Born: ?? Aug 1616 at Lincolnshire, England
Died: 12 Sep 1706 at Lancaster, MA
Father: John SAWYER (1582-1660)
Mother: Agnes SHARPE
Spouse: Mary (Marie) PRESCOTT
Children:
At right, Thomas' grave ===>>
Born: ?? Aug 1616 at Lincolnshire, England
Father: John SAWYER (1582-1660) Spouse: Mary (Marie) PRESCOTT
Children:
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Thomas came to America in 1636 with two of his brothers (Edward and William) and his father on a ship commanded by a Captain Parker. Thomas and Mary were married 2 Jul 1648 at Rowley, Essex Co., MA. There are several colorful stories associated with Thomas. For more information, click on the link shown below.
A website of interest for this line is Thomas Sawyer 1616
The GFHCNY source below has this to say on Thomas:
Thomas Sawyer, immigrant ancestor, was a yeoman. He settled first in Rowley, but in 1643 or soon afterward he located in Lancaster, MA. He took the oath of allegiance in 1647, and was on the list of proprietors of Lancaster in 1648. He was one of the first 6 settlers and was one of the prudential managers of the town in 1647. In 1654 he was admitted a freeman. His house was on the east side of what is now the Main street at South Lancaster, and next south of the home of his father-in-law, John Prescott. He was one of the leading men of the town all his life. There were only 5 full-fledged freemen in Lancaster in 1654 - Edward Breck, Richard Smith, William Kerley, John Whihtcomb and Thomas Sawyer. He was a prominent member of the church, and held many town offices. During King Philip's war he left town with all the other survivors of the massacre, but he returned and helped to build up the town anew. He died about 1719. His will was dated March 6, 1705-6.
According to Eleanor Sawyer's book, Thomas, "upon his arrival in MA in 1636, he settled in Ipswich. In 1643 he moved to Rowley, where, known as the village blacksmith, he lived near his brother, Edward. In 1646 he moved west to Nashaway Plantation (now Lancaster), along with the Prescotts, Wilders, Houghtons, and 2 other families, thereby becoming one of the first 6 settlers in that area" (Sawyer Families of New England 1636-1900, Eleanor Grace Sawyer, Penobscot, 1995, p165). On the above map, Ipswich is just east of 'Salem Village' at the crux of the small inlet there and Rowley is just west of Ipswich. For some reason, Lancaster/Nashaway were not on my modern road atlas of MA, but apparently it would be west a bit from Rowley. The above map was scanned from an issue on the American Puritans in Christian History (Issue 41, SBC). Thomas was b. England, d. Lancaster. His son John was b. Lancaster, d. Lyme (near Saybrook). John's son James was b. Lyme, d. ? (likely Lyme or Goshen, possibly spent time on Shelter Island?). Finally James' son James was b. and d. in Goshen ('drowned lands'). One can trace this succession on the map above (Goshen is N and W of New Amsterdam).
Saybrook colony (just S of MA) was founded in 1635 by John WINTHROP Jr 1606-76, partly as a home for prominent Puritan politicians e.g. Oliver CROMWELL, who were contemplating leaving England. What those plans fell thru in 1644 (due to English Civil War) the colony merged w/CT. The other main colony was New Haven, fnd'd 1636, where Pastor John DAVENPORT 1597-1670 led his flock after arriving in Boston. A vigorous rivalry between these 2 colonies ended in 1662 after the Restoration when James [II] altered the terms of the Royal Charter; New Haven was part of CT by 1665 (D G Hart, Calvinism, Yale, 2013, p110).
Thomas Sawyer's home in Lancaster 'was 1 of 5 garrison houses where town inhabitants took refuge during Indian raids ... Among the incidents involving the Sawyer family was the so-called Great Massacre of 10 Feb 1676, when King Philip and some 1500 warriors attacked the town and killed or captured 50 of the residents - 1/6 of the population' (EGS p165). Thomas' son Ephraim was killed at Prescott's Garrison, in what is now the town of Clinton. After this incident, the survivors left Lancaster for 4 years, possibly living in Charlestown in the meantime. The story is told that Thomas Sawyer and others defended his home with guns on this occasion (and others) and was one of the few buildings not breached during the battle (get more details). Nathaniel Philbrick's 2006 book Mayflower (Viking, 461pp) has a good recounting of the Pilgrim story, and Lancaster can be seen on the maps on pages 166-7 and 268-9. Rowley isn't on those maps for some reason, but was not far west of Salem. Hmmm, the Daily Bread pamphlet (RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI) has an interesting story for Thu 9 Aug 2012; 'On 10 Feb 1675 [or 76?], 50 colonial families in Lancaster, MA, feared possible Native American raids. Joseph Rowlandson, the Puritan minister of the village, was in Boston pleading with the govt for protection, while Mary, his wife, stayed behind with their children. At sunrise, the settlers were attacked. After some were killed, Mary and [some] other survivors were taken captive. She experienced both kindness and cruelty from her captors. Aware of the religious nature of the settlers, the natives gave her Bible they'd confiscated, and she later wrote of God's 'goodness in bringing to my hand so many comfortable and suitable Scriptures in my distress'. She was ransomed by the colonists on 2 May'.
