mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Adopt a Cop at the Tucson Police Foundation
May 19, 2016
— 1 Comment
Today in Tucson police stations are hosting open house and demonstration events to bring attention to the work of the Police Foundation. I attended the morning’s demonstration in the parking lot of the midtown station. They had set up the SWAT team equipment and the bomb squad demo, complete with the bomb robot. I arrived early to find only one other citizen on hand to “thank a cop”. He was hanging out in the SWAT truck chatting up Officer Stoner, one of the officers on that team. We both had learned about the event on Nextdoor. I am not sure that the cops felt particularly appreciated by the presence of two senior citizens. Later I saw a large delivery of chicken from a local restaurant and realized there would be other forms of thanking going on today. Businesses drop off water, snacks and treats to supply the stations…including, but not limited to, donuts. Good to see that happening…it will last longer and be much more useful than the attention of a couple of old people.
I don’t think that most people in Tucson know that each cop has to buy his or her own bullet proof vest for duty. These expensive items are not supplied by the city because this is just one of the things the city says it can’t afford. Tucson makes a regular practice of underfunding the basic services departments in good times or bad. The root of this silly philosophy evades me. Scrimping on budgets must sometimes be a reality, but how can the city think it is okay to send these people out to risk their lives and not even provide them with adequate armor? Even the Roman army had good armor. There in the parking lot I saw all kinds of heavy equipment of the super expensive kind. Why are we out buying that stuff before we buy protective vests for all the cops on duty using that stuff? I object! Officer safety should come first. This policy makes it look like we don’t care about that. I don’t believe very many tax payers know this is the case. Nobody asked us if we thought this was acceptable. I would certainly have said “NO!!!! Vests first, please”..but I was not consulted.
Captain Kevin Hall explains the origin of the Police Foundation and the scope of this Adopt-a-Cop campaign to buy vests for all our officers. This fund is open all year, making purchases as vests wear out and are needed in the department. I see a lot of cheap talk about loving and/or respecting first responders, blah blah blah. Here is a great way to put money where your platitudes are. We need to show them some love by arming them properly for the job they do for us.
TPD SWAT
Midtown TPD
Bomb Squad
Midtown TPD
Midtown TPD
the bomb robot
JR the bomb dog
motorcycle cops
Peach Preservation
May 16, 2016
— 2 Comments
We grow a variety of small cling peaches called Early May. The tree was loaded this year with a big crop. They are so small and easily bruised that I decided not to take surplus to the food bank community farmers’ market. They would be ruined just by handling them. I found some friends to share the bounty, and today I will work on the ripe ones in order to preserve the harvest. We have almost finished our latest batch of mango chutney, and peach chutney is a natural substitute. I will not even peel my fruit, and will slip the seeds out after I cook them down in a combination of spices, sugar and vinegar. This will make preparation very simple.
Early May peach crop
I also plan to slow cook a batch of peach butter in the crock pot. I will treat the peaches in a similar fashion, just washing them before cooking. I also will amend this version by adding a vanilla bean to the mix and substituting honey for the sugar. When both the chutney and the vanilla peach butter are wafting into the air in my kitchen my house will be a really heavenly place to be. I like to pop them in my mouth and eat them straight up, but there are too many for us to handle that way. These are fun ways to keep the flavor going for months. Have you preserved peaches, gentle reader? I may dry a few, but that takes more effort since you need to cut them off of the seed.
Navigating Health Care
May 15, 2016
— 2 Comments
rose is a rose
In order to navigate the tricky changing tides of health insurance coverage today we need experts. Since I switched to Medicare this year I went shopping last year for referrals for a good agent. I found Karyn Damschen of Retirement Navigators who helped direct me to the plan that works best for me. I am extremely pleased with my coverage and my care at iora primary care. Karyn is such a star Medicare expert that I carry her cards with me to pass out when I meet anyone who needs a health care insurance agent. Who, in my opinion, needs a health insurance agent? Absolutely everyone who has a choice in the matter. If coverage by your employer is set, you probably would not benefit from a consultation with an agent. All others need to be advised by those professionals who spend their time keeping current with regulations and changes in the market. The market becomes more complex all the time. The result for consumers is an unsettlingly confusing set of offers from which to choose. After the coverage is in place we cross our fingers and hope anything that happens to us will be covered by our policy. To make the best of this frequently changing situation I feel really great that I have Karyn representing my best interests and keeping me informed about all my options.
Recently I received the news that my primary care physician is leaving the brand new practice. First my personal paraclete (health coach) from iora called to explain the change and transition. The next day I got a call from the fabulous Karyn at Retirement Navigators who was busy calling all her clients who were effected by this situation. She was ready and willing to change providers within the limits of my Medicare policy, or do anything I might want, in light of the new circumstances. This was evidence to me that the front line of my health care system, my agent and my paraclete, are the best. They spend all the time needed to match my needs with the best available medical care. They have specialties and expertise in the insurance system that the doctor does not, and should not, be bothered to learn. Although I liked my first doctor, I love the new system iroa is pioneering here in Tucson. The team approach has worked very well for me so far, and I expect that it will continue to evolve with a different doctor. I am pleased with the choice I made to use iroa. I have no wish to change because I like it now and think it will only improve with time.
Do you have a health insurance agent, gentle reader? It is worth the time to find one to represent you. They can read the map and keep you on the road to the best health care available to meet your needs.
rose is a rose
Phantom Limbs in the Family Tree
May 12, 2016
— 3 Comments
my ethnicity map
My research into family history started after both my parents had died. They each left some written material about their families, but neither parent had been particularly interested in genealogy. My father said he was Scots-Irish, which is in part true. Both parents had ancestors who immigrated to America from the British Isles in the 1600s. The DNA survey on ancestry shows that my DNA is 85% from Great Britain. When the survey was much younger and fewer participants had contributed my ethnicity was estimated at 99% from the British Isles. My “trace region” is the Caucasus area of Asia. The Asian genes may be a fluke, as explained in the accompanying material.
my tree
I am sure about the first three generations I have listed, but my maternal grandmother was an orphan adopted in Mississippi in a county where the courthouse burned to the ground. We have no way to find records of her natural parents. She moved to Texas with her adoptive family. Some of the branches are easy to research and verify. Others have me at dead ends. My most irksome dead end is my third great-grandfather, Thomas Peterson, born in Indiana in 1825. I keep looking for answers about his parentage but have not found any records of his birth. More official historical records are digitally added all the time, so I could still find something new that would break the case for me. It bugs me that I can trace his nephew’s line back in time, but not Thomas’.
Along the way I have discovered my own mistakes, and have also had problems pointed out to me by other ancestry enthusiasts. It is always a drag to find errors because it means you need to remove the phantom family and start again at the point you can verify the data. I have lost a few big limbs this way. I had become fond of many of the members of my unverified people. It is funny to give them up with such great emotion, since they were not really my ancestors, but I can tell you that this feels awful. I still think about them in history too. Sometimes I am angry that I made such mistakes in my research, but usually I am glad I met them (historically) and held them in my memory. When my first cousin gave me the news that I had the wrong John Taylor as my 3rd great-grandfather I was very upset. I had to admit that she had a point. This involved chopping down a limb that I had built back to the middle ages in England, with many illustrious stories along the way. Alas, they were all built on specious data. Now I am back to Jonathan Aaron Taylor, who fought in the Revolutionary War and was discharged in South Carolina..not born there. I suppose I am happy to have him even though he is not who I thought he was.
Jonathan Aaron Taylor (1760 – 1820)
3rd great-grandfather
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
son of Jonathan Aaron Taylor
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
son of John Samuel Taylor
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of William Ellison Taylor
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Have you ever attempted an ancestry study? It is really easy now that Ancestry.com is there to guide you. Just be careful as you roam around in that data. Not all of it can be verified, especially the family trees. Don’t copy another person’s data until you examine it carefully for errors. The ancestors have much to teach us..and one of the lessons is VERIFY your facts before you swallow them whole. Save yourself the heartache of saying good-bye to bogus relatives.
