Thomas Low
Maltster and deacon of Chebacco in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Chosen deacon when the Chebacco church was organized in 1683, he served until his death in 1712, for several years also as parish clerk, and in 1692 he signed the Ipswich petition for John and Elizabeth Proctor. Son of Thomas Low, he married Martha Boreman at Ipswich in 1660 and was the father of David Low.
Life
- c. 1631Bornc. 1631/2
"Thomas Loe, aged about thirty-seven years" in June 1669 (Essex Quarterly Courts 4:156), and "a. 80 y." at his death in 1712. A deposition of June 1676 makes him younger ("Thomas Low, jr., aged about thirty-six," 6:159). Perhaps the Thomas, son of Thomas and Margaret Lowe, bp. Groton, Suffolk, 8 May 1631 (possible).
- 1660Married Martha Boreman4 July 1660, Ipswich, Massachusetts
"Thomas, and Martha Borman, July 4, 1660. ct. r." (2:292).
documentedproven - 1712Died12 Apr 1712, Ipswich (Chebacco), Massachusetts
From the gravestone, "a. 80 y." (2:625).
documentedproven
Family
- Father
- Thomas Low
His father's will of 1677: "Item I Giue & bequeath vnto my Sonne Thomas Low Thirty pownds," and "my Grandchild Thomas Low five pownds." In the records he is "Thomas Low, jr." while his father lives and "Thomas Low, sr." after 1677.
documentedproven - Mother
- Margaret Tod
Only if he is the Thomas baptized at Groton in 1631, son of Thomas and Margaret, and the Ipswich Thomas is the man who married Margaret Tod in 1630.
compiledpossibleSources
- Wm. G. Low, A Genealogical Quest (1908), and A Genealogical Quest No. 2
- Reasoning:
research/low/Low_Master_Research.md
- Spouse
- Siblings
Pedigree
Notes
Maltster and deacon of Chebacco. The Essex County court records show him on juries, in depositions and in the malt trade:
- 1668. “Thomas Low, jr.,” “Martha (her mark) Low,” Thomas Varny, “Goodman (his mark) Procktor” and other Chebacco neighbours petitioned for Thomas Wells and his wife, fined for “slanderous, reproachful and threatening speeches” against the magistrates: “we neuer found nor understood ainy thing in their speeches or behauior but that which was good and Christian like” (4:76).
- 1669, the killing of Reynold Foster’s horse. His servant John Chub was charged with it. Neighbours testified that “Goodman Low came to work at a seasonable time the morning the horse was killed, when the sun was a half hour high,” but John Burnum jr. “deposed that he saw Thomas Low, jr., run at Renall Foster’s horse with a pitchfork.” Chub was sentenced “to pay 5li. to said Foster and 5li. to the county or else to be whipped. Also to pay Thomas Low 10s.,” and was to serve Thomas Low until his fines were paid off (4:124-126, 156-157).
- 1669-1671. Deposed about the Knowltons’ spoiled planks (4:156); served a writ “as deputy for Robert Lord, marshal of Ipswich” (4:171); with Martha, testified that Thomas Brag was “one of few words and Therfor the mos apt for to be abused by any one” (4:243); malt attached “in the hands of Capt. Appleton and Goodman Low,” 1671 (4:334; which Thomas is not stated).
- 1676-1682. Trial juror (6:196); on the Chebacco committee of 1677/8 to seek preaching in Chebacco (Crowell p. 74); appraised timber cut on the Cogswell farm, 1679 (7:203-204); “Thomas Low took the freeman’s oath,” 26 Sept 1682 (8:377).
When the Chebacco church was organized and John Wise ordained in 1683, “the church chose John Burnham, and Thomas Low, deacons” (Crowell p. 93); he was deacon until his death and “for several years parish clerk.” In 1685 he bought of the town two acres “bounded by his own land southerly, by the Common northeast, Goodman Reginald Foster’s southeast, and Robert Kinsman’s southwest” (Waters 1:335-337). “Tho. Low Sanor” signed the Ipswich petition of August 1692 for John and Elizabeth Proctor, whose first signer was Rev. John Wise, uncle of his son David’s wife; John Proctor was the brother of Abigail (Proctor) Varney, whose granddaughter married his grandson Caleb. In 1702 the first Chebacco school-house was to stand “on the right hand of the way as you go from the Meeting-house to Dea. Thomas Low’s.”
His will, dated 17 June 1708 and proved 5 May 1712, opens “I Thomas Low, of Ipswich … Maltster” and calls him “ancient, crazey & infirm in body.” It leaves his wife Martha “the new end” of the house, which he had built a few years before, “a horse to ride on as she may have occasion,” apples, cider, malt, corn, wool and flax. It names his children Jonathan, Samuel, David, Martha Dodge, Joanna Dodge, Sarah Low and Abigail Goodhue. Three sons died before him: Thomas (b. 1661, d. 1697/8), Nathaniel (d. 1695) and John (d. 1695). Mollie’s “Asa” and “Daniel” were grandsons, sons of Samuel. Crowell’s picture of the widow in the new end and Samuel malting in the old (pp. 120-122) is his own reconstruction, not a record.
