A Better Life for Thomas Wilder

Our Wilders are different

Much of the information presented here is from the Book of Wilders written by Moses H. Wilder and authorized for sharing on this site by Justin Wilder. This family documentation has been lovingly updated, edited and maintained by the descendants of Moses Wilder and we are eternally greatful to them for their work.

There had been controversy surrounding the relationship between Thomas Wilder and Edward Wilder who, with his sister Elizabeth and Mother Martha, came to the Colonies from Nunhide, Sulham, Berkshire, England. The Reverend Moses H. Wilder who did much of the early research and created the original “Book of Wilders” was never able to do research in England and as such interpreted his work as best as possible for the time. I find it humorous to read commentary published by descendants of Edward Wilder that imply that Rev. Moses H. Wilder was “wishful thinking” in aligning Thomas Wilder with Edward Wilder and the Wilders described by them as “the most prominent line of Wilders in England”. After all, Rev. Moses Wilder did say he was leaving the completion of his work to others.

I’ll make a final comment on behalf of the line of Thomas Wilder, of which I am one, and that is that the rigorous research performed to document the Wilder family history was driven by Moses Wilder, who was a Thomas Wilder descendant, and the majority of the contents in “The Book of Wilders” provided by Wilder descendants, comes from those descended from the Thomas line, so I would say that Moses H. Wilder was simply documenting and preserving for all, the history of “the most prominent line of Wilders in America”.

New advancements in Genetic testing has made it possible for us to determine definitively the relationship between Thomas Wilder and Edward Wilder. Several dedicated Wilder’s from both Thomas and Edward’s lines have recently participated in genetic testing. The result being that Thomas is not the brother of Edward, nor is he related in any close way to the Edward Wilder or his family line. This research was published in the Spring 2010 issue of American Ancestors article Genetics and Genealogy: DNA Resolves an Ancestral Mystery, by Don F. Hansen and Michael F. Hansen . You can view the document if you register with American Ancestry. We thank Don and Michael for their dedication to this research and participation in the testing. Sadly Don passed away in 2014. We also thank our cousin Raymond Wilder for participating in the research

Now the search continues to find where in England and from which Wilder family Thomas called home. We will keep the family updated on any new findings… exciting times.

Who is Thomas Wilder?

Our branch of the Wilders in America starts with Thomas Wilder who immigrated from England around the late 1630's. We find no record of the boat Thomas arrived on, what date he arrived, or the reason for him leaving England. We are also still interested in finding out where in England he and his family were from: Another great Wilder mystery waiting to be solved. Not having a boat manifest with his name on it is not rare, as many ships were arriving in New England at that time quite a few that don’t have manifests. There was a Wilder who came over on the Mayflower. He was an indentured servant and died shortly after his arrival not leaving any family.

East Anglia in England is the area where most of the puritan immigrants came from. It was an area heavily into sheep raising and wool. The Nunhide Wilders are not from this area and genetically show they are from Bohemia. Genetic testing from Thomas’ line shows deep roots in England going back… way back.

Reverend Moses says this about the times just prior to Thomas’ arrival in the colonies.

“It was a time of bitter persecution in England. Charles I had alienated the best of his subjects by enforcing religious conformity and great numbers fled from the star chamber, the administrations of Laud and the fear of a return to Papacy, to the new colonies in New England and with the multitudes, it was not difficult for this family to be provided for.”

Based on Massachusetts records and research by Reverend Moses H. Wilder, what we know is that Thomas was an inhabitant of Charlestown by 1638 where he was a proprietor. On March 30, 1640 he was received into the church at Charlestown, Massachusetts and was married there two days later. He was made a freeman of the colony on June 2, 1641. He bought land in Charlestown, Oct. 27, 1643, selling land there in 1647 and 1654. His wife was admitted to the church in 1650. As an active member of the colony, Thomas gave testimony in court (1654), was a juror, (1658) and was deposed (1659) (see Wyman’s Middlesex Co. Ct. Files).

Thomas and his wife lived in Charlestown for several years. All 6 of their children were born there.

Who was Thomas’ Wife?

In the first book of the Wilders Moses H. Wilder thought Thomas’ wife was Anna Eames, but since that printing of the first edition, more research has lead us to believe that his wife was not from the Eames family. Her name may have been Hannah and perhaps related to Robert Mears of Boston. When Robert Meeres drew his will on February 20, 1666 he appointed “My beloved Brother James Johnson and My Brother Mr. Thomas Wilder overseers of this My Last Will and Testament.” These two, Johnson and Wilder were not church brothers, in fact, the former, Captain James Johnson of Little Boughton, Northants and Boston, was the brother of Robert Meeres wife, Elizabeth. (see Mears lineage, 1937, W.L. Holman.) Our question is, was the wife of Thomas Wilder born a Johnson, or was there some other kinship there? Another Wilder mystery to be solved.

In 1659, he moved about forty miles westward to an area eight by ten miles which had been purchased from the Indians to form the community first called Nashawa or Nashawena for the river on which it was located. The town later changed it’s name to Lancaster. He was supposed to have been forty years old, and according to Rev. Moses H. Wilder his birth would have bee in 1618. His farm of 500 acres was near and easterly from the present town of Lancaster, as marked by the burial ground on his old farm in which he was the first one buried. His stone which was placed there much later and contains errors says that he first settled 1641 in Hingham, Mass.

Rev. Wilder found indications in the old records that, "he was a substantial, capable man, respected in the community, an active member of the church, a thorough Puritan, jealous of the rights of the brotherhood and willing to resist the encroachments of the ministry, as he estimated them. He was a selectman in Lancaster from 1660 until his death. His widow Anna and son, Thomas were executors of his estate according to his will which is printed in "The Stevens Miller Ancestry". He married April 1, 1640 at Charlestown, Mass to Anna Eames+, who died June 10. 1692.

A small fire destroyed many documents of the families living in Lancaster including Thomas’ family. From the surviving material and historical records documented later, we know Thomas was a Freeman of the church in Lancaster, served as an elder, helped make decisions for the community, lived through Indian wars experiencing the same trials of early colonists. He lived a full life and worked tirelessly to make a better one for his family.