Individual Details

Thomas and Esther settled first near Wading River, now Foxboro, Massachusetts. In 1685, Moved to Mansfield from first location, about 40 rods. !BIRTH: GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, by James Savage, p. 280; lived at 'Muddy River.' p. 255. Volume 1 Hide, blushing glory, hide Pultova's day. page 255 Brintnall, Thomas, Boston, by w. Esther had Samuel, b. 2 Dec. 1665; Thomas, 1 Nov. 1669; Nathaniel, 1671; John, 3 Mar. 1673; Joseph, 3 Mar. 1674; and Mchitable, 1685; liv. at Muddy riv. THOMAS, Sudbury, s. of the preced. m. 23 May 1693, Hannah, d of maj. Simon Willard, had Thomas, prob. bef. going to S. and there Parnel, b. 27 Sept. 1696; William, Y. C. 1721; Paul, 20 Mar. 1701; Nathaniel, 1703; Jerusha, 15 Oct. 1704; Dorothy, 21 Dec. 1706; and Susanna, Apr. 1708 or 9; was capt. and he d. 2 Aug. 133. From 'History of Chelsea, Massachusetts' Chamberlain 'The first tenent of the little farm was 'Thomas Brenton' in 1678 (Suff. Deeds) Presumably he was the 'Thomas Brental' who by his wife Esther had the following ch. recorded in Boston: 1. Samuel b. Dec 2, 1665, probably living at Taunton in 1691 2. Thomas b. Nov 1, 1669 according to Berry (Hist of Framingham) m. Hannah, dau of Maj. Simon Willard & lived in Sudbury 3. Nathaniel b. July 31, 1671 described as ' of Boston, marinor,' in 1701 4. John b. Mar 3, 1672, mar. Phebe dau of Capt. John Smith and lived at Winnisinat 5. Joseph b. Mar 3, 1673 6. Caleb b. Feb 29, 1679/80 described as of Boston, glazier 7. Mehetable b. Nov 14, 1685 pres mar John Lamson Apr 18, 1706 8 Mary mentioned 1701' Note: The following reply was composed by Percy S. Brintnall, a London solicitor, at age 28. He died in 1952. -----------COPY--------------COPY-----------COPY--------------- 4th April, 1900 D. W. Howland, Esq 50 State Street Boston Massachusetts USA Dear Sir: I feel that I have been very remiss in the matter of replying to your letter of April 21st, 1899, but I would explain that I immediately commenced making my enquiries upon the subject of the origin of the name of Brentnall. When, however, some three months later I was in a position to reply, or at least to give you some information upon the subject, your letter, and with it your address, were not forthcoming. Yesterday only I had the good fortune to discover it amongst a number of private papers I had mislaid and now I hasten to make my apologies. As to the actual origin of the name "Brentnall", I am quite unable to assist you but with your permission I will venture to enlarge upon matter of some historical interest. My great great grandfather, Benjamin Brentnall, who was a middle-aged man in 1745, is generally recognized as having been the head of the original stock of Brentnalls who (you will already know, no doubt) are as far as I can trace them a Nottinghamshire family. Over three hundred years ago practically the whole family of Brentnalls were freeholders within the Manor of Strelley, Nottinghamshire, and I venture to assert that your progenitor, Thomas Brentnall (as the name should be) was resident upon the Strelley Estates prior to his emigration in 1652. I would inform you that at the time to which I refer the Strelleys were undoubtedly the largest landed proprietors in South West Nottinghamshire and South East Derbyshire, and wherever their estates extended Brentnalls were to be found holding positions of trust and authority. I would further inform you that, as the Strelleys belonged to the Norman hordes who were regarded after the Conquest of 1066 with extensive lands in South Nottinghamshire and that between 300 and 400 years ago Brentnalls were in high favour and managing the estates of the Strelleys (a position which tradition says had been held by my family for many preceding centuries), under these circumstances I can now merely ask you to assume the highly probable. This is the summary of probabilities as I have them from my father, Alfred Wolstan Brentnall of Cocker House, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, and as he and is forefathers in turn got them from our progenitors. Brentnalls are among the retinue of free lancers who followed the Strelleys at the Conquest into the country. They deserved well of their leader and in consequence he allotted them lands out of his grant from the Crown, subject, needless to say, to the military service of the feudal system. So long as the Strelley s kept their possessions, the family of Brentnall remained intact and very few left South Nottinghamshire, but when the power of the Strelleys was broken successively by the Wars of the Roses first and the Civil War later, they had to mortgage and finally sell their estates. So it was that the family got dispersed. Probably