Fire Escape
May 11, 2016
— 1 Comment
structure
The flames swirl around the stairwell growing hotter
Banisters on fire fall, crashing melting decorative copper
Elegant mythology and theories made in the distant past
Have been blown to pieces shattering with a loud balst
Where is the mental door that leads to the blissful truth?
Does the fire escape lead us to the place of nothing to prove?
The Road to Truth is Paved by Politicians
May 10, 2016
— 4 Comments
vehicle
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not sharing.”
The Buddha
The truth for a grade school student is not the same as the truth for a senior citizen. Perspective is the reason we believe one thing or another at any given time. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. This means that we have more knowledge of the bigger picture as we mature and travel along the road to truth. We should be acquiring sophistication and compassion for other living things as we become more visionary on this path. Observation of the world political situation leads us to believe that we are failing at that mission. We have wandered off the route into unmapped territory. Dark ignorance and evil intent appear to be taking ground in the battle against harmony and peace.
In all fairy tales and mythology the hero learns from tragic mistakes. At the end of the story the moral is clear and the lesson is imprinted in the mind of the audience. Once committed the hero has no choice. Like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, the hero is taught mastery through trust in divine guidance in freaky circumstances. He fights the symbolic battles he finds obstructing his way. The hero is fated to go all the way. That is what distinguishes his character from others. He finishes the difficult job, then shares the wisdom he has found within his quest. He saves the day and teaches an important social and political object lesson to the people.
Action without attachment was the lesson Krishna taught Arjuna during the heat of battle. It is impossible to know the moral of a story until it ends, so it is imperative that the hero finish his job. As I experience the presidential politics of 2016 I certainly hope there is a blue guy driving the chariot who will lead us into a surprise ending. These are certainly freaky circumstances with strong catalytic tendencies. How do you think this story will end, gentle reader? Fill in the blank.
Insight
Ann Day and the Drunk Driver
May 9, 2016
— 2 Comments
Don’t Drink and Drive
After a long career in public service Ann Day had retired from the Board of Supervisors in Pima County. The 77-year-old was driving alone on Saturday morning when a drunk driver crossed a raised median and slammed head on into her vehicle. The car behind could not stop in time, and crashed into the back of her car. She was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the accident. This tragic death took place at 7:40 am. We don’t know if the driver woke up and started drinking or was still drunk from Friday night. He has been charged with manslaughter for this senseless death.
Ann and her older sister Sandra Day O’Connor grew up on a cattle ranch founded by her paternal grandfather in 1880 near the New Mexico border. Henry Clay Day was a homesteader on his ranch when Geronimo was still roaming that land. The family history is Arizona history, with an emphasis on education. Henry Clay Day served as chairman of the board of supervisors of Graham County, setting an example that Ann and her esteemed sister would follow. Ann served 10 years in the state senate and 12 years on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. She was a Republican who was known for her independent streak. She was well-respected by colleagues and constituents, many of whom are expressing their grief about this tragedy.
She was killed near the shopping center where Gabby Giffords was shot. My own parents were shoppers at that center. They might have been at the Safeway had the shootings happened a few years earlier. My mom and dad took the transport to that center, operated by assisted living facility where they rented an apartment. My dad loved to drive the Safeway carts inside the store because it was the only driving he was allowed to do at that point. Jarred Laughlin could have gunned down my parents had timing been different. That is exactly the thought I have when I drive past that center.
The irony of public servants loosing life to loose canons of various kinds is not lost on me. Ann Day was not targeted for her political service like Gabby. She was randomly selected to die as the result of one of our society’s ugliest problems, drunk driving. Jarrad Barnes, 24 years old, is charged for taking the life of a woman he did not know. Since her family and her history are prominent we can only hope this will bring much-needed attention and solutions to the drunk driving epidemic in America. We can’t take away everyone’s cars, so we need to change public behavior. This common habit has touched too many families in this country. We need to solve this serious problem.
