Thomas Lombard/Lumbert born before February 1581/2 Dorsetshire; died between 1663-1665 at Barnstable, Massachusetts

Thomas Lombard was baptized Thorncombe, Dorsetshire 2 Feb 1581/2. I have not seen the original document, but the same church has baptism of his brother Bernard, noting he is son of Thomas Lumbert (TAG 52:136). He migrated to New England prior to 19 October 1630 when Thomas Lumberd appears in the list of the first 24 men of Dorchester, a Boston neighborhood, who applied to become freeman; he became a freeman 18 May 1631. He probably came on the Mary and John that arrived at Nantasket on 30 May 1630. He removed to Barnstable on Cape Cod in 1639. Amos Otis wrote he was a follower of Rev. Lothrop and lived at Scituate before removing to Barnstable; others say he was at Barnstable ahead of Lothrop, so I need to do more research. His name is spelled in a variety of ways including Lombard, Lumbert, Lumbard, Lumberd. He is my 11th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

On 3 December 1639 the Plymouth General Court allowed Thomas “to keep victualing or an ordinary, for entertainment of passengers, and to draw wine at Barnstable, he keeping good order in his house.” (PCR 1:137)

Barnstable's town way to water off Rendezvous Lane, near where Thomas kept an ordinary/inn

He requested to be made a freeman on 19 Oct 1630 (as Tho. Lumberd) and was admitted 18 May 1631 as Thos. Lumbard. (MBCR 1:80, 366). He was on the Barnstable list of Men Able to Bear Arms in 1643. He took the oath of fidelity at Barnstable in 1657. (PCR 8:179)

Thomas Lombard joined the Barnstable church by 1641, as he had two sons baptized there, and is called “Brother Lumbar Senior” at the baptism of the second (NEHGR 9:282).

It seems Thomas was relatively wealthy but perhaps was not well-suited to public service. He was appointed Barnstable surveyor of highways on 6 June 1649, but otherwise doesn’t appear to be active in local government. (PCR 2:139) 

That his inventory included books valued at 14 shillings indicates he was literate. 

Thomas was granted two acres of marsh at Dorchester on 27 June 1636 (Dorchester Town Records/DTR 16); grant of additional two acres of marsh on 2 Jan 1637/8 (DTR 28); granted two lots of about four acres each on 18 March 1637/8 (DTR 31); received Lot No. 51 of six acres at the meadow beyond Naponset (DTR 321).

Otis wrote that Thomas’ first house at Barnstable, which he operated as an inn, was one of the best and largest in town and was west of Rendezvous Lane, containing 12 acres next to Thomas Lothrop's lot. In 1656 he sold this house to Thomas Lewis for 20 pounds sterling and moved to his great lot of 45 acres near the northeast corner of town. He owned all of Dead Swamp.

It appears Thomas married four times, with unfortunately the identities of three wives completely unknown and only the Christian name known for the fourth. Marriages and children from The Great Migration Begins. 

Thomas married, first, by 1602, an unknown woman who died 1608-1617, and they had two sons:

iThomas bp Thorncombe 7 Sept 1602; perhaps the Thomas who m. At Ashill, Somerset 9 June 1624 Thomaszine Hawkins (TAG 52:136), otherwise died probably before his half-brother of the same name was born in 1617; no further certain record.

ii Bernard b about 1608 (deposed 20 Feb 1668[/9?] aged about 60 (MD 17:109); m. by about 1633 to woman whose name is unknown (Wakefield suggests that Bernard Lombard may have had a second wife, possibly a daughter of William Clarke of Yarmouth (TAG 52:138-39). 

