Thomas was the son of John and Alice (Grandson) Hand. His parents came over from England to Long Island and were people of property. On 1 August 1660, Old Sachem Squa sold the Neck of Land known as Meantauquet on the Eastern end of Long Island (East Hampton, L.I.NY) to John Hand, among 7 others for 10 pounds Sterling paid each year for 10 years (a copy of the original deed is available online). Thomas was born on Long Island and became a whaler like most others in the area. At certain times of the year NY whalers would travel to Cape May, NJ looking for whales. They settled on the Delaware River side of Cape May and called it Portsmouth or Town Bank. The location was a safe harbor from the Atlantic Ocean and there were high bluffs which could assist in spotting whales from shore. Eventually, some of these yeoman settled permanently. Thomas first married Mary Talmage Cape May, New Jersey, USA (birth 1650 Southampton, Suffolk, New York, United States death 1702 Cape May, New Jersey, USA), Daughter of Capt Thomas Talmage of Southampton, NY. After she died he married Katherine Stubbs who was also from Long Island and was born in 1645. Thomas was first recorded by the purchase of 350 acres in 1695 on the seaside and at Cape Island. All told he was thought to have owned around 1000 acres of land in the Cape May area. His children were; Recompense, John, Thomas Jr., Jeremiah, George I 1675, Prudence, Dabarah and Alice. He was very progressive in that he started giving his sons land in about 1700. His will was signed on 21 OCT 1707 and is on file with the NJ Archives. He drowned off of Cape May on 21 OCT 1714. The accident may have occurred off the Tuckahoe River on the ocean side. He and his wife were buried in the Portsmouth Cemetery which is now covered by the Delaware Bay due to erosion.