Thomas Hale was born on 15 May 1606 at Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of
Thomas H. Hale and
(Unknown) Kirby. Thomas Hale was baptized on 15 June 1606. He married
Thomasine Dowsett on 11 December 1632 at Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire, England. Thomas Hale emigrated on 10 May 1637 from London, Middlesex, England; aboard the
Hector, bearing a letter from his mother's brother, Francis Kirby to Gov. John Winthrop.
The letter: "These are now to intreat you that you would be assistante to the bearer hereof (Thomas Hale my neere kinsman) in your councell and aduise to put him in the way how & where to settle himselfe in a hopefull way of subsisteinge with his family. He hath brought with him all his estate, which he hath heer or can have dureinge the life of his mother, my sister. He had almost 200 li. when he began to make his provision for this voyage. I suppose the greatest halfe is expended in his transportation, and in such necessaries as will be spent by him & his family in the first use; the lesser halfe I suppose he hath in money, and vendible goods to provide him a cottage to dwell in, and a milshe cow for his childrens sustenance. I suppose his way will be to hire a house or a part of a house for the first year, vntill he can looke out & buy or build him a dwellinge, wherein as in other things I shall intreat you to direct him." He resided at at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, in 1638. He held the position of hayward on 10 August 1638 at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. He sold 52 amd a half acres to Joseph Carter at the end of the town on 27 January 1640 at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. On 23 February 1642 At a general town meetint, the "stinting of the commons" was entrusted to a committe of which he was one of the members.
On 7 December 1642 Thomas Hale was listed as a freeman at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. He removed to at Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts, circa 1645. He held the position of selectman in the first town government in 1646 at Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. He was appointed by the General Court "a commissioner to end small causes," or local justice in 1647 at Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. He Until 1650 he was still disposing of Newbury property, selling four acres to John Pike, jr., in 1647, thirty-six acres to James Jackman in 1648, six acres to Henry Somerby and three acres to Pike in 1650. Thomas Hale served on county trial juries in 1647, 1650, 1651, 1657, 1658, 1664, 1667, 1669, 1673, 1674 and 1678, and on juries of inquest in 1661, 1671 and 1677. He was appointed to keep the ferry across the river in 1648 at Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. He at "aged 50," was sergeant of the Salem military company. In the Parker-Woodman controversy he sided with Mr. Parker while his son Thomas was a Woodman adherent. There must have been much religious argument in the family circle. For the troops in King Philip's war he supplied a saddle, a gun, a sword and belt, two pounds of powder and bullets, a pouch and "snapsaicke," oats, provisions, posting and fifty-four pounds of powder and bullets. Circa 1650. In 1650 he was being granted Newbury land by the town and in 1652, "of Newbury, late of Haverhill," he exchanged his Haverhill homestead for Stephen Kent's Newbury property, consisting of a house and eighty acres. He bought another house and twenty-three acres from John Tillotson in 1655, possibly the house sold to Joseph Muzzy in 1656/7. He was he was sued for slander by Thomas Davis, and although he was acquitted, he was "admonished for reproachful speeches concerning the plaintiff's birth." In 1651. He removed to at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, in 1657. In 1658 Thomas Hale took the freeman's oath at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. He bought a house and one acre from John Smith on 28 January 1658/59 at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. He sold the house and one acre to Thomas West circa March 1658/59 at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. He and
Thomasine Dowsett conveyed to their son Jon a house and twelve acres of land on Gravel Hill on 11 March 1669 at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. Thomas Hale gave oath of allegiance in 1678 at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. He died on 21 December 1682 at Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, at age 76.