Don’t Drink and Drive
Veritas, Goddess of Truth
May 8, 2016
— 1 Comment
Harvard motto
In ancient Rome the goddess Veritas ruled truth and sincerity. In Greece she was known as Altheia, and is mentioned in Aesops Fables:
Aesop, Fables 531 (from Babrius 126) (trans. Gibbs) (Greek fable C6th B.C.) :
“A man was journeying in the wilderness and he found Veritas [Aletheia, Truth] standing there all alone. He said to her, ‘Ancient lady, why do you dwell here in the wilderness, leaving the city behind?’ From the great depths of her wisdom, Veritas (Truth) replied, ‘Among the people of old, lies were found among only a few, but now they have spread throughout all of human society!’”
[N.B. This fable is preserved only in a Latin text. Aesop’s Aletheia (Truth personified) becomes Veritas in the Latin.]
Her father is Saturn in Rome and Zeus in Greece. One creation story found in Aesop’s Fables tells us how she was created by Prometheus along with her arch enemy Mendacium. She is the mother of virtue. Her name is often included in mottos. Harvard’s motto is simply Veritas. The pursuit of truth was considered to be an essential part of Roman citizens’ duty. To discern and tell the truth is a full time job. Forgery and subterfuge are everywhere and always will be. The difference between Veritas and Mendacium is feet. Mendacity literally has not feet on which to stand. Veracity walks away with conviction.
Aesop, Fables 530 (from Phaedrus Appendix 5) :
“Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation, decided one day to sculpt the form of Veritas [Aletheia, Truth], using all his skill so that she would be able to regulate people’s behaviour. As he was working, an unexpected summons from mighty Jupiter [Zeus] called him away. Prometheus left cunning Dolus (Trickery) in charge of his workshop, Dolus had recently become one of the god’s apprentices. Fired by ambition, Dolus (Trickery) used the time at his disposal to fashion with his sly fingers a figure of the same size and appearance as Veritas [Aletheia, Truth] with identical features. When he had almost completed the piece, which was truly remarkable, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The master returned, so Dolus (Trickery) quickly sat down in his seat, quaking with fear. Prometheus was amazed at the similarity of the two statues and wanted it to seem as if all the credit were due to his own skill. Therefore, he put both statues in the kiln and when they had been thoroughly baked, he infused them both with life: sacred Veritas (Truth) walked with measured steps, while her unfinished twin stood stuck in her tracks. That forgery, that product of subterfuge, thus acquired the name of Mendacium [Pseudologos, Falsehood], and I readily agree with people who say that she has no feet: every once in a while something that is false can start off successfully, but with time Veritas (Truth) is sure to prevail.”
[N.B. This fable is preserved only in a Latin text. Aesop’s Aletheia (Truth personified) becomes Veritas in the Latin.]
These fables are useful to us during the campaign season during which a large part of our job is to distinguish truth from rhetorical and cultural beliefs. It has never been more important for us to verify what we believe.
William Thomas, 7th Great-Grandfather
May 6, 2016
— 1 Comment
Immigrant
My 7th great-grandfather was a gentleman and a trader in Massachusetts Colony. Another descendant paid a professional genealogist to research his history. The results that follow are fascinating because she takes steps to figure out which of the various William Thomas’s my ancestor was. I have made big mistakes in my own tree on the ancestors with very common names like John Taylor. Record keeping varies from place to place and time to time. I am impressed and pleased with this expert research. I once paid for research to be done by the Somerset PA Historical Society, which I visited in person. They stiffed me and did no investigation for the fee they charged. This experience burned me on the idea of paid experts. This example is very well done. The lady who did the work is:
Diane Rapaport, Historical Consultant/Attorney Quill Pen Historical Consulting, P. O. Box 204, Lexington, MA 02420 Tel.: 781-698-7884 (866-QUILLPEN) – Fax: 781-861-6744 (888-QPFAXES) Email: diane@quillpenhistorical.com Web: http://www.quillpenhistorical.com
She does very thorough work. Thanks to James Crawford for making this public information. We appreciate your contribution, cousin.