Thomas married, second, by 1617, an unknown woman who died sometime after 1623. They had three children:

iii Thomas bp Thorncombe 9 Oct 1617 d. Probably about 1661 (TAG 52:137)

v Joshua bp Thorncombe 15 Oct 1620, m. Barnstable 27 May 1651 Abigail Linnett (NEHGR 9:287)

v Margaret bp Thorncombe 7 March 1623; m. Nauset (Eastham) 27 Oct 1648 Edward Coleman of Boston (NEHGR 9:286)

He married, third, by about 1635 an unknown woman, possibly a sister or sister-in-law of Alice (Richards) Torrey (TAG 67:51).This wife died sometime after 1642.  They had five children. 

vi Caleb born say 1635 (TAG 52:138)

vii Jemima born say 1637, m. Boston 10 June 1661 Joseph Benjamin, son of John Benjamin (“Joseph Benjamine of Barnstable & Jemima Lumbard daughter of the late Thomas Lumbard deceased” (BVR 81); the Boston record has apparently confused Jemima’s brother with the father in this record (TAG 52:137)

viii Jobaniah bp Dorchester 23 June 1639 (DChR 149); no further record

ix Jedediah, b Barnstable 20 September 1640 [sic] (MD 11:97); bp there 19 Sept 1641 (NEHGR 9:282); m. Barnstable 20 May 1668 Hannah Wing (MD 11:98)

x Benjamin b Barnstable 26 August 1642 [sic] (MD 11:97), bp there 5 August 1643 “son of Brother Lumbar Senior” (NEHGR 9:282); m. 1 Barnstable 19 Sept 1672 Jane Warren (MD 11:98; 2nd Barnstable 19 November 1685 Sarah Walker (MD 11:98); m 3rd Barnstable 24 May 1694 Hannah (__?__) Whetstone widow (MD 11:98)

Thomas married, fourth, after 1644/45, Joyce (__?__) Wallen, widow of Ralph Wallen of Plymouth (TAG 67:47-52); she died after 19 Sept 1683 when she is mentioned in Barnstable church records (TAG 52:138).

I descend from son Caleb whom I wrote about here.

There was some discord n the Lombard household. On 2 October 1660 Thomas Lumbert Sr. of Barnstable complained to the court that “Jedediah, his son, hath carried stubbornly against his father, and that he is by him freed, provided he do dispose himself in some honest family with his father’s consent, which if he shall neglect to do, the Court have deputed Mr. Hinckley to dispose of him to some honest, godly family, with his and his father’s consent.” (PCR 3:201) 

Thomas Lumbert of Barnstable’s will is dated 23 March 1662/3, acknowledged 10 June 1663, and proved March 1664/5. Items he  bequeathed include his homestead, land, horses, cows, oxen, arms, carpenter’s tools, and looms. Jedediah is included, so whatever disappointments his father had in him did not lead to him being written out of his will. 

He left most of his estate to his wife Joyce and three younger sons: Caleb, Jedidiah and Benjamin. He also confirms that he formerly gave lands to sons Barnard and Joshua and sons-in-law Joseph Benjamine and Edward Coleman. He mentions daughter Margaret Coleman, grandchild Abigail Benjamine, and daughter Jemima. Widow Joyce Lumbert deposed to the truth of the inventory.  (MD 16:124-126 citing PCPR 2:2:24).

The inventory of the estate of Thomas Lumbert of Barnstable Senior deceased was taken 8 Feb 1664[/5] and total 210 pounds, 8 shillings 6 pence, including lands and housing valued at 60 pounds (MD 16:126, citing PCPR 2:2:25).

Thomas Lombard died at Barnstable between 10 June 1663 when he acknowledged his will and 8 Feb 1664[/5] when his inventory was taken.

On 7 March 1664[/5] Joyce the wife of Thomas Lumbert, deceased, Jedediah Lumbert and Caleb Lumbert were granted administration on the estate of Thomas Lumbert (PCR 4:81).

Sources:

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1995

Robert S. Wakefield, The American Genealogist (TAG),  “The Lombard Family of Barnstable, Mass.,” 1976, 52:136-139

Eugene Stratton, History of Plymouth Colony, Its History and People, 1986

Amos Otis, Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, being a reprint of the Amos Otis Papers, originally published in the Barnstable Patriot, revised by CF Swift, Volume 1 and 2,1888

Amos Otis, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, The Lumbert or Lombard Family, pamphlet no. 54, 1914

Register, “Notes on the Lombard Family,” July 1858, 12:249

Ebenezer Clapp, History of the Town of Dorchester Massachusetts, 1859, p. 27