Origin of Name: Coming Soon.
Descent:
The story of his noble birth can be found in
many sources (not the least of which is the The Hastings Memorial). It is not clear
where this story started but there is no evidence that Thomas ever made this claim for
himself. The specific assertion that he descended from the Earl of Huntingdon branch
of the Hastings family is not supported by any of the available evidence (and there is
quite a bit on this well documented noble family). Looking at geography alone, it is
highly unlikely that he would have come from central England (the Huntingdon branch was
seated in and around Ashby-de-la-Zouche) when the vast majority of his fellow immigrants
were from East Anglia. It is highly probable that he was also from East Anglia and
probably of the artisan class. For more details read "The Supposed Noble
Ancestry of Thomas Hastings."
First Wife:
The family origins of his first wife Susan have not been
ascertained. When or if they are this may be the critical clue in establishing his
own place of origin. The problem affecting 17th century (and earlier) researchers is
that records on all but the most prominent families are sketchy at best. They
weren't great (or highly legible) to start with and during subsequent centuries they have
been lost, damaged or just subject to general decay.
Origins in England:
This question is obviously tied to the unresolved ancestry question
above. However, insofar as we can be informed by his fellow
travelers on The Elizabeth and fellow settlers in Watertown, it
is quite likely that he was a Suffolk man. Specifically, it is
reasonable to speculate that he may have been from the area around
Rattlesden. Having said that, there is no known documentary
evidence that would so link him.
Dedham
Connection: Thomas did own property in Dedham during the
mid and late 1630s but sold it when that town established a residency requirement.
There is no evidence that he ever lived on his lands in Dedham.
