Thomas Larkham first appears in Rhode Island records on 24 August 1728 when he signed as the witness to a land deed for the purchase of 15 acres of land in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.  He is the only Larkham other than Lancelot or Frances who appears in early to mid-18th century Rhode Island records.

Thomas Larkham's relationship to Lancelot Larkham as his father is demonstrated through family records and the series of recorded events that align Thomas Larkham's life with Lancelot's.  My great-grandmother had, among her hand-written notes on her ancestry, a piece of paper bearing what is the patrilineal line of descent of her Larkham family in the United States.  At the top of the list is the name "Thomas Larkham", followed by Lancelot and his male descendants down to her father, William H. Larkham, and three of his brothers.

The recorded date of Thomas Larkham's death, 4 September 1746, explains why young Lancelot was placed in an apprenticeship at the tender age of 8 ½ years by his mother on 23 July 1749. Thomas Larkham died while serving in Captain Edward Cole's Company in King George's War. Frances Larkham is proven as mother of Lancelot Larkham because she is named as such in the 1749 apprenticeship contract with Joseph Enos of Richmond, Rhode Island.  Thomas and Frances Larkham appear only in the records of South Kingstown where young Lancelot was living when Frances placed him into the apprenticeship.[1]

Chronology of Thomas Larkham’s life in South Kingstown

 Creating a picture of Thomas Larkham's life involves documenting the chronology of records about him in Rhode Island until his death in 1746:

●    24 August 1728: Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown witnessed the purchase of 15 acres of land in South Kingstown, Rhode Island for £300 by Aaron Milliman, son-in-law from Joseph Case, yeoman and his wife Elisabeth of South Kingstown.[8]  William Keais was another witness to the deed.

●    26 February 1739: Thomas Larkham witnessed a deed for the purchase of 16 acres of land in South Kingstown for 800£ by Jeffery Watson, yeoman, from Ebenezer Smith, Jr., yeoman, of South Kingstown.[9]

●    20 November 1740:  Lancelot Larkham of Rhode Island was born, probably in South Kingstown, since Thomas Larkham was recorded in South Kingstown the years before and after Lancelot's birth.  As identified in Lancelot's 1749 apprenticeship indenture, Frances Larkham was his mother. The assumption is that she was married to Thomas Larkham because she took his surname, however no marriage record has been found. 

 ●  12 July 1742: The following summary was provided at a South Kingstown Town Council meeting

“Voted that the Persons whose Names are hereunder written have Licenses for the keeping of Taverns in their respective dwelling Houses in the Town for the Term of one Year next after: the giving of this Town Council. They first giving Bond to keep good order therein &c And not to sell or suffer Benjamin Reynold, Immanuel Clark nor Thomas Larkham to have any strong Liquor in their or either of their Sd Houses during the continuance of their aforesd Licenses. And paying the several Sums to their several names annexed in manner following – Viz.
Ichabod Potter the sum of £5
John Case ------------£5 paid
Nathaniel Gardner ------------£3 paid
Benjamin Potter ------------£2.1 of pd.
Joseph Hull ------------£3 paid
Roger Mory ------------£2.1 of pd.
Nathaniel Helme ------------£2.1 of pd.”

Of interest, here, is the fact that Benjamin Reynolds had been posted at a South Kingstown Town Council meeting in 1741, so this posting appeared to be a carry-over of that first posting for him.  However Emmanuel (Immanuel) Clarke and Thomas Larkham were newly posted in 1742, which could indicate the two men were involved in the same incident.

Similar postings for these men appear in the South Kingstown Town Council Records for July 11, 1743; July 2, 1744; July 1745; and July 14, 1746.

●   1744: Thomas Larkham's name appeared on the South Kingstown tax list as having paid 00:10 in tax. Thomas Larkham also appeared in the South Kingstown Town Council books as one of 20 men from whom debts were collected belonging to the estate of Nathan Sheffield, dec'd. by his executor beginning in the year 1744 . Although this entry in South Kingstown records was made 12 February 1747, it is evident that the debts were collected closer to 1744 and that the record entry date was after the fact.

●    8 July 1746: Thomas Larkham enlisted in Captain Edward Cole's Company in the campaign against Canada, King George's War.  The troops were quartered at Fort George on Goat Island in Newport Harbor, where they remained until 2 November 1746.  Of 100 men listed on the muster roll of Captain Cole’s Company, twenty-five men died and twenty deserted.  

Arnold wrote in  History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,

“These troops were quartered on Goat Island by July and from that time until November 2, when they finally sailed for Nova Scotia they were in a state of uncertainty as to their destination. . . .The number of desertions in the third roll is noticeably large. The fact that the pay of these men was recorded just as it was for those who stayed with the colors is evidence that the authorities knew of extenuating circumstances, or in some way looked leniently upon what is technically a serious fault.”

●    4 September 1746: According to the muster roll of Captain Cole's company, Thomas Larkham died 4 September 1746, having served 58 days, wages due 1£ 6S. He apparently never left Fort George on Goat Island in Newport Harbor.

