William Thrall

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 6174
• Will: 11 Dec 1678, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
• Death: 3 Aug 1679, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Notes:

From the Thrall website at http://www.thrale.com/history/usa/william_thrall.php: Note-This passage contains errors-see below.
William Thrall is the founder of the Thrall family in the United States. He was born in 1605 in Sandridge, Hertfordshiure, 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 traveled 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.

William Thrall was born in 1605 in Sandridge, Hertfordshire, England, and died on 3 August 1679 in Windsor, Connecticut, America. William Thrall made a 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”

The above quote from the Thrall website has some good information, but some of the important details are incorrect. The birthdate of 1605 in Sandridge is generally accepted to be another William Thrall. There is no evidence that William was aboard the 1630 voyage of the Mary & John. It is generally accepted that he was not. Records with his name begin in 1637. It may be a good assumption that he arrived in 1636 with another voyage of the same ship. The other information given above does all appear to be correct.

There is no good evidence of birthplace or parents name. There were a lot of Thralls in England and there are many possibilities. Winthrops Journal did have an entry that William Thrall was 60 years old in 1666. See TAG V24 P112.

Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records:
Page 27-8.
Thrall, William, Windsor. Died 3 August, 1679. Invt. £158-09-06. Taken by Christopher Sanders, Jacob Drake. Will dated 11 December, 1678.
I William Thrall of Windsor do give and bequeath my Outward Es tate, my House Barn & all my Lands of one sort or other, Upland or Meadow, to my son Timothy Thrall, to be his & his heirs forever, yt with this Proviso, that upon his possession thereof he stand bound to discharge the Legacies as followeth: First: that he pay to Daughter Phillip(i) Hosford the sum of £45, to be paid within 3 years after my decease. Sec-ond : that he pay to Samuel Cross, & also to her that was Mary Cross, both which live with me, 5 Shillings apeice. Third: That he pay to Mr. Ben jamin Woodbridge 20 Shillings. It is my Will & I do give to my gr. child Sarah Hosford the little House I have begun to build on John Hosford's Land. For my Household Goods, what is in the possession of my son Timothy Thrall I do bestow on him, & what part of my Household Goods is in the possession of John Shepherd I do give to my daughter Phillipi Thrall. A Cow of mine in John Hosford's Hands I do give to Daughter Phillip(i) Hosford, & the Cattle or Stock in my son Timothy Thrall's Hands I give to him. I ordain my son Timothy Thrall Executor. Also I desire Mr. Benjamin Woodbridge and Abraham Phelps to be my Over- seers.

Witness: Job Drake, william X thrall.
Mary Woodbridge.

Court Record, Page 18-4 December, 1679: Will & Invt. proven.

William married Elizabeth Unknown in 1632 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Elizabeth was born in 1609 in England; died on 30 Dec 1676 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. David Thrall was born in 1626; died in 1632.
2. Philippi Thrall was born on 5 Nov 1637 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died in May 1698 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
3. Timothy Thrall was born on 26 Jul 1641; died in Jun 1697.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2268

Notes:

This is an unconfirmed possible parent of William Thrall. It should not be accepted as being correct. See the Thrall website for details http://www.thrale.com/history/usa/william_thrall.php