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ROBERTS, Governor Thomas

ROBERTS, Governor Thomas

Male 1600 - 1673  (73 years)

 Set As Default Person    

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  • Name ROBERTS, Thomas  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10] 
    Title Governor 
    Birth 1600  Woolaston, Gloucestershire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Gender Male 
    Birth 1600  Woolaston, Gloucestershire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Arrival 1623  New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Residence Between 1623 and 1923  Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Residence Between 1635 and 1717  New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Residence 1640  Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Probate 27 Sep 1673  New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Death 27 Sep 1673  Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 8, 9] 
    Death 23 Sep 1674  Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Differentiator Immigrant; The Great Migration; signed the Dover Combination; last Colonial Governor of the Dover Colony before it became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony 
    Great Migration Believed to have emigrated in 1623 with Edward Hilton 
    Web Address https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-504 
    Name Governor Thomas Roberts  [11] 
    Religion Governor Roberts was a regular member of the orthodox Church (Puritan) for many years, but was inclined to be liberal in his views, so when Quaker missionaries came to Dover he favored giving them a fair hearing instead of whipping them as ordered by the Massachusetts General Court. Later in life, Governor Roberts embraced the Quaker teachings 
    Residence USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Burial Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Person ID I4516  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

    Father Living 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Living 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F12177  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family HILTON, Rebecca,   b. 1602, Monkwearmouth, Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 Sep 1674, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 72 years) 
    Marriage 1627  Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 8] 
    Married 1627  Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. ROBERTS, Sergeant Thomas III,   b. 1633, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1703, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     2. ROBERTS, Ester Hester,   b. 1626, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 6 Dec 1687, Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 61 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. ROBERTS, Anna,   b. 1627, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1648, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 21 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. ROBERTS, Sarah,   b. 1643, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Oct 1692, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 49 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    +5. ROBERTS, Elizabeth,   b. 1637, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1701, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    +6. ROBERTS, John,   b. 25 Mar 1629   d. 21 Jan 1695 (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F1225  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 1600 - Woolaston, Gloucestershire, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 1600 - Woolaston, Gloucestershire, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsArrival - 1623 - New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Between 1623 and 1923 - Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 1627 - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 1627 - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Between 1635 and 1717 - New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1640 - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsProbate - 27 Sep 1673 - New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 27 Sep 1673 - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 23 Sep 1674 - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    Gov Thomas Roberts
    Historic Dover Point Map w Family
    Trees on Roberts Property 1
    Gov Thomas Roberts1600
    BFC4769D-5A6A-4958-8BDB-7218654D2595

    Documents
    The Roberts Farm    		The Roberts Farm
    The Bound Oak    		The Bound Oak

    Histories
    Roberts Farm for 300 Years Passed from Father to Son    		Roberts Farm for 300 Years Passed from Father to Son
    Signing of the Dover Combination    		Signing of the Dover Combination
    Roberts Farm in NH    		Roberts Farm in NH
    ascent of Gov. Roberts    		ascent of Gov. Roberts
    another interesting story on the gov    		another interesting story on the gov
    Thomas Roberts (1600-1673)    		Thomas Roberts (1600-1673)

    External Links
    WikiTree: Thomas Roberts (1600-1673)    		WikiTree: Thomas Roberts (1600-1673)
    Thomas Roberts arrived in New England with Edward Hilton in 1623. Although there is no record, tradition says he married Rebecca Hilton in 1627, the sister of Edward and William Hilton. Thomas served as the last Colonial Governor of the Dover Colony before it became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. After his marriage, Thomas Roberts lived in a house at the Point near the Hiltons.  It was not until the following decade after his farm had been partially cleared of timber that Roberts started building a home on his farm at Dover Neck. Governor Roberts was a regular member of the orthodox Church (Puritan) for many years, but was inclined to be liberal in his views, so when Quaker missionaries came to Dover he favored giving them a fair hearing instead of whipping them as ordered by the Massachusetts General Court.  Later in life, Governor Roberts embraced the Quaker teachings.

    We are descended from Thomas and Rebecca through the Wright (Tucker) line.

    Albums
    The Dover Combination    		The Dover Combination (2)
    The Dover Combination, signed in 1640, was an important agreement in the early colonial history of America. It was signed by the settlers of Dover, which is now in New Hampshire.
    Great Migration    		Great Migration (119)
    The "Great Migration," as defined by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), encompasses the English Puritan migration to New England from 1620 to 1640. This movement primarily involved English Puritans who relocated in family units, driven by a quest for religious freedom and the aspiration to establish a Puritan commonwealth. These migrants originated from various regions of England and settled in areas that now form Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, including the Plymouth Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

    An individual's inclusion in the Great Migration Study Project requires evidence of migration to New England within the specified period of 1620 to 1640. The project's objective is to compile biographical and genealogical profiles of all immigrants who arrived in New England during these two decades. The NEHGS has produced extensive volumes and directories, providing details about the lives of these immigrants. This collection presents research on many ancestors who were part of this significant historical migration.

