Thomas Savage (major)

Major Thomas Savage
Major Thomas Savage, 1679, attributed to Thomas Smith
Born	1608 (1608) Taunton, England
Died	February 14, 1682(1682-02-14) (aged 73) Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation	Merchant and soldier
Known for	King Philip's War
Spouse(s)	Faith Hutchinson Mary Symmes

Thomas Savage (1608 - February 14, 1682) was an English soldier and New England colonist and merchant, attaining the rank of major in King Philip's War.

Life

Born in Taunton, Somerset, he was son of William Savage, a blacksmith. Thomas was apprenticed to the Merchant Taylors of London on 9 January 1621.

He went to Massachusetts with Sir Harry Vane aboard the Planter in 1635. He was admitted a freeman of Boston in 1636. The next year he took the side of his mother-in-law, Anne Hutchinson, in the controversy that her teaching excited. He was compelled in consequence to leave the colony, and with William Coddington he and many others founded the settlement of Rhode Island in 1638. Savage was a signer of the Portsmouth Compact. After living there for some time he was permitted to return to Boston.

Military Career

He became a member of the Military Company of Massachusetts in 1637. In 1639 he was elected as the company's second sergeant and in 1640 he became its first sergeant. In 1641 he was elected for a one year term as lieutenant of the Military Company of Massachusetts.

He was reelected as lieutenant in 1645 and was elected as captain of the Company in 1651.^{[1] [2]} He was also re-elected as captain in 1659, 1668, 1675 and 1680. He was probably the only person to be elected as captain of the Company five times.

Political Career

On 12 March 1654 he and Captain Thomas Clarke were chosen to represent Boston at the general court, of which he continued a member. He was elected speaker of the assembly in 1637, 1660, 1671, 1677, and 1678. After representing Boston for eight years, he became deputy for Hingham in 1663. In 1664 he, with many other leading citizens, dissented from the policy of the colony in refusing to recognise four commissioners sent by Charles II of England to regulate its affairs, and in 1666 he and his friends embodied their views in a petition.

In 1671 he was chosen deputy for Andover, and in 1675 commanded the forces of the state in the first expedition against Metacomet. In 1680 he was commissioned, with others, by the Crown to administer an oath to Sir John Leverett the governor, pledging him to execute the oath required by the act of trade. In 1680 he was elected ‘assistant’ or magistrate, and retained the office until his death on 14 February 1682.^[1]

Upon his death his estate had a net value of over 2,500 pounds.

Family

Savage was twice married; first, in 1637, to Faith, daughter of William and Anne Hutchinson. By her he had three sons and two daughters. She died on 20 February 1652. On 15 September he married Mary, daughter of the Rev. Zechariah Symmes of Charlestown, by whom he had eight sons and three daughters. She survived him, and afterwards married Anthony Stoddard.

See also

• List of early settlers of Rhode Island

References

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Savage, Thomas (1608-1682)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

Original proprietors of Rhode Island's first settlements First settlers of Providence with Roger Williams (1636) Roger Williams William Harris John Smith (miller) Francis Wickes Thomas Angell Joshua Verin William Arnold Benedict Arnold William Carpenter William Mann Thomas Hopkins Original proprietors of Providence (signers of "initial deed," October 1638) Roger Williams Stukeley Westcott William Arnold Thomas James Robert Cole John Greene John Throckmorton William Harris William Carpenter Thomas Olney Francis Weston Richard Waterman Ezekiel Holyman Pawtuxet Claimants (Settled 1638; under Massachusetts jurisdiction 1642-1658) William Arnold Benedict Arnold William Carpenter Robert Cole Founders of Portsmouth (signers of Portsmouth Compact, 7 March 1638) William Coddington John Clarke William Hutchinson John Coggeshall William Aspinwall Samuel Wilbore John Porter John Sanford Edward Hutchinson, Jr. Thomas Savage William Dyre William Freeborn Philip Shearman John Walker Richard Carder William Baulston Edward Hutchinson, Sr. Henry Bull Randall Holden Thomas Clarke John Johnson William Hall John Brightman Founders of Newport (Signers of initial agreement, 28 April 1639) William Coddington (Judge) Nicholas Easton (Elder) John Coggeshall (Elder) William Brenton (Elder) John Clarke (Elder) Jeremy Clarke (Elder) Thomas Hazard (Elder) Henry Bull (Elder) William Dyre (Elder; clerk) Founders of Warwick (Original purchasers, 1643) Randall Holden John Greene John Wickes Francis Weston Samuel Gorton Richard Waterman John Warner Richard Carder Samson Shotten Robert Potter William Wodell Nicholas Power Italics: The names of Clarke, Johnson, Hall, and Brightman at the end of the Portsmouth list were crossed out, and it is uncertain if they came to Portsmouth, though most, if not all, of them did appear on Aquidneck Island. Sources for template: Arnold, Samuel Greene (1859). History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Vol.1. New York: D. Appleton & Company. pp. 97,100,132,176. OCLC 712634101. ; Chapin, Howard M. (1916). Documentary History of Rhode Island. Providence: Preston and Rounds Company. pp. 8–27.