Thomas Lindsey Jr. ³⁸³

   Cause of his death was due to drowning.

Thomas Jr. was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and appears on a list of men mustered by James Hatch, Muster Master for Plymouth Co. to serve in the New England states until 1 January 1779. As a private in Capt. John Ames' Co., Maj. Eliphalet Cary's regiment, he marched 30 July 1780 to Rhode Island on an alarm. This is probably the same alarm brother William responded to in Tiverton, Rhode Island, though a different regiment.

Thomas Jr. inherited the estate of his father via a Plymouth County deed dated 7 April 1784. The whole of his estate consisted of 44 acres situated in Bridgewater to which he was to come into full possession with the decease of his mother.

In 1786, he married Thankful Bailey who was a third child in her father's third marriage and one of seventeen step brothers and sisters. The Lindsey's first child, a daughter named Mary, was born the following year and one month before the untimely death of Thomas Jr.'s father in October of 1787. Six months after his father's passing, Thomas sold off his entire estate in preparation for a big move.

Abiel Kinsley of Easton, trader, purchased 5 acres of Thomas Jr.'s estate 1 February 1788 for 24 pounds. Thomas sold the remaining 39 acres to older brother James. Both James and his mother Elizabeth appear to have remained in Bridgewater or Easton until at least the year 1790. The 1790 U.S. census lists James as head of household. Elizabeth appears as head of household in an entry above his name. There is no indication that Thomas, Jr. resides in either household. James appears on record selling the entire Lindsey homestead on 27 March 1788 or 1789 to Isaac Jr., yeoman.

So it is estimated that sometime around the year 1790 the entire Lindsey family migrated north to Leeds, Maine, with the exception of William who established his presence in the area around 1785. Documentation on file indicates that James and Thomas acquired 100 acres of land each.

Thomas became active in the town of Leeds with his name appearing in the town meeting minutes on a regular basis.

Wife Thankful gave birth to six more children, all of whom have many descendants.

Like his father, Thomas Jr. suffered an untimely death. In 1802, he left behind a household of small children with the birth of his last daughter just six months prior to his passing. This must've been quite a hardship for Thankful whose eldest child would've been just fifteen.

A coroner report tells us that Thomas Jr. came to his death the evening of the 28th of December (not the 25th as recorded on his gravestone) by drowning in Androscoggin Great Pond as he was returning home from Wayne to Leeds on horse back. Samuel Burgis testified that he heard Mr. Rogers Stinchfield make a noise of distress and heard Mr. Thomas Lindsey answer him. He heard the horse of Thomas run on the ice and then suddenly cease. George Lothrop and others testified that they saw on the morning of the 29th Mr. Benjamin [Morril? perhaps Merrill] throwing a grappling into the water to fetch the body of Mr. Lindsey and heard him say that he had got a hold of him and saw him brought up out of the water and from the pond he was rumored to have been removed to the house of Mr. James Lindsey.

Thankful was appointed administrator to the estate of her husband. Included amongst a long list of debts is money paid to Peter Lane in the amount of $1.00 for digging a grave and $1.50 paid to Stephen Freeman for a coffin. Items listed as part of the Lindsey estate include:

The family farm valued at $150.00
One yak of oxen valued at $40.00
One cow valued at $14.00
Two 3 year old heifers valued at $20.00
Two 2 year old heifers valued at $12.00
Five calves valued at $2 each totaling $10.00
11 sheep valued at $1.83 each totaling $20.13
Two shoots valued at $3 each totaling $6.00
Two tons and a half of hay at $5 per ton totaling $12.50
One plow and irons valued at $3.00

The list continues on for another two pages and includes a very detailed inventory of household items.

The whole of the Estate of Thomas Lindsey came to be valued at $627.35, while the whole of his debts came to $482.53.

Thankful remained to care for and nurture her children for another 44 long years and does not appear to have remarried. She shares a headstone with her husband in Leeds, Maine at Union Cemetery.

  Events

• He served in the military during the Revolutionary War in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

• He had a residence in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

• He had a residence in Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine.

• He appeared on the census in 1800 in Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine.

• He worked as a farmer.

• He was buried at Union Cemetery in Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine.

Thomas married Thankful Bailey, daughter of Benjamin Bailey and Patience Barrow, 20 April 1786 in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.³⁸² (Thankful Bailey was born before 10 March 1765 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts ³⁸⁶, baptized 10 March 1765 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts,³⁸⁶ died 4 September 1847 in Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine ³⁸⁶ and was buried after 4 September 1847 in Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine at Union Cemetery (formerly Wade's Cor. Cemetery) ³⁸⁶.)