Descendants of my husband Ron's ancestor Thomas Mayhew have been on Martha's Vineyard since the 1640's and some are there even to this day. Ron's Mayhews were there for over 200 years until his ggg-grandparents Lucinda Mayhew and Levi Davis came to Ohio sometime between 1840 and 1850. Because the family was on the Island for so long there was a lot of intermarriage (second or third cousins marrying) that it makes my head spin while trying to compile it all. So far I have traced back to Thomas Mayhew Sr. seven times. This page below is devoted to both Thomas Mayhew Sr. and his son Thomas Jr. You can find more on the pedigree in my database: Ancestors of Marianne (Long) West and Ancestors of her husband Ronald

Thomas Mayhew Sr.

Thomas Mayhew was born in England in 1593, and died March 25, 1682 on Martha's Vineyard.

Thomas arrived in Massachusetts in 1632, settling in Medford. In 1641 he purchased under Lord Stirlings patent, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands. He later governed over the colony on the Island as magistrate, then was commissioned as Governor for life. He helped his son Thomas Jr., in missionary work converting the Indians of the Island to Christianity. After his son died, Thomas continued with the work throughout the rest of his life. All of the Vineyard Indians and many Nantucket Indians became professed Christians, acknowledging Mayhew's rule. Their first church was organized in 1670. During King Philips War the Vineyard Indians, the most fully civilized and Christianized in New England, remained entirely loyal to the English. Thomas was the first of five generations of Mayhews who were Indian Missionaries.

Thomas Mayhew Jr.

Thomas Mayhew Jr. was born in England in 1621, and died at sea in 1657. He came to Massachusetts in 1631. In 1641, he with his father were granted ownership of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands. A group of Colonists planted a settlement at Edgartown under the leadership of Thomas Mayhew Sr.

Thomas, a Congregational clergyman, was the first English Missionary to the Indians of New England. Acquiring the knowledge of the language of the Indians, he began to convert them to Christianity. His first convert was Hiacoomes, who accepted the white man's faith in 1643, three years before John Eliot began missionary work on the mainland

In 1652 Mayhew opened a school to teach the Indians how to read. In conjunction with John Eliot, Thomas Mayhew Jr. was the author of a number of Indians tracts published in London.

Mayhew sailed for England in 1657 to attend to business matters, and to promote interest in his missionary work. His ship was lost at sea and Mayhew was never heard from. The Vineyard Indians mourned Mayhew when he did not return. They began a custom of throwing a stone at the location where he departed. These Indians continued the tradition for nearly 250 years. In 1901 the DAR along with the Indians established a monument on the pile of stones in honor of Mayhew