she had spread nasty rumors that implied he was a thief. Once again, the court found for the plaintiff and fined Wheadon forty shillings plus court costs. NHTR II, 157-58 (December 5, 1665)
http://www.wheatonjk.co.uk/Thomas_WHEATON_1635.htm
He was sued in court at New Haven on 5 Dec 1665 for slander and defamation for
having called the wife of Richard NEWMAN a RAYLER: found guilty and fined 40
shillings plus costs. At the same court he was also found guilty of slander and
defamation for accusing William BASSETT of stealing 3 bundles of flax, fined 15
shillings plus costs, "and left a serious admonition about his Carriage with the
neighbors for the future."
(7) Brandford Deed BK I pg. 275
John Ward to Thomas Wheadon of New Haven, one home lot which was formerly Thomas Blackley's, for a consideration between him & I agree upon. April 20, 1668.
(8) Branford Deed BK 1 pages 86, 129, 317, 354, etc.
(9) Branford Deed BK 1 pg. 145 2 Mar 1674/5
At a towne Court held at Branford ye 2nd Day of March 1674 (75) John Rogers entered an action against Thomas Wheadon for debt Due to the sd John Rogers for Damage Done by the sd Thomas Whedon's service in his town to the vallue of ten bushell of Indian corn. John Rogers proving his debt the sentence of ye court was in the action when John Rogers was plaintiffe and Thomas Wheadon defendant the court give to the plaintiffe five bushell of merchantable Indian corn & cost of court upon which Thomas Wheadon & John Rogers Joyned issue.
At a towne Court held at Branford ye 2nd Day of March 1674
(75) Thomas Wheadon entered an action against William Hoadly & Samuel Ward as
collect ors for debt due to them from the towne for work done for the
towne with Dammages: his Debt and dammages being forty shillings.
In ye action wherein Thomas Wheadon is plaintiffe and Samuel Ward & William
Hoadly defendants the court give to the plaintiffe one pound eleven shillings
and the plaintiffe is to pay cost of court: he owning in court that the
defendant - New London - him pay.
(10) Branford Deed BK 1 pg. 160 25 Nov 1680
(11) Branford Deed BK 1 pg.404 6 Jan 1680/1
(12) Branford Deed BK 2 pg 40 Jan 1687
(13) New Haven Probate BK 2 pg. 88 image 308 8 May 1691
Inventory of the estate of Thomas Wheadon Sr of Branford -
taken by Samuel Pond or Bartholomew Goodrich 8th of May 1691
Total £195
| Thomas Wheadon Jun | one home lot of 2 acres | 18.00.00 |
| 1 acre at Indian Neck | 02.00.00 | |
| 2 acres of land at Dutchhouse neck | 04.00.00 | |
| 2 acres & half of land | 05.00.00 | |
| 1 acre of meadow at Stony Creek | 01.00.00 | |
| one cow and calf | 04.00.00 | |
| bedding | 01.12.00 | |
| one sheep | 00.10.00 | |
| Total | £36.02.00 | |
| Sarah Elwell | £20.03.00 | |
| Ellen Johnson | £07.17.06 | |
John Wheadon |
a small gun & a chest Due from ye estate about 20 |
£02.00.00 |
(14) New Haven Probate BK 2 pg. 118 (image 323)
This present writing made ye fourth day of November one thousand six hundred and
ninety two Witnessed an Agreement between Thomas Wheadon & Samuel Elwell on ye
right of Sarah his wife & Edward Johnson on ye right of Ester his wife,
Respecting ye Division of ye estate of their father Thomas Wheadon late of
Branford deceased for themselves & John & Hannah the two youngest
children of ye Deceased the estate
amounting to ye sum of four hundred twenty seven pounds fourteen shillings and
seven pence with what several of ye Children Received
in their fathers life time the Debts due
from ye estate and thirty six pounds six shillings & a penny. And the estate
being impaired by Expenses of their mother in her life time with
her two youngest children are also in agreement formerly made between
them ye two sonns shall have their father's wearing clothes all amounting to ye
sum of thirteen pounds thirteen shillings and four pence is being deducted out
of ye estate together with ye fore mentioned thirty six pounds six shillings and
a penny in Debts, There remains of the estate four hundred twenty seven pounds
eighteen shillings & two pence is to be divided as followeth.
To Thomas the eldest son of ye Deceased a double portion which is 142
12 08.
And to the other four children Viz:
Sarah, Ester, John and Hannah to each of
them 71 06
04 which is what they have already receive to be payd by y before named
Thomas eldest son of the deceased unto the former youngest children before named
as as it shall be done by sd Thomas
being administrator to ye estate appointed thereunto by the court And that this
agreement shall put a final affirmation to any differences respecting
the estate to which agreement The Thomas
gives forth ---- mutually
subscribed this the day & year above written.
Thomas Wheadon
| (18) | The first inventory in 1691 (13) | £195 |
| The widows 1/3 acknowledged in 1692 plus that due John and Hannah (14) | 427.14.7 | |
| The additional acreage found 1713-1715 (15) (16) (17) | 249. | |
| Estimated value of estate of Thomas Wheadon, Sr. £852 |
Branford Deed BK 2 pg. 277 John Wheadon to
William Barker