FERNALD, Thomas

FERNALD, Thomas[1]

Male Abt 1633 - Bef 1697  (< 64 years)

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  • 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 Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Will Bef 20 Nov 1702  [3
    Burial Fernald Family Plot, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, York, ME USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Fernald family plot, Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.
    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 Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 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 Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. FERNALD, Thomas,   b. Abt 1668, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1699, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 30 years)
     6. FERNALD, Mary,   b. Abt 1671, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     7. FERNALD, Joanna,   b. Abt 1676, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     8. FERNALD, Sarah,   b. Abt 1678, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     9. FERNALD, Hercules,   b. Abt 1680, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1731 (Age < 50 years)
     10. FERNALD, Elizabeth,   b. 6 Feb 1683, Kittery, York, ME, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Apr 1714 (Age 31 years)
    Documents
    Fernald Island001
    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
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Bef 1700 - Henderson’s Point, Seavey’s Island, Kittery, York, ME, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Fernald Family Plot, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, York, ME USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    Fernald Plot Portsmouth Navy Yard Maine
    Fernald Plot Portsmouth Navy Yard Maine

    Documents
    Fernald's Island (aka Puddington's, Lay Claim, and Dennett's Island) circa 1702
    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
    Fernald Plot Portsmouth Navy Yard Maine

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

  • Sources 
    1. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), P 375-376 (see notes).

    2. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), d. before 25 Aug. 1697.

    3. [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.

    4. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903).

    5. [S381] Wikipedia, Seavey’s Island.

    6. [S380] Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927, (Press of Lewiston Journal Company, Lewiston, ME, 1903), p. 218.

    7. [S383] Charles W. Brewster, Islands in the Piscataqua.



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