the first rupture with the Strelleys arose out of the firm determination of the Brentnalls during the Civil War to follow the fortunes of the Commonwealth (the Cromwellians). Puritans of the strongest order, the mainspring of the family first refused to follow the fortunes of the Strelleys when the Royal standard was raised in Nottingham in 1642, and I believe that for some time previous to this date the family had suffered in the cause of conscience, as it is on record that Brentnalls attended the great conference at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, prior to the general movement of Puritans in the direction of the New World. Undoubtedly from this date many misfortunes overtook the family as their dissent in matters of religion - first with the Strelleys and afterwards with the (...Millers?) and the (...writing not clear) who bought up the Shipley estates in Derbyshire (part of the Strelleys estates) - is accountable for poverty first making itself felt in the family. I would lastly mention that Brentnalls in the direct line of Benjamin Brentnall belonged to the better educated classes, were always freeholders, were generally well to do without being opulent, and, since the Reformation, dissenters. I think you can take my word for it that the blood of kings does not run in the veins of a Brentnall. Notwithstanding this, I myself am proud to be a Brentnall of the headstock. There is a tradition that since the troublous times of the Civil War (...no man?) of this line , with one exception in the time of Marlborough, disgraced the name he bore (the exception died at Malplaquet). Brentnalls are now scattered all over the world and I regret to say one or two branches have suffered and degenerated. This is the case with the Ripley Branch, and wherever you find nowadays a Brentnall who has lost caste you will generally trace him to this particular branch. The name has now also assumed many different forms - as, for example, Brintnall, Brentnell, Bretnall, and etc., very often according to the district to which it is attached, but the Manchester, New Zealand, Birmingham, and Bristol spellings are still Brentnall as of old. I hope you will excuse this lengthy epistle but I felt that it would be unsatisfactory to deal with the subject in a halfhearted manner. I would mention that the name of Brentnall has more or less recently been recorded as a coat of arms and crest but I would mention to you that the branch that applied for these arms is somewhat removed from the original stock of Brentnalls although within 150 years traceable to South Nottinghamshire. I shall be glad to render you any further information and assistance and hope that my few remarks may be of service to you. Should you ever be in London I shall greatly appreciate the honour of your acquaintance. Yours sincerely, (signed) Percy S. Brentnall -------END-COPY----------END-COPY-------END-COPY--------------- Footnote: The Strelley estates included most of the desirable land within 10 miles of Nottingham town - about 100 square mile. In 1535 there was no male heir and more than half the estates were divided among the husbands of four Strelley daughters. The remaining land was held by a second family of Strelleys, who experienced extraordinary financial and legal difficulties around 1600. The last estate was sold in 1685. In earlier times the Strelleys had been Knights for twelve consecutive generations. Foxborough By Jack Authelet, Foxborough Historical Society, Foxborough Historical Commission p.11

Birth	Abt 1641/42
Marriage	1663/64	Esther Thomas
Death	Bef 19 Oct 1692	Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States
Anecdote	Abt 1935	Mansfield in Other Days
Anecdote	28 Dec 1978	The First Christmas of Thomas Brintnall/The Mansfield News
Anecdote	7 Dec 2006	First Family Home for the Holidays - Foxboro, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
Alt name		Thomas Brentnall
Burial		Mansfield, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States
Anecdote		Mansfield Early Pioneers
Immigration		Muddy River (Brookline), Brookline, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
Anecdote		Thomas Brintnall - Pioneer
Anecdote		This old Town: Tom Brintnall, Mansfield\u2019s mystery settler - Mansfield, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States

Spouse	Esther Thomas (1642 - )
Child	Samuel Brintnall (1665 - 1735)
Child	Thomas Brintnall (1669 - 1732)
Child	Nathaniel Brintnall (1671 - )
Child	John Brintnall (1673 - 1731)
Child	Joseph Brintnall (1674 - )
Child	Caleb Brintnall (1679 - )
Child	Penelope Brintnall (1680 - )
Child	Mary Brintnall (1682 - )
Child	Mehitable Brintnall (1685 - )

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