Thomas Kimberly and Alice Atwood

My 10x Great Grandparents, Thomas Kimberly and Alice Atwood are the immigrants for this branch of the family. Thomas was baptized on 24 June 1604 in Wootton Sub Edge, Gloucester, England and Alice born about 1608 in Kings Stanley, England. They married 28 August 1628 in Kings Stanley, England and came to America in 1636 with the nonconformists. Thomas was a tailor and probably did his apprenticeship in England.

They first lived in Dorchester, MA where he received 1 acre of land. He removed to New Haven, CT in 1638. He was one of the founders of New Haven. Thomas was admitted a freeman in 1639. He was a corporal of the train band in 1640, he was elected multiple times as the marshall and as a townsman, and was a pound keeper in 1643. I looked up pound keeper for that time period and the men responsible for this would round up the stray farm animals-cows, sheep, horses, pigs, and geese. They would hold the animals in pens and owners would have to pay a fine to get them back. It seems this job evolved into rounding up cats and dogs.

New Haven was set up in nine squares. The middle was the common area and as more people settled they were placed in lots outside the square. Thomas is in the middle bottom square.




In 1643, there was an appraisal made of all the inhabitants of the town which included the number of people in the household and the worth. Thomas had 7 people and his worth was 12 pounds. He was one of the poorest in the town as the range was 10 to 3000 pounds with the vast majority being between 100 and 1000 pounds.

They had 6 children the first 4 births are approximations: Abraham 1630, Thomas 1632, Mary 1634, Nathaniel 1635, Eleazer 1639, and Abiah 1641.

Alice died on 10 October 1659 in New Haven. About 1660, Thomas remarried to widow Mary Preston whose maiden name is unknown. She had 5 children from her first marriage, her daughter Hannah married Thomas and Alice’s son Abraham.

Thomas bought land in Stratford in 1660 and in 1667 was a sojourner of Stratford.

His will dated 11 January 1672 gave his home and land that it stood on to his wife, Mary for the remainder of her life. After her death, his son Eleazer was to receive it. His son Abraham received a cloak and his wife Hannah the land in Stratford for his granddaughter Mary. His other two sons, Nathaniel and Thomas received the remainder of the clothes. His daughter Abiah had received her share but her children received 5 pounds apiece. His other grandchildren also received 5 pounds apiece except for Nathaniel Hayes who received 10 pounds and his horses. He also gave 2 cows to his 2 stepsons. The total of his inventory was 160 pounds 16 schillings.

I do not know where either Thomas Kimberly or Alice Atwood are buried.


Thomas Kimberly and Alice Atwood their son,

Abraham Kimberly and Hannah Preston their son,

Abraham Kimberly and Abigail Fitch their daughter,

Hannah Kimberly married James Hard their son,

Abner Hard married Hannah Beers their daughter,

Currence Hard married David Bostwick their son,

Jabez Bostwick married Freelove Frisbee their son,

Jabez Bostwick married Sarah Jane Chase their son,

John Day Bostwick married Ida Shelby their son,

Charles Bostwick married Alpha Wilkins their daughter,

Florence Bostwick -my grandmother


The genealogy of the Kimberly family by Jacobus, Donald Lines, Published 1950

Genealogies of Connecticut Families Volume 1 published 1983 page 354

History of the Colony of New Haven to Its Absorption Into Connecticut
By Edward Elias Atwater, Lucy M. Hewitt, Bessie E. Beach page 126

History of the colony of New Haven: before and after the union with Connecticut
By Edward Rudolph’s Lambert published 1838

A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City Bridgeport  Volume 2
By Samuel Orcutt



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