1940] Thomas Bancroft and Some of His Descendants 215 THOMAS BANCROFT OF DEDHAM AND READING, MASS., AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS Contributed by JOHN KERMOTT ALLEN, of Boston, Mass. 1. THOMAS BANCROFT, of Dedham and Reading, Mass., a native of England,* born about 1625,t died at Lynn, Mass., 19 Aug. 1691.t He married first at Dedham, 31: 1 mo. 1647, ALICE BACON, who died 29: 1 mo. 1648, daughter of Michael Bacon;§ and secondly, at Dedham, 15: 7 mo. 1648, ELIZABETH METCALF, baptized at St. Benedict's, Norwich, England, 20 Sept. 1626, died at Reading 11 May 1711, aged 85 years, daughter of Michael and Sarah (Ellwyn) Metcalf. (See REGISTER, vol. 6, pp. 171-173; vol. 78, p. 64.) The exact date of Thomas Bancroft's arrival in the Massachusetts Bay Colony is unknown. He may have come with his brother John Bancroft in 1632. He was made fatherless in England in 1627, but as his stepmother lived until 1639, it is probable that he remained in England rather than, when but ten years old, make the migration to America with his brother. The death of his stepmother in 1639 in England would have left him free to follow his relatives to America in 1640. In his "History of Lynn" Newhall includes "Lieut. Thomas Bancroft" among the newcomers in 1640. Thomas Bancroft, the subject of this article, was then but eighteen years old and could scarcely be correctly described as "lieutenant." However, he ac­ quired this title later, and was thereafter always r-eferred to as "Lieutenant Thomas Bancroft" or as "Ensign," so it is probable that he did come to Lynn among the newcomers in 1640. It would have been quite possible for Newhall to identify him by using the title by which he was later most frequently known. Thomas Bancroft was admitted a townsman at the annual town meeting of Dedham, Mass., held in the spring of 1648, and at the meeting of the town, held on 12th of 10th month 1650, he was granted a parcel of land (not exceeding three acres) near the land of * The English origin of this Bancroft family will appear in the REGISTER at the conclusion of this article. t On 15 June 1675 Thomas Bancroft deposed that he was "aged 50 years" and in 1680 that he was "aged about 58 years" (Essex County Quarterly Court Records), :j: In John B. Hill's "Old Dunstable" (p. 1341 his monument is said to read: MEMENTO MORI, FUGIT HORA Here lyeth the body of Lieut. Thomas Bancroft, aged 69 years. The memory of the just is blessed. Deceast ye 19th of August, 1691. This monument is thu• described in a letter from John Hawkes, a great-great-grandson of Lieut. Thomas Bancroft, to Col. Ebenezer Bancroft, dated at Lynnfield, 16 July 1824. •' I find the letters all wrote in CAPITALS, except a few Latin words. A sword and other imple­ ments of war upon it. Although it has been standing 133 years, every letter is as visible, i.e., as plain, as on some of 20 years' standing. I expect he was a prominent character, as he was buried in the most conspicuous place in the yard, within two rods of the meeting house. I looked very closely to find his wife's grave, but could not discover it." § Michael Bacon, in his will, dated 14: 2 mo. 1648, bequeathed 20 shillings to his son-in-law, Thomas Bancroft. 216 Thomas Bancroft and Some of His Descendants [July Richard Ellice "towards the place called the Old Mille." It was agreed that it should be improved within four years or be returned to the town. This evidently was not the first grant of land to Thomas Bancroft, for four days later the selectmen "granted vnto Thomas Bancroft liberty to remove his fence so that he may have such an enlargemerit on the back side of his Barne as maye be necessary for the setting of a leanto agafost said barne, this enlargement to be such as shall be according to the direction of William Bullard and Eleazer Lusher, pvded that the said Thomas doe alowe so much land on the other side of the way right against the foresaid place as may continue the waye ther at the due breadth: & allso doe so much worke there in the waye, as the forenamed men shall judg needfull to make the waye convenient for passing through." He was taxed at Dedham from 1648 until 1652, when his name dis­ appears from the records of that town. On 19th of 10th mo. 1649 Thomas Bancroft was adjudged behind in his highway work 6 sh. On the 12th of 12th mo. following, this 6 sh. was discharged "vpon condicion that he (and another man also in default) performe 2 sufficient dayes worke with 6 cattell and a cart and a man in fetching fencing stuffe at ye Town's appointment for the enclosing the high way thru John Bacon's Iott." However, Thomas Bancroft had removed to Reading, Mass., by 1648, for he was a freeman there in 1648, and a member of the church of the First Parish of Reading as early as 29th Sept. 1648. His wife Elizabeth joined the Dedham church, 14th, 10th mo. 1651, and retained her membership until 16th, 4th mo. 1662, when she joined the Reading church. (Church records.) He must have preceded his wife and children from Dedham, as his son Thomas was born in Dedham in 1649 and his daughter Elizabeth and son John were born and died there in 1650. In Eaton's "Genealogical History of Reading," p. 43, it is said he was spoken of as residing in Reading at the time of his second marriage in 1648. He leased a house in 1655, and in 1670 he purchased 60 acres of land in what was Lynn and is now Lynnfield, near Beaver Dam. Here was the Bancroft homestead. The Registry of Deeds of Essex County, at Salem, has records of several purchases of land by Thomas Bancroft, the earliest of which is recorded 6, 9, 1670. The record of the last transaction in real 1;state made by Thomas Bancroft is dated 29 Apr. 1691, a few months before he died, and is a deed transferring a part of the homestead to his son John. (Essex County Register of Deeds, vol. 9, pp. 58-59.) The first military company of Reading (says Eaton) was formed probably at the time of the town's incorporation in 1644, and was called the Reading Infantry Company. Thomas Bancroft was at the head of this company early, as he was the seventh man who occupied that position. Later he occupied the position as ensign 1940] Thomas Bancroft and Some of His Descendants 217 of this company for many years. In the Massachusetts Military Archives there is a return dated 10 Dec. 1675, of men who had been impressed in the town of Reading, in which his name appears. In the Massachusetts Military Archives, vol. 69, p. 245, the original of the following petition of Thomas Bancroft to the General Court is to be found. In 1664 he was one of the appraisers of thl! estate of Willyam Stuard, and in 1679 of the estate of John Persson. (Essex County Probate Records.) He was given administration on the estate of his nephew Benjamin Bicknal, son of William and Martha (Metcalf) Bicknal of Charlestown, the inventory of which was dated 28 Jan. 1678/9. (Suffolk Probate Records.) The records of the Essex County Quarterly Court contain a num­ ber of references to Thomas Bancroft, showing him to have been a trial juror at several sessions of the Court held at Salem from 1666 to 1680. He was also a constable for Lynn in June 1681, and the venire dated 18 Aug. 1681 was served by him and bears his auto­ graph. 218 Thomas Bancroft and Some of His Descendants [July The record of the last transaction in real estate made by Thomas Bancroft is dated 28 Apr. 1691, a few months before he died, and is a deed transferring a part of the homestead to his son John. (Essex County Register of Deeds, vol. 9, pp. 58-59.) In Book 303 of the Essex County Probate Court, Salem, is the following record of the disposition of the estate of Thomas Bancroft, he having died intestate. The index number is 1630, but the original inventory, agreement for the settlement of the estate, letters of administration, and bond, are missing. The only record, therefore, is as follows: "Bancroft, Lt. Thomas, of Lynn, died August 19, 1691, and Ebenezer Bancroft his son was administrator. Some of the land was bought of Goodmen Collins and Basset of Lynn and of F. Skerry and Goodman Pickering of Salem. Some of his land was in Reading. The following heirs petition the court Nov. 24th, viz.: Elizabeth the widow Thomas the eldest son John and Ebenezer, sons Joseph Brown yt married Elizabeth John Woodward who married Sarah and Mary the youngest daughter who was then unmarried.'' Child by first wife: i. THOMAS,2 b. at Dedham 11 Jan. 1648; d. there 24 Jan. 1648. Children by second wife: 2. ii. THOMAS, b. at Dedham 14: 7 mo. 1649 and bapt. 28 Oct. 1651. iii. JOHN (twin), b. at Dedham 3 Nov. 1650; d. 25th, 11 mo. 1650. iv. ELIZABETH (twin), b. at Dedham 4 Nov. 1650; d. 25th, 11 mo. 1650. v. ELIZABETH, b. at Reading 7 Dec. 1653; m. 26 May 1674 JOSEPH BROWNE, b. 10 Dec.