Thomas DUSTIN^[1]

- Bef 1732

• Name	Thomas DUSTIN
  Born	Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
  Gender	Male
  Freeman	28 Nov 1677	Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts
  Occupation	Brick maker, saw mill
  Military Event	King Philips War - Lt Benjamin Sweet’s Co
  Died	Bef 27 Nov 1732	Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts
  Buried	unknown   [2]
  Person ID	I34487	Main
  Last Modified	26 Nov 2023

  
  

  Father	Thomas DUSTIN,   b. Abt 1605, England ,   d. Bef 1 Jul 1662, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
  Mother	Elizabeth WHEELER,   b. 10 Jan 1618, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England ,   d. 16 Jul 1690, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts  (Age 72 years)
  Family ID	F11783	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Hannah EMERSON,   b. 23 Dec 1657, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts ,   d. Bef 6 Mar 1738, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts  (Age < 80 years)
  Married	3 Dec 1677	Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts
  Last Modified	15 Dec 2023
  Family ID	F11784	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - - Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire Freeman - 28 Nov 1677 - Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts Married - 3 Dec 1677 - Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts Died - Bef 27 Nov 1732 - Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  Thomas of Haverhill, married 3 Dec. 1677 Hannah Emerson, who later was the famous Indian captive and killer, Hannah Dustin. His will proved 27 Nov. 1732, hers 6 Mar. 1737-8. 13 children including Timothy, married 7 Nov. 1718 Sarah Johnson. —— On the morning of March 15, 1697 about 20 Abinake Indians in war dress descended on the outlying homes of Haverhill. Thomas Dustin, constable of Haverhill at the time, was working outdoors and saw them approaching. He hurried to warn his family. He sent their seven children aged 17 to 2 to the nearest garrisoned house (probably Onisephorus Marsh's) telling them to run as quickly as possible. He then urged his wife Hannah to come with him on the one horse. But six days earlier Hannah had given birth to their 11th child, Martha. Although they certainly would have taken the baby with them there was a neighbor who had been nursing Hannah, Mary (Corliss) Neff, a widow, to consider. One can imagine the confusion of those few moments with the Indians approaching. Hannah urged Thomas to go with the children and protect them and he did. He was resolved to save at least one of the fleeing children--"the dearest one" according to [Cotton] Mather who later personally interviewed Hannah. He intended to swing that one on the horse with him and ride on. However, he could not make such a painful choice and so, dismounting and keeping the horse between the fleeing band and the two or three Indians who followed, they all arrived at the place of safety. He had a musket and Chase debates as to whether he fired at the pursuers as some accounts suggest. [2]

  
  

• Sources

  [S15] WHEELER Family in America, The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the , Wheeler, Albert Gallatin, Jr, (Boston, MA 1914). [S96] Find a Grave, database and images, 103735100.