Here's some background on the Puritans, of which Thomas apparently was one. The initial Pilgrims arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620 at Plymouth Rock, after having left Leyden, Netherlands (unhappy w/Dutchification, loss of 'puritan-ness' of kids) and stopped at Plymouth, England for supplies. A massive wave of Puritan immigration to Boston area started 1630 (as Chas I's AoC Wm Laud was cracking down against both Catholics and Protestant dissenters to Anglicanism in England, i.e. trying to enforce middle way, 'theological Arminianism was ascendant, liturgical uniformity enforced'). Richard Mather (1596-1669), an Anglican minister, was briefly suspended in 1633, permanently removed 1634 and left w/family for MA 1635 (yr before Thomas). Richard's son Increase (163x-1723) and gson Cotton (1663-1728) were also hugely influential among NE Puritans. After 1630, there was a steady decline in 'purity' among the Puritans, and an increase in secularism and rationalism (many later immigrants came for economic, not religious reasons). By 1679 many ministers felt God no longer favored NE. In 1692 the Salem witch trials were held (probably an ill-advised, rear-guard action, last ditch attempt to rescue original Puritan movement?). The purifying revival Richard had prayed for finally occurred in the 18C First Great Awakening, beginning 1730s (Jonathan Edwards ...).
Add a link to the online book of Maine history at Google showing the reference to the 1636 voyage (and other books?). Also link to the pirate Captain William PARKER who d1617 and the 1770s Patriot Captain John PARKER. Still trying to get info on the Captain PARKER who transported the SAWYERS in 1636, name of ship, etc. The site on Wm PARKER includes the 'pirate' tune (from Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean') and says he came from 'lesser gentry' at Plymouth, England, sailed in 1587 w/Sir Francis DRAKE in attacking Cadiz, Spain. PARKER later won fame by capturing Portobelo (an important Spanish treasure port) w/his own ship in 1601, thereby becoming a prominent Plymouth hero, named a founding member of the Virginia Company 1606 (which sponsored Jamestown, later the pilgrims). He was named Vice Admiral and left for more adventures, but died in Java 1617. Hmmm, I wonder if Thomas SAWYER's Capt. PARKER is related (e.g. son)?
3 interesting quotes:
'So destructive and traumatic [was the 30yrs War 1618-48] that in putting an end to it in the Peace of Westphalia, Europe foreswore religious warfare. Secular Europe ... is conventionally dated from 1648. Francois de la NOUE, a veteran of the first phases of the religious and civil wars in France, remarked that 'it was our wars of religion that made us forget religion' (Fromkin's 'Way of the World' p107-8).
'By the end of the 17C, national sovereignty had superceded religious sovereignty in European culture. Secularism had displaced ecclesiasticism' (Manschreck's 'History of Christianity' p273).
'[As a writer I need 'creative scenery changes' to spark inspiration] ... In the 17-18C many people found that their parents' faith no longer inspired them. So, they performed a series of creative scenery changes. Puritans and patriots found their inspiration in new societies. Pietists searched for religious revival. Rationalists created a new vision of the divine. The result was a series of revolutions that still shape our [social, intellectual, religious, political ...] world today' (Dr TPJ in CHME p105).
The story of Magna Carta's travel abroad begins early 17C of course, after its re-emergence from eclipse in England under the TUDORs [1485-1558] and use by Sir Edward COKE in his struggles against the STUARTs (and to a lesser extent by Parliament). These struggles were unfolding just as English colonists were settling America, a fortunate accident of history [or Providence]. The very 1st settlement's (VA) 1606 charter cited MC's 'rights of Englishmen' as did MA 1629, PA 1682, GA 1732 and others in America. Also in England the 1628 Petition of Right, 1679 Habeas Corpus Act and 1689 Bill of Rights (Glorious Rev) cited these now 'ancient rights'. The colonists cited them in attacking the 1765 Stamp Act, 1767ff Townshend Acts and 1774 Intolerable Acts. Crucially in America, these rights were not granted by king or parliament, but God-given (Roger Pilon on 800th anniv., CATO's Letter, Summer 2015)
The 17C was the 'Golden Age' for The Dutch Republic, a time of massive wealth accumulation via its banking expertise and trading empire, taking over the lead from Spain (16C ldr, which eclipsed 15C ldr Portugal in that role, tho all still competing). Sweden was also a Great Power, including all of Scandinavia and the Baltic nations and parts of today's Germany, Poland and Russia. Other rivals were France, China, India and the Ottomans, tho latter were weakening (see ToN.html).