●    23 July 1749: Frances Larkham "of South Kingstown in Kings County in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation in New England Woosted Corner" put her son Lancelot Larkham into an apprenticeship with the weavers Joseph and Margaret Enos of Richmond, Rhode Island. A search through South Kingstown and Richmond, Rhode Island records has not revealed any mention of this apprenticeship, so another assumption is that the apprenticeship was a private contract between Frances Larkham and the signers and witnesses to the contract: the weavers Joseph and Margaret Enos, and the signers Anna Kinyon and John Webster. As such, it is highly likely that Frances had a prior relationship with these individuals and may even have been related to them.  The kinship connections between the parties to the apprenticeship indenture is interesting:

○   Anna Kinyon (or Kenyon) was born Anna Barber, the wife of Sylvester Kenyon.

 ○  Sylvester Kenyon was the brother of John Webster's first wife, Sarah Kenyon.

○    Margaret Enos, wife of the weaver Joseph Enos, was born Margaret Webster, a sister of John Webster.

○    John Webster's eldest daughter, Hannah Webster, married Ezekiel Barber, Anna (Barber) Kenyon's older brother.

○    John Webster's youngest daughter, Elizabeth Webster, married John Kenyon, son of Sylvester and Anna (Barber) Kenyon.

○    John Webster's youngest son, Thomas Webster, married Patience Adams, presumed sister of  Prudence Adams, who became the wife of Lancelot Larkham.

While Thomas Larkham's relationship to Lancelot and Frances can be explained by connecting the series of events in his life to theirs, the larger question that looms is: why did he suddenly show up in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1728 when he appears to have no other connection to Rhode Island or New England?  This question will be explored in the remainder of this web page.

The Lure of the Narragansett Country  

For a young man seeking opportunity in the early 18th century, South Kingstown and the surrounding Narragansett Country would have been an attractive destination. During the first three decades of the 18th century, the economy of Rhode Island flourished with profitable plantations in Narragansett country, sea trade, and the export of rum and other goods. Providence and Newport were among the busiest ports in the New World, booming with trade activities to England, other European countries, other colonial ports, the West Indies and Africa (The John Carter Brown Library, n.d.).

Rhode Island participated in one of the most abhorrent times in our nation's history as one corner of the nefarious but lucrative “Triangular Trade”.  Rum produced in Rhode Island was exported to the slave coast of West Africa where it was traded for African captives who made the perilous Middle Passage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the slaves were traded for sugar and molasses, the primary ingredient of rum. The molasses was then shipped to Rhode Island for processing into more rum (Zilian, 2020).  South Kingstown was central to activities of the Narragansett Planters, where a prosperous plantation society developed by slave labor along the fertile southern coast of the colony (Channing, 1886). Investigation into the lives of the associates of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown also reveals some interesting parallels.

The Associates of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown

Thomas Larkham witnessed land deeds of Joseph and Elizabeth Case to their son-in-law, Aaron Milliman; of Jeffrey Watson to Ebenezer Smith, Jr., and he was posted from the drinking of strong liquor with Emmanuel Clarke. It turns out that all of these men were related (except Larkham), descendants (or married to descendants) of John and Margaret Smith of Prudence Island. Herein lies the connection to the maritime trade that may have enticed Thomas Larkham to come to South Kingstown in the 1720s.

Two of the sons of John and Margaret Smith, John and Jeremiah Smith, started a ferry service to Jamestown from Boston Neck and ran two 330-acre plantations on either side of the ferry road.  The Smith ferry service at South Ferry played a key role in Rhode Island trade activities, enabling the Narragansett planters to move livestock, exported cheeses and produce to Newport where they were shipped to other colonies and Europe.  The ferry landing served as a port for direct shipments to New York and the Caribbean, while the ferry house became a local “watering hole” where local residents and passengers could gather for food and entertainment (Smith, 2012). It's possible the incident that led to Thomas Larkham and Emmanuel Clarke being posted in South Kingstown Town Council meeting records took place at the Smith family's South Ferry house.

The South Ferry also brought people from Africa purchased at the Newport slave market to Narragansett, where the local economy relied heavily on slaves, captured Native Americans, and a few indentured servants from England to work on local plantations (Smith, 2012). Rhode Island played a leading role in the transatlantic slave trade. Rhode Islanders owned more slaves per capita than any other New England state, and they were heavily engaged in the slave trade. By the end of the eighteenth century, Rhode Islanders had carried out at least a thousand voyages from Africa to the Americas (The John Carter Brown Library, n.d.).

Joseph Case, Jr.

Joseph Case, Jr. was the son of Joseph and Hannah (Smith) Case of Kingstown, Rhode island.  He was a grandson of John and Margaret Smith of Prudence Island.  In 1728, he sold 15 acres of land to his son-in-law, Aaron Milliman, who married his daughter Ann. Joseph Case, Jr. was also first cousin of John Smith, the father of Jeffrey Watson's wife Bathsheba (Smith) Watson; a first cousin of Ebenezer Smith, the father of Ebenezer Smith, Jr.; and a first cousin of Emmanuel Clarke, all described below.

