Alexander Thwaits

Birth 1615 England

Death Unknown, Kennebec River area, Maine

Memorial ID 60375498

Alexander Thwaits was born in England about 1615 (aged 20 on 6 April 1635). He was an innkeeper who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635 on the Hopewell. (On 6 April 1635, "Alexander Thwait's," aged 20, was enrolled at London as a passenger for New England on the Hopewell).

He first settled at Concord MA, but moved to Maquoit in 1641 & to Kennebec River by 1650.
He married by about 1648 Ann _____.
He died after 10 August 1668.
Source: Anderson's Great Migration Study Project.

FIND-A-GRAVE contributor Kirk Moulton adds:

York Deeds Book VIII, Folio 159. On 10 Aug 1688, Thomas Clark and Thomas Lake of Boston out of good will to Alexander Thwaits of Kenebeck, his wife, and children do give and grant unto the children of ye said Alexander Thwaits and Anne his wife to say Elizabeth, Anne, John, Rebecca, Alexander, Lydia, Jonathan, Mary, and Margaret Thwaits a certain tract of land lying and being of ye western side of Kennebec River over against a small island called Kitts Island about a mile below Naumkeeg being at a certain small brooke about 40 poles to ye northward of a round hill a little above said Kitts Island and so down the River southward to certain brook coming into ye River against the lower end of ye sandy flatts in ye middle of ye River being estimated near a mile from ye first named brook and so running into ye land four miles westward holding the same breadth as is between the said two brooks and in case ye said land do not take in ye meadow which said Alexander is now mowing that then the said Thomas Clarke and Thomas Lake also grants unto ye aforesaid nine children three score acres of the said meadow if there be so much there, etc.  

In September of 1675, King Phillips War broke out in the Down East regions and ALL residents along the Kennebec River were forced to flee to the south into towns such as Kittery, Newbury, Gloucester, and Boston.  Maine north of Wells was completely deserted and not resettled until the early 1680s. We have no further record of Alexander Thwaits. The evidence is thin, but seems likely that Alexander's wife Anne and their children escaped to the Boston area – for instance we can place daughter Lydia earlier in Boston on 28 July 1774. Ultimately Alexander's widow Anne "Hodgden" shows up in Boston circa 1714 – see next entry.  

Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder, Volume 8, pages 78-79: Anne Hodgden, formerly Anne Thwaites, in behalfe of herself and her children, viz the Children of her late husband Alexander Twaites late of Kennebec deceased claims a certain tract of land lying and being of ye western side of Kennebec River over against a small island called Kitts Island about a mile below Naumkeeg being at a certain small brooke about 40 poles to ye northward of a round hill a little above said Kitts Island and so down the River southward to certain brook coming into ye River against the lower end of ye sandy flatts in ye middle of ye River being estimated near a mile from ye first named brook and so running into ye land four miles westward holding the same breadth as is between the said two brooks and in case ye said land do not take in ye meadow which said Alexander is now mowing that then the said Thomas Clarke and Thomas Lake also grants unto ye aforesaid nine children three score acres of the said meadow if there be so much there. To have and to hold & c. as per a Deed thereof from Mr. Thomas Clark and Mr. Thomas Lake of Boston under their hands and seals dated ye 10th day of August 1688 (1668?).

Witnessed as to signing, sealing and delivery by Richard Collicutt, Richard Puggsly, Silvanus Davis, and Henry Frenchman.

This claim was part of the Eastern Land Claims process circa 1714 that was held by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in preparation for resettlement of the Eastern region. The wording is unambiguous in that Anne, the wife of Alexander Thwaits deceased, had remarried an UNKNOWN "Hodgden", claiming land for herself and her children. She would have been approaching age 90 at the time. 

This reference from the Eastern Land Claim has been the source of great confusion. It is unfortunate that GDMENH page 342, under Jeremiah Hodsdon, fifth line inserts the statement that "widow Anne Thwaits (Alex.) in 17--, widow (Hodsdon) of Boston claimed Thwaits land at Kennebec." The positioning of this statement falsely merges this widow Anne Hodsdon with Anne wife of Jeremiah Hodsdon who goes on to have four (perhaps seven) children. This was not possible because Anne, the wife of Alexander Thwaites was beyond childbearing years in 1775 when she was still wife of Alexander Thwaits, and thus could not possibly have had 4-7 more children by Jeremiah Hodsdon.  

In York Deeds Volume 8 Folio 159, "Mrs. Anne Hodsdon" the daughter of Mr. Allexander Thoyts being 66 years of age testified about her father's land (in the Bath region) and the "dealings" with Richard Patteshall dated in Boston 10 Jul 1716. According to GDMENH page 342, Jeremiah Hodsdon was also deposed on the same date and also was age 66. I have not seen this deposition but we can presume that they were husband and wife.  Later, in York Deeds Volume 11 Folio 262, we find Anne Hodgsdon of Boston widow (of Jeremiah), one of the children of Alexander Thwaits, selling her share of the tract of land certain tract of land lying and being of ye western side of Kennebec River over against a small island called Kitts Island etc. to Benjamin Stokes of Boston, dated 15 Mar 1724.

So, it should be clear that Anne Thwaits, wife of Jeremiah Hodsdon is NOT the same individual as her mother Anne, widow of Alexander, who married an UNKNOWN Hodsdon. Because we believe the Thwaits family removed to the Boston area during and after King Phillips War, then it seems likely that the UNKNOWN Hodsdon was also of Boston and Anne the widow of Alexander had ample opportunity to meet and wed into one of the many Boston or environ Hodsdon families which would not be included in GDMENH. More research is needed on this. Regarding daughter Anne Thwaits who married Jeremiah Hodsdon, GDMENH points out that Jeremiah Hodsdon was of Kennebec 1672-1677 (lists 184) so he could have met and wed daughter Anne Thwaits in Falmouth (Portland) or along the Kennebec shortly before King Phillips War.