Thomas Granger (ca 1596 to ca 1642) and His Wife Grace Hasse (b. 1599) of Kent, England and Scituate, Massachusetts

Thomas Granger was born in England about 1596, possibly in Eastwell, Kent. I have not discovered his parents. He married Grace Hasse at Eastwell on 21 September 1620. Grace was baptized Eastwell, 15 April 1599, the daughter of Steven Hasse. [Parish Registers for Eastwell, Kent 1538-1985] Grace and Thomas are my 11th great-grandparents on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

Ruins of St. Mary's Church, Eastwell (source: wikipedia)

Grace and Thomas had three children, likely all born England:

1. Thomas born about 1626 in England; died 8 September 1642 at age 16 or 17 when he was executed for buggery [Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, hereafter PCR, 2:44]
2. John born about 1630 in England; died 4 October 1655 at Marshfield [Vital Records of Marshfield in The Mayflower Descendant, hereafter MD, 2:5] and buried Scituate; he was under 21 when his mother wrote her will in 1648; he likely died unmarried
3. Elizabeth born about 1636 (based on estimated age of 20 at marriage); she married John Booth in November 1656 probably in nearby Marshfield; died between 11 February 1719 (deed to son) and 1 May 1721 (son sold property) probably at Pembroke, Massachusetts which was formed from Duxbury in 1712. [Young]

I descend from Elizabeth. I wrote about Elizabeth and her husband here.

I have more research to do, but I found possible baptisms of Thomas and Grace’s sons, but in Nonington, Kent. [Ancestry “Kent England, Tyler Index to Parish Registers, 1538-1874]:

Thomas Grainger, son of Thomas, was baptized 17 April 1625

John Grainger, son of Thomas, was baptized 25 October 1629

Negative search for Elizabeth. Nonington is about a 29 mile drive from Eastwell on today’s roads.

Thomas and Grace came to New England on the ship Hercules in 1637. Thomas was listed as a servant to Joseph Bachelor, tailor of Canterbury, who settled Salem and then Wenham in Essex County. There were four additional Grangers on board: Grace [his wife], Stephen, Joan and a second Thomas [his son]. [Banks] Perhaps baby Elizabeth was too young to be listed or she was born later than estimated. I wonder if perhaps Joan Granger is a spelling error for son John. I do not know Stephen’s connection the the family—he’s not mentioned in any Plymouth Colony records that I have seen—perhaps a son who died young. Why Thomas’ servitude was short-lived is another unanswered question.  

The Grangers were at Scituate before 1642 where they lived south of the training field and northeast of Hick’s Swamp. [Deane]

Many of the early Scituate settlers were from Kent and followers of Rev. John Lothrop, who himself had been married at Eastwell and had two children baptized there. [The Great Migration Newsletter, 14:32] 

At the Plymouth court of 7 September 1642, "Thomas Granger (Jr.) late servant to Love Brewster of Duxborough with parents of Scituate, was this Court indicted for buggery or beastiality with a mare, a cow, two goats, divers sheep, two calves, and a turkey and was found guilty, and received sentence of death by hanging until he was dead." [PCR, 2:44] He was "about 16 or 17 years" [Bradford] I cannot imagine the grief and shame the family felt about this loss. I also descend from Love Brewster, and it was a large financial loss for him, losing a servant and 12 valuable and scarce farm animals. Thomas was required to identify each animal and they were destroyed as they were deemed unclean and not fit for any use. 

Young Thomas was likely made an example of because of the Pilgrims' concerns about keeping the growing colony's moral purity intact. Sodomy and buggery were considered worse offenses than premarital sex and adultery. Gov. Bradford speculated that "Satan hath more power in these heathen lands." [Philbrick]

At the 3 January 1642/3 Court, Mr. John Holmes [my 10th great grandfather], the Messenger, presented his account for his expenses which included “executing Granger and viij [12] beasts: £2 10 shillings.” [PCR 2:50]

The elder Thomas did not live long after his son’s execution, dying at Scituate probably in late 1642 as administration on Thomas’ estate was granted 3 January 1642/3 to Timothy Hatherly and Edward Eddenden "in the behalf of his wife and children" to pay debts. By this court order Hatherly became responsible for managing the estate of the deceased Thomas Granger, to pay debts, handle the affairs of the widow Grace Granger, and guide her and the two minor children, John and Elizabeth. [PCR 2:50-51] Hatherly was the leading citizen of Scituate, so perhaps his involvement in the estate indicated the Granger family was not treated like pariahs.

Grace, who at age 43 was already reeling from the horrific death of her son, was now left to raise her two remaining children alone. 

Grace Granger died sometime after she wrote her will on 24 November 1648. [NEHGS Register, 4:283 and MD 9:85] She was “in good health and memory,” and left bequests:

• Son John when he reaches age 21 my house and land; a share of Conihassett land Grace bought; a saw, one broad axe , one hoe, one narrow axe. “Now Whereas ther is tenn pounds payed out of my sonns mony in England my will is hee shall have all my land I bought at Conahsset to satisfy the tenn pound to him as in lew of it.” 
• Daughter Elizabeth a bedstead with feather bed, bolster, 2 pair of sheets, blanket and covering; one heifer with the increase; one great mortar and pestle; and one great kettle. 

Grace Granger signed with her mark; witnesses are Timothy Hatherley, John Hewse, Richard Beare.

Grace Granger, a widow, who seems to have owned a farm near the mouth of North River, on the Marshfield side, in 1648. [Deane]

Thomas and Grace’s son John died 4 October 1655 [VRs of Marshfield p 3 also reprinted in MD 2:5] at about age 25. His death was "unattested" (without witness) and reported to the Plymouth Colony General Court by a Grand Inquest on 5 March 1655(/6), although nothing is written about determination of cause of death. [PCR 3:97] His inventory was taken “the 24th day of the seaventh month November” 1655 [sic: “seaventh” month must be an error as November is ninth month] and exhibited at court 6 May 1656 by Richard Beer who had been granted administration. included three parcels of land in Scituate valued at £20. [MD 14:23, PCR 3:97-8]

Note that Deane in his Scituate history incorrectly identifies Grace’s husband as John, confusing father with the son.

Sources:

Malcolm A. Young, NEHGS Register, "John 1 Booth of Marshfield and Scituate, Massachusetts: Servant and Planter," Vol 159 (July 2005)

Charles Edward Banks, The Planters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1620-1640, 1930 

Samuel Deane, History of Scituate Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1831, 1831

Robert Charles Anderson, The Mayflower Descendant, “Elizabeth Granger, Probable Wife of John Booth of Scituate,” 42:55 (1992)

Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, 2006 

William Bradford, Of Plimouth Plantation, edited by Caleb H. Johnson, 2006