Simon Thomas, father of Daniel Thomas Sr.
The following information was written by a researcher named Louise Heiselman. She published a book in 1983 called:
The Thomas family of England, Maryland, North Carolina : descendants of Rev. Tristam Thomas through his great-grandson, Christopher Thomas (the emigrant, 1635). After she published the book she realized she had made some errors. She sent me the following information in 2004.
Simon Thomas was born in 1712 in Talbot County, Maryland. He was the sixth child of Tristram Thomas and Sarah Stephens. For years all researchers listed the wife of Tristram Thomas II as Judith Clayland, the daughter of Penelope Hemsley and James Clayland. I had done a great deal of research on these families and have their wills. Tristram Thomas was married to Judith Clayland and had probably two children by her. We have land records signed by her. But a few years ago it came to the attention of some of us researching the Thomas family that in the Hall of Records at Dover, Delaware (Vol 87, folio 150) are records that are supposed to have been taken "from the original Bible of Tristram Thomas" which was in the possession about 1930 of Mrs. Ida J. Thomas, Camden, New Jersey. These were also listed in the Maryland and Delaware Gen- Vol 2, 1977. The following is quoted from these records: "Tristram Thomas, son of Tristram, married Sarah Stephen, born June 1683, and departed this life November 1721. Then the ten children are listed and after the last one "Benjamin" it says a son of Tristram by his 2nd wife. Who ever wrote these entrees in the bible must not have known about Judith his first wife. We believe they had probably been entered in the bible years later from an authentic record. Simon was listed in the Maryland and Delaware Gen Magazine as being born July 18, 1712. We had always been told July 10th, so some one that has read the date at some time has written the date wrong.
I have done quite a little research on the Stephen line after we got this new information. I purchased all the early Stephen wills but none of them seem to be the right family. There was a John Stephens that witnessed Tristram Thomas Sr's will. The will was not dated but it was probated May 22 1686 and when it was brought into court to be probated they said John Stephens was deceased. Now this John Stephens may the the father of Sarah Stephen, Simon's mother, but he did not leave a will and so I don't know if we will ever find the proof of who her parents were.
Simon Thomas had two wives. The first was Rebecca (maiden name unknown). They had a son named William born 1 January 1737/38. Rebecca died 8 March 1737/38 and was buried on the 11th. This birth and death record is found in the St. Luke's Parish Register, Queen Anne's County, Maryland.
After Rebecca's death Simon needed someone to care for his young son. Susannah Sands attended the St. Luke's Parish. She had given birth out of wedlock to a daughter Frances Sands born 6 July 1738, and Simon and Susannah were married 18 September 1738.
Susannah was the daughter of Sarah and Robert Sands. Robert had come to America in 1680. He died in 1717 naming six children in his will. Susannah was named last. He left all of his children land but no provision was made for young children although Susannah couldn't have been much older than ten if that old.
Susannah and Simon had a daughter Rebecca Thomas baptized 8 January 1741/42 in St. Luke's Parish. They also had two other sons Simon Jr and Daniel Thomas. So far no one has been able to find birth records for either of these two. Simon may have moved to another Parish that the records were lost. Anyway their birthdates are guesses and were probably born by 1745.
For many years there was confusion over the date that Simon died. There was a Simon Thomas who had died in 1744 in Dorchester county, Maryland, and his death had been recorded in a book by Annie Walker Burns. However we know this was not our Simon Thomas, as his father Tristram wrote his will 13 December 1745 and it was proved 4 March 1745/46 and it listed him as to receive 500 lbs of tobacco or value in current money.
Roberta Scott of Cardston, Alberta, Canada (now deceased but an outstanding researcher) wrote in a letter dated 21 February 1964:
"I wonder if we should ever feel sure of anything! Last October I went to Salt Lake Library and spent 70 hours and looking at the grantor and grantee lists of NC found my Simon Thomas went to NC before 1767 after I had so carefully laid him away in MD. There he was right before my very eyes, running across the pages selling and buying land like mad! At first I thought, Oh it's Daniel's brother, but right along side of him is Simon Thomas Jr, signing his deeds and backing him up. After trying to twist, pull, and bend them to fit my preconceived ideas, they flip right back and no matter how hard I try, Daniel's brother Simon Jr could not have had his son Simon grown up to be 21 years of age by 1773. So I guess Annie Walker Burns death list must list another Simon that I know not of."
Simon was a farmer. We would not have known that Susannah had lived to move to Richmond County with him, except that she signed with an X one of the deeds in 1770.
Note for the image below: I started browsing the St. Luke's parish records online in the Maryland Archives to see what I could find. This is page 2 and 3 of the record. The birth of William Thomas (child of Simon Thomas and his first wife Rebecca) is found on page 3, the seventh record from the top. Click on the image to see it enlarged. On the same page you will see that line 14 lists "Sarah Thomas daughter of Trustram and Mary Thomas, November 18, 1737, I have not determined their relationship to Simon Thomas yet.