William Thomas (1695 – 1733)
7th great-grandfather
Mary Thomas (1729 – 1801)
daughter of William Thomas
Joseph Morse III (1756 – 1835)
son of Mary Thomas
John Henry Morse (1775 – 1864)
son of Joseph Morse III
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of John Henry Morse
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
RESEARCH REPORT for JAMES CRAWFORD
May 31, 2010
By Diane Rapaport
Research Objective
Documentation of the parents and origins of William Thomas:
b. 1695, Marlborough, MA (or Wales?)
d. 25 July 1733, Marlborough, MA
m. 19 June 1721, to Lydia Eager (b. 03 July 1696, Marlborough, MA, d. 12 Oct 1735, Marlborough, MA)
Their children:
Lovina Thomas, b. 15 Aug 1721, Marlborough, MA, d. Shrewsbury, MA
Sophia Thomas, b. 28 July 1723, Marlborough, MA, d. 24 Aug 1745
William Thomas, b. 19 Mar 1724, Marlborough, MA [Note: Per Marlborough Vital Records, year should be 1725; see below.]
Lydia Thomas, b. 30 Sep 1727, Marlborough, MA
Mary Thomas, b. 16 Feb 1729, Framingham, MA [Note: Marlborough Vital Records suggest that the birthplace was Marlborough; see below.]
Odoardo Thomas, b. 7 May 1731, Marlborough, MA
[Note: The information about William Thomas and his family, which you provided by .ged file, is unsourced. The Ancestry record “hints” in other public trees include only “OneWorldTree” and “Massachusetts Marriages” database, which are not authoritative sources.]
Summary of Research Results
Jim, I searched numerous record sources—vital records, probate records, land records, trial court records, and secondary sources (which I found online and at the Massachusetts Archives, the Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society)—for clues to the life and origins of William Thomas. I found much documentation about William (which I am providing to you as PDF and JPG files, posted at the “Files and Messages” page of our project at Ancestry’s Expert Connect – scroll down to the bottom of that page, where you will find the files, which you can read or download to your computer).
The search revealed other men named William Thomas in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, during the relevant time period, including a Native American from the town of Natick, the son of a blacksmith from Newton, and a “husbandman” (the colonial term for a farmer or laborer) from Lambstown in Worcester County (where, as it turns out, your William had connections). But I was able to distinguish these other men from your William Thomas, who was identified consistently in the records as a “gentleman” (and in a few instances as a “trader”), suggesting that he was of a high social rank. I also discovered in the Middlesex County Court records that he was a licensed “retailer” and probably operated a store in Marlborough; the license was transferred to his wife Lydia after his death.
I discovered that William purchased land in Framingham, the town next to Marlborough, in 1720, just before his marriage to Lydia; at the time of that land purchase, he was identified in the deed as being of Framingham, suggesting that he already lived there. I could not find any record of his purchasing property in Marlborough (although the probate records indicate that he owned real estate in the town); it is possible, since Framingham adjoins Marlborough, that the land was actually the same that he purchased in 1720, and that the town boundaries changed. (I found no evidence of other Thomas families in Framingham before that date.) And, I discovered documentation in the Worcester County land records, as well as in the Middlesex County probate records, that William began buying land in Shrewsbury, Worcester County, shortly before his death.
In the 8 hours authorized for this project, I was unable to determine more about William’s origins. I did find evidence, in the guardianship records of his children (after the death of William and his wife), that William’s sons chose an uncle from Shrewsbury, Asa Bouker, to be their guardian. I did not have time to do any research about Asa Bouker or his connections with either William or Lydia. I found evidence in land and probate records of other people with the Thomas surname in early Middlesex County and elsewhere in Massachusetts (see my notes, below), but I did not have time to follow up on those leads. One promising name might be Nathaniel Thomas of Plymouth (identified as “Esquire,” suggesting that he was a “gentleman” like William), who had some connection with a wealthy Elizabeth Thomas who died in Medford, Middlesex County, in 1729. Perhaps William was indeed of Wales, as you suggested. Also intriguing is the name of his son, Odoardo, which my quick Google search indicates is an Italian name, and may suggest some cosmopolitan origins for your William Thomas.