King Philip’s War: possible. Among the grantees of Narragansett Township No. 1 (Buxton, Maine) is “Low, Thomas,” claimant “Jon[athan]. Low” (Bodge p. 415). Jonathan was his son, so the soldier was probably he or his eldest son Thomas.
Open questions
- Is he the Thomas baptized at Groton in 1631? The 1669 deposition and his age at death fit; the 1676 deposition puts his birth about 1640. NEHGR 174 (2020), Edward E. Steele, “Descendants of Thomas Low, the Immigrant to Ipswich,” may settle it.
Mollie's typescript
Mollie gives his baptism at Groton, Suffolk, on 8 May 1631, and notes that he came over as a young child with a stepmother.
"son of Thomas and Magaret Tod Lowe was baptized May 8, 1631" according to the records of the Groton Church. ... He was a young child when he came to the new world, and had a step-mother besides
p. 72 →Mollie says he carried on his father's malting business, grew wealthy, was parish clerk and deacon and lived in the "Low Mansion," and in 1692 kept his head with his pastor John Wise in testifying for John Proctor.
"At the time of the Salem witchcraft craze, Thomas Low and a few others, with their pastor, Rev. John Wise, seemed to have kept their heads and testified in writing that they could see nothing wrong in an accused person.
p. 74 →His will of 1708 provided generously for his widow Martha, with a new end built on the mansion for her, apples, cider, malt, a horse to ride and a garden.
"A new end" was built to the mansion for her use; mention is made of "the ancient furniture; ten barrels of winter apples; 2 barrles of cider; 6 bushels of malt;
p. 75 →In a newspaper article pasted into the typescript, he and Deacon John Burnham hold the pew before the pulpit in the first Chebacco meeting house.
The center seats of honor were held by the highest taxpayers! The deacons, John Burnham and Thomas Low, held the pew in front of the pulpit.
p. 77 →
Checked against the records
- ProvenThomas Low was a maltster at Chebacco
His 1677 inventory lists "the mault hous and the things belonging to it," and Rev. Thomas Cobbet's will mentions "Malt at old Goodman Lowe's malt house." His son Deacon Thomas called himself "Maltster" in his will of 1708. Major Nathan Low of Deer Isle was a tanner (Hosmer).
Read it in the book, p. 72 → - UnlikelyThomas Low's malt drink lost out to cheaper cider
Not a record. The "palatable and harmless" drink, and the malt trade declining because apples made "a more exhilarating as well as cheaper drink," come from Crowell's imagined visit to the malt-house in 1712 (History of Essex, 1868), a temperance lesson. That he was "one of two allowed" to malt has not been checked.
Read it in the book, p. 72 → - PossibleDeacon Thomas Low was baptized at Groton on 8 May 1631
Groton has "Thomas Lowe, son of Thomas & Margaret Lowe bapt. 8 May, 1631"; it does not give her surname. His ages, "about thirty-seven" in 1669 and 80 at his death in 1712, fit, but a deposition of 1676 makes him about 36. NEHGR 174 (2020) may settle it.
Read it in the book, p. 72 → - ProvenThomas Low and Rev. John Wise spoke up for the Proctors in 1692
Deacon Thomas Low ("Tho. Low Sanor") and "Jno Wise" are among the 31 signers of the Ipswich petition of August 1692 for John and Elizabeth Proctor (Salem Witchcraft Papers no. 107). Caleb Low's wife Abigail Varney was John Proctor's great-niece: her grandmother Abigail (Proctor) Varney was his sister.
Read it in the book, p. 74 → - UnlikelyDeacon Low's widow Martha spoke of her loss in accents of sorrow
These are not her words. They come from Crowell's imagined visit to the widow in 1712 (History of Essex, 1868, pp. 120-121), a scene he wrote himself, not a record. The will they describe, dated 17 June 1708, is real.
Read it in the book, p. 75 → - ProvenDeacon Low's will provided his widow food, cider, wool and a horse
His will of 17 June 1708 left Martha "the new end" of the house, which he had built a few years before, with pork, winter apples, cider, malt, corn, wheat, wool, flax, firewood, the milk of two cows and "a horse to ride at her pleasure" (Crowell, 1868, summarizing the will).
Read it in the book, p. 75 → - ProvenThirty-two Ipswich neighbours, ancestors among them, petitioned for Proctor
Confirmed. The Ipswich petition of August 1692 judged John and Elizabeth Proctor "Innocent of the crime objected" (Salem Witchcraft Papers No. 107). It has 31 signers, not 32, among them the Low ancestors Deacon Thomas Low ("Tho. Low Sanor") and Thomas Varney, and Rev. John Wise.
Read it in the book, p. 102 →
Connections
- Notable ancestor
- Chebacco farmer who signed the 1692 petition for John and Elizabeth Proctor
Thomas Low is the 7x great-grandfather of the centre of this tree. In court and in controversy.