Close Family Tree

Estimate

Reference to Thomas Close and his emigration from England around 1665.

There appears to be two Thomas Closes present in Greenwich at the same time. As a result there is bound to be a degree of confusion surrounding their descendents.

THE 27 PROPRIETORS OF 1672

In 1672 the "27 Proprietors" purchased land west of the "Myanos River" from the remaining Indians. This tract was called "Horseneck" because of the neck of land (now known as Field Point) was a common horse pasture. Official title to the land didn't actually come until 1686.

In the 1857 History of Greenwich by Daniel M Mead, we have Thomas Close and Thomas Close Junior recorded as being two of the 27 Proprietors of 1672. The author apparently found the list on "a stray leaf of the well worn records".

This is interesting because whilst Thomas did have a son called Thomas he was not born until about 1674, i.e. after the Proprietors had assumed ownership. This record may be incorrect, but if not then it implies that there were two Thomas Closes old enough to own land at the time.

In the 1911 History of Greenwich by Spencer P Mead, Thomas Close Junior has been replaced by Joshua Knapp in the list of the 27 Proprietors of 1672.

This is confirmed by the memorial stone erected in 1935 to the founders of Greenwich.

Horseneck is now known as Field Point. We have two plots with the name of Thomas Close. It's not clear what date the map represents, but it's possible that one belonged to Thomas Close and the other to Thomas Close Junior, as mentioned in the Daniel Mead 1857 description of the 27 Proprietors of 1672.

Thomas Close did own large tracts of land spanning the Myanos river which he sold in 1679. This map apparently pre-dates this sale.

In 1679 Thomas Close sold his land, lying on both sides of the Myanos river (now the Mianus), which was a very large tract, and purchased other land in the southeastern part of the town.

According to Robert Bolton's History of Westchester County of 1848, Thomas Close removed from England to Greenwich in 1665 and died 26 July 1683. Bolton specifies his ancestry as from Langley, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in 1486.

According to Daniel Mead's History of Greenwich of 1857, Thomas Close relocated to Greenwich at around 1661, although it's not clear from where. Mead specifies his ancestry as coming from Langsley (sic), Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in 1486.

According to Spencer Mead's History of Greenwich of 1911, there is no mention of the Langley connection at all - all the Close's seem to be descended from Goodman Close who originated from Grinton, Yorkshire, England.

Each line appears to have had children with similar names, so we need to take care over which one belongs to which line.

Interestingly, at the beginning of each description provided by Robert Bolton and Daniel Mead, there is a history of the family and the derivation of the name. Both reference:

"... formerly ... at Langley, near Macclesfield, England, A.D. 1486"

and:

"... Cloughes, ... Clowes, or Close, is a Saxon word signifying a cliff or cleft in a valley between high hills."

Given that Mead cites Bolton as a reference in his book this is obviously where he got the information.

However, the form of words used in the derivation of the name (Cloughes, Clowse, Close) is not original. It was actually used 10 years prior to Bolton by John Burke in his Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland (vol 4) of 1838 when he was describing the Clowse family of Delaford who originated in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England.

Burke makes no reference to an American relocation in his Clowse linage, but this is clearly where Robert Bolton got some of his information from, which it appears Daniel Mead later copied.

Why Bolton thinks that Thomas Close came from the Langley line is a mystery, since there seems to be no evidence to suggest it. Although, being fair, there is no evidence to suggest it is not true either.

However, there is evidence to suggest that there were two Thomas Closes, of similar ages, present in Greenwich during the last half of the 17th century.

1. The Daniel Mead 1857 History of Greenwich specifies Thomas Close and Thomas Close Junior as two of the 27 Proprietors of 1672.

2. The map of the land ownership in Horseneck of around 1679 shows two plots belonging to Thomas Close.

3. Two references to Thomas Close; one descending from Langley, Cheshire, and the other descending from Grinton, Yorkshire.