Not the same as Thomas Seaman of Heigham

Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts is not the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England, and Elizabeth Copland of Yoxford, England.

Wikitree: Thomas Seamans (abt. 1660 - aft. 1727). Profile last modified 15 Oct 2022.

Parentage

DISPROVEN:

• Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts was not the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England, and Elizabeth Copland of Yoxford, England.

The common belief has been that Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts was the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England, and Elizabeth Copland of Yoxford, England, and this information has been copied apparently from Ancestry.com and other genealogical websites.

However, recent research on his parentage has revealed that Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts is not the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England (1632 - 1700). It is evident that Thomas Seaman of Heigham has a second son named Thomas Seaman (1663 - 1740) who married Mary Norris, daughter of Jeremy Norris, Esquire, so his son, Thomas Seaman died on February 10, 1740, aged 77.

There were two burials of Thomas Seaman (1632 - 1700) and his son, Thomas Seaman (1663 - 1740) together at St. Bartholomew in Heigham, England.

At St. Bartholomew, in Heigham, a tablet on the south wall of the chancel, with colored shield showed a barry wavy of six argent and azure, at the fesse point a crescent gules, Seaman.[2]

"Sacred to the memory of Thomas Seaman, Esqre, who departed this life in ye year of our Lord 1700, aged 68, and lies interred under the stone near this place; and also to the memory of Mr Thos Seaman, second son of the said Thos Seaman, He married Mary the daughter of Jeremy Norris, Esqr, He died Feby the 10th, 1740, aged 77."[2]

Also, a slab at the west end of the nave showed Seaman, impaling, two bars, over a bend (Copland, argent, two bars and a canton gules, over all a bend azure- Bl. Norf. iv. 508. Crest: Seaman.[3]

For, "Thomas Seaman of Heigham, Esqre, Sheriff of ye co. of Norfolk and Citty of Norwich. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Copland of Yoxford, co. Suffolk, Gent. He had six sons and four daughters, and died August 18th, 1700, in his 68th year."[3]

Thomas Seaman of Heigham's son, Thomas Seaman, who died in 1740, and Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts are two different men, so Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts is evidently not the son of Thomas Seaman of Heigham, England.

The parentage of Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts remains unknown.[4]

Biography

Thomas Seamans[1] was born probably in Rehoboth, Plymouth, British Colonial America (later created a new town of Swansea in 1667). He removed to Swansea, Massachusetts in 1687, where his 11 children were born.

The author of The Seamans Family in America As Descended from Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1687 claims that the early descendants of Thomas and Susannah owned about all of Scituate and Foster, R. I., they were all industrious, earnest people, and affiliated with the Baptist Church.[1]

Thomas was a school teacher and carpenter; lived in Swansea, Mass., in 1687, and this is also the birthplace of his eleven children.[1]

Marriage

Thomas Seamans married Susannah Salisbury before their first child Susannah Seamans in 1692 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America.[1]

Descendants

His three sons (Thomas and family of nine children, John and family of ten children, James and family of eleven children), with Round-Wood-Hopkins-and Cole families, moved to Scituate, R. I., between 1740 and 1746.[1]

Deed Records

Nathaniel Kingsley, of Swansey, to Thomas Seamans, of Swansey, May 21, 1722. Acknowledged August 6, 1722. Recorded April 10, 1733, Bristol County.

Swansea
To all People to whom this present Deed of Sale shall Come Nathanail Kingsley of Swansey in the County of Bristol in the province of the Massa:chusets Bay in Newengland Yeoman Know ye that I the sd Nathaniel Kingsley for and in Consideration of the Sum of fifty Pounds currant money to me in hand well and truly paid by Thomas Seamans of Swansey in the County and province aforesaid Cordwainer the Receipt whereof I do acquit and full Discharge the said Thomas Seamans his heirs or assigns forever Have given granted bargained Sold And by these presents do give grant Bargain Sell Aliene enfeoffe Convey and Confirm unto him the sd Thomas Seamans his heirs and assigns forever a Certain parcell of Land Scituate Lying and being on the westerly side of Mattapoiset River in the fremens Purchase in Swansey aforesaid being by estimation in the whole thrity Acres Thirty Three Acres and a quarter be the Same more or less as it is bounded that is to say One Sixteen Acre Lott number 26 and the one half of the 25 Lott adjoyning to the 26 Lott on the west side Lying on the North side of the Country Road the 26 Lott is bounded a white Oak Stake above the Road Number 26: 27 which is the Southeast Corner in Northerly to a Saxifax Stake number 26 27 the North East Corner the South west Corner a whate oak Stake 25 26 and northerly to white oak stake number 25 : 26 and the half of the Twenty fifth Lott is bounded begining at the aforesaid white oak Stake which is the Southwest Corner of the 26 Lott westerly by said Road to be a flat Rock for a Corner then Northerly in Equal Breadth to the head of the Freemans Line and Likewise about Nine acres and a quarter of 7th Lott in sd purchase bounded to a stone set in the ground near the east and of the pond by said Road on the south side of sd Road for the Northeast Corner then south by the Land of Hugh Cole to the head of the half mile to a stone set in ye ground for the southeast Corner then westerly by the head of the half mile to a stone set in ye ground for the southwest Corner then by the Land of said Nathaniel Kingsley north to stone set in the ground by sd Road for the northwest Corner the Easterly by sd Road to the first Corner Reserving the one half of what Land is Drowned int he Mill pond within the sd 26th Lott and also a Bridle way through the sd Nine acres and a quarter of Land for the use of mr Hugh Cole his heirs & assigns only to Come a his other Land where it may be Beneficial for sd Cole and Less damage to sd Seamans Said way to be by Gates and Barrs by the owners of sd Land forever for the use aforesaid Together with all and singular the Timber wood stones herbidge Grass feeding Rents profits priviledges and appurtenances whatsoever to the said Land or in any kind appertaining or therewith used occupied or Injoyed and also all the Right Title estate Inheritance property of me ye granter my heirs or assigns of in & to all the above granted premises unto him the said Thomas Seamans his heirs or assigns forever and that the sd Thomas Seamans his heirs or assigns shall and may by force and virtue of these presents have hold use possess and quietly enjoy all the above granted premises with their appurtenances free Clear and Clearly acquitted and fully Discharged of and from all other gifts grants Bargains Sales Mortgages Joyntures Dowries Judgments Troubles or Incumbrances whatsoever and I the said Nathll Kingsley do hereby bind & oblige my self my heirs Executors adminstrs or assigns to Warrant & forever Defend all the above granted premises with their appurtenances unto him the said Thomas Seamans his heirs or assigns against all the Lawfull Claims or Demand of all persons whomsoever In Wittness whereof I have here unto set my hand & seal the Twenty first Day of May one thousand seven hundred Twenty and Two and in the Eighth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George of great Britain King &c
Nathaniel Kingsley {S}
Signed Sealed & Delivered
In the presence of
Lydia Mason
Joseph Mason

Bristol Ss August 6:1722
Nathaniel Kingsley above mentioned Came before the subscriber one of his majesties Justices of the peace for sd County and acknowledged the Instrument to be his free Voluntary act & Deed Nath:ll Paines

Recd Aprill 10th:1733
Recorded by S: Howland Regr
(Bristol County, Deed Records, Book 21, p. 422 - 423).[4]

Deed gift record, dated 16 Jan 1726(7), to son James Seamans of above property purchased from Nathaniel Kingsley.[6]

Death

It is not known when Thomas Seamans died, but the last mention of him was in the deed gift record in 1726/27.[6] The record shows that he resided in Swansea, Bristol County, Massachusetts Bay, so apparently he died there at his home.

Sources

1. Lawton, John J. The Seamans Family in America As Descended from Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1687. Syracuse, N.Y: Priv. Print, 1933. Print. <https://books.google.com/books?id=eaFRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f...>
2. Farrer, Edmund. The Church Heraldry of Norfolk: A Description of All Coats of Arms on Brasses, Monuments, Slabs, Hatchments, &c., Now to Be Found in the County. Illustrated. with References to Blomefield's History of Norfolk and Burke's Armory. Together with Notes from the Inscriptions Attached. Norwich: A.H. Goose and Co, 1887, p. 130.
3. Farrer, Edmund. The Church Heraldry of Norfolk: A Description of All Coats of Arms on Brasses, Monuments, Slabs, Hatchments, &c., Now to Be Found in the County. Illustrated. with References to Blomefield's History of Norfolk and Burke's Armory. Together with Notes from the Inscriptions Attached. Norwich: A.H. Goose and Co, 1887, p. 131-132.
4. https://ourfamilyhistory123.blogspot.com/2022/10/our-seaman-family-...
5. Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99ZN-P1ZB?cc=2106411&w... : 22 May 2014), Bristol County, Deed Records, 1731 - 1735, vol 21, p. 422 - 423, image 222 of 302; Bristol County courthouse and office, Massachusetts.
6. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9ZN-P9MS-H?i=222&...

• Edmund West, comp. Family Data Collection - Individual Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
• Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library.
• Swansea MA vital records.