Thomas JADWYN, died ca 1627. At the time of his death, Thomas Jadwin was Church Warden, Church of St. Michael Paternoster in London. Thomas Jadwyn was a middle-class cutler (knife-maker) and investor who lived in London during the early part of the 17th century. He died before the Commonwealth Period occurred. His will (HJ 19) is an interesting document: he forgives his apprentice, Daniel Colwell, the last year of his term; leaves the poor of his parish 40 shillings; leaves his lands in the New World to his son and son-in-law, with the instruction that his son-in-law and daughter and their issue may remain on the lands for 100 years as long as they pay a small yearly fee and all the taxes. To his second wife, Elizabeth, he leaves the picturesquely named properties "Saracen's Head," "Unicorn," "and "Crown," which are all located in the Parish of St. George in Southwark, Surrey - presumably these are public houses, and she is to have the income of these through her lifetime, at the end of which they pass into the succession of his children. Though Elizabeth is executrix, he leaves oversight of his will to "the master and wardens of the said mystery and commonalty of Cutlers of London" (HJ 20). Thomas Jadwyn was an early investor in lands in Virginia, known in several documents as a "Virginia Adventurer." The investments paid off: by the time he died, he had acquired a great deal of land in the New World. Thomas Jadwyn made several trips to Virginia, especially around 1620 (HJ18). In his will, which was probated 5 Mar 1627, he left all his lands in VA to Robert, who then moved there with his wife Sisley to live as a planter on the lands.
Thomas took 2 shares in the Bermuda Company, and they were assigned to him in Pembroke Parish. In his will, Thomas left his lands in the Sommer Islands (now Bermuda) to his daughter Hannah and her husband Thomas Dunscombe. They also emigrated from England to Bermuda to live on the lands. (http://www.jadwin.net/genealogy/jadfam.htm web site).
The Jadwyn family lived and attended church near the river Thames in London, with records for the family appearing in St. Mary Aldermary, St. Michael Paternoster, St. Mildred and All Hallows the Less. Children were baptised in St. Michael Paternoster (http://www.delanet.com/~rbarry/jadwin_family.html).
The web site http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bbivona/5300.htm claims the St. Mary Aldermary register shows a January 1563 wedding between "Thomas Jewdowyn" and Alice Thomas, widow.
Same site states Thomas is buried at the end of a long row of pews at the south end of the quire in the Mid: quire of the St. Michal Paternoster Church, College St., London. The site also claims Thomas made several trips to Virginia, especially around 1620. Also that Thomas was present at several meetings of the Virginia Council in 1619. This site claims another wife for Thomas, one "Susanne" but has her dying March 1595/96 which seems unlikely unless they were divorced. Susanne buried march 1595/96 in St. Michael Paternoster Church, London, England.
Thomas is mentioned as an original adventurer (1612-1615) in Lefroy, J.H. Memorials of the discovery and early settlement of the Bermuda or Somer's Islands, 1511-1687. London : Longman's, Green & Co., 1879, pg. 100.
Cause of death: Fever