Who We Are
The Welles Family Association was founded in 1936, on the 300th anniversary of Connecticut Colony. It is open to all descendants of Gov. Thomas Welles. The purpose of the Welles Family Association is to honor our common ancestor by striving to emulate his sterling qualities; to foster an interest in the study of his life and activities; and to cement a closer bond of unity among his descendants in fellowship and service to each other.
2020 Reunion Cancelled
With a heavy heart, the board of the Welles Family Association decided to cancel the reunion planned for October 2020 in Litchfield, Connecticut. Many family association members have ancestors who passed through there and it would have been a great time to learn more about Litchfield.
The board was concerned that older family members (including some of us on the board) would not find the situation safe enough for travel by October. The well-being of every family member is precious to us.
We remain involved in putting together our 2021 reunion. We are looking at the possibility of visiting barns in upstate New York designed and built with the Wells patented truss system. We'll let you know more about it in the family newsletter, Wellesprings.
The board was concerned that older family members (including some of us on the board) would not find the situation safe enough for travel by October. The well-being of every family member is precious to us.
We remain involved in putting together our 2021 reunion. We are looking at the possibility of visiting barns in upstate New York designed and built with the Wells patented truss system. We'll let you know more about it in the family newsletter, Wellesprings.
Welles Family Association Announces Completion of Genealogy Project with Publication of Volume 3
On November 15, 2015, the Welles Family Association published Volume 3 of their multi-volume study of the first six generations of descendants from the fourth colonial governor of Connecticut, Thomas Welles, and his wife Alice Tomes. The project, begun in 1986 by Donna Holt Siemiatkoski, was completed by Barbara Jean Mathews, CG, FASG.
You can download the one-page flyer here.
You can download the one-page flyer here.
WFA Celebrates the 400th Wedding Anniversary of Thomas Welles and Alice Tomes
We've uncovered the marriage record of Thomas Welles and Alice Tomes in England. WFA Historian Martha Partridge worked with Tomes family genealogist Barry Tomes to find that the marriage took place before a dynamic Puritan curate at St. Peter's in Drayton, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. This is such a wonderful bit of news that we've decided to bring our Volume 1 up to a 3rd edition in order to include an image of the marriage record.
The date? They were married on September 28th, 1615.
That meant that our family reunion the second Saturday of October 2015 represented the 400th wedding anniversary of Thomas Welles and Alice Tomes. We celebrated by meeting at Plimouth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The costumed interpreters represent the plantation as it was in 1627, only twelve years after Thomas and Alice married, and only eight years before they came to New England. It was a wonderful way to appreciate their experience.
The date? They were married on September 28th, 1615.
That meant that our family reunion the second Saturday of October 2015 represented the 400th wedding anniversary of Thomas Welles and Alice Tomes. We celebrated by meeting at Plimouth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The costumed interpreters represent the plantation as it was in 1627, only twelve years after Thomas and Alice married, and only eight years before they came to New England. It was a wonderful way to appreciate their experience.
