Thomas Wiswall (1601-1683) was born a twin to John Wiswall in 1601 in Warrington, Lancashire, England. He was the son of Robert Wiswall (1570-1616). In 1632, in England, Thomas Wiswall married Elizabeth Berbage (1604-1666). Together, they had ten children, all but one of whom were born in America. Thomas Wiswall, with his wife Elizabeth and their first son Enoch, came first to Dorchester, Massachusetts on 16 August 1635. In 1654, the family moved to the Cambridge area, to what is now Newton, Massachusetts. There, Thomas built the first meeting house in what became Cambridge Village, then Newtown, then Newton. He started the Cambridge Village Church, and was installed first ruling elder and assistant pastor on 20 July 1664, two years before his first wife, Elizabeth, died. He married (second) Isabella Farmer (a widow from Ansley, England). Thomas is noted on the South Side of the First Settlers Monument in the East Parish Burying Ground in Newton, Massachusetts: "Thomas Wiswall ordained ruling elder Jul 20 1664." His sons Ichabod and Noah also receive a mention on this side of the Monument, which reads - on the base - "First Settlers of Newton, erected Sept 1, 1852 Times of their settlement by descendants of the first settlers."
Thomas Wiswall (1601-1683) was born a twin to John Wiswall in 1601 in Warrington, Lancashire, England. He was the son of Robert Wiswall (1570-1616). In 1632, in England, Thomas Wiswall married Elizabeth Berbage (1604-1666). Together, they had ten children, all but one of whom were born in America. Thomas Wiswall, with his wife Elizabeth and their first son Enoch, came first to Dorchester, Massachusetts on 16 August 1635. In 1654, the family moved to the Cambridge area, to what is now Newton, Massachusetts. There, Thomas built the first meeting house in what became Cambridge Village, then Newtown, then Newton. He started the Cambridge Village Church, and was installed first ruling elder and assistant pastor on 20 July 1664, two years before his first wife, Elizabeth, died. He married (second) Isabella Farmer (a widow from Ansley, England). Thomas is noted on the South Side of the First Settlers Monument in the East Parish Burying Ground in Newton, Massachusetts: "Thomas Wiswall ordained ruling elder Jul 20 1664." His sons Ichabod and Noah also receive a mention on this side of the Monument, which reads - on the base - "First Settlers of Newton, erected Sept 1, 1852 Times of their settlement by descendants of the first settlers."
