Thomas JEWELL I (1608 – 1654) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather, one of 2,048 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Thomas Jewell Coat of Arms

Thomas Jewell was born in 1608 in Kingston, Surrey, England. His parents were Edward JEWELL and Johan SHEARNE. He arrived in American on the Planter of London, Nicholas Trerice, Master. She sailed from London 2 Apr 1635 and arrived at Boston on Sunday, 7 Jun 1635.    He is listed as “Jewell (Jernell), Thomas 27, miller” which would mean he was born in 1608 instead of 1600 as published in many sources.   Forty seems old for a first marriage in those days, so I’m going with 1608.   He married Grissell FLETCHER in 1640 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass. Thomas died 21 Jul 1654 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass.

Grissell Fletcher was born in 1618 in Chelmsford, Essex, England.   Her parents were Robert FLETCHER and Sarah HARTWELL. After Thomas died, she married Humphrey Griggs on 1 Nov 1655 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass. After Humphrey died, she married Henry Kibbe 8 Oct 1657 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Mass. After Henry died, she married John Gurney on 12 Nov 1661 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass. Grissell died 9 Jul 1669 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Mass.

Humphrey Griggs was born 1615 in Chelmsford, Essex, England. Humphrey died 18 Aug 1657 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass.

Henry Kibby was born in 1610 in Exeter, Devon, England. Henry died 10 Aug 1661 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Mass.

John Gurney was born 29 Sep 1615 in England. John died 16 Mar 1663 in Braintree, Norfolk, Mass.

Children of Thomas and Grissell:

.
Child of Grissell and Henry Kibby

Various circumstances coincide to render it most likely that Thomas was from the same original stock as Bishop John Jewell (Wikipedia, the literary apologist of the Elizabethan Settlement – Elizabeth I’s response to the religious divisions created over the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I.), who was born in the north of Devonshire in 1522, and died in 1571.  The name has been written Jule, Joyell, Jewel, then Jewell.

The first authentic account of Thomas is in the early part of 1639  and shows that he had then a wife and one child, probably a daughter. The Boston record is as follows :

“The 24th day, 2d mo., 1639. Also there is granted to Thomas Jewell, of the Mount, Miller, for three heads, 12 acres, upon the covenant of three shillings per acre.”

View of Mount Wollaston as it appeared in 1840, virtually unchanged from the time of initial English settlement in 1625. The central part of this sketch was adopted as the seal of Quincy.

This “Mount,” was Mt. Wollaston, the 17th Century name for Quincy; first settled in 1625, and named from Capt. Wollaston; incorporated as Braintree in 1640; Quincy was set off in 1792, and Randolph in 1793.   Anne Hutchinson began her career as a pioneering female preacher in colonial America in Wollaston.

The tract was laid to Boston by the General Court or Legislature, in 1634 ; and Dec. 11th of that year the inhabitants after a lecture chose seven men who should divide these lands to those that might improve them, at the rate of 4 acres to each person in the family ; gratuitously to citizens of Boston, and for three shillings per acre to others. Thus we find, ” 24th day, 12th mo., 1640. Granted to Henry Adams (a progenitor of the President,) for 10 heads, 40 acres, upon the same covenant of three shillings per acre.”

Thomas Jewell’s will, as witnessed by Wm. Scant and Hannah H. Harbor.

” The will of Thomas Jewell of Brantray, while he Is yet in perfect memory. My Soule I commit into the hands of Almighty God in ye mediation of Jesus Christ, and my body to the dust. All ye Estate whch God hath given me I doe give to my wife for to be hers as long as she is a widow, and so remainds ; but if she shall marry, then to divide it into three parts ; and two parts to be divided among my children, and the third to be hers. I doe by this will give power to these two my friends herein mentioned, namely William Neadam and Tho. fibster, to take the care and oversight of all this my estate for my wife and children good, according to your best wisdom to be ordered.

dated the 10th, 2d month, 1654.”

The Probate records show that administration was granted to Grisell, the widow of Thomas Jewell, July 21, 1654 ; but on the 5th Oct. 1655, she being about to marry Humphrey Griggs, William Needham and Thomas Foster above named, were appointed executors (probably de bonis non.) Griggs agreed to bring up Jewell’s children, of which there were several, both sons and daughters, and all under age. She was soon left again a widow ; as administration was granted to Grisell Griggs, on the estate of her late husband Humphrey Griggs, Aug. 18, 1657.”

Grisell (Fletcher) Jewell was the widow Gurney for more than four years and it was under that name that she became one of the proprietors of the new town of Nipmugg (Mendon). At a meeting of the committee for ordering the new settlement (held at Dedham in December 1663) Grissell Gurney desired acceptance, and also for her son Thomas Jewell. The name is spelled Juell or Juel throughout. She was granted the 20-acre proprietors’ allotment as also were Thomas Jewell and her son-in-law, John Parris (Parish). The town was incorporated May 15, 1667.

