|
INDEX
WHEELER HOLBROOK FOSTER LONGWORTH ROGERS FREEMAN |
some in the past have confused this man with Thomas Wheeler of Milford
CT
also confused with his uncle Capt Thomas
Wheeler
Sgt. Thomas Wheeler 1621 - 1704
| his parents
& Sarah Merriam 16?? - 1676
& Sarah Beers Stearns 1639 - 1724
of Cranfield England, Fairfield CT and Concord MA
This is my working hypothesis - the way I see it as of this moment!!
The Wheeler House on Virginia Road in Concord MA
Sketch by Mary Wheeler signed 1897
built ca 1730 by Deacon
John Wheeler 1655 -1736 about the time of his 2nd marriage.
It was sold to Jonas Minot, the step-grandfather of Henry David Thoreau, who was born in this house.
appeared in "The Wheeler Families of Old Concord, Mass" compiled by
George Tolman.
e-mail 29 Mar 06 - We now think the Thoreau
Birth House was probably built by John Wheeler rather than by his father Sgt.
Thomas. We put a date on it of about 1730 which would have been about the
time he married his second wife, Sarah Farwell Jones, widow of John Jones. Since
his first wife died 29 Dec. 1727 and John died 1 Dec. 1736, we guess he probably
married Sarah Farwell about 1730. She and his children inherited the farm
and later sold it to the Minots. Jonas Minot was Thoreau's step grandfather.
See my article under Thoreaufarm.org. See also the documentation related
to the listing on the National Register of Historic Places.. Sincerely,
Joseph C. Wheeler, Thoreau Farm Trust
"I am a 13th gr-gr granddaughter of Sarah Beers Stearns Wheeler, who
married Sgt Thomas Wheeler after her first marriage to Isaac Stearns. Just
thought I'd let you know that there's an article at thoreaufarm.org
about the Wheeler-Minot house. Apparently it is NOT the same house built for
John Wheeler and Sarah Stearns. They think the original one was torn down and
the one you have pictured as "the Wheeler house on Virginia Road"
replaced it and was removed to another site. But it's a wonderful connection to
Thoreau--and did you know his best friend at Harvard was Charles Stearns
Wheeler? Must be a relation somewhere! Thanks for your great site!"
- Barbara
Thomas Wheeler bapt 8 Dec 1621 Cranfield,
son of Thomas Wheeler
and Ann Halsey.
He may have come with his parents in the Rev. John Jones' Company in the ship
Definance that landed in New England 3 Oct 1635. His father Thomas was listed as
a freeman in Concord 13 May 1640
- This Thomas was listed as freeman 18 May 1642
- He was appointed Sergeant in 1642 and on the Concord Records from that time
until his death, his name generally appears with that prefix, though sometimes
called Thomas Wheeler, Sr
- When his parents and uncle Thomas removed to Fairfield with the Rev John
Jones, this Thomas apparently remained in Concord where he had married by 1648
Sarah Merriam and six of their children were recorded in Concord
starting in 1649 through 1662.
His father Thomas died in 1654 leaving his son Thomas all of his property
in Concord.
His mother Ann died in 1659.
His 1st wife Sarah Merriam died 1 Feb 1676.
Thomas married 2nd 23 July 1677 Sarah Beers Stearns 5 Dec 1639
widow of Isaac and dau
of Richard Beers [her daughter Sarah married his son John]
He died.- 24 Dec
1704 Concord MA in his 84th yr
His widow Sarah Beers Stearns Wheeler died 21 Jan 1724
Children of Thomas Wheeler and Sarah Merriam:
1. Sarah Wheeler 10 July 1649 Concord - 1743
married 5 May 1669 John Smedley
2. Joseph Wheeler 18 Aug 1651 Concord - 16 March 1676 Concord
3. Ann Wheeler 20 Dec 1653 Concord - 20 May 1676 Concord
4. John Wheeler 18 Feb 1655/6 Concord - 1736
married Sarah Stearns 14 Jan 1662 Watertown
MA - 19 Dec 1727
daughter of Isaac Stearns and Sarah Beers
married 2nd ca 1730 Sarah
Farwell Jones, widow of John Jones
5. Mary Wheeler 20 Dec 1658 Concord - 26
May 1668
6. Thomas Wheeler 29 March 1662 Concord - 12 June 1695
7. Elizabeth Wheeler 23 Feb 1664 - 26 Oct 1744
married 15 June 1682 Samuel Fletcher
8. Timothy Wheeler 24 July 1667 - 14 April 1718 Concord
married 19 May 1692 Lydia Wheeler 1675 -
9. Rebecca Wheeler 3 April 1670 - 6 Nov 1710 Concord
10. Ruth Wheeler 10 April 1673 -
married 11 March 1696 Joseph Warren
Source: 'History of the Wheeler Family in America', 1914, Albert
Gallatin Wheeler, Jr., p 200/1
"The Families of Old Fairfield" by Donald Lines Jacobus Vol I p 662/5
"The Wheeler Family of Cranfield, England and Concord, Massachusetts and
some Descendants of Sgt. Thomas Wheeler of Concord" by M Wheeler Molyneaux
Captain Thomas Wheeler and some of His Descendants by Homer W Brainard TAG XII
p4-17, 135-9