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- Thomas Harris was born in England about the year 1618, his age beingstated as about forty in 1658. He was, therefore, a boy of twelve when hecrossed the Atlantic. He left his mother's home in Charlestown before1642, when, in September, he was a member of the Ipswich company ofmilitia which set out on the expedition to disarm Passaconoway, theSagamore of Merrimac, for which he was paid three shillings on Dec. 4,1643.
Like his three brothers he owned a house-lot on Holmes Street in Rowleyin 1643, but it is doubtful if he ever occupied it and in 1644 he sold itto Richard Holmes and Richard Bailey, confirming the sale in 1654 by adeed in which he calls himself a seaman.
On November 15, 1647, at Ipswich, Thomas Harris married Martha Lake,daughter of John Lake of North Benfleet, county Essex, England, andMargaret (Reade) Lake of New London and Ipswich, and by this marriage hegained a powerful connection with the Winthrop and Symonds families. In1648 he purchased from William Symonds a house and lot in Ipswich whichbecame his homestead, the lot being adjacent to one which he hadpreviously purchased from John Warner.
He was a subscriber to Major Denison's salary in 1648, signed theloyalist petition to King Charles II in 1666, was elected tythingman in1667 and was on the list of commoners in 1678. In 1653 he was charged,under the sumptuary laws, with allowing his wife to wear silk, but wasdischarged "on proof of his wife's education and bringing up." In 1665,when Samuel Symonds deposed that his cousin Harris was still going tosea, he bought the clay-pit meadow, across the road and opposite hishouse, from John Baker. He and his wife were executors of the estate ofhis mother-in-law, Mrs. Lake, in 1672.
Thomas Harris died August 2, 1687, in Ipswich. His will, dated July 12,and proved September 14, 1687, made his wife Martha his sole executrix.To her he left his dwelling-house, barn, orchard and garden, three marshlots at Plum Island, two-thirds of a planting lot at Middle Island, partof a planting lot on the south side of the highway and all of a plantinglot on the north side of the highway in the town (Ipswich), one-half ofthe clay-pit meadow, two-thirds of the marsh lot "at the hundreds," hisshare in his boat, four cows, four oxen and all the sheep and swine. Healso gave her a life interest in all of the household furniture and farmimplements. To his son John he gave "the new house which I built inIpswich," two marsh lots at Plum Island, the remainder of the plantinglot in town, one-third of the planting lot at Middle Island, one-half ofthe clay-pit meadow, one-third of the marsh "at the hundreds" and twooxen. John was also to have one-third of the house lot and orchard afterthe death of his mother. To his sons William and Ebenezer he left hisdwelling-house, barn and shop and the other lands not already given toJohn, after their mother's death. The brothers were directed to offersuch property as they wished to sell to each other before disposing of itoutside of the family. The will was witnessed by Daniel Epps, Sr., andJames Chute, Sr.
Mrs. Harris, on January 1, 1696, pointing out to the court that the willdid not mention two of the Harris children, Elizabeth Gallop and MargaretStaniford, "which so fell out by the fault of him that wrote the same,"requested authority to settle the personal property on these twodaughters.
Madam Rebecca Symonds, widow of Mrs. Harris's uncle by marriage,Deputy-Gov. Samuel Symonds, in her will made in 1695, left to "my cousinMartha Harris a good scarf of equal value with my best scarf." The dateof Martha Harris's death is not known.
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1618 - 1687 (69 years)
