Week 25: Earliest #52Ancestors
The earliest immigrant ancestors on the Glacy-Baty Family Tree are Thomas Stonestreet and his wife Elizabeth Butler, who are my husband’s 8th great-grandparents. There may be others that emigrated earlier, but the records from way back then are scarce and unreliable. Thomas, on the other hand, has been well researched and documented (by myself and many others).
Thomas was likely born in July of 1630 in Withyham, Sussex, England, to Edward Stonestreet and Mary Wimborne.[1] He and his wife, Elizabeth Butler, were transported to the colony of Maryland in February of 1662 as indentured servants.[2] Thomas was indentured to a William Barton for six years and Elizabeth was the servant of James Walker. The records are inconclusive as to whether they were married before immigrating or after.
While don’t think it has been conclusively proved that Thomas married an Elizabeth “Butler” at this time, I think it is more than likely that her maiden name was “Butler.” One of their sons named one of his sons “Butler” and when he died, Thomas left this Butler 50 acres of land.[3] I have seen many time where the children or grandchildren are given the mother’s maiden name as their given name or middle name and am always grateful for that bit of information to help make a family connection (and keep the mother’s family name alive).
By all appearances, Thomas and Elizabeth did well in the new country. Once his indenture was completed, Thomas received 150 acres in Charles County, Maryland. He named this property “Birchden” allegedly after his home in England.[4] During his lifetime, Thomas continued to accumulate lands in Charles County. I have yet to track all of his land, but he seems to have become quite a property owner.
Thomas and Elizabeth had at least four children, two boys and two girls. In his will (1706), Thomas only names his son Edward and two grandsons. The fact that Elizabeth is not mentioned is some evidence that she pre-deceased him. I don’t yet know what happened to his daughters, although one of the grandson’s mentioned in the will has the last name of “Mastin,” which likely means that one of the daughters married a man of this name. While I am sure it was nice to be remembered in the will, instead of the 50-acres Butler got, Thomas Mastin got one cow and one calf. Prior to his death, Thomas gave the original Birchden Plantation to his son Thomas (my husband’s 7thgreat-grandfather).[5]
There is some indication in the records that Thomas served in the Colonial Militia, but I have had trouble pinning this down. The Maryland State Archives have a wealth of on-line information and even more at their facility in Annapolis. Some day Imma gonna get there.
[1]St. Michael's, Withyham, Sussex, England, Bishop's transcripts for baptisms, 1630, no page no., Thomas Stonestreete son of Edward Stonestreete; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTS3-F9R?i=132&cat=586259 : accessed 11 June 2019), image 133 from FHL microfilm 4,428,821 ("Bishop's transcripts for St. Michael's Church, Withyham").
[2]Carson Gibb, The New Early Settlers of Maryland; database, Maryland State Archives (http://earlysettlers.msa.maryland.gov: accessed 11 June 2019).
[3]Maryland County, District and Probate Courts, will of Thomas Stonestreet, 11:77-78 (1706); “Maryland, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777,” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 June 2019).
[4]Warren Skidmore, Thomas Stonestreet of Birchden, Withyham, East Sussex and of Charles County, Maryland (Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2012), 1-3.
[5]Ibid.
The current St. Michael’s Church in Withyham, Sussex, England, built in 1884. St. Michael and All Angels Church; digital image, The Parish of St Michael and All Angels, Withyham and All Saints, Blackham (http://www.withyhamchurch.org/index.html : accessed 12 June 2019).
Thomas was baptized on July 24, 1630. St. Michael's, Withyham, Sussex, England, Bishop's transcripts for baptisms, 1630, Thomas Stonestreete son of Edward Stonestreete; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTS3-F9R?i=132&cat=586259 : accessed 11 June 2019), image 133 from FHL microfilm 4,428,821 ("Bishop's transcripts for St. Michael's Church, Withyham").