Thomas Hazard
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hazard was one of the nine founding settlers of Newport
on Aquidneck Island
(Rhode Island) in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
. He settled in Boston
and Portsmouth
before settling Newport, but later returned to Portsmouth. His descendants include Commodores Oliver Hazard Perry
and Matthew C. Perry and two colonial Rhode Island deputy governors.
, and then came to Portsmouth
before settling in Newport. Moriarity suggested that he had come from Dorsetshire, England, but Anderson concluded there is insufficient evidence for this assertion. He was a ship carpenter, and was in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
as early as 1635, and admitted to the church there on 22 May 1636. He was made a freeman of Boston in 1636, but by 1638 he was admitted as an inhabitant of Portsmouth
on Aquidneck Island, where many followers of Anne Hutchinson
had settled.
On 28 April 1639, he and eight others signed a compact, and soon established the town of Newport at the southern end of Aquidneck Island. Once there, he was named as one of four assigned to proportion the land, and to collect four pence for each acre laid out. In September he was made a freeman
of Newport, and the following March was a member of the general court of elections. On 20 June 1644 he sold to Henry Bull
certain parcels of land that had been granted to him by the freemen of Newport.
In 1655 Hazard was once again in Portsmouth, where his name appears on a list of freemen, and where, in 1658, he deeded land to Stephen Wilcox, who married his daughter Hannah. The same year he was chosen to sit on the colony's petit jury, but was fined five shillings for not serving.
Hazard wrote a will on 30 November 1669, naming his son and his three married daughters. His circumstances later changed, and on 13 November 1676 he wrote another will with much different provisions (see Family, below). He was still alive on 6 August 1677 when he further modified his estate plans. Austin has him paying a tax in 1680, but Anderson does not find this to be valid.
. Hazard had a friendly relationship with Thomas Sheriff of Portsmouth, and when the latter died, Hazard married, as his second wife, Sheriff's widow, also named Martha. In his first will in 1669, Hazard made his son executor, and named all three daughters, but in his later will, his son and daughters were disinherited, with all of his estate going to his "beloved yoakfellow Martha Hassard now living." Following Hazard's death, his widow then married Lewis Hues, who abandoned her within a few weeks, apparently "taking away great part of her estate, that was hers in her former husband's time."
Of Hazard's four known children, Robert married Mary Brownell; Elizabeth married George Lawton; Hannah married Stephen Wilcox; and Martha married first Ichabod Potter, and later married Benjamin Mowry. Hazard's great grandson, George Hazard
was the deputy governor of the Rhode Island colony from 1734 to 1738, and his great grandson Robert Hazard
was the deputy governor from 1750 to 1751. The brothers, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
and Commodore Matthew C. Perry are also descendants.
Most early writers on the family suggest that Hazard was the same person as a Thomas Hazard living in Newtown
on Long Island
, but Anderson presents strong evidence that the two are different men.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
(Rhode Island) in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
. He settled in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
before settling Newport, but later returned to Portsmouth. His descendants include Commodores Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
and Matthew C. Perry and two colonial Rhode Island deputy governors.
Life
Thomas Hazard was a founding settler of Newport, Rhode Island, who, upon arriving from England, first settled in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and then came to Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
before settling in Newport. Moriarity suggested that he had come from Dorsetshire, England, but Anderson concluded there is insufficient evidence for this assertion. He was a ship carpenter, and was in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
as early as 1635, and admitted to the church there on 22 May 1636. He was made a freeman of Boston in 1636, but by 1638 he was admitted as an inhabitant of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
on Aquidneck Island, where many followers of Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
had settled.
On 28 April 1639, he and eight others signed a compact, and soon established the town of Newport at the southern end of Aquidneck Island. Once there, he was named as one of four assigned to proportion the land, and to collect four pence for each acre laid out. In September he was made a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
of Newport, and the following March was a member of the general court of elections. On 20 June 1644 he sold to Henry Bull
Henry Bull (Governor)
Henry Bull was an early colonial Governor of Rhode Island, serving for two separate terms, one before and one after the tenure of Edmund Andros under the Dominion of New England...
certain parcels of land that had been granted to him by the freemen of Newport.
In 1655 Hazard was once again in Portsmouth, where his name appears on a list of freemen, and where, in 1658, he deeded land to Stephen Wilcox, who married his daughter Hannah. The same year he was chosen to sit on the colony's petit jury, but was fined five shillings for not serving.
Hazard wrote a will on 30 November 1669, naming his son and his three married daughters. His circumstances later changed, and on 13 November 1676 he wrote another will with much different provisions (see Family, below). He was still alive on 6 August 1677 when he further modified his estate plans. Austin has him paying a tax in 1680, but Anderson does not find this to be valid.
Family
Hazard first married a woman named Martha, about whom little is known. Based on the probable birth dates of his children, his wife and at least two children likely sailed with him from England to New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Hazard had a friendly relationship with Thomas Sheriff of Portsmouth, and when the latter died, Hazard married, as his second wife, Sheriff's widow, also named Martha. In his first will in 1669, Hazard made his son executor, and named all three daughters, but in his later will, his son and daughters were disinherited, with all of his estate going to his "beloved yoakfellow Martha Hassard now living." Following Hazard's death, his widow then married Lewis Hues, who abandoned her within a few weeks, apparently "taking away great part of her estate, that was hers in her former husband's time."
Of Hazard's four known children, Robert married Mary Brownell; Elizabeth married George Lawton; Hannah married Stephen Wilcox; and Martha married first Ichabod Potter, and later married Benjamin Mowry. Hazard's great grandson, George Hazard
George Hazard
George Hazard was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The son of George and Penelope Hazard of South Kingstown in the Rhode Island colony, his grandfather was Robert Hazard of Portsmouth, and his great grandfather was Thomas Hazard who settled in...
was the deputy governor of the Rhode Island colony from 1734 to 1738, and his great grandson Robert Hazard
Robert Hazard (Rhode Island)
Robert Hazard was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.The son of Stephen Hazard of South Kingstown in the Rhode Island colony, his grandfather was Robert Hazard of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and his great grandfather was Thomas Hazard who settled in Portsmouth...
was the deputy governor from 1750 to 1751. The brothers, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
and Commodore Matthew C. Perry are also descendants.
Most early writers on the family suggest that Hazard was the same person as a Thomas Hazard living in Newtown
Elmhurst, Queens
Elmhurst is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue on the north; Corona to the northeast; Junction Boulevard on the east; Rego Park to the southeast; the Long Island Expressway on the south; Middle Village to the south and southwest; and Maspeth...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, but Anderson presents strong evidence that the two are different men.
See also
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...