He is named in the will of a Thomas Forde, merchant of Dorchester, County Dorset, England as the son of his brother John. Other than this, his parentage is unknown. He had children baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Dorchester from l623 to l629. Before that he lived in Bridport, Dorset. He married his first wife in Powerstock in l6l0, 4 miles Northeast of Bridport, County, Dorset, England.
He came from Dorchester, County Dorset, England in l630 on the Mary &John to Dorchester, Mass. He brought his second wife, Elizabeth Charde, & daughters Mary, age l7, Joan age l2, Abigail age l0, and Hepzibah age 4, along with his step-son Aaron Cooke age l7, with him. Thomas Ford is named as an "olderman of good estate" added to the company coming to Mass. to provide balance to the settlement. May l3, l63l he was admitted Freeman. In Oct. l633 the Court in Mass. selected l2 men called Selectmen to vote on local issues, naming him as one of the Selectmen. In l633 he was among those having to erect a fence to keep the cows in, being the owner of l cow. He was in l634 named as having 2 cows & l breeding bull. In l635 he was among those chosen to order the affairs of the Plantation (Dorchester, Mass.). He helped in construction of their first church in l639. In l633/4 he was appointed as one of 4 to set the boundary between Boston & Roxbury. He was an active & useful man in Dorchester& Windsor as his name appears frequently on the town records.
He was among the group who with Rev. Warham migrated from Dorchester,Mass. & founded Windsor, Ct. in l636. He was elected Deputy in 1637, 8, 9, & 1640, to the General Court, grand juror in 1643 & juror in 1644. In 1637 he was among the men who purchased land from the Indians for the inhabitants of Windsor which was called Windsor Locks. This happened about the time of the Pequot Wars. A description of his land is on pg. 493 & 494, along with 496 in "THE HISTORIES AND GENEALOGIES OF ANCIENT WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT". There is also a listing of his land holdings which were quite large along the Connecticut River on pg. 549 of the same book. He gave one of his large holdings through his will to Zerrubabel Fyler on the condition he marry his granddaughter, Experience Strong. He was also chosen as Constable for Windsor for l655. In l654 he was fined in Court 20 pounds for bringing charges against the Elders with Zerubbabel Fyler.
Soon after he married his 3rd wife, he moved to Hartford, Ct. & established in the home of Thomas Scott (his wife's former husband) the first Tavern there. In l652 he sold the tavern. He continued to hold his large properties in Windsor. In l654 he was among those who founded Northampton, Mass. Judge Henry N. Blake says, "Six Presidents of the United States were descended from Thomas Ford ("THE ABRIDGED COMPENDIUM OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY"). There is a copy of his signature on pg. 270 of "THE HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF ANCIENT WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT."
Sources:
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND
A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND
GENEALOGICAL GUIDE TO THE EARLY SETTLERS OF AMERICA
SEARCH FOR THE PASSENGERS OF THE MARY & JOHN
CONNECTICUT COLONISTS, WINDSOR l635-l703
THE HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF ANCIENT WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, l635-l89l
SOME OF THE NAMES OF THE FIRST PURITAN SETTLERS OF CONNECTICUT
RECORDS OF A PARTICULAR COURT OF CONNECTICUT l639-l663
THE PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS
FOUNDERS OF EARLY AMERICAN FAMILIES
NEW ENGLAND MARRIAGES PRIOR TO l700
THE ENGLISH ORIGINS OF THE "MARY AND JOHN" PASSENGERS
GENEALOGICAL GLEANINGS IN ENGLAND, VOL. l
THE ABRIDGED COMPENDIUM OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY
THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST, VOL. l6, "Thomas Ford of Dorchester, England,and
Dorchester, Mass."
Sources:
SEARCH FOR THE PASSENGERS OF THE MARY AND JOHN
THE ABRIDGED COMPENDIUM OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY
Mary and Aaron were step-sister/brother. They were raised in the same family by the time they were very young. She came on the Mary & John to New England with her Father & Step-Mother in l630 at l7 years of age. Seven years after they arrived in New England they were married. She had 4 children before she died.
Sources:
SEARCH FOR THE PASSENGERS OF THE MARY AND JOHN, VOL. 4
Burgis Pratt Starr, A HISTORY OF THE STARR FAMILY, Hartford, Ct., The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., l879, p.269;
.