The next step that I would recommend is to search for more information about Asa Bouker of Shrewsbury, Nathaniel Thomas, and other early Thomas families in Massachusetts, as well as resources about early Boston, since William Thomas or his family (like many families of high social rank) may have spent time there upon arriving in New England. I also would recommend a more review of the probate and land records that I have obtained (I provided you with copies, but have not made a thorough study), to see if there are any other clues about family members. I would be happy to continue the search, if you would like to consider authorizing more time!
Sources Consulted
VITAL RECORDS
Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (database of the New England Historic Genealogical Society)
Searched Thomas surname in Marlborough, MA:
In published Marlborough Vital Records, earliest entry is marriage of William and “Lidia” Eager in 1721 (see copy, Thomas Wm & Eager Lidia marriage.pdf), followed by their children’s births (see copy, Thomas Wm children births.pdf), and the deaths of William, his wife Lydia, and their daughter Sophia (see copy, Thomas Wm Lydia Sophia deaths.pdf). [Note: According to the vital records, son William was born 1725, not 1724, and daughter Mary was born in Marlborough, not Framingham, but otherwise all the dates match up with the information in your family tree (except there is no record or date for William Sr.’s birth).]
Searched Thomas surname in Middlesex County to 1721:
In published Newton Vital Records, marriage record of:
Thomas, William and Anna Loverin, Aug. 29, 1695, in Watertown (see copy, Newton VRs marriages.pdf). But note that William and Anna had a daughter in 1695. However, it appears that this William Thomas of Newton and a first wife, Elizabeth, had a son William in 1687; see below.
Thomas, Joanna, ch. William and Ann (second w.), Oct. 28, 1695.
Thomas, William, s. William and Elizabeth, Aug. 31, 1687. (See copy, Newton VRs births.pdf.) Probably this is the William Thomas, blacksmith, and his son, and no relation to your William Thomas. See notes re: probate records, below.
Searched Thomas surname in Worcester County to 1721:
Found only a Sarah Thomas who married in Mendon in 1707.
Searched Thomas surname in Framingham:
No early Thomas entries
Note: I have not made an exhaustive search of the available published vital records. Many births were not recorded with the town officials, however, but evidence can be found in collateral records, such as church, land, probate, etc. I did not have time to search church records.
LAND RECORDS
(Reviewed at Middlesex County Registry of Deeds and on microfilm at New England Historic Genealogical Society)
As you will see, I reviewed some deed records for dates afterWilliam Thomas’ death, since sometimes deeds are not recorded until years after the conveyance.
Middlesex County, MA
Grantee Index, 1639-1799 (microfilm)
(and I briefly searched deed book volumes, where indicated)
I searched for early entries with the Thomas surname, before William’s death in 1733, which I noted, since the index did not refer to the town, and reviewing the records might show connection with Marlborough or William Thomas:
1685, July 20, Thomas, Ales & Benjamin, from E. Corlett, 9: 411 – Ales Thomas of Boston & Benjamin his son, purchased land in Cambridge
1686, Oct 20, Thomas, John &al from F. Hinchman, 10: 7 – no Thomas found on this page
1687, March 9, Thomas, Edward, agent, from W. Cutter, 10: 33 – Mentions Edward Thomas of Boston
1697, Nov 23, Thomas Edward, from C. Morton, 12: 106 – no Thomas found on this page
1701, Dec 12, Nathaniel Jr from J. Croade, 13: 89 – Nathaniel Thomas Jr. of Plymouth buys land in Groton
1719, May 11, Thomas, Joshua, from M. Meeds, atty, 20: 333 – Joshua Thomas of Boston
1720, March 30, Thomas, John & Solomon, Samuel’s est., deposition 12: 733 – no Thomas found on this page
1721, Aug 18, Thomas John &al, deposition, 21: 412 – re: John Thomas of Natick, Indian
Entries for William Thomas, all after his death date:
1735, Feb 27, Thomas, William, from Edward Clap, 36: 516 – This seems likely to be your William Thomas, since it refers to him as “gentleman” and the conveyance in Framingham occurred in 1720, before his marriage. (Copy, Thomas Wm deed Mdsx v36p516.jpg and Thomas Wm deed Mdsx v36p517.jpg.)
