Biography

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23122574/thomas_blakslee

Thomas Blakslee [Blakeslee] was probably born in North Haven CT, the son of Ebenezer Blakeslee & Hannah Lupton. When a boy, he went to Sunderland MA to live with a Presbyterian minister. There he married Mary Scott and their first son, David, was born on 2 Nov 1722. The Indians were so troublesome that the family soon returned to North Haven, where the births of their next three children are recorded.

The family removed to Northbury, later renamed Plymouth, about 1730, and it was here that their remaining children were born. They came on horseback, the husband with two of the children on one horse, and the wife with the other two on another. His daughter Experience was the third white child born there. Capt. Blakeslee was by occupation a farmer, owning land on both sides of the Naugatuck river, as appears from his will. He was the first captain of the Northbury "trainband" (local militia), an organization essential for protection on the frontier. There is a tradition that his home was surrounded by palisades, as a refuge for settlers in case of an Indian attack.

Capt. Thomas and Mary had nine children: David, Rheuben, Moses, Mary, Submit "Mitty", Experience, Lydia, Esther and Abigail.

NOTE: The original headstone was engraved as "Blakslee." The modern spelling of this name is "Blakeslee." The original spelling has been retained here, per Find A Grave, to prevent creation of duplicate memorials based on the engraving and/or cemetery records. Requests to change the name to the modern spelling will be declined as inaccurate.

Inscription

In memory of Mr. Thomas Blakslee, the first captain in Northbury who died with the gravil June ye 5 A.D. 1778 in the 78th year of his age.

Those days which to the dead were lent,
To serve God and man he freely spent.
But when his judge for him did call
With patience bid farewell to all.

Gravesite Details

The headstone is broken and badly damaged; the inscription above is quoted from The History of Plymouth, published in 1895. Thomas was originally interred in the Northbury Burial Grounds, a cemetery that was moved to Hillside in 1888.

Burial: Hillside Cemetery Thomaston Litchfield County Connecticut, USA

Source: Created by: Nancy Record added: Nov 26, 2007 Find A Grave Memorial# 23122574

From White, Andrew Curtis. Memorials of Roderick White and His Wife, Lucy Blakeslee of Paris Hill, N.Y. < GoogleBooks >

FOURTH GENERATION.

Captain THOMAS BLAKESLEE, (Ebenezer3, Aaron2, Thomas1), son of Ebenezer Blakeslee, was born about 1699. In 1731 he removed from New Haven to the town of Waterbury. At the time of the Great Revival, 1740, Thomas Blakeslee and ten others, disapproving of the new methods of Mr. Todd, the Congregational minister at Northbury, gained possession of the meeting-house and appropriated it to the services of the Church of England. In 1740 the General Assembly made him Captain of the third company at Waterbury. He died January 2, 1778, leaving a widow, Mary.

CHILDREN.
1. David, b. Nov. 2, 1722; m. Ist, Phebe Todd ; 2nd, Abigail How.
2. Reuben, b. Mar. 9, 1725; m. Mary Ford.
3. Moses, b. June 30, 1727; m. Mehitable Allen.
4. Mary, b. Sept. 7, 1729; d. 1750.
5. Submit, b. 1731; d. 1750.
6. Experience, b. Jan. 3, 1735.
7. Lydia, b. July 6, 1737; m. Stephen Blakeslee.
8. Esther, b. Aug. 6, 1739.
9. Abigail, b. Dec. 22, 1741

References

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23122574/thomas_blakslee
2. Jacobus, Donald Lines, 1887-1970. Families of Ancient New Haven (1923) Reprint:. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., 1994. Vol. I “Blakeslee”. Fam. 10. # 234 (p. 224) < Hathitrust >
3. WikiTree contributors, "Thomas Blakeslee (1700-1778)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blakeslee-64 : accessed 08 April 2025).
4. White, Andrew Curtis. Memorials of Roderick White and His Wife, Lucy Blakeslee of Paris Hill, N.Y. (Ithaca, New York, 1892) Page 10 < GoogleBooks >
5. Mattatuck Historical Society, "Ancient Burying-Grounds of the Town of Waterbury, Connecticut" (Mattatuck Historical Society, Waterbury, Conn., 1917) Page 173