A yeoman was a man who owned and cultivated a small farm. He belonged to the class below the gentry or land owners. A husbandman was a free tenant farmer. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman.
Thomas Dwinnell was born in November, 1672 or January 20, 1672 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts. His parents were Michael and Mary Dwinnell. He was a yeoman.
At a Lawfull meeting of ye Town of Topsfield the 2 day march 1702/8 . . . Thomas Dwaniel [was] Chosen Haward for the year Insuing.
in 1708/9 he was again Haward or field driver. (Topsfield Historical Collections, Volume 11)
He inherited from his father
all the Land he is possessed of about his house & from Town’s Land, as he is bounded on ye West Side on both corners of his house Lott, running Easterly till It meets with Salem Line; being a Triangle piece of about Two Acres, be it more or less as it is bounded. Also his parcel of ye Swamp, as it is divided with his brothers. Also Three Acres and a halfe of ye River Meadows, bounded by Michaells Meadow & ye East End Two Acres, and a halfe, and by the Westerly angle bounded from the Southerly side of ye Ford & so To joyne upon ye Town acres & halfe of Upland as afore mentioned.
The settlement of New Meadows was incorporated as the Town of Topsfield in 1650. The church "gathered" on November 4, 1663. The third Meeting House was built in 1703 with Rev. Joseph Capen as pastor.
The use of the term ye to mean the derives from Early Modern English, in which the was written "þe," employing the Old English letter thorn: "þ."
