Individual Details For -   Thomas STAPLES
Gender	Male
Date Of Birth	27 DEC 1617	Date Of Death	BEF 1688
Place Of Birth	Canterbury, Kent, England	Place Of Death	Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Date Of Baptism		Date Of Burial
Place Of Baptism		Place Of Burial
Date Of Christening		Date Of Emigration
Place Of Christening		Emigration Facts
Place Of Education		Date Of Education
Fact Notes
Death - The estate of Thomas Staples was settled, 12 January 1688/9 by arbitrators between Mary widow of Thomas Staples, Sr., Thomas Staples, Mehitabel Staples, and John Staples, and Mr Josiah Harvey and John Beach in right of their now wives.
Individual Notes
Thomas Staples was an original settler of Fairfield Connecticutin 1639. He was a deputy from Fairfield to Connecticut legislature, September 1649, September 1650 and October 1651. In 1653 when Goody Knapp was tried and executed as a witch,Staples' wife placed herself under suspicion, to which her unusual intelligence had already made her liable, by expressing doubt, saying for example "it was long before she could believe this poor woman was a witch, or that there were any witches, till the work of God convinced her." Mr. Ludlow reported the suspicions of her to Rev. Mr. Davenport, but Thomas Staples boldly brought the matter to an issue by suing Mr. Ludlow for slander in the New Haven Colony Court, which awarded him damages of L10. In 1692, during the witchcraft epidemic, Mrs. Staples was accused again, together with her daughter, Mary Harvey and granddaughter Hannah Harvey, but no evidence sufficient for indictment was produced. In 1664 Winthrop treated Staples' wife of Fairfield and thechildren, specifying their ages thus: Mary 18, Mehitabel 12-13, Hester 8 and John 1/2. The estate of Thomas was settled, 12 January 1688 (1688/89) byarbitrators between Mary widow of Thomas Staples Sr., Thomas Staples, Meltable Staples, and John Staples, and Mr. Josiah Harvey and John Beach in right of their now wives. Will of Mary Staples, 12 September 1696; sons Thomas, John;daughters Mary wife of Josiah Harvey and Hannah wife of John Beach; friend widow Mary Slawson, as a token of my love, for her kindness to me; grandchild Hannah Harvey; grandchild Mehitabel Fanton; to Nathan Gold, a book by Dr. Preston.