The Thomas family of England, Maryland, North Carolina : descendants of Rev. Tristam Thomas through his great-grandson, Christopher Thomas (the emigrant, 1635). After she published the book she realized she had made some errors. She sent me the following information in 2004.
Simon Thomas was born in 1712 in Talbot County, Maryland. He was the sixth child of Tristram Thomas and Sarah Stephens. For years all researchers listed the wife of Tristram Thomas II as Judith Clayland, the daughter of Penelope Hemsley and James Clayland. I had done a great deal of research on these families and have their wills. Tristram Thomas was married to Judith Clayland and had probably two children by her. We have land records signed by her. But a few years ago it came to the attention of some of us researching the Thomas family that in the Hall of Records at Dover, Delaware (Vol 87, folio 150) are records that are supposed to have been taken "from the original Bible of Tristram Thomas" which was in the possession about 1930 of Mrs. Ida J. Thomas, Camden, New Jersey. These were also listed in the Maryland and Delaware Gen- Vol 2, 1977. The following is quoted from these records: "Tristram Thomas, son of Tristram, married Sarah Stephen, born June 1683, and departed this life November 1721. Then the ten children are listed and after the last one "Benjamin" it says a son of Tristram by his 2nd wife. Who ever wrote these entrees in the bible must not have known about Judith his first wife. We believe they had probably been entered in the bible years later from an authentic record. Simon was listed in the Maryland and Delaware Gen Magazine as being born July 18, 1712. We had always been told July 10th, so some one that has read the date at some time has written the date wrong.
I have done quite a little research on the Stephen line after we got this new information. I purchased all the early Stephen wills but none of them seem to be the right family. There was a John Stephens that witnessed Tristram Thomas Sr's will. The will was not dated but it was probated May 22 1686 and when it was brought into court to be probated they said John Stephens was deceased. Now this John Stephens may the the father of Sarah Stephen, Simon's mother, but he did not leave a will and so I don't know if we will ever find the proof of who her parents were.
Simon Thomas had two wives. The first was Rebecca (maiden name unknown). They had a son named William born 1 January 1737/38. Rebecca died 8 March 1737/38 and was buried on the 11th. This birth and death record is found in the St. Luke's Parish Register, Queen Anne's County, Maryland.
After Rebecca's death Simon needed someone to care for his young son. Susannah Sands attended the St. Luke's Parish. She had given birth out of wedlock to a daughter Frances Sands born 6 July 1738, and Simon and Susannah were married 18 September 1738.
Susannah was the daughter of Sarah and Robert Sands. Robert had come to America in 1680. He died in 1717 naming six children in his will. Susannah was named last. He left all of his children land but no provision was made for young children although Susannah couldn't have been much older than ten if that old.
Susannah and Simon had a daughter Rebecca Thomas baptized 8 January 1741/42 in St. Luke's Parish. They also had two other sons Simon Jr and Daniel Thomas. So far no one has been able to find birth records for either of these two. Simon may have moved to another Parish that the records were lost. Anyway their birthdates are guesses and were probably born by 1745.
For many years there was confusion over the date that Simon died. There was a Simon Thomas who had died in 1744 in Dorchester county, Maryland, and his death had been recorded in a book by Annie Walker Burns. However we know this was not our Simon Thomas, as his father Tristram wrote his will 13 December 1745 and it was proved 4 March 1745/46 and it listed him as to receive 500 lbs of tobacco or value in current money.
Roberta Scott of Cardston, Alberta, Canada (now deceased but an outstanding researcher) wrote in a letter dated 21 February 1964:
"I wonder if we should ever feel sure of anything! Last October I went to Salt Lake Library and spent 70 hours and looking at the grantor and grantee lists of NC found my Simon Thomas went to NC before 1767 after I had so carefully laid him away in MD. There he was right before my very eyes, running across the pages selling and buying land like mad! At first I thought, Oh it's Daniel's brother, but right along side of him is Simon Thomas Jr, signing his deeds and backing him up. After trying to twist, pull, and bend them to fit my preconceived ideas, they flip right back and no matter how hard I try, Daniel's brother Simon Jr could not have had his son Simon grown up to be 21 years of age by 1773. So I guess Annie Walker Burns death list must list another Simon that I know not of."
Simon was a farmer. We would not have known that Susannah had lived to move to Richmond County with him, except that she signed with an X one of the deeds in 1770.
Note for the image below: I started browsing the St. Luke's parish records online in the Maryland Archives to see what I could find. This is page 2 and 3 of the record. The birth of William Thomas (child of Simon Thomas and his first wife Rebecca) is found on page 3, the seventh record from the top. Click on the image to see it enlarged. On the same page you will see that line 14 lists "Sarah Thomas daughter of Trustram and Mary Thomas, November 18, 1737, I have not determined their relationship to Simon Thomas yet.