Lieut. Thomas Tracy, the Emigrant, emigrated in April 1636 from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
3 He lived in 1636 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Province of Massachuetts Bay (Massachusetts), British Colonial America.
2 He lived in 1637 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.
2,11,3 He was a ship carpenter.
2 Lieut. Thomas Tracy, the Emigrant, moved from Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, to to Wethersfield, Connecticut Colony circa 1640. He later moved to Saybrook, Connecticut Colony for about 14 years, and then to Norwich, Connecticut Colony.
3 He lived in 1650 in Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.
2 His wife,
???, died circa 1659 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America, leaving him a widower.
3 He lived in 1659 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.
2 He was a Lieutenant of the New London County (Connecticut Colony) Dragoons enlisted to fight the Dutch and the Indians. in 1673.
3 He was a Lieutenant in King Philip's War circa 1675.
1 His wife,
Martha, died before 1683 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America, leaving him a widower.
3 ===================
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. Lieut. Thomas Tracy, son of Nathaniel Tracy, came from Tewkesbury [Gloucestershire, England]. where he was born, in 1610, to New England. He landed at Salem [MA], where he stayed until Feb. 23, 1637. He came over in the interest of his friends, Lord Say and Lord Brook.
He soon left the bay [Massachusetts Bay Colony?] for the old colony [Connecticut Colony] on the Connecticut river in 1643, and there married the widow Mason in 1641, at Wethersfield, afterward moved to Saybrook, named after his friends, Lord Say and Lord Brook. 'Tis an old, substantial, euphonious name, interesting from its historical associations. Lord Say and Lord Brook with their associates were the patentees of Connecticut. Their patent was received from Robert, Earl of Warwick, in 1632, and extended along the New England coast, westward from the Narragansett river 12 miles, and in latitude and breadth to the South Sea. The Earl of Warwick was president of the Council of Plymouth, incorporated by King James the First, for the settlement of New England, and authorized to dispense grants and patents to others. The patents were therefore valid and clear. The place of immediate importance in this patent, was the point at the mouth of the Connecticut River. And here John Winthrop acting under commission from the patentees, built a fort and commenced a plantation in 1685 to 1686. The Pequot war followed soon after the establishment, and threatened the annihilation of the infant settlement. The fort was frequently surrounded by bloodthirsty savages.
Thomas Tracy had by his first wife, the widow Mason, seven children: first, John, born 1642; second,
Thomas, about 1644; third, Jonathan, 1646; fourth, Miriam, about 1648; fifth, Solomon, 1651 : Sixth, Daniel, 1652 ; seventh, Samuel, 1654, who died in 1698, unmarried. The first two children were born in Wethersfield, the others in Saybrook, where he lived many years before removing to Norwich, Conn., where he was one of the proprietors of the nine mile grant.
12 TRACY, Thomas. Born ca 1610. Presumed to be the Thomas presented for not attending the church of St. Peter, Norwich, Norfolk, England 1632. Watertown (Mass.) 1636, Salem 1637, Saybrook 1650, Norwich 1659. Died Norwich 7 November 1685. Ship carpenter. Deputy.
Genealogy of Lt. Thomas Tracy 1889;
Thomas Tracy of Lenox 1900;
Some descendants of Lieut Thomas Tracy 1936; Waterman, vol. 1 (caveat); TAG 41:250 (clue), 44:111.
2 WikiTreeThomas Tracy (abt. 1610 - 1685)Born about 1610 in England
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of Unknown (Unknown) Tracy — married about 1641 [location unknown]
Husband of Martha (Bourne) Tracy — married about 1679 in Norwich, Connecticut
Husband of Mary (Foote) Tracy — married about 1683 (to before 7 Nov 1685) in Connecticut
DESCENDANTS
Father of
Thomas Tracy II, John Tracy, Jonathan Tracy I, Miriam (Tracy) Waterman, Solomon Tracy, Daniel Tracy I and Samuel Tracy
Died 7 Nov 1685 at about age 75 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut Colony
The Puritan Great Migration.
Thomas Tracy migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1620-1640)
Biography
Lt. Thomas Tracy immigrated from England and became one of the original 35 purchasers of Norwichtown, Connecticut, New England, in 1659. The town's original deed states:
"Lt. Thomas Tracy, commissary in Philip's War. b. Hayles, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England. In early manhood crossed the sea. Stayed in Salem until 20 Fe. 1637 then removed to Wethersfield, Ct., later to Saybrook and finally settled in Norwich..."