William Keais

William Keais, the other witness to the 1728 land deed between Joseph Case, Jr. and Aaron Milliman, married Margaret Knowles on 14 April 1728.  Margaret Knowles was the daughter of Henry and Mary (Case) Knowles of Kingstown, Rhode Island, and through her mother, the granddaughter of Joseph and Hannah (Smith) Case of Kingstown, and the great-granddaughter of John and Margaret Smith of Prudence Island. Thus, she was the niece of Joseph Case, Jr. William Keais was the son of Samuel and Mary (Riddan) Keais of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Jeffrey Watson

Jeffrey Watson was from a prominent family of Narragansett planters in South Kingstown that owned land shares of the Pettequamscot Purchase of 1659. Of this land, Jeffrey Watson owned a 300 acre plantation which he rented out, while he lived at the “Ferry Farm” at South Ferry on the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. Jeffrey Watson’s connection with South Ferry was through his wife, Bathsheba (Smith) Watson, whose grandfather, John Smith, in partnership with his brother Jeremiah Smith, purchased 661 ½ acres in Boston Neck and the adjacent ferry from FitzJohn Winthrop. The northern half of this land and a half-interest in the ferry was passed down to Bathsheba (Smith) Watson’s father, also John Smith.  Jeremiah Smith's share of the southern half of the land was divided between his sons, Ephraim and Ebenezer Smith (Cook, Jr., 1984). Jeffrey Watson had a tempestuous relationship with the sons of Ebenezer Smith, Ebenezer Smith, Jr. (of the 1739 land deed) and his brother, Ephraim Smith. In his diary, he noted the Smith brothers tried to cheat him on land deals (Smith, 2012). He was appointed guardian of 49-year old Ephraim Smith in 1765 because Smith had become "idle" (Smith, 2012).

Ebenezer Smith, Jr.

Ebenezer Smith, Jr. who sold land to Jeffery Watson in the 1739 land deed (above), was the son of Ebenezer Smith and the grandson of Jeremiah Smith. Ebenezer Smith, father of Ebenezer, Jr. was bequeathed by his father the southern half of Jeremiah Smith's Boston Neck farm and a quarter share of the South Ferry operation, which he shared with his brother Ephraim (who owned one quarter). The Smith brothers heavily mortgaged this land and in 1741, petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly to grant them ownership in fee simple so they could sell Jeffrey Watson 69 acres of the land for £4,000 (Smith, 2012). As noted above, the Smith brothers had a strained relationship with Jeffrey Watson, who eventually purchased the land they had inherited from their father.

Emmanuel Clarke

Emmanuel (Immanuel) Clarke was the son of Benjamin and Mercy (Smith) Clarke, born 4 April 1697. He was the first cousin of Joseph Case, Jr. of the 1728 land deed.  Emmanuel Clarke’s mother Mercy (Smith) Clarke and Joseph Case’s mother, Hannah (Smith) Case were sisters.  Emmanuel Clarke was also a first cousin of Ebenezer and Ephraim Smith, part owners of South Ferry.  Emmanuel Clarke’s mother, Mercy (Smith) Clarke and Ebenezer and Ephraim Smith’s father, Jeremiah Smith, were siblings. To make the relationship web more complicated, Emmanuel Clarke married his first cousin Ephraim Smith’s widow, Margaret (Pearce) Smith, after Ephraim died in 1722.

While Benjamin Reynolds of the South Kingstown Town Council posting had previously been barred from being sold strong liquor in 1741 and the subsequent postings appear to be a carry-over of this initial posting, Thomas Larkham and Emmanuel Clarke were newly posted on 12 July 1742. It’s possible that Larkham and Clarke were involved in the same event that led to this posting.

In addition to being listed as a person to whom local taverns could not sell strong liquor, Emmanuel Clarke got into other trouble as well. In 1729, William Gardner, owner of a plantation adjacent to Emmanuel Clarke, was accused by Clarke of killing some of Clarke’s hogs. Following an argument between the two men, one of Gardner’s outbuildings was set on fire.  Gardner filed a complaint against Emmanuel Clark for the fire. On 5 October 1729, Emmanuel Clarke was arrested and questioned by Rouse Helm, to which Emmanuel Clarke denied any wrongdoing.

The following day, however, another neighbor, Benjamin Allen, was deposed and claimed he heard Emmanuel Clarke’s stepdaughter stating, “Emanuel sware that he would burn either Gardners house or his barn, for Gardner and Emanuel have had differance for Gardner has killed his hogs...” (Smith, 2012) Several other neighbors corroborated Benjamin Allen’s deposition. The outcome of the case is unknown, however the supposition is that Emmanuel Clarke had to pay a £300 fine (Smith, 2012).

Who the Rhode Island Larkhams were not

Attempting to connect the dots between the Larkhams of Rhode Island and their forebearers (presumably) in Great Britain has revealed some of the families with similar surnames that are probably not connected to this family. A brief discussion of the two families the Rhode Island Larkhams are most frequently, mistakenly connected to is provided as follows.

Thomas and Frances Larkham of South Kingstown, Rhode Island were not Thomas and Frances (Blackman) Larkham of Berkshire, England

Considering the names and presumed birthdates of Thomas and Frances Larkham, alone, several online family trees state that Lancelot Larkham was the son of Thomas and Frances (Blackman) Larkham who married at the Dean of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England on 22 September 1740.  English vital records show this couple had two children, a son, Thomas, who was baptized on 2 October 1741 at Wokingham, Berkshire, England, and a daughter, Frances, who was baptized 11 April 1744 at Finchampstead, Berkshire, England.

Despite the frequency of sea travel between Great Britain and the American colonies in the 18th century, and given the numerous records of Thomas Larkham, father of Lancelot, in South Kingstown between 1739 and 1746, it is hard to reconcile how he could have been in Wiltshire and Berkshire, England during the same time period (to marry in 1740 and have children in 1741 and 1744 while in England, while at the same time documenting records in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

In addition, several Internet family trees list Thomas Larkham of Berkshire as the son of Thomas and Amy (West) Larkham, born 1717 in Berkshire.  This Thomas Larkham would only be eleven years of age when he witnessed the first South Kingstown land deed in 1728, which seems highly unlikely.  Furthermore, there is no record of a child named Lancelot Larkham being born in Wiltshire or Berkshire, England during this time period, nor is there any record of children named Thomas and Frances in South Kingstown (only adults - Lancelot's parents). The only conclusion is the names of the two couples are a coincidence, but they are not the same people.

The Rhode Island Larkhams were not directly connected to the Larcom Family of Beverly, Massachusetts

Mordecai Larcom, presumably of French Huguenot ancestry, arrived in Massachusetts about 1629 and married Elizabeth, widow of William Clarke in 1652.  They had many descendants of surname Larcom. There is no evidence that Thomas Larkham who first appeared in South Kingstown, Rhode Island records in 1728 was any relation to this family.

Owing to the relative proximity of the Beverly Larcoms to the Rhode Island Larkhams, it seems there would have been evidence of some relationship between the subsequent generations of the two families, however extensive research has revealed no connection.

The Significance of the Name Lancelot

A clue to the origins of the early Larkhams of Rhode Island may be found in the name, Lancelot.  The name was relatively rare in colonial New England and even rarer in 18th century Rhode Island. However, the name was passed down through several generations of the Rhode Island and Connecticut Larkham family, from my fifth great grandfather, the first Lancelot Larkham born in America, to his son, my fourth great grandfather, Lancelot Larkham, Jr., who later went by Lot, to a succession of descendants including Lancey Lot Larkham, Lot Larkham Colegrove, Lancey Lott Witter, Lance Himes, and more. Similarly, the name Thomas was also prevalent in the Rhode Island Larkham family and their descendants.  Lancelot Larkham of Rhode Island named his second-born son Thomas, who in turn named his eldest son Thomas.

 Possible English Origins of the Rhode Island Larkhams

The Descendants of Reverend Thomas Larkham of Tavistock

It is notable that the controversial Puritan minister, Thomas Larkham, who came briefly to Dover, New Hampshire in 1636-1642, had a grandson, Lancelot Larkham.  Reverend Thomas Larkham’s son, Reverend George Larkham (also a “non-conformist” minister), was the father of Lancelot Larkham, who was born 29 November 1661 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England.  The name Lancelot appears to come from the family of Dorothy Fletcher, wife of George Larkham and mother of Lancelot Larkham of England.  Her father was Lancelot Fletcher, who descended from a line of several Lancelots in the Fletcher line.  According to the Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances by Bardsley, the name Lancelot “was very common in Cumberland and N[orth] England generally for many centuries.” As previously noted, the name Lancelot was not common in 18th century Rhode Island, so the name may be a significant clue to the origins of my Larkham ancestry.

Even more compelling is Reverend George Larkham’s bequest to his son, Lancelot, in his will, dated 10 January 1699 and proved 17 March 1700:

Itm My will is and I doe hereby bequeath to my Son Lancelot for a Legacy Ten pound; Itm to his Son Thomas (my Grandchild) Ten pound, To be due for him; in order to his bringing up to some trade; And I hope his parents will not defraud him &c.

One can only speculate as to why George Larkham made this statement about Lancelot and the mother of young Thomas.  Clearly, George Larkham was concerned about the responsibility Lancelot and Thomas' mother had in raising his grandchild.  Whether this had to do with Lancelot's profession, or the character of he and Thomas's mother, or both, is unknown.  No record has been found to identify Thomas’s mother, nor has a record of Thomas’s birth been found.  It is evident from an apprenticeship record for Thomas (discussed below) that he was probably born in in 1697, so he was probably about 18 months old when his grandfather, George Larkham, wrote his will on 10 January 1699.

Could this grandchild, Thomas, be the same Thomas Larkham who appears in 18th century South Kingstown, Rhode Island records?  Certainly the naming of the early Rhode Island Larkhams, Thomas and Lancelot, is consistent with the family line of Reverend George Larkham, son of Reverend Thomas Larkham.

Lancelot Larkham, son of Reverend George Larkham, died in 1709 and was buried at St. Olave's Church, Bermondsey, Southwark, London on 21 September 1709.   Ten months later, a 10 July 1710 apprenticeship contract was signed by Deliverance Larkham (son of Reverend George Larkham) of Exeter, Devonshire, England, placing his nephew, Thomas Larkham into an apprenticeship with the tailor, Samuel Cole of Exeter.  This apprenticeship was recorded in the Inland Revenue Books which documented the taxes paid on all apprenticeship indentures excepting those where the fee was less than one shilling or those arranged by parish or public charities (Society of Genealogists, 1998). A copy of the entry recorded for Thomas Larkham is listed below.

Master's Names Places of Abode & Employment: Saml Cole of the City of Exon Taylor
Clerks and Apprentices to their Parents &c: Thom. Nephew of Deliverance Larkham of the City and Conv. of Exon Clerk
Date: 10th July [1710]
Terms of Years: 8 yrs. fr. Date

Source: National Archive IR 1/41

This contract provides fairly solid evidence that Lancelot Larkham of Bermondsey was Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth, given the timing of Deliverance Larkham's custody of his nephew Thomas following his brother's death.  After Lancelot Larkham's death in 1709, guardianship of his son, Thomas, would have gone to Lancelot's next surviving relative, which was his older brother, Deliverance Larkham, who was pastor of the Exeter Congregational Church. 

