| Notes |
- From A Gen Dict of the First Settlers of New Eng:
THOMAS, Hartford, was an early, but not original settler of whose com. from England nothing is kn. but his first residence was in that part of Boston called the mount, afterwards Braintree, now Quincy. In 1639 or 40 he is first
ment. in Connecticut at the same time with Thomas, Jr. who may be the freeman of 18 May 1642 in Mass., there left by his father whose death is early heard of, tho. exact date is not gain. His widow Margaret was very resolute and capable, and after two or three yrs. remained with all her children except Thomas, and Ann, to Springfield, there died 28 Aug. 1684. She had nine ch. and it has been absurd. said, that all were brought from Eng. Of most, this is true.
Ann, who married 29 Apr 1642, Robert Chapman of Saybrook; Mary m. 20 Nov. 1646, Joseph Parsons;
Thomas; Nathaniel; Lawrence; and perhaps Samuel; were born in England but our side of the water may have claim, prob.
Sarah, m. 20 July 1659, John Scott; Eliz. m. 15 Feb 1670, as his second wife Miles Morgan; possib. Hannah, who died 25 Jan 1662, unmarried and certain. John.
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Pioneers of Massachusetts
Nicholas Hyde (Ide, Iyde?), Rehoboth, propr. 1645, frm. 7 June, 1648. He petitioned the Court in 1648 for a child's portion of the est. of Thomas Bliss, who called him son-in-law. Wife Mary bur. Sept. 9, 1699. Ch. Nathaniel b. Nov. 11, 1647, Mary b. Dec. 10, 1649, John b. Dec. 1652, Nicholas b. Nov. 1654, Martha b. Oct. 1656, Elizabeth b. April 6, 1658, Timothy b. Oct. 1660, Dorothy b. May 11, 1662, Patience b. May 25, 1664, Experience b. Oct. 1665.
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Founders Thomas was one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut
Occupation: Clothier
Reference Number: 80
Cousin of Thomas Bliss of Preson Parva and Rehoboth and George Bliss of Preston Parva and Newport, was probably from Painswick, Glouschester, England. Thomas emigrated with his cousins about 1638, for he owned land in Hartford on the Connecticut River by 1639. By the time of his death in1651, he owned 58 acres of land and a house lot on the road west of Lafayette Street in Hartford.
His fore-fathers were almost certainly from Wales, descendants of the Celts who escaped the Saxon Hordes by surviving in the hillcountry of Wales.-----according to Gerald Lawrence Bliss
The Bliss Family
in Hartford, Connecticut
Thomas Bliss, cousin of Thomas Bliss of Preston Parva and Rehoboth and George Bliss of Preston Parva and Newport, was probably from Painswick, Glos. Born about 1590, Thomas married Margaret Hulins of Rodborough at St. Nicholas in Gloucester on October 18, 1621. Thomas may have emigrated with his cousins about 1638, for he owned land in Hartford on the Connecticut River by 1639. By the time of his death in 1650 or 1651, he owned 58 acres of land and a house lot on a road west of Lafayette Street in Hartford. Margaret Bliss died in 1684. [Source: Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America by Aaron Tyler Bliss]
From James Savage's book, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, Before 1692 Volume #1, Pgs 198 - 209:
THOMAS, Hartford, was an early, but not orig. sett. of whose com. from Eng. nothing is kn. but his first resid. was in that pt. [[vol. 1, p. 202]] of Boston call. the mount, afterwards Braintree, now Quincy. In 1639 or 40 he is first ment. in Conn. at the same time with Thomas, jr. wh. may be the freem. of 18 May 1642 in Mass., there left by his f. whose d. is early heard of, tho. exact date is not gain. His wid. Margaret was very resolute and capable, and after two or three yrs. rem. with all her ch. exc. Thomas, and Ann, to Springfield, there d. 28 Aug. 1684. She had nine ch. and it has been absurd. said, that all were brot. from Eng. Of most, this is true. Ann, wh. m. 29 Apr. 1642, Robert Chapman of Saybrook; Mary m. 26 Nov. 1646, Joseph Parsons; Thomas; Nathaniel; Lawrence; and perhaps Samuel; were b. in Eng. but our side of the water may claim, prob. Sarah, m. 20 July 1659, John Scott; Elizabeth m. 15 Feb. 1670, as his sec. w. Miles Morgan; possib. Hannah, wh. d. 25 Jan. 1662, unm. and certain. John. THOMAS, Weymouth, was possib. the freem. of 18 May 1642, but next yr. certain. rem. to Rehoboth, there d. June 1649. His will, by careless statem. in Geneal. Reg. IV. 282, said to bear date of 8th of that mo. but also on same day to be brot. into Ct. gives valua. inform. a. his ch. Jonathan, to wh. he devis. his ho., his eldest d. whose bapt. name is not told, w. of Thomas Williams; Mary, w. of Nathaniel Harmon of Braintree; s.-in-law (perhaps mean. s. of his w.) Nicholas Ide, and his s. Nathaniel. From find. no ment. of him after 1649 at R. I suppose, confus. of him with Thomas of Norwich was easy. THOMAS, Norwich, 1660, s. of Thomas the first, had been of Hartford, and early after d. of his f. rem. to Saybrook, a. the end of Oct. 1644, took u. Elizabeth had Elizabeth b. 20 Nov. 1640; Sarah, 26 Aug. 1647; Mary, 7 Feb. 1649; Thomas, 3 Mar. 1652, wh. d. 29 Jan. 1682, prob. unm.; Deliverance, Aug. 1655; Samuel, 9 Dec. 1657; all bef. rem. from S. and at N. had Ann, Sept. 1660, the sec. Eng. ch. b. in that place; Rebecca, Mar. 1663; and he d. 15 Apr. 1688. By will, made two days bef. (req. by the insuffer. tyranny of Sir Edmund Andros to be brot. to Boston for proof and rec., support. his retainers by the fees of office), provis. for w. Elizabeth six ds. and only s. Samuel, is seen. Of this name, in 1834, four had been gr. at Harv. four at Dart. seventeen at Yale, beside six at other N. E. coll. of wh. most disting,. are Rev. Daniel of Concord, b. at Springfield, Jan. 1715, Y. C. 1732, d. 11 May 1764; his s. Daniel, b. 1740, H. C. 1760, d. in the Prov. of New Brunswick 1806; Jonathan, H. C. 1763, Ch. Just. of the Sup. Ct. of N. B. and George, Y. C. 1784, LL. D. wh. d. 8 May 1830, aged 6
First Puritan Settlers of Connecticut, pages 116-117.
