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Thomas Tupper II

Born: 16 Jan 1638, Sandwich, MA

 

Parents: Thomas Tupper I and Anne Hodgson

 

Siblings: has step siblings from 2 of his father’s other marriages

 

Marriage: Martha Mayhew 12/27/1661 (father was governor of Martha’s Vineyard)

 

Death: 26 Apr 1706, age 68, Sandwich, MA. Buried Old Burying grounds, Constable Co, MA.

Here lies the body of Thomas Tupper

Aged about 68 years

Departed this life

April the 26th 1706

 

Photos taken July 1998

Thomas was born in Sandwich in the house his father built, lived there all his life, and lies buried under a stone still standing by the pond in the beautiful old burying ground.  When yet a young man, he became active in the affairs of the town, becoming a freeman at age 20 and in 1658, with his father, was listed as one of the largest landholders.  He served on a jury in 1664; was one of two excisemen in 1667 and elected town constable in 1669.  He early became one of the most prominent citizens, serving as selectmen for fourteen years, town clerk from 1675 to 1685, deputy to the General Court at Plymouth for eleven years; commissioner “against the abuse of drinkers and liquer”; representative to the court in Boston and in 1680 was appointed lieutenant of the military company in Sandwich, becoming captain in 1690.  After the absorption by the Massachusetts Bay Colony he was one of the first representatives sent to Boston.  There is abundant evidence that he was one of the most influential men of this generation.

  With the turn of the century swiftly changing social and economic conditions caused the surviving heirs of the ten original proprietors of Sandwich to insist their rights of ownership of the lands within the limits of the first grants as against the towns people in general, and the meadow and pasture lands held in common gradually came into their private ownership.

  In 1680 Thomas Tupper II was appointed by the General Court at Plymouth to be lieutenant of the military company organized at Sandwich, and 10 years later he was commissioned captain, by which title he was commonly known after 1691.

He had strong religious convictions and for many years was a missionary among the Indians of the Mashpee and Herring Pond tribes.

The first child of Captain Tupper and his wife Martha, a daughter, was named Martha after her mother; the second child, a son, was named Thomas, a given name common for many generations in both the Tupper and Mayhew families.  The other six sons received their names directly from the bible, evidence of the Puritan training of their father. Their second daughter was named Jane after her grandmother Mayhew; the third, Anne, after her grandmother Tupper, and the fourth after her mother’s sister, Bethiah Mayhew.

The last will and testament of Captain Thomas Tupper was executed 4/22/1706, four days before he died, and offered for probate 5/20 of that year.  His large land holdings were disposed of most specifically.  The “Dwelling House” in which he was born was devised to his son Eliakim, “after the decease of Martha, my wife.” To his eldest son Thomas, he left “my silver bowl after my wife’s decease and my kain.” He made full provision for his wife and youngest daughter Bethia, unmarried, and then divided the lands among his sons, naming the two eldest, Thomas and Israel, as executors.

The Tupper’s son, Eliakim, was the great-great grandfather of Sir Charles Tupper of Nova Scotia, who was the prime minister of Canada in _____.

The last will and testament of Captain Thomas Tupper

 

Children: Martha (1662-?), Thomas III, Israel (1666-?), Elisha (1668-died young), Jane (1672-1673), Ichabod (1673-?), Eldad (1675-?), Medad (1677-1773), Anne (1679-?), Eliakim (1681-?), Betha (1685-?)

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