He became one of the wealthiest men in his hometown. He was an extensive landholder & dealer in real estate. He was also a banker. He was the first Clerk of the Court of Probate, Registrar of Deeds, & in l752-53 Deputy to the General Court.
of Newton, Mass.
Had 3 children by his first wife & l0 children by his second wife.
Sources:
HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF THE FAMILIES OF OLD FAIRFIELD
WILLIAM BEARDSLEY OF STRATFORD
Joshua is buried in San Juan Bautista, San Benito County, California.
In 1831 Ephraim and two others became the first settlers of Spring Creek, McDonough County, Illinois. Ephraim's brothers William and Joshua followed soon after. Louisa, Maruah, and Mary Polly, his sisters, came later. In 1839, Ephraim is listed by the county commissioner as a guardian for a pauper in the county. In the spring of 1842, Ephraim and Phebe joined the Mormom church. It is not clear when they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, but it could have been as early as 1844 the date of a patriarchal blessing given to Ephraim's daughter. Ephraim was an Elder in the church and was President of the Branch in San Juan Bautista. They held services in Joshua's home, as he had a large home. In 1856 Ephraim moved to San Bernadino, CA. While in California, Ephraim, Anciel, and son-in-law James Monroe Puffer, purchased a Spanish or Mexican land grant in the vicinity of San Bernadino, which they lost as they could not pay for it. The Twitchell reservoir south of San Luis Obispo, CA is named in their honor. They worked the gold fields near Sacramento for about eight years afterwhich they returned to Utah, settling in Beaver County. Ephraim served in the Black Hawk War in the command of Captain Hunt. He became presiding elder of the church at Indian Creek, Utah. Ephraim helped raise an Indian boy who was left an orphan due to a massacre. The indian boy named Nephi Burton later married Ephraim's daughter Olive.
The above is taken from a written account of the Twitchell trip with the Mormons to California & then Utah. Also Joshua nor William ever became Mormons. Joshua lived among them but never joined their church.
1820 Meigs County Census
Sorted by surname
Twitchell Joshua 115 Rutland
Twitchell William 113A Orange (4 houses down from Eli Davis)1830 Meigs County Census
Sorted by surname
Twitchell Joshua 252 Salisbury Twp.
Twitchell William 255 Bedford Twp. (4 houses down from Eliakim)DEEDS
Meigs County Deed Index, Pre-1830
This page contains a index to the pre-1830 deeds of Meigs County. These entries were transcribed from a microfilm copy of volume 1 of the original deed index books (LDS film #), and are listed in alphabetical order by grantor.VOL PG ACRES LOT LOT NO COMMENTS
498 Feb 26, 1821 Twichel, Joshua Brine, Luke 1 216 40 262 12
498 Feb 26, 1821 Twichel, Joshua Silvester, John 1 217 40 262 12
500 Aug 4, 1823 Twichel, Joshua Curtis, Abraham 12 198 30 640 25
498 Dec 3, 1819 Twichell, Joshua Putnam, A. W. 1 73 80 262 12
02 Aug 15, 1821 Hoppis, Geo. Twitchell, Joshua 1 231 30 640
348 Dec 3, 1819 Putnam, A. W. Twichell, Joshua 1 89 80 262Joshua Jr. (Ephraim's brother) served in the War of 1812. He would have been only about 18 years old at that time.
McDonough County, Illinois
1840 U. S. CensusJoshua Twitchel
William Twitchell
Ephraim Twitchell
NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, VOL. 43, p.42, 43
I also find in the same register (Parish Registers of Hessett, England) the marriage of Joan, daughter of Walter Hoo or Howe, of Hesset, to Philip Newgate, of the neighboring parish of Horningsheath, and they were the parents of John Newgate an important settler of Boston, Mass. in l633.Phillip Newegatae and Joan, daughter of Walter Hoo, were married 20 Dec. l578.
Born in England. He came to this county with his 3rd wife Ann & their children. He was a hatter, merchant in Boston.
Almost all the information found in the Newgate family was found through John.
Sources:
A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND
THE PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS
ESSEX INSTITUTE HISTORICAL COLLECTION, VOL. 20
NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, Vol. 29
GENEALOGIES AND ESTATES OF CHARLESTOWN, MASS.
NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, VOL. 52
COLLECTIONS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, VOL. l
THE TOWNSENDS
NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, VOL. 44
NEW ENGLAND MARRIAGES TO l700