Bliss, Thomas, sen'r and jr. were among the early settlers of Hartford, before 1639. It is more than probable that in the constant emigration down the Connecticut river, from the three old towns, that the Thomas Bliss who settled at Norwich in '60 was one of the above -- probably was Thomas, jr. who had then grown to manhood. Thomas made free in '63.
Seven Hundred Ancestors, page 2
The Founders Monument erected by the Ancient Burying Ground Association of Hartford in 1837 in memory of the first settlers of Hartford contains the names of Thomas Bliss, Matthew Marvin, Richard Lyman and Timothy Stanley.
A DIGEST OF THE EARLY CONNECTICUT PROBATE RECORDS. 1650 to 1663, Page 28
Name: Thomas Bliss Location: Hartford
Invt. ?86-12-08. Taken 14 February, 1650, by Nathaniel Ward, Joseph Mygatt. Nuncupative Will. Testimony of John Pinchon & Hen: Smith gives property to his wife. Mary Parsons, a daughter, of Springfield, doth Testify to the same.
Court Record, Page 17--20 February, 1650-1: Adms. to the Relict, She to keep the whole Estate in her Hands for her Use and the Education of the Children during her life, then to be divided among the Children, viz: to Lawrence, to John, to Samuel, to Hester, to Elizabeth, to Hannah, and to Sarah Bliss.
The American Bliss families can trace their roots mainly to two counties in England, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire. Contrary to the information erroneously reported by many, the Bliss lines are NOT from Belstone, Devonshire. Belstone, Devonshire was never the home of Thomas Bliss or any other Bliss. Genealogies based on Blisses from Belstone are incorrect.
The (George Bliss) Newport and (Thomas Bliss) Rehoboth lines link back to their father, John Blisse of Daventry, and later, Preston Capes and Preston Parva.
The (Thomas Bliss) Hartford line is traced to County Gloucester, probably to Painswick, an old Cotswold wool town. We know that Thomas Bliss resided in Rodborough, Gloucestershire for a time, and that his wife, Margaret was born there. Thomas's father is unknown. According to the research of Aaron Tyler Bliss, Thomas is undoubtedly a descendant of John Blisse of Tyringham, a feudal serf.
The earliest Blisses are described by Aaron Tyler Bliss in Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America. Click here for a summary.
The Bliss Charity School in Nether Heyford, Northants, was endowed with income from lands in the will of William Bliss. William Bliss, a wine merchant living in Southwark, died in 1674. William had been born and brought up in Nether Heyford, later moving to London. In his will, William left £400 to the village: £100 to buy a Schoolhouse and £300 to buy land, whose rent would pay for the Schoolmaster and the upkeep of the School. (See the school's page to continue the history and the Nether Heyford link to see pictures.)The Bliss Charity School in Nether Heyford, Northants, was endowed with income from lands in the will of William Bliss. William Bliss, a wine merchant living in Southwark, died in 1674. William had been born and brought up in Nether Heyford, later moving to London. In his will, William left £400 to the village: £100 to buy a Schoolhouse and £300 to buy land, whose rent would pay for the Schoolmaster and the upkeep of the School. (See the school's page to continue the history and the Nether Heyford link to see pictures.)
Here are some links to images and information about these counties.
Gloucestershire Northamptonshire
Church of St. Nicholas, Gloucester Althorp House
Cotswold Picture Gallery
Genuki Northamptonshire
Genuki Gloucestershire
History of Daventry
Gloucestershire Map
Holy Cross Church, Daventry
Gloucestershire Photo Library
Northamptonshire Look-up Exchange
Painswick - GenUKI
Preston Capes Virtual Tour
Painswick - Things to See and Do
Website of Northamptonshire Council
Parish Registers: Gloucestershire
South Cotswold Genealogical Guide
The Visitation of the County of Gloucester, 1623
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=princessinot&id=I00080
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1583 - 1651 (67 years)
