Thomas Cornell "Ensign-Innkeeper"

Thomas Cornell, called “Ensign-Innkeeper” in the supplied record, was born 24 March 1594 and died 7 February 1655. Family notes identify him as the son of Richard and Mary Cornell and state that he emigrated about 1636 with his wife, Rebecca Briggs, and many of their children. The family reportedly lived in Boston, Portsmouth, New Amsterdam, and Portsmouth again, where Thomas worked as an innkeeper.

Thomas Cornell, known in the supplied material as “Ensign-Innkeeper,” was born on 24 March 1594. He was a son of Richard Cornell and Mary Cornell. His recorded siblings were Daniel, Samuel, and Sarah Cornell.

According to several biographical and genealogical records cited generally in the family notes, Thomas came to the Americas about 1636 with his wife, Rebecca Briggs, and many of their children. The notes caution that records differ on both the number and names of their children. The family is said to have settled first in Boston, then in Portsmouth, then in New Amsterdam, and later returned to Portsmouth.

Thomas was an innkeeper. The family notes state that he was charged at least once with selling wine without a license. They also state that Rebecca Briggs Cornell’s brother was among the Antinomian followers led by Ann Hutchinson who were forced out of Boston. According to the same account, Thomas and his family moved to Rhode Island and helped begin the settlement of Portsmouth in pursuit of religious freedom.

A later family tragedy became associated with one of Thomas and Rebecca’s sons. The supplied notes report that Rebecca Cornell, described in a local record as a widow, was found dead by burning in her Portsmouth home. Her son Thomas was charged with murder on 23 May, convicted, and hanged. The circumstances were disputed in later family writing: John Cornell’s Genealogy of the Cornell Family described the trial as highly questionable and attributed the accusation in part to a reported vision of Rebecca’s brother, John Briggs. The notes state that the murder was never truly solved.

Thomas Cornell died on 7 February 1655. Family tradition further associates the broader Cornell family with Cornwall, England, and claims connections to English kings, including Henry II and John Lackland Plantagenet. Those ancestral claims are presented in the supplied material without supporting documentation and should be treated as unverified tradition.

Historical context

The supplied family notes place Thomas Cornell’s migration during the religious disputes surrounding Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian controversy in Boston. They describe the family’s move to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, as connected with the search for religious freedom. The notes also place the family for a time in New Amsterdam before their return to Portsmouth.

Sources & research

Crane, Elaine Forman. Killed Strangely: The Story of Rebecca Cornell.

Cornell, John. Genealogy of the Cornell Family.

Local Portsmouth record, as quoted in the supplied family notes: “Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely at Portsmouth in her own dwelling house, and twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest, digged up and buried again by her husband's grave in their own land.”

Supplied family-tree maker notes, including a general reference to biographical and genealogical records and an unsuccessful attempt to access LDS records for the children’s information.