Thomas Gilbert

  General Notes:

Thomas and Lydia Gilbert and their family were in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA by 1640. Thomas bought property in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA and in 1658 sold his land and moved to Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.

On March 24, 1653/4, his wife, Lydia Gilbert, was indicted for witchcraft for causing the death in 1651 of Henry Stiles. Henry Stiles was a friend of the Gilberts. It is not certain whether he lived in their house or they lived in his. In October of 1651, Henry was out training with the militia when he was accidentally killed by the discharge of a gun in the hands of Thomas Allyn. Allyn was arrested and charged with negligent and careless behavior. He pleaded guilty and was fined 20 pounds. This all took place in 1651.

In 1654, during the Connecticut witch hunt epidemic, it was decided that Thomas Allyn had not killed Henry Stiles but that he had been killed by the witchcraft of Goody Gilbert. She was arrested in March of 1654, indicted and held for trial in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. At the trial on November 28, 1654, the jury found her guilty of witchcraft. At the time, the sentence for witchcraft was hanging. There is no record of her death, but if her sentence was carried out, the Marshall of Hartford would have been the hangman. The Marshall of Hartford at that time was her son, Jonathan, and there is no record of a substitute Marshall. Jonathan Gilbert is quite a famous man in the eyes of his descendants, but nowhere is there any mention of the duties he performed in 1654/5.

Thomas married Lydia. (Lydia was born in England.)