The Ancestors of My Grandchildren

     Thomas Bedient was born on 22 Jul 1654 in Staines, England.² He married Mary Osborne, daughter of Richard Osborne and Elizabeth.³ He died b 6 Apr 1698 in Fairfield, Connecticut, because his widow is sued for some money.⁴ There was an inventory of his estate on 12 Mar 1698/99.⁵

Other information:

Thomas Bedient was a miller. He received permission on 20 Sep 1697 from the town of Fairfield to erect a grist mill on the Mill River. He is on a list of landowners between 1650 and 1700 (but he must have been added after 1680) in Fairfield, Connecticut.^6,5
Thomas Bedient and Mary Osborne had three children in 1682. His estate was divided in 1699 between one son and six daughters (under age).^3,5
     Mary Bedient, the mother, swears in 1666 to the birthdate and place of Morgan Bedient and Thomas Bedient before Mr. Henry Clark and Lt. Smith of Hadley, Massachusetts.⁷
     Morgan Bedient conveyed on 22 Apr 1685 to Thomas Bedient or Mary his wife, all rights to the Estate of Richard Osborne, late deceased.⁸
     He served on several grand and petty juries from 1674 to 1693. In 1674 he himself was involved in a suit over valuable young she foxes, the court being held in Westchester. That Thomas was a fairly wealthy man is shown by the property left him and his wife by Roger Townsend, Richard Osborne, and Mordecai and Mary Bedient. Thomas died intestate. Letters of administration were granted to his widow. His one son and six daughters were all under age.⁹
     Richard quitclaimed to Thomas Bedient of Woodbury all lands in Westchester formerly possessed by Mordecai Bedient, dec'd, and Mary his wife, afterwards called Mary Townsend, and Roger Townsend; Thomas to pay his daughter Abigail £50, and two cows to Osborn's daughter Elizabeth.⁸
     John is still living in Westchester, when he conveys to his brother Thomas all land formerly owned by their father Morgan Bedient and his wife Mary as well as by their step-father Roger Townsend, lately in the tenure of Richard Osborne.⁸