Biographical and Research Notes
In the History of Wethersfield by Stiles, the death of Thomas Wells was sometime between the 30th of Sept. and the 14th of December. In Judd's History of Hadley he says that Thomas was a teamster for the soldiers on page 141, and was killed serving the militia on the 18th of September. Other genealogists say that his will was signed after the 18th of Sept. and before the 30th of December which leads one to believe that he may have been injured and not killed but died of his injuries.
Thomas Wells, eldest son of Thomas and Frances (Albright) Wells, was born in England about 1629, died in Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1676. He removed from Wethersfield, Connecticut, to Hadley, Massachusetts in 1659, as one of the "engagers to settle the town". He left a goodly estate in connecticut and houses and lands in england" (Sheldon). He married in May 1650, Mary, daughter of William Beardsley, of Hartford, Connecticut. She bore him fourteen children, who are the progenitors of nearly all the numerous Wells name.
This large family of Thomas Wells forms an interesting element in Mrs. Mary P. Wells Smith's "Young Puritan" series of juvinal books. She herself was a descendant of Noah Wells, one of the fourteen children. The children were 1. Thomas, born January 10, 1652, died 1691. 2. Mary, October 1, 1653, died young. 3. Sarah, May 5, 1655 (Mrs. David Hoyt), died 1676. 4. John, January 20, 1657, died young. 5. Jonathan, 1659, died January 3, 1738. 6. John, April 3, 1660, drowned January 20, 1678. 7. Samuel, 1662. 8. Mary September 8, 1664 (Mrs. Stephen Belding, later Mrs. Joseph field), died 1751. 9. Noah, July 26, 1666. 10. Hannah, July 4, 1668 (Mrs. John White). 11. Ebenezer. 12. Daniel, 1670, died young. 13 Ephraim, April 1671. 14 Joshua, February 18, 1673.1
Thomas Wells died Sept. 1675 after being wounded during the battle of Muddy Brook2
References:
2 Descendants of Thomas Wells & Frances Albright by Clayton H. Wells and Margaret D. Wells. Limited edition privately published 1999.