The Evidence for Thomas Dymoke

No record has been found of the birth of Elder Thomas Dimick or of the birth of his grandfather, Arthur Dymoke. Extensive and thorough examination of the records of the parish of Scrivelsby and of that area were made by Rev. Samuel Lodge, M.A., Canon of Lincoln and Rector of Scrivelsby, the author of Scrivelsby, The Home of the Champions, the second edition of which was published in 1894. The earliest Dymoke record found was that of a marriage in 1561-2 of Mr. John Dymok and Mystris Doritha Gyrlington xxx Julie; and only five Dymoke entries were made during the rest of that century. Neither Arthur nor his son Edward, so far as is known, held land nor achieved prominence. The absence of a record or records in that area and time is not unusual.

English Evidence

Rev. Lodge, in Appendix No. 15 of his book, discussed "The American Branch of the Dymoke Family." He stated, in part, "There is every reason for believing that an off-shoot from the Dymoke family emigrated from England and settled in America towards the end of the 16th Century: and it is a well established fact that in the early part of the 17th Century there was living in the Colony of Massachusetts a certain Thomas Dymoke, who, gradually rising to honour and distinction, died at Barnstable in 1658. Much mystery centres round this Thomas Dymoke, and it is highly probable that this mystery was designedly sustained. ... there has been from the first an almost unbroken tradition that a Dymoke, closely connected with the Champion of his day, had settled in America, although the early links in the chain of identification are missing. The tradition, however, is clear and distinct, and, when we find two or more independent branches from the parent stock in America, altogether unknown to each other, simultaneously claiming descent from the Champion Dymokes of England, through an ancestor who came to the Colony at a time which they agree in fixing between 1590 and 1610 [actually 1635], there is at least some presumptive evidence of there being a substantial basis for the claim... But in such a case, something more than presumptive evidence is necessary: or, if absolute certainty is unattainable, there should be at least a sufficient accumulation of circumstantial evidence to satisfy a jury of genealogical experts that a prima facie case has been made out.

"Now it so happens that tradition in England follows close upon tradition in America, for it has long been supposed on this side that a cadet of the Dymokes married into a Puritan family, where the ladies were usually distinguished by the names of the abstract virtues--Faith, Truth, Charity, and the like--and that either he or his son disappeared from England about the end of the 16th century, and became estranged from his family, who could not brook the puritanical proclivities of any one who bore the name of Dymoke. On the other hand, it may be contended that it would be impossible for a Dymoke at that time, when the family was closely connected with the English aristocracy, to suddenly disappear without leaving any clue to his identity. .if we can discover a good reason for designedly destroying all traces of identification, the objection loses half its force. And there, undoubtedly, was at the time a very substantial reason for such effacement. If Thomas Dymoke, who left England, as it is supposed, in company of the many bands of Puritans who sailed to America, there would have been the strongest inducement for secrecy and silence. ... in proportion to his earnestness (as a Puritan), he would be anxious to free himself for ever from the shackles that had hitherto confined his religious belief.

"Taking into consideration what has been said above, we can easily see why a man in the position of Thomas Dymoke, who was probably closely connected with the Champion of the time, should desire above all things to efface himself, and to begin his new life in his new home without the associations of his old belief and family connection... although the evidence of identity is not for the present absolute and incontrovertible, it goes far to support the contention that the descendants of the Barnstaple Elder, Thomas Dymoke, are through him connected with the family that for so many years has been settled at Scrivelsby."

In a footnote, Rev. Lodge added: "It has been conjectured that Arthur Dymoke, the youngest son of Sir Edward, ... had two sons--John, who is somewhat obtrusively styled his 'son and heir', and another son, Edward, whose name was purposely omitted from the family pedigree, and who was the father of the Thomas Dymoke who died at Barnstaple (MA)..." Absent another son, no purpose would have been served by the designation of John as "son and heir".

With respect to the religious situation, Boston, a nearby English seaport in Lincolnshire, in 1607, was to be the port of embarkation for Holland of William Bradford and other Separatists (Pilgrims) fleeing religious persecution. The ship’s captain informed on them, and they were arrested and searched. Bradford because of his youth, and venerable pastor Richard Clifton, were released; but the rest of the party languished in jail for a month before being warned not to try again. (Caffey, The Mayflower 1974, p. 32.)

Thomas Dimick, our immigrant ancestor, had a specific ground for fear of religious persecution and his own freedom. He had been in London prior to 1632 a member of the First Congregational Church in that city. Rev. John Lothrop became the second pastor of that church in 1624. That church held its meetings privately in efforts to escape persecution. On 29 April 1632, however, the prosecutors discovered the church holding religious worship at the house of Humphrey Barnet. Forty-two members were apprehended,, and only eighteen escaped. Rev. Lothrop remained imprisoned until April 1634, and was then set at liberty on the condition that he depart from England. (Deane, HISTORY OF SCITUATE, MASSACHUSETTS, 1831.) The relationship of Thomas Dimick to that Church and to Rev. Lothrop will be discussed in greater detail in the following chapter.