It's not surprising that Deliverance Larkham placed Thomas into an apprenticeship considering he was a bachelor clergyman in Exeter with probably limited capability of raising a pre-teenaged boy, and apprenticeships were an accepted way for teenaged boys to learn a trade in 17th and 18th century England.  Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey was himself apprenticed to the upholder John Howard of London between 1676 and 1683.  Perhaps significantly, this practice was followed when Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown, Rhode Island died. His son Lancelot was also placed into an apprenticeship.

If the apprenticeship of young Thomas ended on his 21st birthday, which was customary, and the length of the apprenticeship was 8 years, which is one year more than the standard term of apprenticeship, it's likely that Thomas was 13 years old on 10 July 1710, which would place his birthdate at 10 July 1697. He would have been about 18 months old when Reverend George Larkham named him in his will. Of note, the £10 Deliverance Larkham paid for Thomas Larkham's apprenticeship was the exact amount Reverend George Larkham bequeathed to his grandson "in order to his bringing up to some trade". 

The  apprenticeship of Thomas Larkham, son of Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey, establishes that he spent much of his youth, between the age of 13 and 21, in Exeter, Devonshire, England, between 1710 and 1718, although it's not clear if Thomas completed his apprenticeship, and no records have been found for him in England after this date. Deliverance Larkham died in 1723, and although his will was indexed in the Calendar of Devonshire Wills and Administrations, the majority of the records of Devonshire courts were destroyed during World War II when the Exeter Registry was bombed. As a result, the details of Deliverance Larkham's will are nonexistent.

It is useful to consider what was happening in Exeter when young Thomas Larkham lived there.  In the early 18th century, Exeter was at the height of its commercial prosperity. It was a major shipping port for England, with a canal for loading and offloading imported and exported goods, Exeter's wool trade flourished, and trade thrived with countries such as Holland, Portugal, Spain and Italy (Kemp, 1992).  Exeter was also one of the leading markets for the wool trade in the early 17th century. Thus, Exeter would probably be a good place to serve an apprenticeship to learn the trade of tailoring, as Thomas Larkham did.  Here he was probably exposed to a wide variety of fabrics to work with as well as the maritime trade aspects of the products of his trade.

There are also some interesting parallels between Exeter, England,  South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and the livelihoods of Frances and Lancelot Larkham.  As already discussed, South Kingstown was a key part of Rhode Island's thriving maritime trade economy.  The production of wool, linen, and other fabrics was prevalent.  In the 1749 apprenticeship contract of Lancelot Larkham of South Kingstown, his mother, Frances Larkham was described as, "of South Kingstown in Kings County in the Colony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantation in New England Woosted Corner".   Although Woosted Corner has not been identified in historical maps or text about Rhode Island, woosted was the old English term for worsted, a high quality wool yarn used to make worsted wool fabric. The name, Woosted Corner, indicates that Lancelot's mother (and perhaps his father) worked in the early Rhode Island wool industry. This would explain why Lancelot was placed into an apprenticeship to learn the trade of weaving. 

Family Members of Reverend Thomas Larkham involved in the
17th and 18th Century Maritime Trade

Reverend Thomas Larkham of Tavistock

If Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown was the great-grandson of Reverend Thomas Larkham, he would probably be no stranger to maritime trade activities between England, the West Indies, and the American colonies, as the Larkham family appears to have a history of being active in overseas trade. Reverend Thomas Larkham was born into the mercantile class. Reverend Larkham's father, Thomas Larkham of Lyme Regis, described himself as a “linen draper” (Moore, 2011; Radford, 1892), a merchant of cloth made of flax and hemp.  Lyme Regis became a major English port during the 16th and 17th centuries, so it’s possible Thomas Larkham of Lyme Regis was engaged in trade in the Mediterranean, West Indies and Americas (Radford, 1892).

After Reverend Thomas Larkham's return to England from New England in 1642, his eldest son, Thomas, went to the East Indies, perhaps, as Radford suggests, "with some Dutch friends on a trading venture", where he died in early 1648 (Radford, 1892).  Reverend Thomas Larkham himself was an investor in the 17th century maritime trade for tobacco.  He speculated in a ‘single’ joint-venture system in which a group of traders joined together to charter a vessel and send out a single trading cargo (Taylor, 2018).  Reverend Larkham's interest in tobacco was probably for his apothecary business. In his diary, on 17 November 1667 he wrote:

“Where[a]s I laid out about freeing of Tobacco for T. M. [Thomas Miller] and for charges about bringing it to Tavistocke  
13. 17. 04. I have received for Tobacco & the caske in which it was brought from Virginia 141i. 01. 03.”

Reverend Larkham also owned "tucking" mills in Dolvin, at Tavistock, from which he gained income. Tucking, or fulling, is a step in the woolen clothmaking process in order to create a compact, tight, textural woolen cloth.

Thomas Miller, Grandson of Reverend Thomas Larkham

The T.M. in the diary entry above was Reverend Thomas Larkham's grandson, son of his daughter Patience (Larkham) Miller, with whom he ran his apothecary business from ca. 1665-1669 in Tavistock, after Reverend Larkham was forbidden to practice as a clergyman by the Five Mile Act, or Nonconformists Act of 1665.

