• Born: 1711 in Wales
• Immigrated: February 14, 1712 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Died: January 1780 in Hilltown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Buried at the Hilltown Baptist Church “Lower” Cemetery)
• 1^st Spouse:   Margaret Bates
  • Born: 1715
  • Died: 1746 or 1747 
  • Married:      April 20, 1735
  • Children:    Morgan, Ann, Alice
• 2^nd Spouse:  Mary Williams
  • Married:      September 4, 1747
  • Children:     Elizabeth, Job, Amos, Esther, Jonah, Catharine, Asa, Sarah, Abel, Anna
• Occupation:   Farmer, mason

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Thomas Thomas was born in Wales in 1711.  As an infant he made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to America with his parents.  Though his name may seem odd to us now, it was an ancient custom in Wales to give a son his father’s surname as his first name. 

Unlike his father and brothers, Thomas is said to have been a tall man.  He was a farmer, though the inclusion of masonry tools in his will suggests that he may have also worked as a mason.  Thomas made his first purchase of land in 1735 at the age of 25. The purchase of a 500-acre farm made him one of the largest landowners in the area.  He was one of the few slave owners in the area, and it was at this farm that they worked. Thomas died in January of 1780 at the age of 69. He is buried in the Hilltown Baptist lower cemetery, though no legible gravestone exists.

Thomas married twice. His first wife was Margaret Bates, who was born in 1715 and was also from a Welsh family.  They were married on April 20, 1735 and had three children. Margaret died sometime in 1746 or early 1747, shortly after the birth of her daughter, Alice.  With an infant to be cared for, Thomas remarried very shortly after Margaret’s death. His second marriage was to Mary Williams. They were married on September 4, 1747 and had ten children (though the marriage record gives the date of September 4, 1742 for Thomas and Mary’s marriage, this is believed to be a misprint due to the years of birth of Thomas’s children). Records for both marriages are listed at the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia. 

Children of Thomas Thomas and Margaret Bates

Morgan was born in 1736 and died in 1778 in New Jersey.  There is no evidence that he married. 

Ann was born in 1738 and died in 1798.  She was first married to John Custard.  Legend says that one night, while Custard was serving in the American army in the Revolution, she had a vivid dream in which she owned a valuable black silk handkerchief that was stolen by three crows.  Not long after experiencing this dream, three British soldiers coerced her husband to join them, and he was never seen by the family again. Ann later was remarried to Jacob Appenzeller.

Alice was born in 1746 and died on October 25, 1810.  She married John Mathias, whose father – John Mathias Sr. – immigrated to Hilltown from Wales in 1722.  They had ten children: Thomas, Enoch, Griffith (who was killed by a falling tree), Morgan, Elizabeth (who did not marry), Gainer, Margaret, Mary, Sarah, and Alice (who did not marry).

Children of Thomas Thomas and Mary Williams

Elizabeth was born around 1748.  She married Henry Godshalk and their daughter, Mary, married Walter Thomas, the son of Elias Thomas.

Esther was born in 1749 and married William Williams.

Job was born in 1751 and died in June 1798, killed by a falling tree.  He married Rebecca Bates. Believing that the war against the British could not be won, he did not enlist in the American army.  He moved his family to Buffalo County and Shamokin, Pennsylvania. After his death, his wife returned to Hilltown, where she died on January 30, 1819.

Amos was born in 1752 or 1753 and married Ruth Bates, the sister of his brother Job’s wife, Rebecca Bates.  Amos served as a captain in the American army in the Revolution. Legend says that he and two of his men were scouting on foot when three British men on horseback began pursuing them.  Amos and his one companion, William Miller, both fired at the Brisish but missed. Their other companion, by the last name of Long, fired and shot one of the British soldiers, all of whom then departed.  Amos died in Taneytown, Maryland. 

Jonah was born in 1754 and died in 1815.  He married Sarah Freeman. According to The Thomas Family of Hilltown, he is said to have been “witty and jocular in speech but given to drinking” (p. 22-23).

Catharine was born in 1756 and died in 1839.  She married Irishman Charles Miller.

Asa is discussed here.

Sarah was born in 1760.  She married Patrick Maitland and moved to Buffalo Valley.Abel and Anna were twins, born in 1762.  Abel married Mary James, the sister of his brother Asa’s wife, Martha James.  He moved to Maryland and Virginia. Anna married John Mathias.