GENERATION 10

GENERATION 9

Biography

THOMAS NICHOLS was at Amesbury, Essex, MA, as early as 1665, where he had a meeting house seat, and was made a townsman in 1667. He owned land there in 1670, and took the oath of allegiance in 1677. He was a member of the training band in 1680.

Who is the wife of Thomas Nichols?
by the Compiler

There is considerable uncertainty about the wife of THOMAS NICHOLS. Savage says, "THOMAS NICHOLS, Malden, m. Sept. 1655, MARY MOULTON, may be he who at Salisbury, by w. Mary had Ebenezer, b. 3 Aug. 1664; perhaps, of Amesbury in 1677." A marriage in Malden of a couple from Hampton, NH and Amesbury, MA, certainly raises questions.

The marriage, in Malden, took place in Sept. 1655. This raises further questions, since the mother of William Moulton's wife was born about 1629. Any marriage in 1655 would most likely have to be someone other than the daughter of WILLIAM MOULTON. Further, Savage finds no evidence that the groom of the marriage was the subject of this biography.

Savage goes on to say that MARY MOULTON, daughter of WILLIAM of Hampton, married Jonathan Haynes of Hampton, Jan. 1, 1674, and that she died later that year. Savage then says there is no account of the parents of Mary Moulton. Jonathan Haynes is then said to have married Sarah Moulton, known to be a daughter of William of Hampton. Many researchers discount the marriage by Jonathan to Mary.

William Richard Cutter, in his Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Eastern Massachusetts, Vol. III, p. 1152, provides a date of birth for MARY MOULTON, daughter of WILLIAM of Hampton, as Jul. 27, 1654. This makes it impossible for her to be the wife of THOMAS NICHOLS and mother of his children.

The Moulton Annals, p. 258, provides a birthdate of 1654, and date of death of Jul. 27, 1664(?). The question mark on the date of death is from the book, not this compiler. It probably indicates that someone recognized this should be 1674. The Moulton Annals cites Savage as a source for her marriage to Jonathan Haynes. The book publishes the will of WILLIAM MOULTON. In it he names all his children, listing the names of his daughters in the order: Hannah, MARY, Sarah, Ruth. The exact dates of birth are given for Hannah, Sarah and Ruth, but for MARY only the year is given. 1654 fits well as the year of birth for MARY, and makes the sequence of the names be from oldest to youngest.

WILLIAM MOULTON is mentioned in "The Descendants of John Moulton," compiled by Thomas Moulton, but there is no mention of his wife or children.

Given the above information, there seems little probability that the daughter of WILLIAM MOULTON, of Hampton, was the wife of THOMAS NICHOLS, of Amesbury. Yet, when one looks at the family trees of all the amateur genealogists, it seems that they are the only possible spouses mentioned for each other. How can that be?

Dates of birth and marriage are only estimates for two generations. Joseph is thought to be the first born of WILLIAM and MARGARET (PAGE) MOULTON. But, there is no certainty about MARY, so she could have just as well been the first born, say 1646. The marriage date of Sept. 1655 can easily be challenged. The first known child of his is EBENEZAR NICHOLS. She was born Aug. 3, 1664. With a birthdate of 1646, MARY MOULTON would be age 18 at the time of birth. While there is no basis for these dates, there is no certainty in the dates in any publication, including those made by noted genealogists.

Because of the overwhelming belief, by so many, that MARY MOULTON, daughter of WILLIAM of Hampton, was the wife of THOMAS NICHOLS, and because no other possibility has ever been given, this compiler chooses to perpetuate that line, if for no other reason than to have the information for further research.