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Birth:          1580 Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, England
Death:          BEF 1633 Plymouth, MA

Notes
went to Pieterskerkhof, Leyden, Holland
came to Plymouth, MA in 1629
Monette says he is one of the Mayflower Pilgrims
Thomas Blossom
from Nancy:
Thomas Blossom (Title: Deacon or Elder?)
Birth: Abt. 1580, in Great Shelfrod (OR Little Shelford), Cambridgeshire, England.
Death: Between 1632 and 25 Mar 1633, in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, 
(OR Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay 
Colony.) 

Father: Peter Blossom, b: 1535-1550, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, England. 
Mother: Annabel (OR Ann) Maiden Name Unknown; b: About 1549/1550, Great 
Shelford, Cambridgeshire, England.

1609: Thomas Blossom moved to Leyden (Leiden), Holland, by 27 Oct 1609. 

A Separatist, at Leiden Thomas Blossom gave his wife Ann power of attorney to sell 
houses in Cambridge, England, 
which she had inherited from her mother's father. 

1620: On 22 Jul 1620, Thomas Blossom and his family sailed from Delftshaven to 
Southampton on the 'Speedwell', a 
ship that was to accompany the Mayflower; (on the Mayflower's first voyage to the 
colonies.) The 'Speedwell' set sail 
from Southampton, on 5 Aug, but about 300 miles from Lands End, England, the ship 
proved unfit because of leaks and 
had to turn back. The passengers were redistributed to the 'Mayflower', but at least 18 
had the stay behind. Thomas was 
among those who stayed behind. The Blossom family returned to Leyden and remained 
there until 1629.

1620: In his letter to Bradford from Leiden, dated 15 Dec 1625, Blossom closes by 
stating that "God hath taken away 
my son, that was with me in the ship, when I went back again; I have only two 
children which were born since I left you" 
This statement assists greatly in arranging the list of Blossom's children. It also seems 
to be the only source for the claim 
that Blossom was one of the passengers on the Speedwell in 1620, and that he and 
his son had to be left behind.

1625: He joined in signing a letter dated 30 Nov 1625, from Leiden Separatists to 
(William) Bradford, and he was the 
sole signer of a letter of 15 Dec 1625, to Bradford. In the December letter he deplores 
the difficulty the Leiden people 
had in reuniting with the Separatists in Plymouth and he states that the only way the 
Leiden group could join the others 
would be with the means coming from Plymouth.

1628/1629: In Mar 1628/1629, Thomas and his family sailed from Gravesend, on the 
Mayflower and arrived at 
Plymouth, Massachusetts. (This was the second voyage of the Mayflower to America. 
William Peirce, Captain.) The ship 
arrived 15 May 1629.

1633: In his history of Plymouth, Bradford included an account of the infectious 
epidemic of 1633, and mentioned 
specifically Thomas Blossom, Richard Masterson and Samuel Fuller as dying in that 
year. (Most of the deathsin 
Plymouth, in 1633, occurred in the months of June, July and August.)

1633: That Thomas Blossom died before 1 Jul 1633, is confirmed in a letter of that 
date from Rev. Ralph Smith, in 
Plymouth, to Rev. Hugh Goodyear, in Leiden, referring to "Tho: Bloso[m] our brother 
who now sleepeth". 

1633: The tax list of 25 Mar 1633, includes an entry for Widow Blossom, so Thomas' 
death would have taken place 
before that.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Marriage 1: Anna (OR Ann) HELSDON; (OR Elsdon, Elsden, Heilsdon, Heilson, Alston 
and many other surname 
variations),
b. about 1583-1590, Leyden/Leiden, Holland, (OR more likely England)..
Married: 10 Nov 1605 in St. Clement's, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England (OR 
Leiden, Zuid, Holland, the 
Netherlands.)

Children
1. Elizabeth Blossom, b: 1620 in South Leiden, Holland, Netherlands.
2. Frances BLOSSOM b: Abt. 1591-1622, in Parham, Somerset, England.
3. Thomas BLOSSOM Jr,. b: about 1620-1625, in probably. Leiden, Holland. Thomas 
married Sarah Ewer, 18 Jun 
1645, at Barnstable. Edmond Freeman performed the ceremony, as noted by Rev. 
John Lothrop.
4. Peter Blossom, b: about 1627, in Leyden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

(Thomas Blossom's widow, Anna, married 2: 17 Oct 1633, Henry Rowley and lived in 
Scituate.

--------------------------------------------------------------- 
Plymouth Church Records, Vol. I and II, 1620-1859
The 5th Chapt:
Anno: 1626
When the Church Came away out of holland they brought with them one deacon Mr 
Samuell ffuller whoe officiated in that 
office amongst them vntill his death hee was a Good man and full of the holy speritt; 
hee died before our Reuerend Elder 
before Named; And the Church saw Cause to Chose two others to that office: Richard 
Masterson and Thomas Blossom 
two holy men; whoe were experienced saints; the said Richard Masterson haueing bin 
officious with prte of his estate for 
publick Good; and a man of Abillitie as a second steuen to defend the truth by sound 
argument Grounded on the 
scriptures of truth; and the other alsoe Competently accomplished with abillities in that 
behalfe these two blessed saints 
liued not longe after they were Cosen but Changed this life for a better within a little 
time one after another; about the year 
1626 if I mistake not. 

---------------------------------------------------------------
Some Sources:
1. Title: Massachusetts State Records. Page: Lineages of Members of the National 
Society of the Sons and Daughters of 
the Pilgrams, Vol. II, Edward J. Merkle, 1988, Genealogical Publishing, Baltimore, 
MD., p. 167. 
2. Title: Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins; Immigrants to New 
England 1620-1633; Great 
migration study project (Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995); 
pp. 182-184. 
3. Title: Holmes, Frank R., Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 
1620-1700 (Baltimore, 
Genealogical pub. co., 1923). p. xxv.
4. Title: Sanborn, Melinde Lutz, Torrey's Supplement to New England Marriages 
(Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 
1991.), p. 33. 
5. Title: "The England and Holland of the Pilgrims" London,1906; reprint, Baltimore 
1978. Dexter, Harry Martyn, and 
Morton Dexter.
6. Title: "Governor William Bradford's Letter Book" Boston, 1906, Massachusetts 
Society of Mayflower Descendants. 
Bradford, William. 
7. Title: "Mayflower Descendant" Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 
1899-1937 [on microfiche]
8. Title: "Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647" by William Bradford. Published by 
Massachusetts Historical Society, 1912. 
Ford, Worthington C., Editor. 
9. Title: "Plymouth Church Records" 2 volumes, (New York, 1620-1623; reprint, 
Baltimore, 1975.
10. Title: "New England Historical Genealogical Register" Subscription Journal, 101 
Newbury Street, Boston, MA 
02116. 
11. Title: Plymouth Colony, Its History People, 1620-1691. Author: Eugene Aubrey 
Stratton, FASG

Parents
BLOSSOM Peter (1537 - Jun 1597)
----- Anabel (ABT 1540 - )

Siblings
BLOSSOM Thomas (1580 - BEF 1633)

Marriage To HELSDON (HEILSDON) (ELSDON) Ann (BEF 23 Jun 1583 - )
    m. 10 Nov 1605 St Clements, Cambridge, England

Notes

Parents
ELSDON Cuthbert (ABT 1550 - )
----- Margaret (ABT 1550 - )

Children by HELSDON (HEILSDON) (ELSDON) Ann BEF 23 Jun 1583 - 
BLOSSOM Elizabeth (1620 - 1713)

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