GENERATION 10

GENERATION 9

Biography

THOMAS DEWEY was born Feb. 16, 1640, at Windsor, Hartford, CT, and was known to still be living there in 1660, for on Jan. 18 of that year he had paid six shillings and was seated "in the long seats" in the meeting house.

On Nov. 12, 1662, he was granted a homelot of four acres in Northampton, Hampshire, MA, upon the condition that he make improvements on the land within one year, and possess it for three years. He also received a lot of twelve acres for farming, and was connected with a mill by 1666. He was also mentioned on Jul. 6, 1666, as third on a list of twenty grantees of land, his part being 30 acres, "on condition that they come here to dwell in their own persons by the last of May, 1667; to continue there for five years and endeavor to settle an able Minister." His land was on the south side of the Westfield River, on Main Street, and were referred to as "Dewey's Meadows." Other settlers receiving land included: George Phelps, Isaac Phelps, Capt. Aaron Cook, Mr. James Cornish, Moses Cook, THOMAS NOBLE, David Ashley, Mr. John Holyoke, John Osborn, John Ponder, John Ingersol and Hugh Dudley. THOMAS became the sixth settler on Main in Westfield, and was an influential citizen and was ordered by the settling committee to review the land to be fenced and determine where the fences were to be set and where each man's property shall be. He was also commissioned to determine the boundary line between Westfield and Springfield.

In 1672, a second mill was completed two miles from the center of town on Two-Mile Brook, in the Little River District by Joseph Whiting and three Dewey brothers, THOMAS, Josiah and Jedidiah. Later that year the town council agreed to allow them to keep a toll of 1/12 of the corn they ground. The four men were also granted 10 acres each around the mill to pond water for the mill. In 1676, Thomas Whiting sold his interest in the mill.

The Deweys were sued by five of the settlers for unlawfully keeping a dam on the Two-Mile River. The brothers lost, but appealed the decision. The records mention that it was quite a court battle and some shady dealings by one of the plaintiffs was suspected.

THOMAS was a representative to Boston From 1677 to 1679, a Selectman in 1677 and 1686, and in 1676 was licensed by the Court to keep a "Publique House of Entertainment" and in 1680 he took the Freeman's Oath. He joined the Westfield church in May, 1680, and was appointed Cornet of the Hampshire Troops of the General Court in July, 1685.

Shortly after removing to the Springfield area, THOMAS married CONSTANT HAWES, the marriage taking place Jun. 1, 1663 at her hometown of Dorchester, Suffolk, MA. THOMAS died Apr. 27, 1690, at Westfield. CONSTANT died there on Apr. 26, 1703, according to town records. However her tombstone reads: