| Thomas Mayhew | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | March 31, 1593 Tisbury, Wiltshire, England |
| Died | March 25, 1682 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Spouse | Anna Parkhurst, Jane Gallion |
| Father | Mathew Mayhew |
| Mother | Alice Barter |
Thomas Mayhew, Sr. (March 31, 1593 – March 25, 1682) was a strong Puritan known for his missionary work among the Native Americans and his establishment of Martha’s Vineyard in 1642. Governor Mayhew established the longest known multigenerational missionary effort of any one family in the annals of known history. His family preached to the natives and ran government positions in the area for over two hundred years. Governor Mayhew was considered a father, a counselor, a chief or “sachem” to the native Americans. He mastered their language and in his eighties he was still sleeping in wigwams and preaching to the Indians. When his son and namesake died traveling in missionary labor, he still pressed on without becoming bitter. While the Indians were known for being warlike to others, there were no armed conflicts in his area for 40 years. Surely Thomas Mayhew was one of the nursing fathers, seen by Isaiah, Nephi and others, to the Native American Indians (Lamanites).