1739 March 12, Thomas, William, from B. Tray, 39: 642 –William Thomas of Natick, Indian
1742, Dec 11, Thomas, William, from T. Bowman, 44: 51 – William Thomas of Natick
1745, Apr. 2, Thomas, William, from M. Speen, 45: 97
1747, Feb. 10, Thomas, William, from S. Abram, 46: 429
1752, Feb 8, Thomas, William, from M. Tom, 49: 357
Other William Thomas entries after this date, but not until 1782; no entries found for Lydia Thomas
Grantee Index, 1639-1799, A-G
Found several entries for surname Eager (Eagar, Augur, Egar), who might be relatives of Lydia Eager, but no entries for Lydia.
Grantor Index, 1639-1799, S-Z
(and I briefly searched deed book volumes, where indicated)
No entries for a William Thomas until 1738:
1738, Feb 19, Thomas, William, to D. Morse and J. Carver, 39: 542, 547 – William Thomas of Natick, Indian
No other entries for William Thomas until 1749:
1749, July 24, Thomas, William, to J. Loring, 49: 61
Worcester County, MA
Grantee Index, 1731-1839, P-Z (microfilm)
(and briefly searched deed books, where indicated)
1734, Thomas, William, from Gerstrom Keyes, Nahum Ward and Eleaser Rice, 4: 432-437, Shrewsbury deeds (Copies, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p433.jpg, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p434.jpg, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p435a.jpg, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p435b.jpg, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p436.jpg, Thomas Wm deed Worcester v4p437.jpg) – These land purchases occurred in 1730 and 1733, and refer to William as “of Marlborough,” “Gentleman” and “Trader.” No other people surnamed Thomas are mentioned, and no obvious clues to his origins, although it is possible that he may have been related to some of the people involved.
1734, Thomas, William, from Saml Smith, 5: 161, Hardwick – William Thomas of Lambstown, husbandman, 1734
1736, Thomas, William, from Saml March, 9:25, Hardwick –William Thomas of Lambstown, husbandman, 1736
1737, Thomas, William, from John Jordan, 9: 73, Hardwick –William Thomas of Lambstown, husbandman, 1736
1740, Thomas, William, from Amos Thomas, 13: 141, Hardwick –William Thomas, husbandman, of Lambstown, Worcester County, and Amos Thomas, husbandman of same town. Deed signed 1739, so obviously not your William Thomas.
1746, Thomas, William, from Amos Thomas, 20: 556, Hardwick
1746, Thomas, William, from Amos Thomas, 22: 1, Hardwick
And more William Thomas entries after this date, to 1838
No entries for Lydia Thomas
Grantor Index, 1731-1839, T-Z (microfilm)
1735, Thomas, William, to Stephen Harrington, 7:17
1740, Thomas, William, to Ebenr Foskett, 13: 68
1740, Thomas, William Jr., to Ebenr Foskett, 13: 68
1742, Thomas, William, to Amos Thomas, 16: 207
And more William Thomas entries after this date, to 1836
The only Lydia Thomas entry was:
1787, Thomas, Lydia, to Fos Fayerweather, 102: 20
PROBATE RECORDS
(Reviewed at Massachusetts Archives)
Early Thomas records in Middlesex probate:
William, Newton, 1698, Will, 22416
Will refers to this William Thomas as a blacksmith, and he signs will with mark. Leaves estate to widow for her life, and then to son William. Small estate, about 50 pounds.
William, Newton, 1699, Guardian, 22417
Papers say he is about 12 years old in 1699. Nathaniel Hancock appointed guardian.
William, Marlborough, 1734, Administration, 22418. This is your William Thomas. See copy, Thomas Wm Mdsx probate.pdf. Note: I did not have time to make a thorough study of these records for further clues.
William, Marlborough, 1740, Guardian, 22421. This is the son of your William Thomas. See copy, Thomas Wm Jr Mdsx guardianship.pdf.
