Thomas Spinney

• General Notes
  • Excerpt from Noyes, Libby & Davis' Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Page 653:
    "Thomas, weaver, Kittery, ag 67 in Nov. 1697, first seen when John Webster wit. ag. him and Margerie, late w. of Wm. Norman, in N. H. ct. 30 Sept. 1651. She was orig. Margery Randall and soon became his wife; see Norman (2). A tradition was pub. in 1863 to the effect that the first Spinney here was  b. near Manchester, Eng., went to Wapping Stairs near London, shipped as a fisherman for the No. Am. coast and was carried thence to the Piscat. by a Capt. Fernald, abt 1650. Kittery constable 1656. a wit, in 1658 (Edw. Melcher and the Websters). Gr. of 200 a. on both sides of Great Cove, afterw. Spinney's Cove, in 1659. Gr.j. 1660, 1666 (did not appear), 1670, 1688, 1692-3, 1695, 1698-9; tr.j. 1669; ferry lic. 1668, 1671; selectman 1674. Lists 282, 283, 298, 25, 96. Margery was liv. 23 Mar. 1694, but not in will, 9 July - 23 Sept. (d. 31 Aug.) 1701, naming ch. and 2 gr.ch.; wit. by Thomas and Mary Fernald. Ch: Hannah, m. Samuel Fernald (3). Samuel, b. 1658. James, b. 1662. Thomas, b. 1665. John, fa.'s exec., b. 1668.
    
    Will of Thomas Spinney:
    
    Souce Page: Probate Office, I, 79
    
    "I thomas Spinney of Kittery in the County of Yorke in the Prouince of the Masachusets Bay in New England yeoman, being aged and uery weak and Infirm in body but by the mercy of God, of Perfect Mind Memory and calling to Mind the Mortallity of My body, not knowing how soon it may please god to remoue me hence Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former and other Wills at any time by me made either by word or Writing. That is to Say. Principally and first of all. I recomend my soul to god my blessed Creator and my body to the Earth to be buried in such Decent and christian manner as to my Executor hereafter named shall Seem meet, not doubting but at the General resurection to receiue the same again by the mighty power of God/ and touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased god to bless me in this life I giue Devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and formeImprs I giue and bequeath unto my well bloued son Samuel Spinney one feather bed bolster two pillows tow blankets one rug one bedsted standing now in the Chamber ouer the Hall and the sett of Curtains & vallts that now belongs to it; I also giue him all my wearing Clothes both Wollen and linnen, Except my best coat and hatt, with a confirmation of fifteen Acres of land formerly to him given as by Deed of Gift may appeartly I giue and bequeath unto my well beloued son James Spinney one Yoake of Oxen, one Cow & four Ewe sheep. 3dly I giue and bequeath unto my welbeloved son Thomas Spinney, my best Wearing Coat & best hatt, and fiue pounds in money. 4dly I giue and bequeath unto my wellbeloved son John Spinney all the land which had in Exchange, of my Daughter Hannah Fernald and Nathaniel Fernald, also twenty acres of land on the back side of the Great Coue lying betwene the land of Samuel Spinney and the land of Nathaniel Fernald which was formerly purchased of Mr Richard Jose, I do also giue unto my said son John all my Houshold stuff and other my psonal Estate Except what I haue giuen to any other in this my Willfully I giue unto my Daughter Hannah Fernald three pounds in money, one pair of Sheets and my largest Bible, 6dly I giue and bequeath unto my Grand Children each of them one shilling in money. 7ly I giue and bequeath unto my two grand Daughters namly Mercy and Margery, all my Pewter that belongs to the Shelues in my Hall, two brass Candlesticks, one cupboard, & one table which stands in the Chamber ouer Sd Hall to be Equally divided betwene them by my son John Spinney their Father when they arive to ye age of Eighteen years or be marryed, and if it soe happen that either of them should die before they come to age or be marryed, Then the whole to be the Survivrs. 8ly I do make ordain and constitute my welbeloued son John Spinney aforesd, my onely and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament and doe hereby Will and require him my sd Executor in all things faithfully to dispose of all and singular ye sum or sums of money goods or Chattels mentioned and by me given in this my Will, and also to pay all my Just Debts wherein I stand obleiged; In Witness whereof I the sd Thomas Spinney have hereunto set my hand and seal this Ninth day of July, In the Thirteenth year of the Reigne of our Soveraign Lord William the third King ouer England &c: and in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seaven Hundred and one. Signed & sealed and Published In the presence of vs Thomas Fernald Mary X Fernald Her marke Jos: Hamond Judg of Probate & c: Tho: Spinney
              (His: Seal:) Recorded 23 Sept. 1701
    
    
    North of Glanfield was a lot owned by Thomas Spinney. His grant of two hundred acres lay on both sides of the "Great Cove", later called "Spinney's Cove". Though the grant was made in 1659, it is probable that he had been living here for some time.
    Above Thomas Spinney, on the east side of Great Cove, was a lot of fifteen acres originally owned by Thomas Turner and mortgaged by him to George Walton of Portsmouth, 16 Aug. 1659. Probably the land was unimproved and therefore was regranted by the town to Richard Carle. He sold six acres of it to his son-in-law, Samuel Knight, in 1684. Knight sold this, and Carle sold all the rest of the original grant to Samuel Spinney in 1682 and 1693.
    Then came Christian Remick's twenty acres, granted 17 July 1661, and laid out 22 Feb. 1665. He deeded this and other grants east of it to his son Isaac, who sold the same to John Dennet, Jr., 2 May 1698, and moved to South Carolina. Dennet added to his farm by purchase of Richard King's seventeen acres in 1700 and by town grants. This farm has been in the possession of the Dennet family until now. The house, built about the year 1720, stands "on the east side of the Eliot road about a mile above Portsmouth Bridge."..." the Remick of whom the farm was purchased resided in a house on the bank of the Creek west of the road, and opposite the Dennet house. (1)
    In 1697 there was a dispute between Thomas Spinney and Christian Remick about their boundary line, and in consequence the accompanying plot of lands appears in the records of the Superior Court at Boston with the following statement:
    "Kittery, December 18th, 1697. At the motion and Request of Mr. Thomas Spinney layd out the Norther bounds of his old lot in the great Cove as also his addition at the head thereof containing fifteen acres, and in running out the aforesaid bounds as they were shewed to me by the sd Thomas Spinney and John Spinney I find the land in Controversie claimed by Mr Christian Remmick and Improved by Samll Spinney to fall within Mr Thomas Spinneys
    (1)Historic Homes of Kittery, by Moses A. Safford, Esq., Me. Hist.
         Coll. Vol. V., 398.
    bounds of his fifteen acre lot as is demonstrated in the figure by a pricked line, the other lots being but demonstrations of the Scituations of jacent places."
                By me William Godsoe
                   Surveighr for the Town
                              of Kittery."