Thomas Miller's father, Lt. Joseph Miller, died in Ireland 8 May 1656, when Thomas was not yet 8 years of age (Larkham and Moore, 2011).  In his will, dated 4 May 1656, Lt. Joseph Miller bequeathed the land he received from a Cromwellian Act of Settlement grant to his young son, Thomas, including, “a grant of Ballysampson, Horetown, Poolsallagh, and Ballygarry, co. Wexford, 474 acres, 2 roods, 18 perches, under the Act of Settlement”(Burke, 1852). He was the same Thomas Miller who exported tobacco in Albemarle, Province of Carolina (now North Carolina) and was identified in a shipping contract for tobacco as an apothecary of “Balley Samson in the County of Waxford in Ireland” (Parker, 2014).  This same Thomas Miller later became a customs collector and ended up serving as Albemarle’s governor for about six months in 1677 until his government was overthrown in an uprising known as Culpeper’s Rebellion.[6] (See Thomas Miller of Ireland, England, and Albemarle, Province of Carolina)

Thomas Larkham, Grandson of Reverend Thomas Larkham

Another grandson of Reverend Larkham, also named Thomas Larkham (son of Reverend Larkham's late son Thomas), traveled to Barbados during the late 17th century, most likely as part of the maritime trade, some of which Reverend Thomas Larkham mentioned in his diary.[5]

In his will, Reverend Larkham referred to his grandson, Thomas Larkham (son of his deceased son Thomas, who he essentially raised from infancy), as "the son of my eldest son who is lately returned from the Barbodoes".  In a codicil to his will dated 30 January 1668, Reverend Larkham revised his bequest to his grandson: "Since the writing of this will Thomas Larkham hath had  £50 to set him forth to sea and the land is sold which I had in Tavistock so that he is to have but  £50 instead of the above bequeathed  £100."

This Thomas Larkham was closely connected to his cousin Thomas Miller, so much so that when Thomas Miller returned to England and was later imprisoned for mishandling customs funds, Thomas Larkham gave £1,000 in bond as surety for his cousin. Unfortunately, Thomas Miller died in prison, probably in spring or early summer 1685, at which point Thomas Larkham was arrested and imprisoned for the debt owed by his cousin Miller.  Thomas Larkham also died in prison, sometime between 21 June 1685 when he wrote his will and 16 October 1685 when his widow, Hannah, made her first petition to the Customs Commissioners to be discharged of the bond given by her late husband as surety for Thomas Miller.(See Thomas Larkham, Merchant of the Parish of St. Martin Orgar, London, England)

Lancelot Larkham, Grandson of Reverend Thomas Larkham

In his will, Thomas Larkham, grandson of Reverend Thomas Larkham, bequeathed to "my cousin Lancelott Larkham the sonne of George Larkham of Cockermouth my Seald Ring which was left me by my grandfather".  The fact that Thomas Larkham bequeathed his grandfather's ring to his cousin Lancelot and not to Lancelot's older brothers, Deliverance or Thomas, may indicate that Lancelot had a fairly close relationship with his cousins. Lancelot completed an apprenticeship to be an upholder in London between 1676 and 1683, so it seems likely he may still have lived near his cousin when he was imprisoned in 1685.  We know from George Larkham's will that his son Lancelot had a son, Thomas, who we now know from his apprenticeship record was born about 1697, so he was about 18 months old in 10 January 1699 when George Larkham wrote his will. This Lancelot is the presumed father of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown, who in turn named his son, Lancelot.

If Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey continued in the trade of upholder, he may also have been involved in overseas trade.  His master was John Howard (also Haward), who identified as "citizen and upholder of London".  John Howard's son was also an upholder who catered "to the needs of the wealthy for fine furnishings" (Chapman, 2013) and dealt "in tapestries and oriental carpets of that name at 'The Talbot'." (Houston, 2006). This work would most likely have involved imported items from overseas.

On 27 October 1686, Lan: Larkham witnessed the will of John Comer, Sr. of Oake in the Diocese of Bath and Wells in Somerset County, England.   In his will, John Comer, Sr. names his son, “John Comer of New England”, who was the grandfather of John Comer, the Baptist minister who started the Six Principal Baptist Church in Rhode Island.  The Larkhams of Rhode Island belonged to the Six Principal Baptist Church. If this Lan: Larkham was Lancelot Larkham, son of Reverend George Larkham and  father of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown, he would have been 25 years of age.  Considering the controversial, nonconformist religious history of the Reverends Thomas and George Larkham, it might seem logical for their family member to choose the colony of Rhode Island as a destination where many “non-conformist” free-thinkers followed Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson.[7] (See Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth, Cumberland County, England)

A Similarity in Personality Traits

Another thing Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown had in common with Reverend Thomas Larkham and his descendants is that he got in trouble.  At least he imbibed too much, as the South Kingstown Town Council records seem to attest.  Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown was posted for five years in a row for committing an alcohol-related infraction, such that South Kingstown tavern owners were forbidden to serve him strong liquor. Some of his associates -- Ebenezer Smith, Jr. and Emmanuel Clarke, were out-and-out trouble makers. Ebenezer Smith, Jr. was accused of cheating his relative by marriage, Jeffrey Watson.  Emmanuel Clarke resorted to solving a dispute with a neighboring plantation owner by burning down the neighbor's outbuilding (Smith, 2012).

