1. Richard Sutton of Roxbury, weaver was born 1 on 1 Jan 1621 in Rauceby, Lincolnshire, England. He died after 25 Mar 1684 in Massachusetts, USA.
(Suff. Deed I: 127) Wm Lyon & Rich: Sutton both of Roxbury . . . did grant vnto Tho: Dudley Governor six Acres of land in Roxbury (other lands also mentioned). Mortgage deed dated 7 Aug. 1650 and ack. 19 Aug. 1650.
1633, Proprietor of Lancaster
[Farmer, John, Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England, 279]10 May 1658, bought land in Andover from Simon Bradstreet
Mar 1665/1666, "Bound to good behaviour" at Court held at Salem
Sep 1698, Field driver
[Hammat, Abraham, The Hammat Papers, Early Inhabitants of Ipswich, Massachussets, 1633-1700, Higginson Book Company, Salem, Massachussets, 354]"The first sale of lands at Andover, of which a deed has been found recorded, was by Mr. Simon Bradstreet to Rich- ard Sutton : a house-lot and dwelling-house and some fifty acres of meadow land. Richard Sutton came from Roxbury to Andover ; he remained here only a few years, removing to Reading, and afterward to Roxbury again. He was active in the military service in the Indian wars, and, for his honor- able service and sufferings, was, in advanced age, by order of the General Court, exempted from further duty. He left no descendants in Andover, but, as late as 1728 [ancient deed], a tract of land in the township of Andover was known as Sutton's Plaine, the pine plaine; on ye borders joyning upon Billerica line.
Richard Sutton's descendants gained honorable distinction in other towns, and by a curious coincidence, and without knowledge of an ancestral title of two hundred years' date, the family has now become one of the most influential in North Andover. Scarcely a half mile from where the early settler bought his house lot, kort yard, and dwelling-house of Mr. Simon Bradstreet, and where be lived, with his neighbors George Abbot Senr. on the north and George Abbot jr. on the south, (Mr. Bradstreet's house not far distant,) all of them probably in small and primitive houses of logs or unhewn timber, now rises, crowning the hill-top, the elegant mansion of General Eben Sutton, the owner of the large woolen mills in the village which bears his name. Following is the deed from Mr. Bradstreet to Richard Sut- ton, 1658 :
"Know all men by these presents, that we Simon Bradstreet of Andover and Ann his wife for and in consideration of several surnmes of money and other payments to be made to the said Symon; his heires or assignes more particularly mentioned and specified in another wrighting bearing date with these presents have sould and by these presents do give and grant, bargain, sell, assigne and sett over unto Richard Sutton of Roxbury husbandman all that our dwelling-house, situate and being in Andover aforesaid with the kort-yard and house lott thereunto belonging or therewithall now used conteining by estimation eight acres, be ye same more or less, having the house lott of George Abbot sen, on the north and a house lott of George Abbot jr. on the south and abutting upon the street on the west with forty and eight acres of upland belonging to the sayd house lott lying on the farr side of Shawshin river, granted by the town of Andover for six acres, be the same more or less, together with the bovill, fences, proffits, privileges and appurtenances to the said house premises belonging or appertaining (except a small parcell of meaddow con- taining by estimation three acres; be the same more or less, lying on the southeast side of Shawshin river aforesaid) together with such other divisions or allotments of meddow that belong to the sayd house or lott and may be hereafter granted and assigned thereunto by the inhabitants of Andover aforesaid which are hereby reserved to the said Symon his heires and assignes. To have and to hould the aforesaid house and lott, meadow and upland with the profits and priviledges thereunto belonging (excepting before excepted) unto the s' Richard Sutton, his heires and assignes forever; and we the sayd Simon Bradstreet and Ann his wife doe hereby covenant & promise to and with the said Richard Sutton that it shall,and may be lawful for him the sayd Richard his heires, executors administrators & assignes from time to tirne and at all times forever, lawfully, quietly and peaceably to havehbold, possess ,and injoye the said house and premises with the privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging (except what is excepted) without any lett, trouble claim or molestation by or from us or either of us our heires, executors administrators or assignes or by or from any other person or persons whatsoever claiming in through by or from us or either of us, them or either of them, their heires or assignes. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seales this tenth of March one thousand six hundred & fifty-eight. SIMON BRADSTREET (& seall). ANN BRADSTREET. Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of GEORGE ABBOT WILLIAM CHANDLER. Mr. Simon Bradstreet did acknowledge this wrighting to be his act and deed in Court held at Ipswich the 29th of March 1664."18 March 1663 - "Know all men by these presents that I Richard Sutton of Andover in the county of Essex weaver and Rachel my wife for divers good causes & considerations mee thereunto moving & for recaived payment in Howse & Land wch I have resaived & had of George Abbot sen' of Andover aforesaid husbandman every ryte & tytell whereof I do acknowledge myselfe satisfyed & payd. Have Bargained & sold &; by this presents doe give, grant bargaine, sell, infeoff, assigne, & make over unto the said George Abbot senr All those my two pc'lls of ox-land or ploughing ground on the westerly side of ye Shawshin river, the one lying & being By Little-hope brooke conteyning by estimation thirty acres, Be the same more or lesse & the other lyinge & being on the west syde of a lyttle peice of meadow belonging to the s' George Abbot containing by estimation eighteen acres be the same more or less, both wch peeces I lately purchased of Mr. Simon Bradstreet & are within the bounds of the towne of Andover To have & to hold the afores' two peices of Land with the wood & timber thereon growing or to be growing to the said George Abbot his heirs & assigns forever. And wee the said Richard Sutton & Rachel his wife doe hereby covenant & promise to with the s' George Abbot that hee the said George, his heirs, executors administrators & assignes shall or may from tyme to tyme & att all tymes forever lawfully quietly & peaceably have, hold, possesse occupye & enjoy the aforesaid two peeces of Land & every ryt & privilege thereof hereby granted or intended to be granted without any lett, troubles, hinderances, interruption or molestation by the aforesaid Richard or Rachel or either of them our heirs, executors, administrators or assignes, or by or from any person or psons whatsoever claiming in by through or under us or either of us our heirs or assignes, hee the sayd George paying or causing to be payd all rates, Levies, or assessments from tyme to tyme that shall be due or lawefully imposed for the above Land either by the Lawe of the Country or custome of the towne of Andover or otherwise, shall save harmless the said Richard & Rachel their heires & assignes forever from any damages for default thereof. In witness whereof we the said Richard & Rachel have hereunto sett or hand and seales this eighteenth day of the first month commonly called March, in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty & three & in the fifteenth year of the raigne of yl SoVeragne Lord, King Charles the Second. Signed, Sealed, Delivered in the presence of SIMON BRADSTREET THOMAS CHANDLER JOHN BRADS TREET . RICHARD SUTTON. her mk RACHEL X SUTTON. This writing was acknowledged by Richard Sutton to be his act and deede Rachel his wife did give her free consent thereto, this 6th of ffebruary 1664 before mee SIMON BRADSTREET."
