Timothy Thrall

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 308

Notes:

In the Windsor Church records of this period Timothy Thrall is grouped with the men who had a family, a horse and two yokes of oxen, so it would appear that he was a better businessman than his brother-in-law, John Hosford Hosford, however, is on two military lists. First on a list dated 11 March 1658 of 37 Windsor men in the first horse troops (30 horse) in the colony. Second, he was paid 6s 8d for fighting in King Philip's War.

Both men protested the town vote to invite Mr. Chauncy to replace the aging Rev. Wareham as minister of the Windsor Church in 1662. When the 54 dissenting members were allowed to form their own church, the brothers-in-law went with them and became leaders of the Second Church. This new congregation were more Presbyterian than Congregational, and opposed to Chauncy's ideas. This sort of schism was occuring throughout all the New England colonies and therefore the Windsor dissenters, when they appealed to the Colonial Council, were less harshly treated than they might have been. In the end, after years of wrangling, which split the town, the two Windsor Churches reunited The first overtures were made by the Second Church, who sent John Hosford, Timothy Thrall and Jacob Gibbs to negotiate.

Timothy Thrall was a land-owner. He had his own place, or did soon after his marriage in 1659. His father-in-law, Thomas Gunn, gave him the original Gunn homestead and lot, as well as Gunn's land on the other side of the River. Timothy moved to a new house and again he was a leader in the forming of a new Church. Timothy was, we assume, honest and able, as he was named as executor in several wills.

Deborah Gunn is mentioned in Old Windsor records. Her father moved in 1665, to Westfield, Mass. and became active in the Westfield Parish, leaving all his Windsor property to his son-in-law.

--------------------------------------- "Timothy was a prominent citizen, possessing considerable property and influence. His name often appears in the records of Windsor." Source Genealogy of Walter G Thrall 1862

Timothy married Deborah Gunn 10 Nov 1659, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Deborah (daughter of Thomas Gunn) was born 9 Aug 1642, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 17 Jan 1694, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet]

1. Deborah Thrall was born 9 Aug 1660, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 16 May 1715.
2. Captain Timothy Thrall was born 7 Dec 1662, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 31 Jan 1723.
3. Mehetable Thrall was born 16 Mar 1665, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 15 Aug 1723.
4. Elizabeth Thrall was born 1 May 1667, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 25 Jan 1714.
5. John Thrall was born 8 Jun 1669, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 1676.
6. Sergeant John Thrall, I was born 5 Jun 1671, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 18 Apr 1732; was buried Unknown, Turkey Hills Parish, Windsor, Connecticut, USA.
7. Martha Thrall was born 31 May 1673, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died Yes, date unknown.
8. Thomas Thrall was born 5 May 1675, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 12 Aug 1675.
9. Thomas Thrall was born 10 Jul 1676, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died Yes, date unknown.
10. Abigail Thrall was born 22 Feb 1681, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 10 Jul 1725, Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
11. Samuel Thrall was born 22 Feb 1681, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died 1709.

Other Events:

• Occupation: Stonemason

Notes:

William Thrall is the founder of the Thrall family in the United States. He was born in 1605 in Sandridge, Hertfordshire, England and came to the Colonies on the "Mary and John" in the year 1630. The "Mary and John" was a vessel of four hundred tons captained by a man named Squeb and the vessel sailed with 180 passengers.

William was part of a company of Puritans under the leadership of Rev. John Wareham of Exeter and Rev. John Meverick, both ministers of the Church of England Setting sail from Plymouth, England on 20 March, they first came ashore on 30 May 1630. They disembarked with what goods they had, to some high land in the salt meadow, now a part of the city of Boston. They named the place Dorchester, which was selected by the captain of the "Mary and John" as he came from Dorchester, England. Page 277 of Prince's Chronology of New England records "May 30, Lord's Day. Mr. Wareham and his church, and their goods, were put ashore at Nantasket Point. The went immediately to Charlestown, and from thence to Mattepan, and began a town and named it Dorchester, and the native Indians were kind to them."

Revs. Wareham and Meverick and their group stayed in Dorchester less than five years, as a number of their menfolk had discovered more fertile land below the first falls of the Connecticut River, at the junction of the Farmington River just above Hartford. Part of the Colony went by boat and the remainder travelled across the one hundred miles of virgin forest, to establish the town of Windsor. Windsor was unofficially known as Thrallville in the early years.

The first we know of William Thrall is that he is listed with the following men who were among the thirty men who went from Windsor to join in the fight against the Pequod Indians in May 1637. Capt. John Mason, Sgt. Benedict Alvord, Thomas Barber, Thomas Buckland, George Chappel, John Dyer, James Eggleston, Nathaniel Gillet, Thomas Gridley, Thomas Styles, Sgt. Thomas Stares, Richard Osborn, Thomas Parsons, William Thrall. The Indian village in this case was so completely destroyed that for many years, the settlers had no further trouble with the Indians. Some years later, the participants were given land grants. To quote from Dr. Styles records with regard to the first Indian war in New England, "The danger was imminent, and so complete the victory that it caused universal rejoicing throughout New England, and a grant of land was given each soldier and officer, and to this day the memory of an ancestor who was in the Pequod fight, is an honorable heirloom in every Connecticut family".

William Thrall is mentioned many times in the early records. His lot shows up in the first plot of Windsor, between the lots of Nicholas Palmer and Thomas Bascomb, and ran from the road to the Farmington River. In 1646, William sold this lot to Nicholas Palmer and moved to Simon Hoyte's place, north of the village. Robert Wilson bought a half interest with William in the Hoyte's 80 acres, but sold his half to Thrall in 1654. This 80 acres has been part of the holdings of the Thrall family ever since, thanks to William Thrall's will.

We know very little about the wife of William Thrall. She is referred to in the Old Windsor records as Goode Thrall, but "Goode" was an expression applied to women with families and it is simply an abbreviation of "Goodwife". Whether she came over to New England on the "Mary and John" with her husband or they met in Dorchester, has never been established The record of her death simply states, "Goode Thrall, wife of William, died 30 July 1676".

Page 5 of Walter G Thrall's 1862 Genealogy gives a most likely incorrect death date of August 3, 1678.

Join the hunt for William Thrall's English ancestors at http://www.thrale.com/hunt_william_thralls_ancestors

William married Elizabeth Goode 1638, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Elizabeth was born 1609; died 30 Jul 1676, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Elizabeth Goody