Mendon, Worchester, Mass.

Mendon was founded when pioneers from Braintree petitioned to receive a land grant for 8 miles  square of land, 15 miles  west of Medfield.  In September 1662, after the deed was signed with a Native American chief, “Great John”, the pioneers entered this part of what is now southern Worcester County. Earlier, unofficial, settlement occurred here in the 1640s, by pioneers from Roxbury. This was the beginning of Mendon.

The land for the settlement was 8 miles square of Native American land in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was purchased from the Nipmuc Indians, “for divers good and vallewable considerations them there unto Moovinge and especiall for an in consideration of the summe of twenty fower pound Sterling.” In 1662, “Squinshepauke Plantation was started at the Netmocke settlement and plantation”, and was incorporated as the town of Mendon in 1667. The settlers were ambitious and set about clearing the roads that would mark settlement patterns throughout the town’s history.

Mendon was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1667. The town was originally 64 square miles, including the modern-day towns of Milford, Bellingham, Hopedale, Uxbridge, Upton, Blackstone, Northbridge and Millville. For this reason, the town of Mendon is sometimes referred to as “Mother Mendon”. Benjamin Albee (1614–1695) erected a water-powered mill in 1664 on modern-day Hartford Avenue in Hopedale and was one of the town’s important early residents.

On July 14, 1675, early violence in King Philip’s War took place in Mendon, with the deaths of multiple residents and the destruction of Albee’s mill. These were the first settlers killed in this war in the Colony of Massachusetts. A man named Richard Post, of Post’s lane, may have been the first settler killed. The town was largely burnt to the ground later that winter in early 1676. The town was resettled and rebuilt in 1680.

While she was still the Widow Gurney she willed the land in Mendon to her son Joseph Jewell, who was to pay certain sums to his brother Nathaniel and sister Mercy and half-brother Sherebiah Kibbe. His two married sisters, Hannah (Jewell) Parish and Grissell (Jewell) Fletcher, are not named. A letter, dated at Chelmsford the 5th of June 1675, was sent to the selectmen of Mendon: This is to inform you by us William Fletcher and John Burge, both of us of the Town of Chelmsford, appointed by the court’s order to be Guardians of the child of the widow Gurney (that was) and Last of all wife to the above said John Burge … The provisions of the will were given and the request made that the Mendon land be accredited to Joseph Jewell.

Children

1. Joseph Jewell

Joseph’s first wife Martha Watertown was born 1650 in Braintree, Mass. Martha died 8 Aug 1682

Joseph’s second wife Isabel Cate was born about 1650 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Her father was James Cate.

Joseph first lived in Charlestown, Mass. and conducted the ferry between that place and Boston, and his son Joseph Jr. assisted him.  When about 50 years old, he removed to Stow and there owned a grist-mill, which for years (as late as 1815 at least) went by the name of “Jewell’s Mill”.  This old mill-site was as late as 1860 occupied by a carpet factory and the stream is the dividing line between Sudbury and Stow.  He died at about the age of 94.  His second wife, Isabel, lived to be over 103.

2. Thomas JEWELL II (See his page)

3. Hannah Jewell

Hannah’s husband John Parish was born 6 Mar 1642 in Groton, Middlesex, Mass. His parents were Thomas Parrish and Mary Danforth. After Hannah died, he married 29 Dec 1685 in Cambridge, Mass. to Mary Wattell (b. 1 Aug 1668 in Chelmsford, Mass. d. 1715 in Preston, CT). John died 16 Jul 1715 in Preston, New London, CT.

4. Nathaniel Jewell

Nathaniel’s wife Mary Smedley was born 7 Jun 1648 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. Her parents were Baptist Smedley and Katherine Shorthouse.  She had first married Isaac Shepard of Concord. Mary died 22 Sep 1679 in Plainfield, Windham, CT.

5. Grisell Jewell

Grisell’s husband Joshua Fletcher was born 30 Mar 1648 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. He was Grisell’s cousin.  His parents were William Fletcher and Lydia Fairbanks (Bates). Joshua died 21 Nov 1713 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Mass.

6. Mercy Jewell

Mercy’s husband Joseph Spalding was born

7. Sherebiah Kibby

First Church at Dorchester in New England – Sherebiah ye Sonne of Henery Kibby Baptized ye 8 (10) [16]59 on a publique day of thanksgiving & he gave ye reason of his nameing his Sonne by y’t name : w’ch was because he had p’r’vailled with god by prayer for him
[Sherebiah means “singing with the Lord”]

Sherebiah’s wife Elizabeth Parlin was born 8 Jun 1672 in Cambridge, Suffolk, Mass. Her parents were Nicholas Parlin and Sarah Hanmore.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/202278/person/-2108051285/story/47f70167-b5d7-46bd-bd3f-aee051bc191a?src=search

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=30735960&st=1

http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Grissel_Fletcher_%281%29