John Thurston is on a 10 May 1643 list of freemen. [Ref]

John Thurston was granted 191 acres in the East Section in Medfield in 1650. [Ref]

Children of John Thurston and Margaret Unknown:

1. Capt. Thomas Thurston was born before 1637. He died on 20 May 1704 in Medfield. He married Sarah Thaxter.
2. John Thurston was born before 1637. He married Mary Wood on 4 Oct 1660 in Medfield. [Ref]
3. Joseph Thurston was granted 15 acres in the River Section in Medfield in 1650. [Ref]
4. Benjamin Thurston was born on 8 (5) 1640 in Dedham. [Ref]
5. Mary Thurston was born 8 (1) 1643 in Dedham. [Ref, year missing and guessed from place in the sequence] She married Seth Smith on 27 Dec 1660 in Medfield. [Ref]
6. Daniel Thurston was born after 1637.
7. Judith Thurston was born after 1637. She married Jonathan Treadway on 1 Mar 1665/6 in Medfield. [Ref]
8. Hannah Thurston was born after 1637. She died on 29 Dec 1690. [Ref] She married Joseph Cheney on 12 Mar 1667 in Medfield. [Ref] Joseph was the son of William Cheney

Second Generation

CAPT. THOMAS THURSTON (bef. 1637 - 1704) of Medfield

Parents: John Thurston and Margaret Unknown

Capt. Thomas Thurston was born before 1637. He died on 20 May 1704 in Medfield. [Ref] He married Sarah Thaxter on 13 Dec 1655 in Medfield. [Ref][Ref]

Thomas Thurston was granted 72 acres in the East Section in Medfield in 1650. [Ref]

Thomas paid 3 bushells of Indian corn and a shilling as part of Medfield's contribution to Harvard Collee in 1678. He was subsequently 'burned out by the Endians'. [Ref]

Children of Thomas Thurston and Sarah Thaxter:

1. John Thurston was born on 4 Mar 1655/6 in Medfield. He died on 24 Nov 1711 in Rehoboth. He married Hannah Cary.
2. Thomas Thurston was born on 11 Feb 1657/8 in Medfield. [Ref][Ref] He married Mehitable Mason on 23 Jul 1685 in Medfield. [Ref]
3. Nathaniel Thurston was born on 24 Jan 1660 in Medfield. [Ref] He died there on 2 Jun 1661. [Ref]
4. Sarah Thurston was born on 16 Sep 1662 in Medfield. [Ref] She might have been the Sarah Thurston who married Samuel Mors on 29 Apr 1684 in Medfield. [Ref]
5. Margaret Thurston was born on 9 Aug 1668 in Medfield. [Ref] She was "mortally wounded" [Ref], presumably by the Indians at the same time as her brother Samuel.
6. Elizabeth Thurston was born on 19 Sep 1671 in Medfield. [Ref]
7. Samuel Thurston was born on 4 Aug 1674 in Medfield. [Ref] He was "mortally wounded by ye Indians" on 25 [?] Feb 1675/6. [Ref]
8. Margaret Thurston was born on 30 Mar 1677/8 in Medfield. [Ref]

Third Generation

JOHN THURSTON (1656 - 1711)

Parents: Capt. Thomas Thurston and Sarah Thaxter

John Thurston was born on 4 Mar 1655/6 in Medfield. [Ref][Ref] He died on 24 Nov 1711 in Rehoboth. [ Ref] He married Hannah Cary. [Ref] Hannah was described as a widow when she died on 5 Jul 1718. [ Ref] John paid 3 bushels of Indian as part of Medfield's contribution to Harvard Collee in 1678. He was subsequently 'burned out by the Endians'. [Ref]

Children of John Thurston and Hannah Cary:

1. David Thurston married first Mercy Cary on 28 Apr 1713 in Rehoboth. [Ref] He married second Hannah Carpenter on 18 Nov 1725 in Rehobth. [ Ref intention 23 Oct 1725]
2. Sarah Thurston was born on 29 Jul 1691 in Medfield. [Ref][Ref] She died by 6 May 1722. She died between 17 Mar 1718/9 and 6 May 1722. She married John Carpenter on 12 Sep 1717 in Rehoboth. [ Ref][Ref] John was the son of John and Renew (Weeks) Carpenter. [Ref] He was born on 25 Mar 1691 in Swansea. [Ref] He married second Sarah Hilliard on 6 May 1722 in Tiverton. [Ref] Sarah was the daughter of William and Deborah (Warren) Hillard, who were formerly of Hingham. [Ref] She was born on 28 Jun 1721 in Little Compton. [Ref]
   On 17 Mar 1718/9 John Carpenter and his wife Sarah and Bethiah Thurston, all of Rehoboth, acknowledged a 12 Nov 1718 deed by which they and John and Hannah [Thurston] Cary conveyed to David Thurston their 3/7 interest in Rehoboth real estate that John Thurston left his seven daughters. [Ref]
   some descendants of Sarah Thurston
   
3. Hannah Thurston was born on 8 Jun 1693 in Medfield. She married John Cary.
4. Bethiah Thurston was born on 29 May 1695 in Medfield. [Ref] She married Joseph Kent, Jr. on 7 Dec 1721 in Rehoboth. [Ref intention 28 Oct 1721][Ref]
   some descendants of Bethiah Thurston
5. Jabez Thurston was born on 23 Jun 16[97] in Medfield. [Ref] He died on 25 Jul 1697 in Medfield. [Ref]
6. Rebecca Thurston was born on 19 Aug 1698 in Medfield. [Ref]
7. Mehitable Thurston was born on 18 Jun 1700 in Medfield. [Ref] She married Nathaniel Huntington. [Ref][Ref, p. 78] Their son was Gov. Samuel Huntington, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. [Ref][Ref, p. 78]
   some descendants of Mehitable Thurston
8. Phebe Thurston was born on 11 Dec 1702 in Medfield. [Ref]
9. Jane Thurston was born on 13 Dec 1704 in Medfield. [Ref] She married Stephen Carpenter on 2 Apr 1744 in Rehoboth. [ Ref intention 3 Mar 1744]
   some descendants of Jane Thurston
   

Fourth Generation

HANNAH THURSTON (1693 - 1780)

Parents: John Thurston and Hannah Cary

Hannah Thurston was born on 8 Jun 1693 in Medfield. [Ref] She died in 1780. [Ref][Ref, p. 78] She married John Cary on 16 May 1716 [Ref, p. 78] in Rehoboth. [ Ref][Ref]

On 17 Mar 1718/9 John and Sarah Carpenter and Bethiah Thurston, all of Rehoboth, acknowledged a deed dated 12 Nov 1718 by which they and John and Hannah Cary, both of Windham, conveyed to David Thurston 3/7 of the interest in Rehoboth real estate that John Thurston had left to his daughters. [Ref]

She was the aunt of Gov. Samuel Huntington, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. [Ref][Ref, p. 78]

References

Arnold, James N., Vital Records of Rehoboth, 1642-1896, Narragansett Historical Publishing Company, 1897.

Cary, Seth Cooley, John Cary, the Plymouth Pilgrim, Boston, S.C. Cary, 1911.

Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties Connecticut, Chicago, J.H. Beers and Co., 1903.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Zubrinsky, Eugene Cole, "Three John Carpenters: A Chain of Mistaken Identities," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 159, 2005, 43-53.

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