Individual Details
Thomas BURGESS
(Abt 1602 - 13 Feb 1685)
Thomas and Dorothy Waynes Burgess emigrated from England sometime before 3 July 1637. On this date, Thomas was assigned a section of land in Duxbury in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He and Dorothy forfeited that land when they moved to Sandwich that same year.
Thomas and Dorothy were original members of the Sandwich Church which was established by pastor William Leverich in 1638. Through the years they appear in a number of town records including a deed dated 5 April 1654 in which they sold land to Francis Allen of Sandwich. Neither Thomas or Dorothy were able to sign their names, so their marks on this deed were witnessed by Myles Standish.
On 27 December 1654, Thomas also sold land to John Jenkens. On 11 July 1667, he was witness to an Indian deed. On 28 May 1668, he signed an indenture agreement with Edmond Freeman and fourteen years later, on 28 May 1668, he was a witness to the inventory of Edmond's estate.
Through the years Thomas served the town of Sandwich in every office, humble or honorable, from road-surveyor to court deputy. He and Dorothy became a large landowners and with advancing age Thomas was known as "Goodman Burgess."
He died in 1685 and was buried in Old Town Cemetery in Sandwich. His grave was the first of all the pilgrims to be marked with a monumental slab which had to be imported from England. Dorothy died a couple of years later in 1687 and is also buried in Old Town Cemetery.
Thomas and Dorothy were original members of the Sandwich Church which was established by pastor William Leverich in 1638. Through the years they appear in a number of town records including a deed dated 5 April 1654 in which they sold land to Francis Allen of Sandwich. Neither Thomas or Dorothy were able to sign their names, so their marks on this deed were witnessed by Myles Standish.
On 27 December 1654, Thomas also sold land to John Jenkens. On 11 July 1667, he was witness to an Indian deed. On 28 May 1668, he signed an indenture agreement with Edmond Freeman and fourteen years later, on 28 May 1668, he was a witness to the inventory of Edmond's estate.
Through the years Thomas served the town of Sandwich in every office, humble or honorable, from road-surveyor to court deputy. He and Dorothy became a large landowners and with advancing age Thomas was known as "Goodman Burgess."
He died in 1685 and was buried in Old Town Cemetery in Sandwich. His grave was the first of all the pilgrims to be marked with a monumental slab which had to be imported from England. Dorothy died a couple of years later in 1687 and is also buried in Old Town Cemetery.
Events
| Birth | Abt 1602 | England |  | ||
| Marriage | 1628 | Tanfield, Durham, England - Dorothy WAYNES | | ||
| Death | 13 Feb 1685 | Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts | | ||
| Occupation | a gunsmith | ||||
| Burial | Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts | |
Families
| Spouse | Dorothy WAYNES (1603 - 1687) |
| Child | Thomas Burgess (1627 - 1717) |
| Child | Elizabeth Burgess (1629 - 1717) |
| Child | Jacob Burgess (1631 - 1719) |
| Child | John BURGESS (1631 - 1701) |
| Child | Joseph Burgess (1637 - 1695) |
Endnotes
1. , Gilchrest, Helen Dunton, Ancestors and Descendants of Robert Franklin Dunton of Belfast, Maine (Portland, Maine: 1949) (N.p.: n.p., n.d.).
2. , Roberts, Gary Boyd, English Origins of New England Families 1500's-1800's (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985) (N.p.: n.p., n.d.).
3. Burgess, Ebenezer, Burgess Genealogy: Memorial of the Family of Thomas and Dorothy Burgess, who were Settled at Sandwich, in the Plymouth Colony, in 1637 (Boston: T.R. Marvin and Son, 1865).
4. Grave Marker.