Reverend Thomas Larkham and his grandsons exhibited similar personality traits. Reverend Thomas Larkham seemed to find trouble wherever he went. He was referred to by Bolton as “one of the stormiest petrels of a stormy era” (Bolton, 1919). One account of Reverend Thomas Larkham noted:

"An extraordinary psychological study was Rev. Thomas Larkham, that religious firebrand whose love of quarrelling, bowling, smoking, drinking, preaching and writing confirms our opinion that he was a Czar-like personality rather than a disciple of God in the church.  He is said to have cut up all sorts of capers with his clergymen and his landlady, and left many descendants at his death."

"Larkham's sermons drew large audiences principally because he would repeat on Sunday all he heard on weekdays.  He called his local enemies grunting-swine, squint-eyed fools, and the devil's dish clouts. At other times he rhymed the sins of local magnets (as he often did in his diary) to the boisterous delight of his irreverent audience. His diary seems to justify the charge that he devoted too much time to drinking sack and playing at bowls. He was imprisoned various times, whisperings of immorality hastening his journey there. He seems to have ended every year with a fresh record of excommunications, discharges, threats of arrest etc."(Lorenz, 1926)

In 1639, as a result of his controversial religious views, a petition was circulated against him by his detractors and “delivered into the king's own hand, with 24 terrible articles annexed, importing faction, heresie, witchcraft, rebellion, and treason.” He claimed he was “put into Star-chamber and High Commission,” and was proceeded against in the Consistory Court at Exeter “under a suit of pretended slander for reproving an atheistical wretch by the name of Atheist” (Lee, 1892).

The following year, Reverend Larkham brought his family to New England, where he went first to Massachusetts, “but not being willing to submit to the discipline of the churches there, came to Dover, a settlement on the river Piscataquis, Maine (now New Hampshire)”.(Hosmer, 1908) During his two years in New England, his ideas were considered controversial and he developed a verbally and physically tempestuous relationship with the local minister, Hansard Knollys, whom Larkham ousted.  In return, Knollys excommunicated Larkham. This led a riot, in which Larkham got into a physical altercation with Knollys.

Not long after, Larkham returned to England, after which Governor John Winthrop wrote of Larkham in his journal,

"It was time for him to be gone, for not long after a widow which kept in his house, being a very handsome woman, and about 50 years of age, proved to be with child, and being examined, at first refused to confess the father, but in the end she laid it to Mr. Larkam." (Hosmer, 1908)

Thomas Larkham, grandson of Reverend Larkham, went to trial when he was between 7 and 9 years of age in 1654, for driving and beating Thomasin Smith's sow. Reverend Larkham essentially raised his grandson, Thomas, who was orphaned as an infant.  In his will, Reverend Larkham wrote regrettably of his grandson,

“son of my eldest son who is lately returned from  the  Barbados who hath been very chargeable to me from  the time  of his birth and by the unkindnesses and  bad  dealing of his mothers relations and his miscarriage which I hope he begineth to see and yet dare not  be  too  confident of him  for  the  time  to come” to whom he bequeathed “my best silver bowle and my ring which hath my seal in it”;

Thomas Miller, Reverend Larkham's grandson, was described in Albemarle, as,

“given to vulgar, offensive remarks, and as an official he was abusive and domineering.”[xxviii]

Another source states,
“Thomas Miller was not a person to attract friends in great numbers. Although dictatorial, he was a most efficient man, possibly too much so. Given to excessive drinking and loose talk, he more than once abandoned discretion in conversation to voice an opinion, often derogatory, on almost any subject. In his lust for power, Miller was guilty of 'many extravagant things,' decreeing strange limitations for members of the legislature and levying fines without even the pretense of a trial. If these dictates were ignored, Miller was not hesitant to publish warrants calling for the apprehension, dead or alive, of some of the most prominent men in the county.”[xxix]

From the early 1670s until his death in 1685, Thomas Miller's life was a series of misadventures and contentious events, from his failed lawsuit against Robert Riscoe for a lost shipment of tobacco, to his alliance with Thomas Eastchurch and subsequent adversarial relationship with Carolina settlers over customs payments, to his extremely tumultuous time as Acting Governor of  Albemarle and the events that led up to Culpeper's Rebellion, to his mishandling of customs funds in Weymouth, which led to his imprisonment and subsequent death (and his cousin Thomas Larkham's death as well).

Of the possibilities of the ancestry of Thomas Larkham who first appeared in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1728, the most plausible is that he was the son of Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth.   Although no recorded proof has been found, the following facts lead to a  probable family connection to the family of Reverend Thomas Larkham of Tavistock:  

1. The name of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown provides a direct connection to the family of Reverend Thomas Larkham of Tavistock, although the case can be made that there were other Thomas Larkhams living in England during this time period.

2. The will of Reverend George Larkham of Cockermouth provides record that his son, Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey, had a son named  Thomas.

3. Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown named his son Lancelot.  Considering the rarity of this name in 18th century Rhode Island and New England, and the prevalence of the name in the Rhode Island/Connecticut Larkham family as well as the Cumberland Larkham-Fletcher family, this seems significant.  In traditional naming patterns, the first son is named after the father's father. If Thomas Larkham, son of Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey was the same person as Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown, it would makes sense that, according to tradition, he named his son Lancelot after his father.

