A 11-257 Mysterious roots of Captain Thomas Hewitt of Stonington
4/23/2014
Ver. 0
5/2/2014 Update.
The speculation on this page must be retracted. Recent records have a young Thomas Hewitt of Hingham as born/baptized in 1644 which would make him a 12 year old sea captain in Mystic, which is unlikely. This does not mean there were not 2 younger Thomas Hewitts in Hingham, only that there is too much doubt to state this as probable fact.
The following is speculation base of facts. Some things struck me as odd coincidences during the research on the roots of Captain Thomas. They lead me to believe Captain Thomas Hewitt of Stonington was the son of Thomas Huet/Hewitt of Hingham, although no actual statement has been found. Several trees in Ancestry.com have the same connection but without positive proof.
The speculation on this page must be retracted. Recent records have a young Thomas Hewitt of Hingham as born/baptized in 1644 which would make him a 12 year old sea captain in Mystic, which is unlikely. This does not mean there were not 2 younger Thomas Hewitts in Hingham, only that there is too much doubt to state this as probable fact.
The following is speculation base of facts. Some things struck me as odd coincidences during the research on the roots of Captain Thomas. They lead me to believe Captain Thomas Hewitt of Stonington was the son of Thomas Huet/Hewitt of Hingham, although no actual statement has been found. Several trees in Ancestry.com have the same connection but without positive proof.
By the records of Stonington,
Captain Thomas first appeared in 1656 from
parts unknown. (included below)
First, there were very few
English settlers in New England in 1656.
(The population of the colonies was less than 100,000 including all
Europeans, slaves and Native Americans living among the colonists) Three Thomas
Hewitt’s in such a small group seems odd.
Our Captain, (listed as 1630-1662/1670) and an older Thomas Hewitt (also
spelled Huet) (1609-1670) of Hingham MA. and his son, Thomas Hewitt, who was
about the same age as our Captain.
Secondly, passage records
only document 1 Thomas Huet coming to America, he can be traced to Hingham.
Third, and most unusual, both
of Hingham’s Thomas Hewitt’s drowned together in 1670 which is the same year as
the wife of Stonington’s Captain Hewitt moved to have him declared dead, lost
at sea.
Why did she wait 8 years,
with 2 small children, between his disappearance in 1662 and petitioning the
Connecticut courts in 1670? Perhaps she
expected him to return until she heard of the drowning’s in Hingham.
Supporting observations:
Hannah Palmer-Hewitt’s father
was Walter Palmer. He was a successful
merchant who died in 1661, leaving Hannah an inheritance. Hannah Palmer-Hewitt (1632-1681) would have
been 27 when she married the Captain in 1659.
This would have been unusually old, suggesting our Captain may have
considered her father’s wealth, failing health and potential inheritance over taking
a younger wife.
The opportunity to leave on a
voyage with a portion of his wife’s inheritance and then trade his goods
elsewhere, perhaps in the Boston area, while returning to live in Hingham is
certainly possible during these times.
Hingham is a coastal town. Hewitt’s
Cove was the location of the family property and it is possible the son of
Thomas Hewitt of Hingham might have learned his trade as sea captain, and might
have used the cove as a base after departing Stonington.
11-257 (1) Thomas Hewitt b
1630
11-258 (7) Hannah Palmer b
1634
10-129 (3) Benjamin Hewitt b
1662
10-130 (7) Marie Ellen Fanning
b 1665
9-65 (7) Benjamin Hewitt b.
1688
9-66 (36) Ann Palmer b. 1683
Are
your direct ancestors
I have been researching the Hewitts in the UK for a very long time, but have not much looked at the US. I note that a Mr Benjamin Hewitt was amongst those granted land in Stonington in 1663, so as a first guess I'd be thinking that CAPT Thomas was his son, noting that the CAPT himself called a son Benjamin. I'd further be guessing that Benjamin senior was the son of Henry Hewitt, a merchant of London. That Benjamin was born around 1595, grandson of a Thomas Hewitt (various spellings) and he had a wealthy older brother Sir Thomas Hewitt (look up Shireoaks Hall in Google), so plenty of reason for himself to be called Thomas. Benjamin disappeared from sight in England, so he might easily have moved to America to try his fortune. Cheers, rhysh@webone.com.au.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, https://wordpress.com/post/howetfamily.wordpress.com/482
ReplyDeleteMy name is Nathan Hewitt. I'm the great great great great great great great grandson of Captain Thomas Hewitt. From the precious little I've been able to read of him, the adventurous spirit that must of have driven him to a life at sea is still alive and well in the Hewitt blood. My goodness I'd love to know more. I intend to search further. Please email me if you know anything about my family. Thx. nhewitt.familytree@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThomas Hewitt was my 7th Great-Grandfather. I'm descended down through his son Benjamin Hewitt, then his son Elkanah Hewitt, then again his son Elkanah, then his son Lott Hewitt, then daughter Elizabeth Miner Hewitt who was the last of my Hewitt ancestors. But I don't have any additional info about Thomas other than what is from known sources.
