Thomas Tupper was Hannah Tupper’s husband who died before the events of the novel. Prior to arriving in Wethersfield, Thomas and Hannah lived in Massachusetts, where they were persecuted for being Quakers. The Puritans beat and branded the Tuppers and drove them across the border of Massachusetts. This traumatic event captures the cruelty of discriminating against others because of their differences; in this instance, the Massachusetts Puritans discriminated against the Tuppers for practicing a different religion. When the Tuppers arrive in Wethersfield, Connecticut, the Puritan townspeople ostracize them and force them to live outside of town. So, Thomas builds Hannah a cottage in the Great Meadows. Even after his death, the cottage feels like home to Hannah—she has a meaningful connection to the place because her husband lovingly built it.