homas⁴ Landers (Ebenezer³, Thomas^2-1), born 27 April 1727, died 24 Oct. 1811 (Lenox Church Records). "Died, Mr. Thomas Landers 24 Oct. 1811 in his 85th year" (typed copy of vital records taken from the Pittsfield Sun in the Berkshire Althenaeum there).

He married first, ca 1751, Ann ---- who evidently died at, or soon after, the birth of her only child in 1752.

He married secondly, about 1757, Mary Lake,¹ born 19 April 1738, died 13 Sept. 1822. After her husband’s death she may have lived with one of her children in New York State.²

In 1748, when Thomas was receiving his majority, the family moved from Wareham to Sharon, Conn. Probably about the time of his second marriage he moved to that part of Kent, Conn., which was incorporated in May 1786 as the town of Warren. He was admitted to the 1st Church there 3 July 1757 and was dismissed 28 Dec. 1760 (Records of the Church of Christ, Warren (Connecticut Vital Records 5:58)). The last was for the purpose of moving again, up the Housatonic River to Stockbridge, Mass. By a deed of 28 March 1760 "Thomas Landers of Kent, County of Litchfield" paid £40 to Joseph Woolbridge for a lot of land at Stockbridge abutting north east corner of the Stockbridge town line (recorded 22 Oct. 1767 - Pittsfield, Berkshire Co. Deeds, 6:5).

However, he did not leave Kent until the autumn, as the will of Benjamin³ Landers, dated 5 May 1760 gave "To my kinsman Thomas Landers of Kent all my land in Rochester, Plymouth County [Mass.]" Another nephew, Joseph⁴ Landers, was named executor. A probate memorandum shows that Thomas Landers "of Kent" and Joseph Landers "of Sharon" posted bond for £600, 21 June 1760. Joseph refused to act as executor and Thomas acted as administrator, C.T.A. In the accounting, an item reads: "To a tract of land in the town of Rochester [Mass.] containing about 4 acres already laid out and about 10 acres not yet laid out" (Sharon Probate Docket 1995). Landers promptly disposed of this inheritance: "I, Thomas Landers of Kent... as administrator of... the Last Will & Testament of Benjamin Landers of Sharon, deceased" for £13.5s.8d., paid by "John Haskell of Rochester... yeoman," conveyed "That parcel of land, 49 acres, that is 15 acres in the 100 Men’s Division and 25 acres in the 200 Men’s Division and 9 acres in the 72 Acres Grant, belonging to Thomas Clark’s share at first, on the North East corner of Morey’s Pond in sd Rochester." Acknowledged 27 Sept. 1760; recorded 5 May 1778 [Plymouth County Deeds, 59:123].

As will be seen in the Revolutionary Pension deposition of Ebenezer⁵ Landers, born at "Warren" (then in 1758 technically within the township of Kent), related that when he was two years old his father moved the family to Stockbridge and that when he was twelve (i.e., in 1770) they moved again, to Lenox. The records confirm this: A deed of 20 March 1770 shows that Jonathan Lee of Salisbury, Conn. ("in consideration of other lands to me conveyed by Thomas Landers of Stockbridge [Mass.], yeoman"), granted 140 acres, "east of Stockbridge" (recorded 29 March 1770 - Berkshire County Deeds 5:454). Although Lenox was incorporated as a separate town from part of Richmont in 1763, it was not until about 1772 that certain lands were annexed to Lenox; as Thomas Landers’ land had originally been located in the northeast corner of the former town, this move was not a long one. At any rate Thomas Landers and his sons Isaiah and John were admitted "by recommendation" to the Lenox Church 27-28 June 1772 (Lenox Church Records - copy in the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield).³

In 1777 Thomas Landers served briefly as a private in the Revolution, going from Lenox on an alarm in a company of men raised in Berkshire County by Capt. Ezra Whittelsey. His three eldest sons, Ebenezer, Joseph and Asahel, saw extensive service also (see Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, (1902), vol. 9. The name is spelled here: Landers, Landrus, Landris, Landress, Landors, and Landry; DAR Lineage Book 123:2, 64, (1916); vol. 107:170; vol. 109:104, passim).

The 1790 Census lists Thomas Landers as head of a family at Lenox with two males over 16 and three females. Thomas Landers of Lenox... yeoman, sold for £40 paid by Asahel Landers of Lenox, yeoman, a 40 acre tract of land known as Larabus Grant...1 Mar 1791. Under this on the lower half of the second page is written by Asahel Landers, yeoman, "my honoured father, Thomas Landers" (Berkshire County Deeds 30:50).

