FERNALD, Thomas^[1]

Abt 1633 - Bef 1697  (< 64 years)

• Name	FERNALD, Thomas
  Birth	Abt 1632 or 1633
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Shipbuilder
  Death	Bef 25 Aug 1697  [2]
  Residence	Bef 1700	Henderson’s Point, Seavey’s Island, Kittery, York, ME, USA
  Will	Bef 20 Nov 1702  [3]
  Burial	Fernald Family Plot, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, York, ME USA
  		Fernald family plot, Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.
  Notes	From Stackpole p 375-376: Thomas Fernald made a deposition 18 April 1679, giving his age as "46 about." In 1645 Puddington's Islands were leased to him by the agent of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and in 1671, he deeded one of them to his brother William, "for the fulfilling of the last Will of our Dere father, Renald Fernald." Thomas Fernald married Temperance - He was a shipbuilder. His inventory was returned 25 Aug. 1697. The larger of his two islands, afterwards known as Seavey's Island, was divided by his widow 20 Nov. 1702, among the surviving children. Addl: Seavey’s Island later conjoined into Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and a naval prison. It was the subject of a border dispute between Maine and New Hampshire in 2001, and as of 2011 is considered part of Maine From Stackpole on Kittery Navy Yard: 3 May 1645, Richard Vines, acting as agent for Sir Ferdinando Gorges, gave a perpetual lease of the islands to Thomas, son of Renald Fernald. The rent was two shillings and six pence yearly. The lease was practically a gift to the twelve year- old son of Dr. Fernald for his father's sake. Thomas Fernald, 9 Sept. 1671, deeded the island next to the mainland to his brother William. This was then called "Lay Clayme" island, perhaps because Purington had laid claim to it. In 1806 this island was in the possession of Capt. William Dennett and was purchased of him by the United States government for $5,500. It then had but one house upon it and was a place for drying fish. !t contains about sixty acres. About thirty years ago Seavey's Island, the old home of Thomas Fernald, was purchased by the government and added to the grounds of the navy yard. The part of the navy yard known formerly as Seavey's Island contains the foundry and the naval hospital. Here were quartered the Spanish prisoners taken in the naval battle off Santiago, and here thirty-one of them are buried. The "Reina Mercedes," a Spanish cruiser captured in that fight, is now undergoing repairs here and will be used as a training ship. Thus our government is getting ready to maintain peace, to do with kindred nations the police duty of the world. The point of land which is directly opposite Pierce's Island has been an obstruction to the passage of the largest ships. The government is now blasting and mining for its removal at a cost of a million of dollars. This was called Henderson's Point from the fact that William Henderson, who married Sarah, daughter of Thomas Fernald in 1700, lived here. Thomas Fernald's house was near the southeastern point of the island, where a little cemetery is seen. Some broken slate tombstones may be found, and one inscription indicates the grave of Elizabeth, wife of Stephen Eastwick and daughter of Thomas Fernald. From a mid-1800s account by Charles Brewster, text of a document by Thomas Fernald conveying the island settled by his father, Renald, in the Piscataqua to his sister: Peirce's island was once the property of Dr. Renald Fernald, one of the first settlers of Portsmouth. We have a deed from Thomas Fernald, son of the Doctor, dated in 1688, conveying what is now Peirce's island and One Tree Island. It commences in this manner: Know all men by these presents that I, Thomas Fernald of Kittery, in the province of Maine, in New England shipwright, being ye eldest lawfull begotten son of Reginald Fernald, doctor, deceased, many good considerations and causes mee thereunto moovinge, and especially in obedience of ye commands of my honoured father and mother at their deceases severally, and ye great and ardent love and natural affections and respect which I have and bear unto my dearly beloved and loveing sister Sarah, some time the wife of Mr. Allin Loyd, mariner, deceased, and now the wife of Mr. Richard Waterhouse of Portsmouth in ye province of New Hampshire in New England, tanner, have given, granted, etc. unto my said sister Sarah all and whole that part of ye Island commonly known by the term or name of ye Doctor's island, whereon the now dwelling house of ye said Waterhouse standeth, together with a little island near thereunto, and ye land bounded, together with the said little island as followeth, viz: on the one end with some part of ye same island, being at ye narrowest part or place there and commonly known by ye name or terme of ye Mast cove or Bass rock cove, and on the other end near unto which is the aforesaid little island, bounded only with the water leading to that part of Portsmouth aforesaid commonly called Strawbury bank, and one side, together with ye sd little island bounded with ye channel of ye river Piscataqua, and on ye other side with a branch of ye said river leading unto and from that part of said Portsmouth called Little Harbour, which said tract of land or ground, together with all the privileges, properties, conveniences and appurtenances therein, thereon, or thereunto belonging, concerning or any manner or waye appertaining, woods, under woods, rivers, wells or waters, earth, stones, gravel and sands, and fishing, fowling, hunting and hawking, and whatever else is, will or may be profitable or pleasant in or upon my premises, unto my said sister Sarah, her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns forever, etc. Waterhouse resided on the island, and for many years it bore the family name. The island on which the Navy Yard is located, containing about sixty acres, was once called Fernald's island. It was purchased of Capt. William Dennett, by the United States, in 1806, for a Navy yard. The price paid was $5,500. It was a place for drying fish and had but one house upon it. Hugh Byrne: During a tour of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in July, 2011, PIO Gary Hildreth mentioned that his documents indicated Dennett had been made aware of the Navy’s desire to purchase an island to build a Naval ship yard, and that Dennett purchased it from the Fernald family for ~$2,000 without disclosing this fact, he subsequently ‘flipped’ it to the Navy for $5,500. [4, 5, 6, 7]
  Person ID	I3274	Hugh Byrne and Nanette Asimov Lines
  Last Modified	27 Jul 2011

