Thomas Gilbert was born in England about 1582. The exact date of his birth or baptism and the names of his parents are unknown. Statements as to his origin have been made which are mistaken or false. Many years ago, Mr. J. Gilbert Thornton published a small volume concerning Jonathan Gilbert of Hartford and some of his descendants. The work contains much that is of historical value, but Mr. Thornton did not know that Jonathan Gilbert was a son of Thomas Gilbert of Braintree. He hardly discusses the origin of Jonathan at all, but inclines to the hypothesis that he may have been a descendant of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

More recently it has been stated that Richard Gilbert of North Petherwin in Devonshire, whose family bore the same arms as the Gilberts of Compton in the same county, removed to North Burlingham in Norfolk, was lord of Walcote Hall, and had a grandson, John Gilbert, who lived at Little Ellingham in Norfolk. This son, John Gilbert, married Ann and was the father of Jonathan Gilbert who came to New England. This pedigree is entirely fictitious, palmed off upon some Americans who were seeking for the ancestors of Jonathan Gilbert of Hartford. Although it is an utterly false pedigree, some reasons for its rejection will be given.

Harleian Mss. 1163–1164 in the British Museum give Richard Gilbert of North Petherwin as the son of William Gilbert of Bridgerule in Cornwall and state that Richard, although married, died without issue. In 1914 a gentleman and genealogist, the best authority upon the records and families of Norfolk, wrote as follows: "Years ago I lived in the neighborhood of North Burlingham and saw the registers and knew members of the Gilbert family living in the district and amused myself by making a sketch pedigree. The Gilberts that I knew belonged to the family of Cantley and Chedgrave, and although I never could trace the precise connection with the old Burlingham family, I fancy there was a connection." He then gave the line of the lords of the manor of Walcote Hall in the following manner: "Robert Gilbert of North Burlingham died in 1485. His son Thomas died in 1508. Thomas was the father of Richard of North Burlingham who died in 1558, as lord of the manor, leaving sons Thomas, John and Richard. Thomas Gilbert, son of Thomas and Audrey, died in 1627, leaving sons Thomas and John, born in 1579, who died possibly in 1653. Thomas Gilbert, brother of this John, last lord of the manor, had only daughters who, with their husbands, sold the manor in 1654. It is very precarious to assume that John Gilbert, born in 1579, was identical with John Gilbert of Little Ellingham, which is twenty miles from North Burlingham, as the crow flies." The pedigree gives only the line of the lords of the manor, the younger sons being omitted. Probably there were numerous lines of Gilberts descending from the first Robert, who settled in the country around North Burlingham. John of Little Ellingham may have belonged to one of these.

Some of the efforts made to find the parentage of Thomas Gilbert of Braintree will be apropos. The late Frank Newton Gilbert of Portland, Oregon, was much interested in this matter. Had he lived longer, it is probable that results would have been obtained. Mr. Gilbert caused to be examined all the Gilbert wills and administrations of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, the records of which are at Somerset House in London. Gilberts from all parts of England were found, for this is by far the largest and oldest probate registry in England. Unfortunately, not a single clue to any Thomas Gilbert that could have been the Thomas Gilbert of Braintree was found. Mr. Gilbert undoubtedly would have continued the search in other probate registries of England, of which there are a considerable number, but his death in 1916 put an end to the search.

Another line of research which seemed promising was suggested by the fact that Mary Gilbert, widow of Eleazer Gilbert, late of Bermondsey in the county of Surrey, in England, sold land in Wethersfield, Conn., which had come to her husband from his father, Josiah Gilbert. The date of the sale was Mar. 15, 1708/09. [Recorded in Wethersfield Deeds, vol. 4, p. 26.] Records show that Eleazer Gilbert became a mariner or seaman in the Royal Navy and died at Bermondsey. Search was made there for Gilberts. Many were found recorded in the parish register of Bermondsey, including more than one Thomas Gilbert. One of these married in 1616 Sarah Cooper. This one seemed very possibly to be the Thomas Gilbert sought, but later his will was found, showing that he died in England, a leather merchant. Hence this attempt failed.

Another line of research, which has not been followed out, is suggested by the following facts. Mrs. Katherine Harrison of Wethersfield, Conn., widow of John Harrison, had a comfortable estate from her husband. She was much persecuted and her estate much damaged by enemies in Wcthersfield.³ This finally culminated in a charge of witchcraft against Mrs. Harrison. Witchcraft was at that time a capital crime and such a charge was a very serious matter for its victim. She defended herself with spirit, but was convicted. However, she was not executed, but managed to get away with her daughters to Westchester in the province of New York. Josiah Gilbert had been there in an earlier period and probably suggested Westchester as a safe refuge for Mrs. Harrison. There are several indications that the Gilberts of Hartford and Wethersfield were kindred in some degree to Mrs. Harrison or to her husband. An entry in Canterbury Marriage Licenses, Series 1, p.199, reads as follows: "Richard Harrison of St. George's, Canterbury, plumber, and Catherine Gilbert of St. John's in Thanet, widow, at St. George's." Date is June 22, 1609. This conjunction of names may be only a coincidence, and the persons mentioned have not been identified, but it may be that here is a possible clue to the origin of Thomas Gilbert of Braintree.

Another effort along different lines has been made by Mr. Clarence A. Torrey, a descendant of Thomas Gilbert and much interested in solving the problem of Thomas Gilbert's origin. Mr. Torrey has searched printed parish registers and other records of places in England for a Thomas Gilbert who might be identical with Thomas Gilbert, the emigrant. The effort has not been successful, but has revealed much else of importance and shows the magnitude of the problem of identification.

In 1654 the wife of Thomas Gilbert of Braintree, Windsor, and Wethersfield was Lydia Gilbert. She may not have been his first wife and it is possible that in the following list Thomas of Braintree may be included, but it must be remembered that the printed records form but a small proportion of the total of such records extant in England, some ten thousand parishes in all.

The following English marriages involving a Gilbert are given for the light they give as to Gilbert localities.