Lydia, Marlborough, 1735, Administration, 22406. This is the wife of your William Thomas. See copy, Thomas Lydia Mdsx probate.pdf.
Lydia, Marlborough, 1743, Guardian, 22419. Mary, Marlborough, 1743, Guardian, 22419. Sophia, Marlborough, 1743, Guardian, 22419. These are William and Lydia’s daughters. See copy, Thomas Wm daughters Mdsx guardianship.pdf.
Odoardo, Marlborough, 1743, Guardian, 22420. This is the son of your William Thomas. See copy, Thomas Odoardo Mdsx guardianship.pdf.
Elizabeth, Medford, 1729, Will, 22399
Leaves most of property to nephew Henry Dunster, etc.; gives gold ring to Nathanil Thomas Esqr., but mentions no other Thomas heirs; apparently wealthy [consider copying re: freed slave Tonney]
Paul, Natick, 1746, Administration, 22408
Solomon, Natick, 1736, Administration, 22412
Solomon Jr., Natick, 1737, Administration, 22413
Early Thomas entries in Worcester County probate:
Aaron, Hardwick, 1748, Guardianship, 58837
Amos, Hardwick, 1754, Will, 58844
Israel, Hardwick, 1748, Guardianship, 58869
William, Leominster, 1746, Administration, 58910
William, Hardwick, 1747, Administration, 58911
OTHER COURT RECORDS
Middlesex County Court Folio Collection index
Thomas, Lydia, Concord 1733-127-A-II
Paid excise tax
Thomas, Lydia, Marlborough, 1733-129-A-3
Granted retailer’s license
Thomas, William, 1725-86x-III
Marlboro retailer
Thomas, William & Jonathan How, 1730, 119-A-2
Renewed license
Thomas, William, 1727-252-2
Marlboro licensed retailer
Thomas, William, 1726-107x-4
Marlboro licensed retailer
Thomas, William, 1685-117-6
Bond for administrator of Mark Woods & Strattons’ Est.
TOWN HISTORIES
Mary E. Spalding, for Franklin P. Rice, Colonial Records of Marlborough, Mass. (Boston: NEHGS, 1909) – Early records, only to 1660s
Charles Hudson, History of the Town of Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its First Settlement in 1657 to 1861, with a Brief Sketch of the Town of Northborough. . . (Boston, Press of T. R. Margin, 1862). Brief entry for William Thomas family on p. 458. (No new information.)
Marlborough, Massachusetts, Burial Ground Inscriptions: Old Common, Spring Hill, and Brigham Cemeteries (Worcester, Mass.: Franklin P. Rice, 1908). No inscriptions for surname Thomas.
Note: Marlborough town records, 1666-1847, are available from FHL on microfilm.
Willful Blindness and Inertia
May 4, 2016
sundial
As individuals and as groups we all have blind spots. We accept beliefs without knowing all the facts simply because it is impossible to know all the facts. Especially in institutional settings we excuse resistance to change as part of keeping to tradition. If we look back in history we will notice that over time what was at one time considered to be true is now regarded as folly. Tradition is one thing and resistance to reality is quite another matter. Institutions protect dysfunctional operations not out of pride, but out of lack of awareness. The set it and forget it attitude runs strong in institutions and government agencies. It takes some tragic outcome to bring about change in some cases. It is impossible to observe one’s own actions if one is willfully blind. Thus, the blindness begets more blindness, becoming contagious.
What would Sir Isaac Newton think about the conditions that prevail?
- The body at rest is our culture, willfully ignoring our real situation
- The forces at work driving our society to move are all profit motivated
- Every profit has an equal and opposite loss to the environment/humans
No matter who wins the scary American presidential election now taking place, the financial and environmental imbalance will be rampant around the world. Balance can only be restored through awareness and planning. Without a plan we will careen ever closer to entropy. The solution is pre-political. Our awareness needs to cover all the people places and things with which we have contact. This energy drain, or misappropriated energy, is needed for the good of the entire planet in order to restore some kind of equilibrium. Plug the leaks in your own boat today. We are taking on water and listing to port.
door in the darkness
mermaidcamp 