 |
The Norcross Family Tree |
|
|
Thomas Norcrosse, about 1558 to 1617 Mary Chappell, about 1565 to about 1603 |
||
|
The Norcross Family Tree |
|
|
Thomas Norcrosse, about 1558 to 1617 Mary Chappell, about 1565 to about 1603 |
||
|
Thomas was born at Dilworth, Ribchester, Lancashire, England. The Haberdashers' Company records show Thomas Norcrosse freed from his apprenticeship in 1579. The usual custom was for an apprentice to be bound at age fourteen and to serve for seven years. Based on this, his birth date is assumed to have been about 1558. The Haberdashers' Company was one of many trade guilds, which were very prominent in England from about 1550. Haberdasher members were dealers in men's furnishings. He married Mary Chappell, daughter of Alice Bedell (her name before marriage) and granddaughter of William Bedell who owned a large Estate in Essex County, England, and which had descended to Mary, wife of Thomas Norcross. Thomas and Mary had three sons, John, Jeremiah and Thomas. The family lived in the parish of St. Dustan's in West Fleet Street, London. Thomas Norcross died in 1617 and is buried there. He left money to St. Wilfred’s Church in Ribchester. His son John settled his Estate. other information suggests the family may have lived in the parishes St. Sepulchre's, London and Sunbury in or near London. |
The Coat of Arms of the Haberdashers Company. This organization provided community services to all its members. It still exists as a trust supporting a special school in Britain from its remaining assets. |
| Parents: | Thomas Norcrosse | We have no information at this time about his parents. Thomas Norcrosse might be a brother or cousin of Henry Norcrosse of Ribchester, England. |
| Mary Chappell Norcrosse | Mary Chappell is the daughter of William Chappell and Alice Bedell Chappell and the granddaughter of William Bedell who owned a large estate in Essex. Alice inherited her Grandfathers (William Bedell) Estate, there is a lawsuit on record over this inheritance. It is thought this Estate formed the basis of the monies that financed the emigration of John and Jeremiah to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. |
| Children: | John Norcrosse | abt. 1590 | aft. 1642 |
| Jeremiah Norcrosse | abt. 1595 | 6 Oct 1657 | |
| Thomas Norcrosse | abt. 1597 | 1620 | |
| We have only information on these three children. The history of England at this time included the horrors of the Black Death, plague and much religious warfare. In 1603 Queen Elizabeth I passed away. It was her successor King James I and his successor King Charles I who drove many extreme non-conformists (Puritans) out of England to first Holland and then America. The first group to America settled in Jamestown, Virginia about 1607. Later, starting in 1620, they came from England to Massachusetts, the Pilgrims to Plymouth, the Puritans to Salem and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. | |||
|
Copyright 2004, Philip Norcross Gross For more information please contact me at [email protected]. All this information is based on family stories, or documents listed in the References. Official documentation is not common except for recent generations (1850 or later) and may not necessarily be referenced herein.
|
