Home ~ Our Ancestors ~ Contact us

Thomas ALFORD

HUSBAND:
[F2240]. Thomas ALFORD. (ALVORD).
Born in (1560)(1575-S1) in Whitstaunton, Sommerset, England. Though the name of his father, ____ ALFORD [F4480], is not known, it is known that he is the grandson of (Rev) Alexander ALFORD [F8960]. [Reverend Alexander had, according to English records, four sons—William, John, Bartholomew and Solomon. The sequence of their birth is unknown. One of these sons was the father of Thomas Alford.]

He married Joan HAWKINS [F2241] on (11-S1)(18) MAY 1618 in Whitstaunton, Sommerset, England.

Thomas must have died prior to 1636, as records indicate that Joan Alford, a widow, died May 27, 1636. There is record of a will dated May 5, 1627, of Thomas Alford naming his wife Joan and daughter Joan as beneficiaries.

WIFE:
[F2241]. Joan (Joanna, or Jean) HAWKINS.
Born in 1594, of Ashill, Somerset, England; daughter of John HAWKINS [F4482] and Joan [F4483].
She married Thomas ALFORD [F2240] on (11-S1)(18) MAY 1618 in Whitstaunton, Sommerset, England.

Samuel Morgan Alvord's Genealogy of 1908 shows a diagram on page 18 listing Joan Hawkins as the mother of Alexander Alvord. Yet other sources have questioned whether she was Alexander's mother. In 1992 during a visit to the Latter-Day Saint's Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City, I {Barret-S2} came upon a film listing Thomas Alford ( b. abt 1593 or 1595) as Alexander's father and Joan Hoskins as his mother. Since then I have found other listings to support the possibility that Joan Hoskins was the wife of Thomas. Joanna Alvord b. 08 Dec 1622 at Whitestaunton is listed as having Thomas Alvord as her father and Joan Hoskins as her mother. Joan Hoskins is also listed in another source as the spouse of Thomas Alford. Could it be that Joan Hawkins and Joan Hoskins were the same person? Or that Joan Hoskins was Alexander's mother? {S2}.

John Hoskins is listed as being a Baron in Herfordshire. If Joan Hoskins was John's sister, she would have been an appropriate bride for Thomas Alvord of Whitestaunton as they were people of education and means. {S2}.

Xpoer - Christopher Hoskins (c. 19 June 1568 in Bruton) is listed as the father of John Hoskins, (b. 1590 Hereford), William (c. 10 Feb 1593 Bruton), Joan ( c.16 March 1595 Bruton), Andrew ( c 14 April 1599 Bruton), Elizabeth (c. 28 Feb 1604 Bruton), and Anne (c. 11 May 1606 Bruton). {S2}.

William Hodgekins/Hoskins' spouse was Ann Winthrop. Could this be a link to the Winthrop Fleet? The Mary & John was within the bounds of the territory of the company headed by Winthrop and was in contact with him. {S2}.

Joan's death date is listed as 1636. Her husband predeceased her. It is possible she knew she was dying by the year 1630 when the Mary & John sailed for New England. At this time orphans and widows did not have the protection of the Crown. Could it be that rather that leave her three children orphaned in England she chose to have them travel to the new world with their uncle? {S2}.

In the Alvord genealogy there is a photo of a court roll kept at Whitestaunton Manor which states that "King Charles' Troopers were there at the date given 1649." One could assume that King James I also made use of Whitestaunton, and from the scandalous goings-on at that court it is possible Joan wanted to make sure her children were removed from the situation even if it meant she might never see them again. Or she may have felt she would recover and join them later in New England. {S2}.

The Ship Passenger Lists by Carl Boyer lists John Hoskins; 1630 with three relatives. Banks: The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 Source #1064 lists John Hoskins (4). The three relatives could have been the three Alvord children. The four could have been the children and someone to care for them. Or it could include his son Thomas as well as the three children. {S2}.

She died 27 May 1636 in Whitestaunton, Somerset, Eng and was buried 1636.

CHILDREN of Thomas ALFORD [F2240] and Joan HAWKINS [F2241]:


SOURCES: