~1552 - 1636
Crewkerne, Somerset, England
This information comes from articles by Phyllis Hughes, published in the Hull Family Association Journal.
"The Hulls of Crewkerne, County Somerset, England."
Part I: Richard : Grandfather of Early Immigrants, George and the Rev. Joseph Hull
- published v. 12, #3 Autumn 2001 pp 83-86
Part II : Thomas Hull of Crewkerne, County Somerset, England : Father of Early Immigrants, George and the Rev. Joseph Hull
- published V. 13 #1 Spring 2002, pp. 9-12
Thomas the younger - he had an older half-brother also named Thomas - was born in about 1552 to Richard Hull, a miller and husbandman, and his second wife, Alice. He had two full brothers, one older (James), one younger (John), and 3 older half-brothers (William, Thomas, Raynold) and one older half-sister (Elynor). They lived in Crewkerne, Somerset, England. Somerset is in the south-west of England - if you start from Land's End (Cornwall), the next county is Devon, and then comes Somerset. Crewkerne is in the south of Somerset, almost at the Dorset border.
He was born during the reign of Edward VI, and lived until the middle of Charles I's reign, but apparently manged to prosper despite the social upheavals of the time, and despite the fairly early death of his father (who died when Thomas was ~7 years old). It is not known exactly what he occupation was, but Phyllis says he was "probably of the yeoman class" and he was apparently fairly prosperous - two of his sons went to Oxford, and he bought a living for his youngest son, our next ancestor, Joseph.
He may have married while he was still a minor - his marriage certificate lists him as "sonne of Alice Hull widdow." His wife was Joane Peson/Pysinge, daughter of Richard and Margery; the married on 11 Jan 1572/3 in Crewkerne.
They lived in Winsham, a town about 4 miles southwest of Crewkerne, for the first couple of years they were married. Their first two children, William (1574) and Mary (1576), were baptized there. In 1578/9, a daughter, Agnes, was buried at Crewkerne, and their next seven children were baptized there, so they apparently moved back to Crewkerne some time after the baptism of Mary.
Their children (many of them died fairly young):
1. William, baptized 6 Nov 1574 in Winsham, Somerset, England was one of the sons who went to Oxford. He matriculated at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford on 10 Nov 1592, age 18. On 3 Jan 1611/12, he succeded John Eedes (one of the translators of the King James Bible) as vicar at Colyton, Devon, England. He married twice, first to Jane Sampson (6 Dec 1603 in Colyton) and second to Anne Perkins. He apparently had no children. His will, written 20 May 1627, mentions his wife Ann, his brothers Joseph, George, John, one nephews and two nieces, but no sons or daughters. William was buried 1 June 1627 in Colyton. (The will was probated 19 June 1627.)
2. Mary, baptized 26 Sep 1576 in Winsham; died 1584 (buried 6 Sep, in Crewkerne), when she was ~8.
3. Agnes, born Abt. 1578; buried 11 Feb 1578/79.
4. Richard, baptized 21 Nov 1579 in Crewkerne, Somerset, England; buried 17 March 1597 in Crewkerne, Somerset, England.
5. Thomas, baptized 21 July 1582 in Crewkerne; died before 20 May 1627 (not mentioned in brother William's will).
6. Robert, baptized 8 Nov 1584 in Crewkerne; buried 5 Apr 1597 in Crewkerne.
7. John, baptized 14 Feb 1586/87 in Crewkerne; died 1627. He married Edith Unknown. John's will was written 21 Sep 1627 and witnessed by his brother Joseph. Overseers, brothers Joseph and George. He was buried 10 Oct 1627, Crewkerne.
8. George Hull, born 1590 in (probably) Crewkerne (the parish records from Arpil to October 1590 are missing). In 1614 (Aug 27) he married Thamzen Mitchell; they had 7 children, all apparently born in Crewkerne. In the early 1630s (The Hull Family in America says March 30, 1629/30; the article by Phyllis says "by March 1632/33.") they emigrated to America, settling first in Dorchester, Massachusetts (near Boston) and later moving on to Connecticut. At some unknown date, Thamzen died, and in about 1655, George married a widow, Mrs. Sarah Philpin. George died sometime before 25 August 1659 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut. [There is an entire section of The Hull Family in America devoted to George and his descendants. Since he isn't our progenitor, I didn't copy any of it.]
9. Francis, baptized 13 Feb 1592 in Crewkerne; died before 20 May 1627 (not mentioned in brother William's will).
10. Joseph, baptized 30 March 1594 in Crewkerne; died 1595 (buried 15 April). Crewkerne.
11. Joseph, our next ancestor, born~1595, baptized 25 Apr 1596 in Crewkerne; emigrated to America in 1635; died 19 April 1665 in Isle of Shoals or York, York, Maine.
By the time Thomas died, in 1636, all his children were dead or emigrated. His wife, too, had died (in 1629 - buried on 30 Oct). He left everything to his granchildren (the ones who were still in England):
Will written 17 Dec 1636 - Crewkerne - entire estate to grandchildren, children of son John
All my goods and chattells to my daughter-in-law Edith Hull's four children, to be divided between them as shall be most need by the discretion of John Ball, schoolmaster [headmaster of Crewkerne Free Grammar School, 1613-1636], and John Bere the elder.
Edith Hull, my daughter-in-law to be executrix in trust for her four children.
Witnesses: John Ball, John Beere
Thomas was buried on 19 Dec 1636, in Crewkerne.
Phyllis has detailed source notes in her articles, which I am not reproducing here. If you are interested, I will send you a list of them.
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