There was a "Hayles Abbey" and village 2 miles NE of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, in the Middle Ages. An alternate spelling is "Hailes". It is 12 miles east of Tewkesbury. No proof has ever been found that this is where Lt. Tracy was born. See below for a discussion of his disputed parents and origins.[1][2]
Lt. Thomas Tracy is inaccurately said to have married at Wethersfield, Connecticut a first wife possibly Widow Mary (Maria) Mason. (Her identity is in question as it has been shown that the Widow Mason (given name unknown) died as the Widow Mason, while Thomas was living in Saybrook). However, this wife, whomever she was, was the mother of most, if not all, of his children. That she was Mary, widow of Edward Mason, has been dis-proven. See NEHG REGISTER 61(1907):93 - Dwight Tracy, M.D., D.D.S.. ALSO SEE: Jacobus, Donald Lines, The Waterman Family. New Haven, Connecticut:Edgar F. Waterman, 1939. 1:692
Children (by first marriage to unknown wife) per the Tracy genealogy:
John (1642),
Thomas (1644),
Jonathan (1646),
Miriam (1648)
Solomon 1651
Daniel (1651)
Samuel (1654).
Lieutenant in King Philip's War. He was of Salem in 1637, and later of Saybrook, Wethersfield, and, in 1662, Norwich,CT. He was a carpenter.
His second wife, married by Feb 1679/80, was Martha Bourne Bradford Tracy, widow of John Bradford and daughter of Thomas Bourne and Elizabeth ____ Bourne. Martha was
not the mother of any of his children.
His third wife, married after Jul 1683, was Mary Foote Stoddard Goodrich Tracy, widow of John Stoddard and John Goodrich Jr, and daughter of Nathaniel Foote and Elizabeth Deming Foote.
Information from the Pilgrim Society documentation:
"In 1645 he went to relief of Uncus, Sachem of Mohegans, when he was besieged at Shattucks Point by Naragansetts. Appointed in 1661 by General Court to try the Bond of New London; 1662 he was chosen on of the Court of Commission; in 1666 he was appointed Ensign at Norwich 1667-1678 deputy from Norwich to Colonial Assembly (Connecticut) in which he sat as member for more than twenty sessions. In 1673 appointed Lieut. of Forces in New London County to fight Dutch and Indians. 1674 was Quartermaster of Dragoons and in 1678 was appointed a Justice. He was one of the founders of both of the towns of Saybrook and of Norwich, Connecticut."
Disputed Parents & Origins
The origins and parents of Thomas Tracy are unknown. He is
not the son of Paul Tracey, 1st Baronet which appears to be an attempt to falsely connect him to English nobility.
Dr. Dwight Tracy in his 1908 pamphlet, "The Tracys in America -- Recently Discovered English Ancestry of Governor William Tracy of Virginia, 1620, and of his only son, Lieutenant Thomas Tracy of Salem, Massachusetts and Norwich Connecticut" tried to show that he was the son of Gov. Wm. Tracy. John G. Hunt in his "Fiction Versus Possibility in the Tracy Genealogy" did a fairly decent job of debunking that claim. Gov Tracy's son William seems fairly clearly to have died by May 29, 1633.
Lt. Charles Stedman Ripley in 1895 tried to show that Thomas was the son of Paul Tracy, Bart., and the grandson of Richard Tracy of Stanway. He bases much of this claim on family tradition, which holds that Thomas himself claimed to be the grandson of Richard Tracy. Ripley does a pretty decent job of eliminating Richard's sons Nathaniel and Samuel as Thomas's father and concludes that Thomas must be Paul's son.
Ripley, however, shows very little real evidence of Thomas's descent and accepts some questionable assertions rather uncritically. Both Donald Lines Jacobus in "The Waterman Family" (vol 1, 1939, pp. 691-694) and John G. Hunt did a fairly good job of arguing against Paul and all of the Tracys of Stanway.
Hunt himself put forth the notion that Thomas was from the Tracys of Norwich, England. This claim was evaluated in "The Origins of Thomas Tracy of Connecticut", research for Mrs. Edward A Williams done in February 1986 by the genealogists of Debrett Ancestry Research in England. They came to no final conclusion, but hold out substantial hope.
