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Note: There are many resources used to compile the information in this genealogy and the most heavily relied upon sources that I will use are "Thomas Judd and His Descendants" by Sylvester Judd 1856 and "Thomas Judd (1608-1688)" by Walter F. Judd, 1988. When quoting them I will credit their name and year. For the sake of clarity I will fully quote any other resource in the usual manner as one would a research paper. I received Walter's permission via a telephone on July 4, 1998 to use his paper and bibilography in order to complete this family genealogy.
I have purchased Sylvester Judd's book from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society of which I am a member.
REFERENCE NOTES:
Thomas Judd came to the New World with the old world class of yeoman which meant he was middle-classed, as explained in "New England Planation" by Francis Higginson, London: Michael Sparke, 1630, (Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings, Vol. LXII, October 1928-June 1929. pp. 304-18). Thomas fell into the category of "countrymen who were landholders (of various sorts of property), townspeople of comfortable means, lesser officeholders, senior journeymen and skilled artisans, etc. Yeomen were about 18% of the population (at the time)." His social and professional position in the New World remained as it had in England by virtue of the records showing his various land holdings throughout his life and his participation in civil and civic proceedings to include having been on a jury (twice) deliberating witch cases.
Sylvester Judd, 1856, clearly states, "There is no evidence whatever, that our Thomas Judd or his ancestors, ever bore a coat of arms. A Judd coat of arms can be obtained for a few dollars (remember Sylvester's time frame is 1850's so the US currency exists) in Boston or New York, but it will be useless."
There exists today (1998) three coats of arms ascribed to the Judd name but there are no records in England which show relationship to Deacon Thomas Judd or his issue.
A very interesting note from Sylvester Judd, 1856, is "Thomas Judd seems to have been the only Judd that came to New England (as early as 1633) except Roger Judd of Boston who is not a descendant of Thomas Judd. It appears from his (Roger Judd's) deposition in 1708, that he knew about some things in Boston, "ever since 1660," and he refers to his mother in Boston. He was admitted a freeman in 1690. He had a wife Elizabeth, and his children recorded in Boston were, Elizabeth, born March 3, 1678, David, born March 3, 1680 and died young, and David, born June 17, 1682. His wife or Widow Elizabeth died Sept. 6, 1720, aged 69. The name became extinct in Boston."
Compiler's note: I have seen many genealogies include Roger Judd as a son of DeaconThomas Judd and they are in error. Deacon Thomas Judd 1608-88, had nine children, six sons, none of which were ever named Roger. The Massachusetts Bay Plantation judicial records provide this proof as quoted by Sylvester Judd (in the above passage).
People often wonder why Thomas would leave England to come to the unknown and the answer is simple, economics. At the time of his departure there was an economic depression going on in England. Charles II was assuming the throne after the Cromwell years and things weren't condusive to getting ahead. If one were poor they usually couldn't afford the passage and if one were rich and uneffected by the depression, why leave?
REFERENCE NOTES: The colony records show by February 8, 1635 he had a house built on his four acre lot, granted him on August 4, 1634, in New Town (present day Cambridge, MA) which would indicate that he must have had some means to have the house built within a year, as his primary tasks were to tend to the crops in order to survive.
According to "Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England", Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Vol. 1 (16281641) Boston: William White, 1853. p. 351 Thomas Judd was admitted freeman on May 25, 1636 (which meant he could vote and hold office which allowed him influence in the colony, not everyone was granted this status).
Per Walter F. Judd, 1988, Thomas became a member of the Puritan church led by the charismatic Reverend Thomas Hooker but the date is unknown as the church records are nonexistant today. Thomas followed Reverend Hooker to Hartford, Connecticut in 1636 (it's believed to be May 31st). Thomas sold his New Town (Cambridge) properties in 1639.
According to the colony (Connecticut Colony) inventory he held 38 acres in 1639 and as one of the 95 proprietors he was entitled to another 20 acres of undivided land so that by the time he moved from Hartford (to Farmington) he sold a total of 71 acres which he acquired during his years in Hartford.
In Farmington, Thomas was not only a town and church founding father but he apparently had good skills in the art of pursuation in that he another of the founding fathers negotiated a land deal with the local Tunxis Indians in an effort to keep the peace. It was recorded as a successful negotiation for both sides. Which was most remarkable considering neither party spoke the other's language.
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