OUR FIRST TOLLE IN AMERICA

WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT HIM?


We know that his name was Roger Tolle, and that he was transported to Maryland in 1663, in the service of Thomas Mountfort. The name of the ship was the "Adventure of Hull", or was it the "Adventure" of Hull? In 1670, after apparently serving for seven years, he was granted 50 acres of land, which he promptly sold. At that time he was listed as "of Dorchester County".

Although the name is found spelled Towle in some records records of St Mary's County, Maryland, it appears that Roger was literate and he signed his own name as Tolle. We don't know how, what, or where he performed his service between 1663 and 1670. We don't know his age at the time of his arrival, or his birth place. Assuming that he was twenty-one we can estimate his birth at 1642, more or less. Please remember this is ONLY an estimate and not a fact as some have recorded in their work. We don't know where the Adventure of Hull sailed from, or from where Roger came to get to the ship. It seems to me that Thomas Mountfort recruited the 29 people that he brought over, but from where? It could have been from all over the country, or maybe from just one area.

In the document that said he was "of Dorchester County" it doesn't say if this is in Maryland or in England. I have always felt that it was Dorchester County, Maryland. Roger had been in America for 7 years already at the time of that document. People have argued with me about this, but they don't know any more about it than I do.

My own brief search for Dorchester County, Maryland, records has not turned up anything to help. A search of the IGI in the different counties of England only helped to show possible areas where there Tolle (and variant spellings). Some clue to a possible place to begin a search. In one area, the County of Devon there are some Tolle records, including a Roger Tolle. This Roger was of a generation to be a possibility as a grandfather to ours. Just a clue. In communications with Ken Tolle of England, he tells me that Devon is a likely place for early Tolle families.

So friends, many of you have said you are serious about taking Roger over the sea. If you are, then here is the place to share any clues to his origins. If a bunch of us put our heads together and share our findings it could happen.

I will begin to put up the small data I have, and I hope you will also share with us.

ROGER TOLLE WHO WERE YOU?


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