General Notes

REFN: 8100AN
This Thomas came over aboard the Mary & John in 1630 according to family
hist ories and by the Mary & John Clearinghouse, where he is on their
master index as #648: "Tolman, Thomas (1608-1690) of Dorchester, MA.
Possibly from Salcom be Regis, Devon 14:65"[9]. Richard Anderson, however,
demurs[4]. He maintains that Thomas probably migrated alone and was from
the same village as Roger C lapp[5], but makes no mention of the Mary &
John.
Thomas was a Wheelwright
He was educated enough to have signed and sealed his will
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP  H is name is on the Church Covenant for the Church at
Dorchester, Suffolk co., MA in 1636[4].
FREEMANSHIP  He took the Oath of Freeman on 13 May 1640 in Dorc hester,
Suffolk co., MA[4,5,6,7,8].
LEGAL MENTION & TOWN SERVICE  He served as Constable for Dorchester,
Suffolk co., MA in 1661[5]. His first official m ention in Dorchester Town
Records is on 31 October 1639: "It is ordered that Goodman Tolman¹s house
be appointed for the receiving any goods that shall be brought in whereof
the owner is not known"[4].
RESIDENCE & REAL ESTATE  Onc e here, he settled in Dorchester, Suffolk
co., MA, where he owned lands in Do rchester from the seasiDe to the
Dedham, Norfolk co., MA line and was the own er of a tract of land seven
miles long, west of Neponset bridge in what are n ow parts of Canton,
Stoughton and Sharon, MA[4,5].
He located near Pine Neck (known as Point Norfolk in 1860), his house
having stood within one hundred feet of Pine Neck Creek on the west side
and on the north siDe within about t wo hundred feet, the creek forming
there an elbow shape. In 1852, the Old Col ony Railroad Corporation
removed the most of the cellar once belonging to his house. The house in
which his son Thomas afterwards lived, between what is n ow Ashmont and
Washington Streets, was probably built by him. In 1860, some o f his
descendants still owned and resided on land that belonged to him and
remained in possession of one of the branches of the family[4]. From a
21st c entury perspective, it sounds like his land is currently under the
Braintree branch of the Red Line.
ESTATE  His will "commenced" 25 May 1688 and was signe d and sealed on 25
May 1688[4].
MARRIAGE #1  Before 1632 when Thomas was 24, he first married Sarah
[surname not known], in Dorchester, Suffolk co.,
MA [3,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Sarah died before Thomas' second marriage
in 167 7.