The will of Thomas Landers, "of Lenox... yeoman," dated 24 Jan. 1798, gives to his true and beloved wife Mary the use and improvement [of his property] while his widow. "To my four sons: Ebenezer, Joseph, Isaiah and John, one piece of land in Jerico in County Tioga, New York... on the West side of the Susquehannah River, to and including the sd River... 90 acres more or less, to be divided equally. Also 1/6th of the balance of the personal estate remaining after the decease or remarriage of the widow.... To my daughters, Sarah, wife of Solomon Curtis and Lucy, wife of Asher Markham, one twelfth part of the personal estate. To my son Asahel Landers all my Real Estate in Lenox and one/sixth of my personal estate." The latter was named sole executor. The widow, Mary Landers, swore to the probate 4 Dec. 1811, signing by mark. An executor’s accounting, dated 6 Nov. 1822, shows a farm in South Lenox, where deceased formerly lived, over 75 acres; with buildings, valued at $3,000. A distillery at $200; personal estate, including horses, cows, oxen, etc., $432.62. A further settlement, dated 6 Nov. 1822, itemizes amounts previously paid, and includes an inventory taken "soon after the death of the widow" and dated 16 Oct. 1822, totalling $142.89 (Docket #2847, Berkshire County Probates 15:53).

1. For her dates we rely upon the Cooley Genealogy, p. 38. However, although no references are given, the data for this Thomas⁴ Landers, and for his son Joseph⁵ Landers would appear to have come from family Bibles or other papers and enough of it can be confirmed by other sources as to make it trustworthy. We can not find record of either of Thomas Landers’ marriages, nor can we find in Lenox or the neighboring towns of Lee, Pittsfield, Stockbridge, or Washington, the record of Mary’s death.
2. Some searchers have confused this Mary with the Mary (Parker) Lake whose sister, Jerusha Parker married in 1764 Thomas⁴ Landers of Falmouth (see The Register, 113:16 January 1959 and 114:135 April 1960). Mary Parker mar. at Falmouth in 1764 Richard Lake "of Newport". He outlived his wife, Mary, and died at Falmouth in 1812. Further search is needed to determine if they were related.
3. We wish here to express deep appreciation for the help given us by Mrs. Elizabeth Starr Versailles, of Williamsburg, Mass., who furnished us with deed, probate and other data, obtained at Pittsfield’s Berkshire County Court House.

[Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, "Thomas¹ Landers of Sandwich, Mass.," NEHGR 124:222-224]

Born 27 Apr., 1727, in Rochester, Mass., died in Lenox, Mass., 24 Oct., 1811. Married and had dau. Sarah, d. 2 Oct., 1752.

M2, About 1757, Mary Lake, b. 19 Apr., 1738; d. 13 Sep. 1822.

Children=

Ebenezer, b. 9 Nov., 1758; d. 14 Feb., 1846. (R. S.)
James, b. 9 Oct., 1760; d. 1777.
Joseph, b. 2 Feb., 1763; d. 7 Sep., 1845. (R. S.)
Asahel, b. 7 July, 1765; d. 27 Mar., 1842 (R. S.)
Isaiah, b. 23 Mar., 1769; d. 31 Aug., 1844.
6-John, b. 8 Nov., 1771; d. 10 Apr., 1813.
Lucy, b. 9 Feb., 1775.

He and others of the Landers kin removed to Sharon, Ct. He afterwards lived in Kent (1755), and East Greenwich, Ct. and Stockbridge, Mass., 1760 and Lenox, 1769.

He was a member of the Churches at Wareham, Mass.; Sharon, Ct, 1749; East Greenwich, 1757; Stockbridge, Mass., 1761 and Charter Member at Lenox, 1764.

He was a soldier in the French and Indian War.

He had three sons, soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and, himself enlisted to repel Burgoyne’s Invasion, as a private in Capt. Ezra Whittelsey’s Co., Col. Brown’s regt. of Berkshire County militia, and served from Sept. 7th to Sept. 26, 1777, in the Northern Department, being at the time 50 years old.

He continued his patriotic efforts by being one of a party, who in 1783, broke into the premises of two tories, for which act he was brought before the Court of General Sessions. [Landers Lineage: Landers Blue Print 1613-1912; Iowa State Historical Society]

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