There is, as with Henry , a great deal of information printed in the Book of Dow on Thomas of Newbury. The following is the condensed version:

In the list of original grantees of Newbury, Mass. 1639 occurs the name of Thomas Dow. The origin of Newbury is strangely absent from the records. Nothing is known of the vessel which carried them; none of them appear on lists or in other places. Thomas Dow was a freeholder from his arrival by reason of the original grant of his Newbury homestead. He continued a freeholder when he sold this & bought land in Haverhill.  * freeholder : one who by grant, purchase or inheritance was entitled to a share of the "commons" or undivided lands. *

Without going into every detail, we can state here that and extensive search by amateur and professional geanealogists was done in order to find the origin of Thomas of Newbury and his wife Phoebe. Reasons given by the Book of Dow as to why this Thomas could not be the older brother of Henry are as follows: Henry Dow had a more than average education, Thomas could not read. For 5 years they lived within 15 miles of each other without the slightest indication that even knew each other.That paid investigators scoured the counties of England for every record of every Thomas Dow (with varied spellings of Dow) they could find and yet none of these fit this Thomas. As of this time there has been no proof as to the origin of Thomas Dow of Newbury.

Thomas was the first white adult to die in Haverhill. May 31, 1654 "ae about 39".  His will made 2 days before his death: " The last will and testament of Thomas Dowe as it was delevered or expressed by him on the 29th day of May being in ye yeare 1654. I, Thomas Dow, although weake in body yet of perfect memory i doe desire to submit my will , to God' will and to dispose of my estate  to my wife and children as followeth, leaving my wife to be the sole executor at present of all my vesable and personall estate. First I do give unto my loving wiffe Pheby my tow oxen that are now hers and mine and three young beastes beinge now one yeare and upwards ould and one cow and two swine and al my household goods to be at her disposinge for ever.

Also my will is that my oldest son , John Dowe at the age of twenty and one yeare ould shall ingioy as his inheritance al the land and housinge that I have bought in Haverhill and to pay to his other brothers thomas and Stephen and to his 2 sisters mary and martha as I shall apoynt the house and land to be worth three score pounds; my second son Thomas shal reseave at his age of  21 ten pounds or 5 pounds at his age  and 5 pounds when he is 22 yeares and for my son Steven he shall reseave at his age of 21: or 5 pounds at 21 and 5 ponds at 22; as to my will is that John my son shal pay to his sister Mary and his sister Martha at theyre age of 21 ten pounds or 5 pouns apeace at 21 and 5 pounds apece at ther age of 22; as there brothers reseave theres.

Also I Pheby latly wife to Thomas Dow doe joyne my consent to this will of my husband in each perticular and for my son John Doe I doe fully and freely resigne up al my wright in the house and land when my son shall come to the age of 21 yeares ould, wittness my hand prouided he shall pay to his brothers and sisters as his fathers will is.

in witness hereof

                                                                      The marke of

John Eaton (P)                                              Phebya (F) Dowe

Theo: Shatswell                                        

From Phoebe's statement above, Dow took her maiden name to be Latly or Latty. And an effoert was made to claim her name as Fenn since her mark resembled an F. That these are both assumptions or guesses is surely the case. We have no proof of her maiden name and I have choosen to leave it from the family tree I am compiling.

Children of Thomas and Phoebe:

a. John a minor in 1654 - b later than 1633, presumably in Europe, not improbably 1638.

b. Thomas probably b 1640 in Newbury

c. Stephen b Newbury Mch 29, 1642

d. Mary b Apr 16 1644

e. Martha b June 1 1648

It should be noted that John did indeed make all the payments required of him in his fathers will. An Phoebe married John Eaton, witness to the will.