Thomas Hastings (colonist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Hastings
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| Member, General Court of Massachusetts | |
| In office 1673–1673 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1605 England |
| Died | c. September 15, 1685 (aged 80) Watertown, Massachusetts |
| Spouse | Susan(na) _____ (1600-1650) Magaret Cheney (1628-c1690) |
| Profession | Farmer, Deacon, Public Official |
| Signature |  |
Thomas Hastings (around 1605 – September 15, 1685) was an important English person who moved to New England. He was part of a big movement called the Great Migration. About 20,000 people moved during this time.
Thomas Hastings was a church leader, called a deacon. He also held many public jobs. For example, he helped with colony taxes in 1640. In 1673, he represented Watertown in the General Court of Massachusetts. This was like the government of the colony. He also owned land in Dedham for a few years, but he probably never lived there.
Contents
Thomas Hastings's Life and Family
His Journey to America
Thomas Hastings and his first wife, Susan, left Ipswich, Suffolk, England, on a ship called The Elizabeth. They sailed on April 30, 1634. We don't know his exact hometown in England. But other people on the ship suggest he came from the eastern part of England, maybe Suffolk or Norfolk counties.
His Family in New England
After his first wife died in 1650, Thomas Hastings married Margaret Cheney. She was from Roxbury. Thomas and Margaret had eight children together. It was amazing for that time, but all their children lived longer than their parents!
One of their sons, Thomas Jr., faced some challenges when he was 19. His father, Deacon Thomas, was a respected leader in the church and town. He was a selectman, town clerk, and moderator during this time. Thomas Jr. later moved about 150 miles west to Hatfield, Massachusetts.
Thomas Jr.'s Success
A year later, Thomas Jr. married Anna Hawkes. He became a respected doctor. This made his father very happy. His father once said he spent a lot to help his son become a "Scholar." He hoped Thomas Jr. would do well with his skills and learning.
Dr. Thomas Hastings Jr. worked as a doctor for about 40 years. He also served as the town clerk for 20 years. He worked on the frontier, treating many injuries from conflicts with Native Americans. He also wrote an important record of a big attack on nearby Deerfield in 1704.
Thomas Hastings's Public Service
In Watertown, Massachusetts, Thomas Hastings was often chosen for leadership roles. He held almost every important job in the town. He was a Selectman, Moderator, and Town Clerk many times. His public service lasted for five decades. He was last elected to a public job in 1680.
As a "Freeman," he owned property. He was a strong Puritan and believed in the teachings of the Geneva Bible. Many people thought he was one of the most important citizens in Watertown. Historians have called him one of the "old war-horses" of the town. Many old records from his time were written by him. Town meetings were often held at his home.
Thomas Hastings died in Watertown. While there is no marker, he is likely buried with his family in the Old Burying Ground. Margaret Hastings, his second wife, lived for about five more years after him. The locations of their old properties are known, but no buildings from the 1600s belonging to the Hastings family still exist.
Two of Thomas Hastings's grandsons, Daniel and Nathaniel Hastings, were among the first people to settle the town of Boylston, Massachusetts.
Notable People Related to Thomas Hastings
Many of Thomas and Margaret Hastings's descendants became important or famous. Here are a few:
- Herbert Baxter Adams
- Dorthea Dix Allen
- Lemuel H. Arnold
- Frederick H. Billings
- George R. Carter
- Frederick Spaulding Coolidge
- Marcus A. Coolidge
- Kirtland Kelsey Cutter
- Daniel Ashley Dickinson (1839–1902) (A judge on the Minnesota Supreme Court)
- Frank Austin Gooch
- F. Childe Hassam
- Lansford Hastings
- W. Reed Hastings
- Robert Hastings (a lawyer who helped start a big law firm)
- Seth Hastings
- Smith H. Hastings (1843–1905) (A Colonel in the Union Army and a Medal of Honor winner)
- Solon S. Hastings (1806–after 1864) (A lawmaker in Massachusetts)
- Thomas Hastings (composer)
- Thomas Nelson Hastings (1858–1907) (A member of the New Hampshire Senate and a friend of Thomas A. Edison)
- Wells Southworth Hastings (1878–1923) (an author)
- William Soden Hastings
- William Jefferson Hunsaker, (1855–1933) (A District Attorney and Mayor of San Diego)
- Susanna Willard Johnson (1730–1810) (Known for being captured by Native Americans and writing a diary)
- Albert Francis Judd
- Gerrit P. Judd
- Lawrence Judd
- L. Brooks Leavitt
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Carole Lombard
- Kimo Wilder McVay
- James Richard Mead
- Barse Miller (1904–1973) (a talented painter)
- Warren Hastings Miller (1876–1960) (Author and editor of Field & Stream magazine)
- E. H. Moore
- Eliakim H. Moore
- Theodore Parker
- Calvin Plimpton
- William Russell (1857-1896), the 37th governor of Massachusetts
- Waitstill Sharp
- Daniel Willard
- Henry Wellesley Wild
