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Descendants of Thomas Low, as of 31 December 1999

Generation No. 1

      1. Thomas¹ Low was born Abt. 1605 in England (in or around Sudbury or Boxford)¹, and died September 08, 1677 in Ipswich, Essex, MA¹. He married (1) Margaret Tod¹ June 22, 1630 in Polstead, Suffolk, England¹, daughter of Ananias Tod and Bridget Thompson. She was born November 23, 1597 in Polestead Hall, Suffolk, England ^2,³, and died March 30, 1680 in Ipswich, Essex, MA ⁴. He married (2) Susanna Stone 1648 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA. She was born 1598 in England, and died August 18, 1684 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA ⁵.

Notes for Thomas Low:
Thomas Low ( 1605 - September 08, 1677 )

Buried: Most likely at the Old North Churchyard at Ipswich, MA, although there is no record of his burial.

For at least a short time after Thomas Low married Margaret Tod, they resided in or around Groon, England and attended the Groton Church. Slightly less than one year after they had been married, in 1631, their first son Thomas Low Jr., later to become Deacon Thomas Low of Ipswich, was baptized at the Groton church.

He and his family came to New England with the Rogers' party. The Rogers party sailed from Gravesend, England, on June 1, 1636, and arrived in Massachusetts Bay (probably Charlestown) November 17, 1636. The ship was probably the Rebecca. Thomas Low and his family probably arrived at Ipswich in 1637.

Settled in Chebacco Parish, Essex Co., Mass, 1641, before which time two at least of his 5 children were born.

"He was a maltster, and died September 8, 1677, when his son John succeeded to the business and continued it until 1696."

The Low family of Essex must be considered the second oldest family of the town. On April 6, 1641, Thomas Low had 10 acres of land assigned to him in Chebacco, "next to his ten acres there."

Toward the end of his life, he appears to have been residing at "Candlewood, an Ancient Neighborhood" in Ipswich, known as "The South Eighth". The homestead was located on the east side of Heartbreak Road, which went north from the Essex Road (now Route 133). The Candlewood section north of the Essex Road included the residences of John Brown, Humphrey Griffin, Nathaniel Rogers, Edward Bragg,
Elisha and Benjamin Brown, John Choate, Deacon Mathew Whipple, and Agrilla Farm, owned originally by John Winthrop, Jr. and later by Samuel Symonds, whose daughter Sarah Symonds married Thomas Low. (see publications of the Ipswich Historical Society, 1909, Vol. XVI)

He appears to have died at his homestead in Candlewood, South Ipswich where his son John resided, and was most likely buried at the Old North Churchyard at Ipswich, MA, although there is no record of his burial.

His will (Probate Records of Essex County, Vol III, Pp. 175-177, PB-17242) was written April 30, 1677 and was probated November 6th of that year, in which he left most of his estate to his son John, who married Sarah, daughter of John Thorndike of Beverly. To his son Thomas, who married Martha Boreman, (daughter of Thomas of Ipswich), he gave 40 ?, and to his grandchild, Thomas Low, who moved to
Gloucester and married Sarah Symonds, daughter of Harlakenden, granddaughter of Governor Samuel Symonds, and became the ancestor of almost all the Low families there since, 5 ?.

The first item in his will was:

"I give & bequeath unto Susannah my Loving wife what goods she brought with her and also I give her the use of that room which I lye in & the free use of those things that are in it and also the use of one cow which she liketh best & will is that my Sonne John shall maintain it wintere & summer & also my will is that if the Cow come to any casuality hee shall find her another Cow & maintain it likewise as beforesaid. Also I give unto my wife one-fourth part of her labor that she hath spunn both Lening & wollen & also she shall have her beere as she hath now & also free use of the fire: & also John shall reare her one Sheoate yearly for sume meate for her & also a little ground to sow half a peck of flax seede yearly. And also to give unto her thirty shillings yearly to be paid by my executor in such things as she shall stand in need of during her natural life. Moreover I give unto my loving wife five ponds to dispose of as she shall thinke good, and my will is that in case my wife shall thinke meete to remove from my sonne John, then my will is that John Low pay or cause to be paid to her forty shillings yearly & every yeare during her natural life in such pay as she needeth. And I also give her the Cowe to be her owne & John to send the pay to Boston or CharlesTown."