DeleteHello all. Mahlon Taylor Hewitt here. Thank you for sharing the above story and thoughts. It seems that Benjamin Hewitt is also my direct ancestor of 9 generations ago.
ReplyDeleteJohn Hewitt here. My recent family history is concentrated in Florence, Darlington and Timmonsville, SC. but it appears that we all go back to Thomas. My great-great-great grandfather (?) was Eliphalet Hewitt, great-great grandfather was Edwin Kinsey, great grandfather was Edward Charles and grandfather was Lee Jerome. There is a Hewitt family cemetery just south of Florence, SC
ReplyDeleteHello, Cousins; Captain Thomas is mysterious because there were two Thomas Hewitts in the same generation. I am decendant as, Cousin Mahlon is, from Elkanah. We hale from the first Thomas' son, Thomas, who became known as Capt Thomas. It confused the heck out of me until I did further research on the passengers aboard the Lyon's Whelp, which arrived in Boston harbor in 1629. Aboard were the children and families of one Thomas Huet (Hewitt, etc.). Son Ephraim and his younger brother, Thomas James, were children of dad and first wife, Anne. Apparently, she had deceased and dad remarried to one Lady Agnes. She named her second son Thomas. Hence, we ended up looking at two men of the same name, in the same family, aboard the same ship, at the same time! Ephraim, a minister who was censured by Arch Bishop Laud, went to Windsor, CT, and founded the Congregational Church. Thomas James settled in Hingham, MA. His son Thomas became an early settler of Stonington, CT., married Ellen Fanning, and became one of our progenators. Younger brother Thomas, or at least one of his sons, ended up in the small port town of Scituate, MA. About the time of the Witch Trials, the young daughter of a widower, Mr Winter (or Winters), there, became quite pregnant. The town's gossips set an appointment for Mr. Winter and his daughter to appear before them to answer his suspected incest with his daughter. Young John Hewitt (offspring of Thomas II) returned from a voyage to find his honey "with child." The Winters and John appeared before the village as appointed, but to have a wedding instead of a juicy trail. This is significant to us because several generations later, in the recently settled frontier of Western New York State, Jane Elisa Hewitt, daughter of Dr. Winter Hewitt (son of Henry's brother Silas on one side, and from Thomas II's line on the other) married Marlboro Wells Hewitt in Batavia NY. They are may great great grandparents via their son, Henry, and his son, John Henry, and my dad, also John Henry. (We have several Miss Hewitts who became Hewitt nee Hewitt). And, thus ends the mystery of Capt Hewitt. Dang that Lady Agnes. P.S I traced the Huets (Hewitt, etc.) back to about 1547. Each male in the line is Thomas Huet (Hewitt) and each is involved in the religious reformation. For a nice surprise, look up Thomas Huet on Wikipedia. Yeap. He's ours!
ReplyDeleteI have been researching Thomas over a decade. Would love to have the sources of your analysis.
DeleteERRATA! Thomas in Stonington didn't marry Ellen Fanning. Benjamin did. Error due to typing faster than thinking.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, I just checked my gmail for the first time for ages, and read your info. It's very significant -- would you mind stepping me through it and sharing your sources? Preferably to me normal email at rhysh@iinet.net.au. Thanks, Rhys in Australia
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, your email address isn't working -- could you pls contact me again at rhysh@iinet.net.au ?
ReplyDeleteI'm an 8th great grandson, still here in Connecticut, by way of Benjamin. Only in recent years has our line started to leave Connecticut.
ReplyDelete