Thomas STATHEM

	Born: 1641, England
	Married: 1671, New England
	Died: 1696

   General Notes:

We're not sure whether it was Thomas Stathem or his father Thomas who came from England shortly after the settlement of New England. He moved to a place called Stathem's Neck, now in Cumberland County, New Jersey. He and his wife, Ruth Udell, had four sons and two daughters.

Thomas was High Sherrif of Westchester NY in 1690, before is was incorporated into NYC. He is in O'Callaghans List of the Inhabitants of Colonial NY and many others. He had a farm of 103 acres (now the Bronx Zoo) on Fordham Manor bought from his good friend, John Archer in 1676 (earliest documented fact) with a loan from Cornelius Steenwyk, the mayor of NY City. He then went to Stathems Neck NJ near Cohansey and Greenwich NY in 1694. It is believed he joined his father Thomas since the name Stathems Neck predates 1685. Thomas and Ruth are buried in an asparagus field at Stathems Neck - the tombstones are long gone (according to letters from Miss Sarah F. Ware to Col. Harlan R. Statham 1950's - 1960's) Miss Ware was a life long resident of Bridgeton NJ and worked many years at the Cumberland Co. Court House. She is a cousin of the Stathems whose ancestors came with William Penn in 1685. Much of what the Stathem family knows of it's roots came from her great efforts in dim and dusty files for many years.


In an email dated 5 March 1998, Richard Statham writes:

My wife and I went to Greenwich NJ in 1993 and found several Stathems at the Presbyterian Church there. It is across the road from the 'old Stathem store' (1880s by Dr Stathem whose house is next door with his name in wrought iron on the step). The store is owned them by a abt 60 yr old Makell lady, a cousin. I told her but she seemed suspicious but we bought several things and she warmed up. She knew Miss Sarah Ware and knew they were related but was negative about it. Many other Stathems (1700s-1800s) are buried at the nearby Baptist Church. Mercys house still exists nearby.

By the way- I spent my time looking up medieval Stathams (the original spelling). The Maskell are believed to be the de Masce de Sale family who were Normans as were the Stathams (orginally St Sauver's from Cotentin Normany - yup Battle of Hastings etc). The Maskells and Stathams go a long way back together and were in the Cheshire/Derby area.

In closing, I believe that the father of Thomas of NY (above) is Thomas Stathem who came in with Lord Baltimore to Maryland in 1633 on the Ark and Dove Ships. I have many pointers (as Stathem Neck named before Thomas of NY arrived etc) but the records a slim ( one- a Thomas Stathem on a Fenwicks Tenth Rent List of 1692 at Cohansey Creek seems conclusive but still searching). Thomas of the ARK disappeared (said dead in most ref but not proven) in 1633 from MD. It is just a short sail from MD to Cohansey and later from NJ to New York - the records could be anywhere including New England but are probably in Dutch. There is a heavy Dutch connection with the early Stathems in NY and elsewhere) ⁵⁵

   Marriage Information:

Thomas married Ruth UDELL in 1671 in New England.