  
  

  Father	FERNALD, Renald,   b. Abt 1595, England d. Between 05/17/1656 and 10/7/1656
  Mother	WARBURTON, Joanna   d. 1660
  Family ID	F2360	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	WASHINGTON, Temperance
  Children	1. FERNALD, Samuel,   b. Abt 1673   d. Between 12/09/1745 and 02/20/1746 (Age 72 years)   2. FERNALD, John,   b. Abt 1659   d. Between 1698 and 1702 (Age 39 years)   3. FERNALD, Ann,   b. Abt 1661   d. Aft 1711 (Age > 51 years)   4. FERNALD, Patience,   b. Abt 1664, Kittery, York, ME, USA   5. FERNALD, Thomas,   b. Abt 1668, Kittery, York, ME, USA d. Bef 1699, Kittery, York, ME, USA (Age < 30 years)   6. FERNALD, Mary,   b. Abt 1671, Kittery, York, ME, USA   7. FERNALD, Joanna,   b. Abt 1676, Kittery, York, ME, USA   8. FERNALD, Sarah,   b. Abt 1678, Kittery, York, ME, USA   9. FERNALD, Hercules,   b. Abt 1680, Kittery, York, ME, USA d. Bef 1731 (Age < 50 years)   10. FERNALD, Elizabeth,   b. 6 Feb 1683, Kittery, York, ME, USA d. 26 Apr 1714 (Age 31 years)
  Documents		Fernald Island001 1702 map of Thomas Fernald’s Island (aka Puddington’s Island, Lay Claim Island, Dennett’s Island), later the site of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The land appears to be subdivided amongst his children: Mr. Pray -- Married to Mary Fernald Mr. Kelly -- Married to Joanna Fernald Mr. Atkins -- Married to Patience Fernald Mr. Henderson -- Married to Sarah Fernald Samuel Fernald Hercules Fernald Mr. Eastwick -- Married to Elizabeth Fernald
  Family ID	F2346	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Jul 2011

  
  

• Event Map		Residence - Bef 1700 - Henderson’s Point, Seavey’s Island, Kittery, York, ME, USA Burial - - Fernald Family Plot, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, York, ME USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Fernald Plot Portsmouth Navy Yard Maine

  
  

  Documents

  Fernald's Island (aka Puddington's, Lay Claim, and Dennett's Island) circa 1702 1702 map of Thomas Fernald’s Island (aka Puddington’s Island, Lay Claim Island, Dennett’s Island), later the site of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The land appears to be subdivided amongst his children: Mr. Pray -- Married to Mary Fernald Mr. Kelly -- Married to Joanna Fernald Mr. Atkins -- Married to Patience Fernald Mr. Henderson -- Married to Sarah Fernald Samuel Fernald Hercules Fernald Mr. Eastwick -- Married to Elizabeth Fernald

  
  

  Headstones

  Fernald Plot Portsmouth Navy Yard Maine

  
  

  Albums

  Renald Fernald and Descendants (27) Renald Fernald of Portsmouth, NH and photos, documents related to his descendants.

  
  

• Sources

  [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), P 375-376 (see notes). [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), d. before 25 Aug. 1697. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), p 376 The-larger of his two islands, afterwards known as Seavey's Island,-was divided by his widow 20 Nov. 1702. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903). [S381] Wikipedia, Seavey’s Island. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), p. 218. [S383] Charles W. Brewster, Islands in the Piscataqua.