American Evidence

Now to American sources. In Colonial and Revolutionary Lineages of America, The American Historical Co., Inc., 1946, it is implied that Thomas Dimock was from the line of the Dymoke Champions. Genealogist Joel Eno, in The Connecticut Magazine has said Elder Thomas was the son of Edward, but without naming his source. Lucius B. Barbour, in his Family Record of Dimmock-Manley (typescript, CT State Library), listed Edward Dymoke of Pinchback, England, as the son of Arthur and father of Thomas, the American progenitor, without supplying his source. Mrs. Robert Earl Clubb (Erma Chandler Clubb), Past State Chairman of the Washington State Genealogical Records Committee, in her typescript "Chandler and Allied Families", 1959, a part of the State Committee's yearly contribution to the NSDAR Library, stated Elder Thomas Dimmock's father was Edward and he came from Barnstable or that vicinity. Her sources include Pope's Pioneers of Massa chusetts and Barnstable Families. Pope, at p. 139, gave information regarding Thomas Dimmock, but nothing prior to 1639. Swift's Barnstable Families, as mentioned below, favored the family tradition that Edward was the father of Thomas.

Banks Topographical Dictionary of the English Emigrants to New England. 1620-1650 states at page 140 that Thomas Dimmock who settled in Weymouth, MA and Barnstable, MA, was from Chesterblade Parish, Somersetshire Co, England. The same publication states, however, on page 58, that the Thomas Dimmock who settled in Scituate came from an unknown parish in Gloucestershire. As will be shown later, the Thomas Dimmock of Scituate was the person of that same name in Weymouth and Barnstable, MA.

"The Dimock Family", at it appears in Stiles The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, 1904, page 293, reads, in part:

"The place of Elder and Lieut. Dimmock's birth and resid. in Eng. has never been exactly determined, but a tradition held by every branch of the family, that he belonged to the line of the Champions, has been somewhat corroborated by an aged member of the family residing in Horncastle, Eng., early in the last century, who stated to Rev. Samuel Lodge, M. A. the author of the Hist. of the Champions, before mentioned, that 'to the great sorrow of the family at the time, one of the members joined the Puritan movement and went to New Eng. early in the 17th Century.' It is, also, a well known fact that Edward Fiennes, Lord Clinton and Earl of Lincoln, favored the Puritans; and, as Sir Robert Dymock [oldest brother of Arthur] of Scrivelsby,--marr. into Earl's family it has been believed by the early descendants of Thomas Dimmock that, at the Earl's house, he became imbued with the Puritan faith and policy. His gt.-gt.-gd.-s., Lieut. David Dimock, born 1745, at Wethersfield, delighted in his declining years to narrate to his grand-dau., the mother of the writer [referring no doubt to Mrs. Katharine Searles McCartney, then of Wilkes-Barre, PA, born 17 May 1838, descendant of Elder Thomas Dimick, charter member of NSDAR, one of founders of Society of Mayflower Descendants, member of NY Genealogical and Biographical Society, etc., and a well known genealogist of her time. NER Supp. Apr.1915, 69:lix.], stories of how his ancestors lived in Eng. and of their functions (as Champions) at the Royal Court."

The statement of Rev. Lodge mentioned above indicates a member of the Dymoke family in England had knowledge at an early date of the information regarding the member of the family who joined the Puritan movement. Lieut. David Dimock was in the fifth generation of the Dimicks in America. At the advanced age of 88 years, he showed a deep interest in the family genealogy, and although he erroneously called the immigrant ancestor Joseph instead of Thomas, a clear and for the most part a good knowledge of that genealogy. (David5 Dimock of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, contributed by Mrs. Robert Granger, Detroit, Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, Fall 1971, Vol 35, pp. 15, 16.) Deacon Shubael Dimock, son of Elder Thomas, lived until 29 Oct. 1732. Lieut. David's father, Samuel4, born 17 May 1702, could well have acquired the genealogical information direct from Shubael2 or from Shubael3 (1673-1728). This occurred long before interest in genealogy became common, and certainly without intent to deceive.

The Amos Otis Papers, revised by C. F. Swift, and reprinted as Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, 1888, stated at pp.337 & 338, "Few of the first settlers lived a purer life than Elder Thomas Dimmock. He came over, not to amass wealth, or acquire honor; but that he might worship his God according to the dictates of his own conscience; and that he and his posterity might here enjoy the blessings of civil and religious liberty. .some facts stated by Burke in his genealogy favor the family tradition, that Elder Thomas Dimmick's father was Edward, and that he came from Barnstaple or that vicinity."

The first names of Edward and Thomas were common in England. It is worth noting, however, that they appeared repeatedly in the line of the Dymokes of Scrivelsby. Also, the known time period involved is consistent with the chronology shown in the above lineage.

In addition, a record has been found recently of the embarkation at Weymouth, Eng., 8 May 1635, on the "Hopewell", destination "Mahachusulest Bay in New England", of "Thomas Demick, wife, and family". (Coldham, Genealogical Gleanings in England: Passengers and Ships to America, 1618-1668; NGS Quarterly, Sept. 1983 vol. 71, p. 174.)

Research in Weymouth, England, and that general area might be desirable. The stay of Thomas Dimick there was relatively brief. A check of the Individual Genealogical Index (IGI, LDS), revealed no Dymoke in Somerset County, and no Dymoke before 1697 in Dorset County. Furthermore, in view of the known religious differences and conditions in England , it is highly improbable that any event in the family of Thomas Dymoke was made a part of the public records.

Newton’s Conclusion

The preponderance of the present evidence establishes that Elder Thomas Dimmock, our immigrant ancestor, was the son of Edward Dymoke, who was the son of Arthur Dymoke, who was the son of Sir Edward Dymoke, Champion to Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.