FAMILY
Thomas was the second son of Tobias Eagles and Alice Hunt, christened in Boughtom Monchelsea on march 30, 1623. The christening record calls him Thomas "Eglei" s/o "Tobia".
His brother Tobias Eagles (christened 1621) is the only son specifically mentioned in his father's will (probated 27 Nov 1658), but that document mentions other children. - "I give to Tobias Eagles my eldest son the lease of the house I now dwell in and hop poles on the hop garden all the rest to be divided equally between the rest of my children."
CHILDREN
Thomas most likely married Ann between 1648 and 1653, but earliest record we have of them is a christening record Hollingbourme in 1662. Thomas would have been 39.
- (proposed) Tobias Eagles married in Hollingbourne during 1675.
- Tobias Eagles would have been born about 1650, around the time we would expect Thomas & Anne to have married.
- There is a very good chance that Thomas Eagles named one of his as yet unknown children after his paternal grandfather Tobias Eagles.
- Both Tobias and his grandfather of the same name were weavers.
- (proposed) Thomas Eagles (Jr) of "Boxley" who married Mary Bateman at All Saints, Maidstone, April 10, 1681.
- There is a very good chance that Thomas Eagles (henceforth called senior) would have named one of his as yet unknown children after himself.
- Thomas Eagles of Boxley was born about 1656, thus is of the right age.
- Though Thomas Jr was "of Boxley," his family was not because the parish register does not have listings for an Eagles family prior to this.
- Thomas Eagles (Jr) and his proposed brother Tobias presumably knew each other, because Tobias Eagles sired an illegitimate child in Boxley during 1690/91.
- Sarah Eagles d/o Thomas Eagles & his wife Anne c. Hollingbourne June 1, 1662.
WAS THOMAS EAGLES (SENIOR) A WEAVER?
As both his father and presumed son Tobias were weavers, I suspect that Thomas Eagles was also a weaver.
THOMAS EAGLES (SENIOR) IN HOLLINGBOURNE
Thomas Eagle's presence in Hollingbourne is attested by three records:
- 1 June 1662 - the christening of Sarah Eagles to Thomas & Anne Eagles (IGI)
- The Kent Hearth tax assessment of 1664 lists Thomas Eagles in Hollingbourne. Though he had a house with two chimneys, it was "not chargeable" - which means he was probably poor (Duncan Harrington, KENT HEART TAX ASSESSMENT LADY DAY 1664, p 101).
- Thomas Eagles' burial in Hollingbourne 1674. He was 50 or 51.