A previous version of this profile, citing only online trees,[3] claimed that Thomas was the son of Stephen Tracy and Tryphosa Lee, but there is no evidence to support these origins. Please use the G2G discussion forum to discuss evidence for his origins.
To date there is no reliable evidence of Thomas's ancestry. All of the connections except the possibility that he is from the Norwich Tracys have been discredited. Deed of the Town of Norwich, Connecticut
"Lt. Thomas Tracy, commissary in Philip's War. b. Hayles Tweksbury, Gloucershire, England. In early manhood crossed the sea. Stayed in Salem until 20 Fe. 1637 then removed to Wethersfield, Ct. later to Saybrook and finally settled in Norwich. Was well educated, held many important offices, legislative, military, and magesterial. married mary, widow of Edward Mason; and second, Martha, widow of Gov. Bradford's son John 0 and daughter of Thomas Bourne of Marshfield, Massachusetts."
In the old burial ground of Preston, CT there is a long row of graves marked by rough fieldstones. The first one is lettered L.T. for Lieutenant Jonathan Tracy.
Lt. Jonathan was one of the original settlers of Preston, cT, first town recorder, first lieutenant of trained band 1690. Selectman 1698. Deputy for Preston 1299, 1700, and 1710. First Justice of the Peace.
Sources
1. Martin Booth Tracy, Ph.D. "Lt. Thomas Tracy (1610-1685) of Norwich, Connecticut." The Connecticut Nutmegger, 49(3), March, 2017: 201-223, and also his book, The Puritans Thomas & Stephen Tracy: A Personal Quest for Family Lineage.
2. Matilda Ormond Taylor Birchard Abbey, Genealogy of the Family of Lt Thomas Tracy, D.S. Harkness & Company, Printers,Milwaukee, 1888 (Note that this source provides information that is sometimes questionable and occasionally may have been proven to be inaccurate.)
3. Ancestry Family Trees
Martin Booth Tracy, "Lt. Thomas Tracy (1610-1685) of Norwich, Connecticut." The Connecticut Nutmegger, 49(3), March, 2017: 201-223,
Donald Lines Jacobus, The Waterman Family. Volume 1. Descendants of Robert Waterman of Marshfield, Massachusetts through Seven Generations (New Haven, Conn.: Edgar F. Waterman, 1939), 691-694.
Brainerd T. Peck, “Pre-American Origins, Proven & Disproved, Questionable,” The Connecticut Nutmegger, 6 (1973): 206.
Paul C. Reed, “Research Report (#38083-SETO),” (August 2, 1993). Lineages, Inc. Salt Lake City, Utah, 4.
David L. Greene, Lt. Thomas Tracy of Saybrook and Norwich: His (Unknown) Origin and (Unknown Wife), Hear-Saye, Quarterly Journal of the Saybrook Colony Founders Association, Volume XI, No. 3 (Fall 1996): 540-542.
Meredith B. Colket, Jr., Founders of Early American Families: Emigrants from Europe 1607-1657 (Revised) (Cleveland, Ohio: The General Court of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, 1985), 317-18.
Roger Thompson, Divided We Stand: Watertown, Massachusetts 1630-1680 (Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001), 11-19.
Roger Thompson, Mobility and Migration: East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629-1640 (Amherst, Mass.: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1994), 206.
Patterson, D. Williams, John Stoddard of Wethersfield, Conn., and his descendants, 1642-1872 a genealogy, Published by Rev, E. W. Stoddard, 1873. Pg. 13. (Online at: https://archive.org/details/
Abbey, Matilda. Genealogy of the Family of Lt. Thomas Tracy, of Norwich, Connecticut (D.S. Harkness & Co., Milwaukee, 1888) Genealogy of the Family of Lt. Thomas Tracy, of Norwich, Connecticut, page 7: A Google Book.
Pg. 33 - The Goodrich Family in America. A Genealogy of the Descendants of John and William Goodrich of Wethersfield, Conn., Richard Goodrich of Guilford, Conn., and William Goodridge of Watertown, Mass. Lafayette Wallace Case M.D., Author Role: Editor Publication: Fergus Printing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1889, Second Date, 1984
https://archive.org/stream/myforefathersthe00brad#page/n547/mode/2up
F.A.G. Memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21945755
Geneology of Family of Lt. thomas Tracy of Norwich, CT. by Mathilda O. Abbey. D. S. Harkness & Co. Printers 1888. Milwaukee, WI.