2. to John: "all my housing and all my lands in Ipswich, both meadow and upland, including half the house and half barn, the malt house and the things belonging to it." Among other goods, one sword, belt, powder, and bullets. The land included the following:

a. "a house and barn on six acres of arable land."
This land is undoubtedly the same granted to Thomas as a member of the Reverend Rogers Party in 1638, and was just north of
Nathaniel Rogers homestead on Heartbreak Road in the Candlewood section of South Ipswich. On January 28, 1705/6, the probate
record of John Low (1-3) suggests that Thorndike Low was living on his homestead. In 1708, John Low (1-3-2), eldest son of John Low
(1-3), conveyed this parcel to his brother Thorndike (1-3-5) who in 1759 willed this land to his son Nathaniel (1-3-5-7) who in 1760
willed this land to his son Dr. Nathaniel (1-3-5-7-1) who in 1779 sold to Captain John Kinsman.

b. "six acres of marsh at Chebacco."
Thomas was granted this land on July 16, 1643.

c. "four acres and one half at Plumb Island."
Waters reports the following: "In 1664, the town Ipswich voted that Plumb Island, Hogg Island and Castle Neck be divided to such as
have the right to commonage according to law, according to the proportion of four, six and eight. Those who did not pay more than
6s 8d in personal and property tax in a single country rate were to form the 1st division. All that did not exceed 16s were to form the
second. All that exceeded 16s together with our magistrates, Elders, Mr. John Rogers, and Mr. Thomas Andrews (the school-master),
were to constitute the highest." Of the 203 inhabitants who had right of commonage, 105 were entitled to a single share, and Thomas
Low (1) must have been one of these.

d. a division of marsh in the hundreds.
Comment: Thomas Low Jr., as eldest son, must have been given his father's land at Chebacco prior to the latter's death. Thomas Low
Sr. and his wife Susannah must have been living with John in the Candlewood section of Ipswich, rather than Chebacco, prior to his
death. John Low, as the younger son, appears to have been given half the house and barn at Ipswich and inherited the remaining half
of the Ipswich homestead when his father died.

3. to his children: Thomas (30 pounds), Margaret (40 pounds) and Sarah (40 pounds), each to be paid within two years of his death.

4. to each of his four firstborn grandchildren:
Thomas Low (1-1-1), Margaret Davison (1-2-1), Sarah Low (1-3-1) and Sarah Safford (1-4-1), five pounds each.

"Was one of Denison's subscribers, 1648; had a share and a half in Plum Island, &c. 1664. He with Edward Bragg purchased of Thomas Firman 20 acres of land lying upon the Mile Brook towards the South west, Oct. 5, 1647. His will is dated April 30, 1677."

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"He with Edward Bragg purchased of Thomas Firman 20 acres of Land lying upon the Mile Brook towards the South west, October 5, 1647. His will is dated April 30, 1677. He left a wife named Susannah; his children: John, Thomas, Abigail and Sarah. He mentions in his will the following grandchildren: Thomas Low, Sarah Low, Margaret Davison, Sarah Safford. Thomas Low was first seen in the town records of Ipswich in 1643. He was on the list of voters, December 2, 1679. He was a deacon of the first church in 1696. "

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"the founder of this family in America, whose family probably originated near Boxford, Suffolk. He emigrated to Chebacco, Essex, Mass., in a company of settlers led by the Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, which sailed from Gravesend, 6-1-1636, arriving in Massachusetts Bay later in the same year. He was granted, according to Schofield's Records, ten acres of land.

                                                Bingham James Forrest Lowe
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More About Thomas Low:
Occupation: Maltster

More About Margaret Tod:
Baptism: June 23, 1597, Boxford, Suffolk, England⁵

More About Thomas Low and Margaret Tod:
Marriage: June 22, 1630, Polstead, Suffolk, England ⁶

More About Thomas Low and Susanna Stone:
Marriage: 1648, Watertown, Middlesex, MA

Children of Thomas Low and Margaret Tod are:

+	2	i.	Deacon Thomas² Low, born May 08, 1631 in Groton, County Suffolk, England; died April 12, 1712 in Ipswich, Essex, MA.
+	3	ii.	Margaret Low, born Abt. 1632 in Boxford, England; died July 08, 1688 in Wenham, Essex, MA.
+	4	iii.	John Low, born Abt. 1635 in Boxford, England; died Abt. 1706.
+	5	iv.	Sarah Low, born Abt. 1637 in Ipswich, Essex, MA; died Aft. June 16, 1708 in Preston, NH.

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