Thomas Mayhew (b. 15 February 1592/93, d. 25 March 1682)
Thomas Mayhew1428, 1429, 1430 was born 15 February 1592/93 in Tisbury, England, and died 25 March 1682 in Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusettes. He married Jane Gallion.
Notes for Thomas Mayhew: The History of Martha's Vineyard by Dr. Charles Banks: Volume III Family Genealogies: pp. 298 - 328 THE MAYHEW FAMILY
THOMAS MAYHEW (Matthew4), bapt. 1 Apr. 1593 at Tisbury, Eng., is the Governor, first of the name in this country, whose personal history has been sufficiently detailed in the two preceding volumes. The name of his first wife is not known nor has any clue to the date and place of the marriage been found. Neither is it known when or where she died. [Iris Gardner writes, "1st wife of Thomas Paine Mayhew was Martha Parkhurst b. 1595, d. 1635. Their son was Thomas Mayhew Jr., who married Jane Gallion."] He m. (2) Mrs. JANE (Gallion?)* PAINE, wid. of Mr. Thomas Paine, a London merchant, abt. 1634 (Vol. II, p. 90, Annals of E.). [*The name Gallion, if it be correctly given, is very rare in England. Galland is found in Green's Norton where the Paines owned property, and Gallyon in Ramsey, Huntingdonshire.] She was living 15 May 1666, but died before her husband. In London the compiler found references to a Gallion family, to which she may have belonged, and he has many other English notes relative to the Mayhews which he hopes to follow up in the future. The History of Martha's Vineyard by Dr. Charles Banks: Volume III Family Genealogies: pp. 298 - 328 occ. merchant edu. His letters to the Winthrops were direct and full of pratical business matters rel. Freeman: 14 May 1634 (as Mr. Tho[mas] Mahewe) d. 25 Mar 1682, , Dukes, MA (Martha's Vineyard), Age: 88 br. Tisbury, Dukes, MA res. May 1632 to NE, Medford; Watertown by 1634, Martha's Vineyard (Tisbury) by 1647, Age: 39
The History of Martha's Vineyard by Dr. Charles Banks: Volume III Family Genealogies: pp. 298 - 328 THE MAYHEW FAMILY
Some interesting additional facts have also been discovered by the compiler respecting the early life of Gov. Mayhew. It will be recalled (Vol. I, p. 114) that a contemporary writer states that the Governor was "a merchant bred in England, as I take it, at Southampton."
During a recent visit of the compiler to England confirmation of this was obtained which shows that this statement is correct. The following is verbatim copy of a record in the "Book of Free Commoners" belonging to the corporation of Southampton:
"Nono die ffebr' 1620 (i.e. 1621) Thomas Mayhew late servant and apprntiee unto Richard Masey of the Towne and countie of Southampton mrcer havinge well and truely served his spprntiship with his said mr whoe beinge prsent testified to the same And he the said Thomas Mayhewe (desieringe to be admitted a free commoner of the said Towne to use his trade of a mrcer in this said Towne and his said mr likewise desieringe the same) was therefore this prsent daie admitted and sworren a free commoner accordingly."
An interesting and important statement is therein found which recalls the statement of Thomas Macey of Nantucket (who is said to have emigrated from Chilmark, co. Wilts), that Governor Thomas Mayhew was his "honored cousin" (N. Y. Col. Mss., Vol. 25) and here is found documentary evidence that Thomas Mayhew was an apprentice of Richard Macey, a Southampton merchant. Richard Macey, his master, was a native of Chilmark and in his will of 20 Nov. 1633 he provided for his burial in that parish (Arch. Sarum X. 30). Undoubtededly further search would reveal the exact relationship of this Richard to Thomas Macey, the emigrant, and thus show the kinship between the families of Mayhew and Macey.
Governor Mayhew had the following named children:
THE MAYHEW FAMILY The chapter devoted to "The English Family of Mayhew" (Vol. I, pp. 104-116) comprises all that was known by the author at the time of its compilation but several things of material importance have since been discovered to be added to its conclusions. During two recent visits to England the compiler found evidence of the residence of the Governor's ancestors in Tisbury as early as 1520 indicating settlement there at a probable earlier date. Thomas3 Mayhew, who is considered the grandfather of Gov. Thomas5 , was taxed for "goods", as of the Tithing of Tisbury, in 1540. (Sub. Roll 197/184.) In a deposition dated 30­31 Elizabeth (1589) this Thomas3 Mayhew deposed at the age of 80 years to events and persons known to him in that parish for the past 63 years and more. This places his birth in 1509, his knowledge of events back to 1517 and it is probable that he was born in Tisbury.
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH MINISTERS IN MARTHA’S VINEYARD.
From the APPENDIX TO MAYHEW’S INDIAN CONVERTS.
The book itself has an attestation prefixed by eleven ministers at Boston, dated June 14th, 1726. And the Appendix is written by Mr Prince, one of their number
THOMAS MAYHEW, Esq., the father of the former. This gentleman was both patentee and governor of Martha's Vineyard and the neighbouring islands. After his son's death, seeing no probability of a regular minister to labour among the Indians, his zeal for the glory of God, and charity for the souls of this perishing people, raised him above all those forms and distinctions that lay in the way, which he accounted nothing in competition with their eternal salvation. He therefore resolves to do his utmost, both to preserve and carry on this public work. He goes once every week to some of their plantations. At so advanced an age he sets himself with unwearied diligence to perfect himself in their language; and though a governor, yet he is not ashamed to become a preacher among them. He sometimes travelled on foot in this work near twenty miles through the woods. In a few years, with the assistance of those religious Indians who taught on the Lord's-day, he persuaded the natives on the west end of the island to receive the gospel. About the year 1664 he was greatly relieved and assisted by the Rev. Mr John Cotton. The Indians were so edified and pleased with Mr Mayhew's labours, that they desired him, though now about fourscore years of age, to accept the pastoral charge over them; but he thought this would not so well consist with the prime place he held in the civil government, wherein they also very greatly wanted him; and therefore advised them to chuse such Indian pastors as he thought would do good service among them; which they accordingly did, making choice of Hiacoomes and Tackanash for their pastors. The day appointed being come, which was August 22, 1670, an Indian church was completely formed to the satisfaction of the English church, and other religious people on the island, who by advantage of many years' acquaintance, had sufficient experience of their qualifications. Nor did this abate his ministerial care or pains. He still proceeds in the laborious work, even to the ninety-third year of his age, and the twenty-third of his ministry, which was in 1680, when he died, to the great lamentation of both the English and Indians. A little before his death he told a grandson of his, yet living, "That the time of his departure was near at hand; but he earnestly desired that God would give him one opportunity more in public to exhort the English of the town where he lived; whom he had for some time been also obliged to teach, through the want of a regular minister." God granting his desire, he taught them the following Sabbath, and then took his affectionate farewell of them; and falling ill that evening, he assured his friends, "that his sickness would now be unto death, and he was well contented therewith, being full of days, and satisfied with life," &c. He gave many counsels and exhortations to all about him; his reason and memory not being at all impaired, as could be perceived. And he continued full of faith, and comfort, and holy joy to the last. Though the loss of his only son in his old age was a great and lasting sorrow, yet by God's lengthening out his life to so uncommon a term, he had the reviving consolation to see a very valuable son of that son associated with him in the Indian service to their great acceptance, a few years before he died; and which doubtless made his departure more easy and joyful to him. We therefore now come to.
Thomas Mayhew (b. 15 February 1592/93, d. 25 March 1682)
Notes for Thomas Mayhew: