Thomas Chaffey

Thomas married Margaret Carpenter 4 Jun 1695, Rehoboth, MA. Margaret was born 4 May 1675; died 6 May 1751. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

On a bond signed 13 Nov 1695, his signature appears as: Nathaniell chaffe; official records of the Plymouth Colony during that period spell it variously as Nathaniell Chaffey and Nathaniel Chafey.

The name Nath: Chafy appears on a list of early members of the First Baptist Church, Swansea, MA.

The following information is extracted from William H. Chaffee's "The Chaffee Genealogy," published by Grafton Press in the early 1900s:

Nathaniell was probably born in Nantasket (Hull), MA, and moved with his parents to Rehoboth between 1657 and 1660. The area where they lived was set apart as Swansea in 1667/68. He "was evidently a valued citizen, for in 1674/75 he was invited by the town of Rehoboth, in which he had formerly lived, to return and again become an inhabitant, land being offered him as an inducement. He sold land in Swansea and removed to Rehoboth."

A blacksmith by trade, Nathaniell and his young family lived in this area during the tension and destruction of King Philip's War (Jun 1675 - Aug 1676). It is recorded that he contributed money to the war effort.

Nathaniell served two terms as constable, was also a grand juryman, and was known as a "tytheing man." This may mean that he gave of his funds to God's work, but it may also mean that he was the church treasurer, responsible for collecting and recording other people's tithes. He married Experience Bliss in 1669, and together they had at least eleven children. Their youngest son, Noah, still lived with them in their later years. It is thought that Noah and his wife, Sarah, probably cared for them in their last days. Nathaniell and Experience died within a short time of each other, in September of 1721. It is believed that they were buried in the old burying ground by the Congregational Church, now in Rumford, RI, where in recent years memorial markers have been placed in their honor.

Nathaniell married Experience BLISS 19 Aug 1669, Swansea, MA. Experience (daughter of Johnathan BLISS and Miriam HARMON) was born 5 Feb 1648/49, Rehoboth, MA; died Sep 1721, Rehoboth, Bristol Co., MA; was buried , Rumford, East Providence, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Information on the siblings and ancestors of Experience Bliss (wife of Nathaniell Chaffey) was gleaned from several online sources, and has not been verified through first-hand documentation. Much of the information seems common to numerous genealogy sites, but may not be accurate or "proven." Examples of such sites are:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/3713/index.html
"Bryant Genealogy" site 309-792-2495
Ronald James Bryant
517-2nd Street
Colona, IL 61241

http://www.mizak.net/family
"McCabe" site

http://www.ezlibrary.net/family/history/pafg2171.htm
(this one has some confusing and/or conflicting dates)

Interestingly, there seems to have been another "Experience Bliss" born in April 1679 in Hartford, CT. I have not traced their lines of ancestry to determine whether they were related.

Notes:

The following information is extracted from the opening pages of William H. Chaffee's "The Chafee Genealogy," published in the early 1900s by Grafton Press:

Thomas Chaffey is "considered to be the immigrant ancestor of nearly all in America who to-day bear this surname under its varied forms of orthography, from Chafe to Chaffee." * He came from England to New England, "where in 1635 he owned land and was living in Hingham, MA, a town near Boston. The place and date of his birth, his parentage, the time and place of his arrival, and the name of the ship which bore him from the Old World to the New, are at present unknown . . ." The land given by Hingham to Thomas Chaffey, most likely in his bachelor days, is bordering the east side of what is now Main Street, approximately opposite the old meeting-house. "He was probably married in Hull [between 1637 and 1641] . . . The town records of Hull prior to 1657 have been lost . . . It is probable that [his] wife's Christian name was Dorothy, as her sons both had daughters by that name . . . in that day it was the custom to name children for their grandparents . . ."

Besides the early land records from Hingham, his name later appears in an official 1642 document from Nantasket, MA (now Hull), granting plantation rights (farming, homebuilding, fishing) to twelve men, including Thomas. At least two 1670 deeds, in which he sells parcels of land, have his youngest son Joseph among the witnesses: Joseph Chaffy, Joseph Chafy. We can assume that Joseph had reached young adulthood by this time.

At some point, most likely between 1657 and 1660, Thomas moved from Hull to Rehoboth (Indians called it Seekonk), which at that time was part of the Plymouth Colony. His land, in the area called Wannamoisett, was probably in the section that eventually became Swansea in 1668. A deed of 1664 calls him a Planter. He and his family lived here during the ravages of King Philip's War (Jun 1675 - Aug 1676). His will was written in July of 1680, and exhibited 6 Mar 1682/3, so it is assumed he died between those two dates. His body is probably buried on his own farm, located on the west bank of the Sowams River, now called the Barrington River, "about two miles northwest of the present town of Barrington Center, RI."

Thomas Chaffey's 1680 will mentions the names of two children: Nathaniel, spoken of as the eldest son; and Joseph, who was made executor of his father's will. Thomas's Bible was willed by Joseph to his son, Joseph, who married and settled in Woodstock, CT, where he died in 1759. Josiah, his youngest son, inherited the family Bible and passed it on to his descendants. The Bible contains an original signature, dated July 1664: Thommas Chaffy (or Chaffe). A copy may be seen in the Appendix of William H. Chaffee's book.

* (William H. Chaffee writes that there are at least eleven forms of the surname, as follows: Chafe, Chafy, Chafie, Chafey, Chafee,Chaphe, Chaffy, Chaffie, Chaffey, Chaffe, and Chaffee.)

Thomas — Dorothy Unknown. Dorothy was born Abt 1620, England; died Abt 1649, Hingham, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

"Jonathan Bliss rose to prominence in the town of Rehoboth. He was chosen several times for positions of trust within the community and also as overseer to the execution of the wills of many friends and relatives. He lived on the east side of the Palmer River and contrary to popular beliefs did not in 1666 construct the house in North Rehoboth which now stands on Agricultural Ave." (Genealogy of the Bliss Family, p 35)

Johnathan married Miriam HARMON 1648, Devon, England England or Rehoboth, MA. Miriam was born Abt 1630, England or MA; died 21 May 1706, Rehoboth, Bristol Co., MA; was buried , Rhode Island. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Seven children were born to Thomas & Dorothy prior to their coming to America in 1638; three children are known to have come with them. (source: Genealogy of the Bliss Family p. 33)

"Thomas took the freeman's oath 18 May 1642 at Cambridge, MA, and was one of 58 settlers to locate at Rehoboth in 1643 . . . After obtaining a grant of land from the Plymouth Colony and purchasing it from the Indians, they fixed upon the name 'Rehoboth' seeing it as a fit description of their situation (Gen 26:20-22 and Gen. 36:37)."

Thomas married Dorothy WHEATLYE 22 Nov 1614, Holy Cross Church, Daventry, Northampton, England. Dorothy (daughter of Frank WHEATLEY and Mary FIENES) was born Abt 22 Aug 1591, Newton, Dorset, England; died Abt 1646, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Dorothy's parents were of Tingsboro, Somerset, England (source: Genealogy of the Bliss Family).