Thomas Boreman

A cooper, from Claydon, Oxfordshire; he came to Ipswich about 1634. Freeman of Massachusetts Bay in March 1634/5; deputy to the General Court 8 Sept 1636. His Ipswich house lot was "bounded on the north east by a House lott belonging to Mr. John Winthrop." He farmed Boardman's Island, 55 acres bounded "on the West the great creek called the Labour in vayne" (Goldthwaite, from the Ipswich town records). Samuel Symonds wrote to John Winthrop Jr.: "I desire you would talk with Mr. Boreman & with his help buy for me a matter of 40 bushells of good Indian corne" (Winthrop Papers, quoted by Goldthwaite). Called "Mr." in the Ipswich records and his wife "Mistress," a sign of local standing; the family in England were yeomen. In 1671/2 "Thomas Borman, a very old man, being before us at Ipswich, declared upon his oath that he Judgeth the words (Thomas Borman) subscribed ... to be his hand" (Goldthwaite p. 111). A letter from Lidia Banks, London, 5 Sept 1672, sends greetings "not forgetting old Mr. Bourman, Mr. Rogers and their wifes if alive."

His will, dated 17 Dec 1670, leaves "to my daughter Martha the wife of Thomas Loe to her children twenty pounds three yeares after the decease of my wife when my sonne Thomas shall possesse the whole farme," and provides "that my Brother Daniell shall abide with my wiue while she lives." His mother's will makes a similar provision for her son Daniel, and Goldthwaite (p. 94) treats the pair as proof that the Ipswich emigrant was the Claydon Thomas. His inventory was taken 26 May 1673 by Daniell Epps, John Dane and Symon Tompson, "amounting to 553li. 6s. 6d.," with debts of £30 (Essex Quarterly Courts 5:167).

Samuel Boreman of Wethersfield, a son of Christopher Boreman and Julian Carter, was his first cousin (Goldthwaite p. 101). George W. Cable descends from Samuel.