Thomas Dudley, the son of Capt. Roger Dudley, who had rights to use the Dudley crest.


Thomas Dudley is one of the early Pilgrim immigrants to the Massachusetts Bay area.  John Winthrop's Fleet of eleven ship brought to Massachusetts 700-800 settlers. The Dudleys came to Salem June 12, 1630 on the "Arbella." He was an early governor of the colony and his son Samuel also becomes an important leader along side John Winthrop, the early Commander of the Colony.

During his lifetime he insisted that he was of Royal descendency and use the heraldry of the Dudley family for himself.  This has been confirmed more recently by Marston Watson in his book on the Royal Families of America with a large portion devoted to Govenor Samuel Dudley. As the son of Capt. Roger Dudley and Susanna Thorne he resided in Northampton as a young man and became a page for William Lord Compton. He received  a captain's commission and commanded a company of about eighty troops sent to aid Henri IV, King of France by Queen Elizabeth to break the siege of Amiens, France.  He becomes a lawyer after his return in 1597. He became a steward in1616 to Thomas, Lord Clinton, who was a cousin of Lord Compton. Apparently, Thomas Dudley was orphaned, after this according to one source, which claimed this may have made him more stern and demanding of others.  Thomas obtained a patent in 1628 from Charles I, King of England "for our planting between the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River on the south and the river of Merrimac on the north and three miles on either side of those rivers and bay." He immigrated with John Winthrop to Salem 13 June 1630 on the ship Arabella.  He was in Charleston in 1630, Cambridge in 1631 and Ipswich in 1634 where he became a freeman 25 May 1636.  He moved to Roxbury in 1644.  He was governor or assistant governor from 1630-1653. He was strict Puritan and was known as a thrifty man.  He was an excellent business man and the largest land owner in Roxbury.   [Watson 1]

"Touching the plantation which we here have begun, it fell out thus. About the year 1627 some friends being together in Lincolnshire, fell into discourse about New England and the planting of the Gospel there, and after some deliberation we imparted our reasons by letters and messages to some in London and the West Country, where it was likewise deliberately thought upon, and at length with often negotiations so ripened, that in the year 1628 we procured a patent from His Majesty for our planting between Massachusetts Bay and Charles River on the south, and the River Merrimac on the north, and three miles on either side of those rivers and bay, and Mr. Winthrop, of Suffolk, coming into us, we came to such resolution . . . ." (Thomas Dudley)
_____ 

"Dudley Thomas, one of the first settlers of Massachusetts, who cam over in the Arabella, was the only son of capt. Roger Dudley.  In 1597 he was at the siege of Amiens, under Henry IV, having a captain's commision from Queen Elizabeth.  Mr. Hutchinsons says, he became a sober nonconformist from hearing Dodd, Hildersham, and other puritan divines.  He certainly was a zealous man in whaever he undertook as appears from Winthrop's journal; and upon some occasions he discovered very warm passions.  That he was a very prudent man appears, however, from his good conduct in the management of the estate of earl of Northampton, which was committed to his care.  He sat under Mr. Cotton's ministry, before the planting of Massachusetts.  When he came over in the Arabellla, he was 54 years old, but his strength of body, and health of mind, fitted him for any hardships.  The company in England chose Mr. Winthrop governour and Mr. Humphries deputy governour of the plantation.  Mr. Humphries did not embark as was expected, and Mr. Dudley was chosen in his place.  In 1634, he was chosen governour, and also several times afterwards.  He was the second in authority seven or eight years,  sometimes under Winthrop, and once under Endicot.  He was appointed major general in 1644; this was a new office in the plantation.  He was continued in the magistracy from the time of his arrival to his death, which happened, July 31st, 1653, in the 77th year of his age. 
       He was upright and honest in his disposition, blunt in his mannners, and withstood magistrates and ministers when he thought them worthy of reproof.  Nor would he yield to any popular opinion to gain honour and authority  A serious dispute took place between him and governour Winthrop, which required the interposition of their friends amoung the clergy and laity.  He was  more firm in the Hutchinsonian, and Antimonian controversy, than any of the magistrates, and even accused Mr. Cotton of departing from the faith; and with prejudice or attachment from prior connexions required no explanation of his principlees and conduct.  Endicot also found him an opponent that was not to be moved when he dissented from the general opinion of the magistrates, or wished to introduce some novel things in their proceedings.  Mr. Dudley was not a man of learning equal to Winthrop or Bellingham, but in this respect was not inferior to Endicot.  Neither Endicot nor Dudley possessed what, in the present age, would be called liberality of sentiment, or urbanity of manners.  Mr. D. was such an enemy to toleration that he not only spoke against it, but left a number of lines which the friends of rational religion must wish he had never written, as they are not to the credit of his poetry or his charity, but being written, and handed down, are quoted to give a just view of the character of the man:

Let men of God, in courts and churches watch
O'er such as do a toleration hatch;
Lest that ill egg bring forth a cockatrice
To poison all with heresy and vice.
If men be left, and otherwise combine,
My epitaph's I die no libertine. "

[Eliot, John, D.D.  Biographical Dictionary containing a Brief Account of the First Settlers and Other Eminent Characters among the Magistrates, Ministers, Literary and Worthy Men, in New-England.  Pub. Cushing and Appleton, Salem, and Boston. 1809]

Ann Dudley marries Simon Bradstreet, the Colonial Magistrate and Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in1628.
Ann Dudley is listed as the "First female writer in the British North American Colonies to be published"

Sources:

---

All information and photos included within these pages are here for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Cheryl and Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2014.