4. The age of Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown and Thomas Larkham, son of Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey was about the same.  The July 1710 apprenticeship of Thomas Larkham, nephew of Deliverance Larkham, provides evidence not only that Lancelot Larkham who died in Bermondsey in September 1709 was the same person as Lancelot Larkham, son of Reverend George Larkham, and father of young Thomas Larkham, but also of Thomas's age.  Deliverance Larkham placed his nephew, Thomas, into an apprenticeship on 10 July 1710 for a duration of 8 years, ending on 10 July 1718.  Most apprentices begin their apprenticeship when they are 14 years old, with the apprenticeship lasting 7 years and ending on the apprentice's 21st birthday.  It seems reasonable to infer that Thomas Larkham was only 13 years old if his apprenticeship would last 8 years and end on his 21st birthday.  In this case, Thomas Larkham would be born in 1697.  If he was the same person as Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown, he would be 31 years old when he was first recorded in South Kingstown, and 43 years old when his son Lancelot was born. 

5. If Thomas Larkham completed his apprenticeship to become a tailor, this profession would be aligned not only with the booming wool trade of Exeter, England, but also with the early Rhode Island wool industry. The widow, Frances Larkham of Rhode Island, lived at a South Kingstown locale named "Woosted Corner", indicating an affiliation with worsted wool. She placed her son, Lancelot Larkham, into an apprenticeship to learn the trade of weaving.

6. The fact that Thomas Larkham was first recorded in Rhode Island when the maritime trade was at its peak is also significant.  His associates in South Kingstown were heavily involved in transatlantic trade.  The family of Reverend Thomas Larkham was also involved in  overseas trade between England, the West Indies, and the American colonies, especially his two grandsons, Tom Larkham and Tom Miller. It seems likely that Lancelot Larkham of Cockermouth/Bermondsey knew and was influenced by his older first cousins, as he lived in London at the same time as they did, and Tom Larkham bequeathed his grandfather's ring to Lancelot.   Perhaps young Thomas heard tales from his father of the family trade adventures.

By 1728, none of the more well-documented descendants of Reverend Thomas Larkham or his son George Larkham were still alive, so it's difficult to make a clear connection with Thomas Larkham of South Kingstown.  Nevertheless, the known facts and character traits line up more closely with the family of Reverend Thomas Larkham than any other family with a similar surname.

Two other men by the surname Larkham (or occasionally Lacombe) appear in 17th century British historical records.  Both men were engaged in trade activities between England, the West Indies and the American colonies.

Thomas Larkham, Gunner of Fort James and Fort Charles, Barbados

Thomas Larkham, gunner of James and Charles Fort, Barbados, appears in Barbados records between 1676 and 1678, and died at Saint Michaels Parish, Barbados in 1678.  In several Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies entries, Colonel William Bates is ordered to pay Thomas Larkham out of the excise on liquors imported, various weights of muscovado sugar for his salary.

In his will, written 9 August 1678, and proved 17 August 1678, Thomas Larkham named his commanding officer, Colonel William Bate, and his nephews, John and Thomas Templeman in his will, providing proof that he was the brother of Elizabeth (Larkham) Templeman who married Thomas Templeman in 1654 at Lyme Regis.  Given the Lyme Regis connection, Thomas Larkham and Elizabeth (Larkham) Templeman were probably cousins of Reverend Thomas Larkham's family. Early records indicate the Lyme Regis Larkhams may have come from the Dorsetshire village of Powerstock.

John Larkham, "Chirurgion" of the good ship William and Mary

On 20 June 1691, John Larkham "Chirurgion" (an old English version of "surgeon") of the brigantine William and Mary wrote his will, naming his commanding officer, Captain Thomas Dobbins (whom he bequeaths 20 shillings for a ring), and his siblings, Nicholas, Anne, Jane and Mary Larkham. No location in England was given for his siblings' residence, so I have not been able to connect John Larkham to a specific family. His will was probated on 2 May 1692.

It is of interest that John Larkham's commanding officer, Thomas Dobbins, is written about in 17th century British and New England history.  In 1692, Thomas Dobbins took command of the newly built brigantine, Province Galley, built specifically to protect the New England coast from French privateers. During this period, Captain Cyrian Southack took command of the William and Mary, which also cruised the New England coast to protect against French privateers and others.

In 1693 Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies records, Thomas Dobbins was listed as a "gunner" on the brigantine Nonsuch.  In February 1693 at Boston, Sir William Phips, Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, suspended the commander of the Nonsuch, Captain Richard Short, for misbehavior.  Governor Phipps passed over the current lieutenant of the ship and named Thomas Dobbins to be captain of the Nonsuch. Several accounts of this are provided in British and New England records. Dobbins was ordered to cruise off the Rhode Island coast to retake a brigantine that was overtaken by a French privateer. 

In 1694, Thomas Dobbins was living in Salem, Massachusetts. This was in the era of the Salem witch trials.  In November 1694, Thomas Dobbins refused to pay bail when he came to court on an unspecified charge. As the Salem sheriff escorted him to prison, Governor Phips intervened personally, threatening to jail the sheriff if he so much as touched Dobbins. Shortly thereafter, when court sat in Boston for Suffolk County, Thomas Dobbins again refused to pay bail . He claimed that he was in the sheriff's custody (though apparently he was not confined) and produced two warrants under the governor’s hand and seal . Even so, Dobbins was taken to jail anyway, gripped between the sheriff and the prison keeper. When Lieutenant Governor William Stoughton and the council members gathered for a farewell dinner in honor of Governor Phips, Governor Phips was so angry over the matter of Thomas Dobbins’s arrest that he refused to attend (Roach, 2004).

End Notes