Who was John Lucas Vicher Thomas?

John Lucas Vicher Thomas was my great-great grandfather.   He was born 25 February 1825 in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine.  He was the oldest of three sons born into an illustrious family.   His father, William Thomas, was the son of the revolutionary war officer, Colonel Charles Thomas and his patriot wife, Deborah Brewster who was a third great grand-daughter to William Brewster, spiritual leader of the Pilgrims who emigrated to the colonies on the ship Mayflower.

John L V's mother, Mary Elizabeth Peters, also came from a prominent New England family as the daughter of William Birdseye Peters and Polly Jarvis.  Mary's grandfather, the Revend Samuel Peters, (1735-1826) graduated from Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut and became a well known Anglican priest.

So, into the milieu of this family, came John Lucas Vischer Thomas.  In a hand written account of his family dated July 1858 and then later added to on 12 July 1868, JLV relates: 

“It would seem from the letter of John R Peters, a distant cousin & a rich and very worthy man, that one John Peters from Cornwall, England was the founder of the Peters family in this country – he was a brother of the celebrated Hugh Peters one of the judged of Charles the 2nd who fled to this country.

Dr. Samuel A. Peters was the son of John Peters & the father of William Birdseye Peters.  Dr. Peters married into the Carver family & became heir to a claim for 1000 square miles from St. Anthony falls to Lake Pepin on the East side of the Mississippi River.  (See Carver Travels Harper 1838).

William B. Peters, my grandfather. married Patty Jarvis of Stamford, CT.  I never saw him but knew my Grandmother for many years.  William B. Peters had by her Mary Elizabeth, Albertina, Sally, Augusta, & Hugh, William & Samuel J.  He was a fine man, well educated & benevolent, practiced law in Canada & by his liberality in politics became offensive to the government which induced him to go to the US.

He died at Pensacola, Florida where my father, then a sea captain married my mother, Mary Elizabeth.  Birdseye died with consumption when 18 on his Grandfather Thomas’s farm at New Meadows 8 miles out of Brunswick village.  Samuel aged 6 years died of scarlet fever (was a fine boy.)  Myself & Elizabeth alone survive.

My mother was a good woman, loved her family with devotion & died 32 years old & was buried in Brunswick.  My father has since married Widow Leavitt by whom he has had Richard, Tippecanoe or William (who died when a baby) & Maggie   Mrs Leavitt had 2 children by her first husband, Charles & Elizabeth who was a fine young girl & died when about 13.

I married Caroline Elizabeth Goss in October 27, 1848 & have had two children.  Mary, my first born, died of coup when 2 years & 8 months old & she felled a place in my heart not easily supplied  she was a lovely girl & God took her away.  My second was Blake, a little blue eyed boy whose future is yet to be written. 

My wife was the daughter of Samuel B Goss & Catherine Spoon.  She was a descendant of the early Dutch setters of New York whose father Peter Spoon moved into Canada near Hamilton when Catherine married SB Goss who came from new Hampshire  he was a blacksmith & farmer of English descent – his father lives at Merideth Bridge, New Hampshire. 

My father William Thomas was the son of Charles Thomas & Deborah Brewster who moved from Plymouth, Mass to Brunswick, Maine.  Charles was a soldier in the revolution  & belonged to a family who were all patriots, many of them being blacksmiths & made guns for the army.  Deborah Brewster his wife was a descendant of William Brewster of the Mayflower & belongs to a race of patriots also many of whom died for their country.  They had William, Charles, John, Ellis, Job, Betsy, Mrs. Lane, Mrs. Beth, Mrs. Washington Woodward & a young lady.  They died when old & are buried in New Meadows – Newark near Beloit, Wisconsin.   12 July 1858.

(in pencil)
Beloit July 12, 1868   My son Blake has gone to the spirit land & I have lost another boy called Henry who died aged 13 months old on the     Feb 1864.  My family today consists of wife Caroline – John 14 years old 9 Oct last  Kate 12 last Sept 19th – Willie 10 8 Nov last  Herbert 7 last 21 June  Louis 3  11 Nov last

(written later – different ink)

Irving Blake born 4th Sept 1868

& Edith