    You may be shocked by how many there are. Even I was at first. However, most of these Great Migration ancestors are my 9th and 10th great-grandparents, and in some cases 11th and 12th, and with the number of great-grandparents doubling with each generation, the possibilities quickly become immense. We have a total of 1024 sets of 9th great-grandparents and 2048 sets of 10th great-grandparents. This makes finding so many Great Migration ancestors more understandable.
    Founding Families of Dover    		Founding Families of Dover (1)
    Dover, New Hampshire, holds the distinction of being the oldest permanent settlement in the state and the seventh oldest in the United States, established in 1623 by William and Edward Hilton at Pomeroy Cove on Dover Point. Originally known as Bristol, the area saw a second settlement at Dover Neck in 1633. Briefly an independent colony named Northam, it was officially named Dover in 1637, potentially after Robert Dover, an English lawyer known for his resistance to Puritanism.

    The early township encompassed what are now Durham, Madbury, Newington, Lee, Somersworth, and Rollinsford. Nicknamed "the Garrison City" due to its garrisoned homes built from abundant trees for protection, Dover thrived despite challenges. The town utilized the Cocheco River for industrial purposes as early as 1642, starting with a sawmill, and later developing an extensive shipbuilding industry in the 1700s. By 1830, Dover had evolved into a prominent cotton goods manufacturer, with the Dover Cotton Factory established in 1814 marking the beginning of its textile industry.

  • Notes 
    • Thomas Roberts served as the last Colonial Governor of the Dover Colony before it became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

      At the March, 1640 elections, Thomas Roberts was chosen Governor or President of the Country in place of Gov. John Underhill. He held that office until Dover (then Northam) came under Massachusetts rule in 1642. I have seen this written everywhere. Thomas was not a Governor in any sense of the word as we know it today. In March or April of 1640 he was elected "President of the Court" of the Bristol Company, the owners of Dover. This position has been described as little more than head of a group of selectmen. When the Dover Combination was signed on 22 Oct. 1640, there were only about 40 men in Dover. So, as the colony grew in size other men stepped up into leadership roles. Thomas held various minor offices, but never again assumed a leadership position. This is not said to belittle him as he was quite successful, but to style him as Governor seems a bit much, not to mention Governor of New Hampshire, which he most certainly was not.

      He was said to have come with the Hiltons. Signed the Dover Combination: 1640

      Sewell's Hisory of the Quakers says he rebuked his sons for being cruel to the Quakers.
    • The Great Migration Directory:

      Roberts, Thomas: London; 1640; Dover [NHPP 1:128, 10:701, 40:4; Lydia Harmon Anc 25; GDMNH 589; Wentworth 1:503]

      NHPP - NH Provincial Papers

      Lydia Harmon: The Ancestry of Lydia Harmon, 1755-1836 (Walter Goodwin Davis)

      The Wentworth Genealogy: English and American, 3 volumes

      GDMNH: Geneaologic Dictionary of Maine and NH

  • Sources 
    1. [S1744] Noyes, Libby and Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, (Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society;), Pg 589, entries for Thomas Roberts (11), Sergt. Thomas Roberts (12), and John Roberts (5).

    2. [S1913] Ancestry.com, Descendants of Edward Small of New England : and the allied families with tracings of English ancestry, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT; Date: 2005;).
      Descendants of Edward Small of New England : and the allied families with tracings of English ancestry      		 Descendants of Edward Small of New England : and the allied families with tracings of English ancestry


    3. [S1763] Ancestry.com, History of Dover, New Hampshire : containing historical, genealogical and industrial data of its early settlers, their struggle, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT; Date: 2005;).
      History of Dover, New Hampshire : containing historical, genealogical and industrial data of its early settlers, their struggle      		 History of Dover, New Hampshire : containing historical, genealogical and industrial data of its early settlers, their struggle


    4. [S1684] Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;), Source number: 94.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: CH2.

    5. [S1749] Ancestry.com, New Hampshire Probate Records, 1635-1753, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003;).
      New Hampshire Probate Records, 1635-1753      		 New Hampshire Probate Records, 1635-1753


    6. [S1705] Ancestry.com, New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;), Author: New Hampshire (Colony); Probate Place: New Hampshire.
      New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982      		 New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982


    7. [S1768] Ancestry.com, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Place: New Hampshire; Year: 1623; Page Number: 548.

    8. [S1678] Ancestry.com, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700.
      U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700      		 U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700


    9. [S1706] Heritage Consulting, Millennium File, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003;).

    10. [S1745] Ancestry.com, New Hampshire, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;).

    11. [S1259] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).


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