Old Houses of Ancient Town of Norwich. 1660 - 1800 by Mary E. Perkins, Norwich, CT.
Tracy Geneology by Evert E. Tracy, MD.
Norwich Vital Records Vol. I pp. 10, 11
Preston Vital Records Vol. I pps. 13, 53
Preston, CT, Vol. II pp. 15-2, New London, CT Probate Records
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=3e46629e-2158-4d93-830b-bbac41979b0a&tid=2701874&pid=677 No sources
Records fo the Virginia Co. Jan. 26 1619. Vol. I pages 296, 379, 520. Library of Congress
Original letter relating to William Tracy in Archives of Lenox Library, New York, in charge of Wilberforce Eames, librarian.
FamilySearch.org
The Life Summary of Thomas TracyThomas Tracy was born as the son of Sir Richard Tracy Esq. and Lady Barbara Lucy. He married Martha Bourne on 20 February 1678, in Norwich, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. He immigrated to Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America in 1636 and lived in Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America in 1640 and Saybrook, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America in 1641. In 1637, his occupation is listed as ship's carpenter, city founder, large land owner, officer in military, very distinguished career... in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. He died on 7 November 1685, in Norwich, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America, and was buried in Founders Cemetery, Norwich, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.
FindaGrave.comLieut Thomas TracyBIRTH 1610, England
DEATH 7 Nov 1685 (aged 74–75), Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
BURIAL Founders Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
MEMORIAL ID 21945755
___________________________________________________
Lieutenant in King Philip's War. He was of Salem in 1637, and later of Saybrook, Wethersfield, and, in 1662, Norwich,CT. He was a carpenter.
His first known wife, married by Feb 1679/80, was Martha Bourne Bradford Tracy, widow of John Bradford.
His second known wife, married after Jul 1683, was Mary Foote Stoddard Goodrich Tracy, widow of John Stoddard and John Goodrich Jr, and daughter of Nathaniel Foote and Elizabeth Deming Foote.
He certainly had a wife prior to Martha, by whom Miriam Tracy (who married Thomas Waterman) was born. Identities of earlier wive(s) are not known. Martha was not the mother of any of his children. Any information that names his earlier wives is from very old sources, and is not proven. That she was Mary, widow of Edward Mason, has not been proven. See NEHG REGISTER 61(1907):93.
New research indicates that the place of birth in England of Lt. Thomas Tracy is uncertain. For an in-depth discussion of his origin and life, see "Lt. Thomas Tracy (1610-1685) of Norwich, Connecticut. The Connecticut Nutmegger, Vol. 49, No. 4. (March, 2017): 201-223."
Children(by first marriage to unknown wife): John Tracy, Jonathan Tracy, Thomas Tracy, Jr, Solomon Tracy, Daniel Tracy, Samuel Tracy, and Miriam Tracy Waterman.
Information from the Pilgrim Society documentation:
"In 1645 he went to relief of Uncus, Sachem of Mohegans, when he was besieged at Shattucks Point by Naragansetts. Appointed in 1661 by General Court to try the Bond of New London; 1662 he was chosen on of the Court of Commission; in 1666 he was appointed Ensign at Norwich 1667-1678 deputy from Norwich to Colonial Assembly (Connecticut) in which he sat as member for more than twenty sessions. In 1673 appointed Lieut. of Forces in New London County to fight Dutch and Indians. 1674 was Quartermaster of Dragoons and in 1678 was appointed a Justice. He was one of the founders of both of the towns of Saybrook and of Norwich, Connecticut."
Originally Created by: Jan Franco
Added: 4 Oct 2007
Find a Grave Memorial ID: 21945755
Maintained by Kevin Avery (contributor 47024642) .
Family Members
Spouse
Mary Foote Tracy, 1623–1685 (m. (married) 1683)
Children
John Tracy, 1642–1702
Thomas Tracy, 1644–1721
Jonathan Tracy, 1646–1711
Miriam Tracy Waterman, 1648–1732
Solomon Tracy, 1651–1732
Daniel Tracy, 1652–172.