SAUNDERS, Thomas

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Immigrant; The Great Migration
• Great Migration: https://www.americanancestors.org/DB397/rd/12124/165/147525506
• Web Address: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Saunders-308
• Arrival: 1635, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
• Travel: 1636; Returned to England and then back to Ipswich.
• Travel: 1638; Sent to England to obtain a patent to found another colony
• Residence: 1639, Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire, USA; Along with others, John founded the colony of Hampton, Massachusetts later to become present day Hampton, New Hampshire. He was admitted as an inhabitant of the Hampton colony on 13 December 1639.
• Residence: Between 1641 and 1643, Richmond Island, Cumberland, Maine, USA; He was employed by John Winter at Richmond's Island sometime between the last of July, 1641, and 10 June, 1642. He was recorded in a letter John Winter sent to Robert Trelawny dated at Richmond's Island, 18 June, 1643. (
• Court Case: 1643, Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire, USA; Was fined for offensive speeches against the court, and petitioned for relief, having a wife and six small children for whom he could hardly find bread or clothes, and was himself very sick.
• Residence: 1643, Wells, York, Maine, USA; He received a grant of 150 acres in Wells by Thomas Gorges, deputy governor of the Province of Maine on 27 Jul 1643 plus 50 acres at a late date. Ezekiel Knight of Wells sold him a dwelling house there Aug 1645.
• Residence: 1663, Kennebunkport, York, Maine, USA; Sold his farm in Wells and moved to Cape Porpus where he ultimately died.
• Probate: 13 Jun 1670, Lincoln, Maine, USA

Notes:

The story of Lieutenant John Saunders, alternatively known as John Sanders, encapsulates the adventurous and resilient spirit of early American colonists. His life, spanning from his arrival in New England in 1635 to his death in 1670, reflects a journey marked by movement, land transactions, and family growth amidst the backdrop of colonial America's evolving landscape.

John Saunders first set foot in the New World in 1635, arriving with his wife Ann and young daughter Sarah. However, this stay was brief, as Saunders returned to England shortly after acquiring land in Ipswich, only to come back to New England in 1636. By May of that year, he was recognized as a freeman.

Saunders' adventurous spirit led him to participate in the founding of the Hampton colony in Massachusetts (later Hampton, New Hampshire) in 1639. Along with William and Robert Sanders and others, he received a grant of land, marking the inception of a new community.

His journey continued to Richmond Island, Maine, in 1641, where he was employed by John Winter. By 1643, Saunders had moved to Hampton, where he faced financial challenges and illness, yet he was regarded highly enough to be considered for a Sergeant's position.

The year 1643 also marked his relocation to Wells, York, Maine. Here, he received a substantial land grant and purchased a dwelling house. His involvement in the community was significant: serving on the grand and trial juries, becoming a selectman, and rising in military ranks to Lieutenant by 1657.

Saunders' connections and influence in the region were further evidenced in his interactions with the Native American community. In 1660, he was involved in a notable land transaction where a Native American named Flewelline testified regarding a land sale that benefited Saunders, along with his relatives John Bush and Peter Turbutt.

His status as a trustee of Ferdinando Gorges' Patent in the Province of Maine is a testament to his prominence. In 1662, he played a pivotal role in transferring control of this patent to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1663, Saunders sold his Wells farm and moved to Cape Porpus, Maine, where he spent his final years. His will, acknowledging his "very sicke and weake" state, was a careful allocation of his estate to his wife Ann and children, showcasing a mindful consideration of his family's future.

Lieutenant John Saunders passed away between June and August 1670 in Cape Porpus. His wife Ann died four months later in the same year.

John Saunders' life story is a remarkable narrative of perseverance, adaptability, and influence in early colonial America. His journey from England to various parts of New England illustrates the challenges and opportunities faced by settlers in shaping the new world.

John married UNKNOWN, Ann about 1631 in England. Ann was born in 1609; died in 1670 in Kennebunkport, York, Maine, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Immigrant; The Great Migration
• Web Address: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-50312