1664 - "Mr. Bradstreet, whose suits against his neighbors and others were.many (the law seems to have been resorted to on the most trifling causes in those times), had had a case in court against Richard Sutton (Counly Court Papers, vol. xi v. 3 2 Court Papers, vol. xiv), which arose primarily from the:trespass of Mr. Bradstreet's horses on his neighbors' premises. The charge brought against Richard Sutton was that he intentionally struck and killed one of the horses. He claimed that he did not, that the horses had been in his yard again and again (as he brought witnesses to prove); eating up his cattle's fodder. One night, when they came, he called Mr. Bradstreet's dog and Mr. Dane's dog, and set them on the horses, and then was unable to call them off, and the dogs had killed a mare. The doggs pulled her downe once in my yard; I beate them off; they fell upon her again; almost pulled her downe in Mr. Dane's cort yard; I did what I could to save her; I doe believe I can prove yl Mr. Dane's dog; Mr. Bradstreet's killed her. This was what Richard Sutton said to a neighbor, Thomas Abbot, the next day after the affair, as Abbot testified in court. The defendant was fined ten pounds ; but as his townsmen chose him for one of the fence-viewers the next year, it would seem that his reputation did not suffer seriously. It is noticeable that in his official capacity his evidence in the suit of Bradstreet vs. Gage was in favor of the plaintiff. He did not, however, long remain in Andover; Mr. Bradstreet was a man who would not brook contradiction by his neighbors of less commanding influence, and it would not be surprising if Richard Sutton was glad to sell the house which he had bought from him, and go out of the neighborhood. At any rate, he seems to have removed to where there would be no more danger of trouble from Mr. Bradstreet's horses."
1665, "Simon Bradstreet vs. Daniel Gage", for damages done to the plaintiff's fields by swine owned by Daniel Gage. The Fence-viewers, Thomas Johnson and Richard Sutton, tetsified in regard to the condition of the fence, and that they had found it "very sufficient against all orderly cattle."
4 Mar 1675/1676, King Philip's War: William Turner's Co., left at Quabaug
[New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 41, January 1887, p.79]10 Dec 1675, Corporal under Capt. Samuel Appleton
[New England Historic Genealogical Register, Vol. 38, October 1884, p. 440-441]10 Dec 1675, Credited under Capt. Samuel Appleton
[Soldiers in King Philip's War, Chapter 8, Part IV]
Possible 3rd wife:
"Sarah, w. Rich[ar]d, bur. 12 : 9m : 1672"
[Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1850, Vol. II, The Essex Institute. Salem. 1926, 696]Weaver: "The business of weaving was also carried on, not only in a domestic way, but as a trade by many skilled workmen, who took orders for much cloth which was carried to be finished at the fulling-mills. Such skilled weavers, familiar with the operations of cloth manufacture in the old country, were the men who first put in operation the fulling-mills and clothing-mills in the colony, and were the pioneers in the rnanufacturing industries of the country, --some of them becoming owners, and others managers of the mills for men who furnished the capital. The first of these weavers, of whom mention is found in Andover, was Richard Sutton. He was only a short time resident in the town, removing before there was any action taken to give encouragement for a fulling-mill. It is not improbable that if he had remained he would have undertaken this industry, as he was not without means to do so. It is an interesting coincidence, already noted, that his descendants, after the lapse of two hundred years, not knowing of this brief residence of their ancestor, should have established the name in the town, and the business of manufacturing, which, in its simpler forms, was not unlikely to have been begun by him had he remained a resident."
[Bailey, S.L., Historical Sketches of Andover, Massachusetts, 578-579]
He had the following children:
+ 2 F i Susanna Sutton + 3 M ii William Sutton
Richard married (2) Rachel Levens daughter of John Levens and Rachel Wright before 1667. Rachel was born 1 in Aug 1646 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. She died 2 on 10 Nov 1672 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA.
They had the following children:
4 M iii Richard Sutton was born about 1667. He died on 12 Sep 1672 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA.
Richard married 1 (3) Faith Swan daughter of Richard Swan and Ann Spofford about 1673. Faith was born 2 on 30 Jan 1643/1644 in Rowley, Massachusetts, USA. She died 3 about 1678 in Massachusetts, USA.
They had the following children:
+ 5 M iv Richard Sutton
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