Thomas Dutton IV1

(28 August 1713 - )
Thomas Dutton IV|b. 28 Aug 1713|p853.htm|Thomas Dutton III|b. 2 Aug 1681\nd. 4 Aug 1759|p845.htm|Hannah Burge|b. rng 11 Jun 1690 - 10 Jun 1691\nd. 10 Jun 1775|p850.htm|Thomas Dutton Junior|b. 1648\nd. fol 1721|p830.htm|Rebecca Brabrook|b. s 1650\nd. 16 Mar 1720/21|p843.htm|||||||

6-greats-grandfather of Darrell Allen Martin.
Thomas was born in Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, on 28 August 1713.2,3,4,5 He was the son of Thomas Dutton III and Hannah Burge. He married Mary Hill in Billerica, Mass., on 10 May 1737.2,6,7,8 His first child by Mary appeared on the scene in Billerica, Mass. about seven months after their marriage there. Between the births of their first and second children they removed to Westford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, where their third child was also born. Possibly in 1742, but no later than 1745, they moved to Lunenburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, which had been established in 1728.9 There Thomas seemed to settle down; he was respected enough that he held the posts of Surveyor of Highways and deer warden, the former for more than one year. Five of his eight children by Mary were born in Lunenburg. He married Sarah Fitch in Lunenburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts, on 9 September 1756. The first three of their four children were born there.10,11 After the town of Lunenburg, Mass. "spun off" the new town of Fitchburg in 1764, he settled in Rockingham, Windham County, Vermont; possibly it was as early as 1766. Rockingham was pioneered in 1753, one of the first five Vermont towns settled, so although he may have cleared new land he was not among the founders of the community. His last child was born there.12 Thomas Dutton IV resided in Rockingham in 1771.2,13 A "Thos Dutton" took "the oath of fidelity to be true to the United States of America" in Rockingham 23 June 1773.14 He resided with Sarah Fitch, and James Dutton in Rockingham on 20 November 1773.15 Thomas' son James was baptized in Rockingham in 1773, within a month after the formation of the church there. Nevertheless, on 4 May 1777, the Rockingham First Church "Tarried after Publick Worship when a Letter of Dismission & Recommendation of Thomas & Sarah Dutton from the Chh of Christ in Lunenburg was Read. 1 Voted to Receive Sarah Dutton into the Chh. Objections being made against Receiving Thomas Dutton into this Chh, till some Satisfaction was given for his Constant Neglect of & Absence from Publick Worship. The Question was put whether the Chh would receive Thomas Dutton into Communion without further Satisfaction pass'd in the Negative."16 The issue was apparently resolved, as both Sarah and Thomas were received into the church that year.17 Three of his sons, Thomas, Silas, and Joseph, had Revolutionary War service with the Rockingham militia.

There is potential confusion between this Thomas Dutton "IV" and his namesake son Thomas "V" (the Roman numeral suffixes are for my convenience, they do not appear in contemporary records). Both apparently migrated to Rockingham from Lunenburg, Mass., probably together while Thomas V was still in his teens. The facts presented, vis-a-vis distinguishing between the two of them, are only my best current conclusion. Thomas V is not my ancestor, and is therefore not a focus of my investigations. However, if it were discovered that he married a woman named Sarah, all this would need to be revisited. I have not been able to connect three Dutton deaths in Rockingham with this Thomas, all in 1777; "Thomas Duttons Child" 7 July, "James Dutton" 2 December, and "Mary Dutton" 6 December. Thomas IV did have children named James and Mary.
Appears on these charts
Pedigree of Darrell Allen Martin

Children of Thomas Dutton IV and Mary Hill

Children of Thomas Dutton IV and Sarah Fitch

Cited documentation

  1. [S209] The Roman numeral in the name is for the author's convenience. It does not appear in contemporary records.
  2. [S76] A.M., ed. William Richard Cutter, "Dutton," Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1908).
  3. [S56] A.M. Rev. Henry A. Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register (Boston: A. Williams and Co., 1883), pg. 45 Dutton, "6. Thomas ... Ch. ... Thomas. 9, b. 1713, Aug. 28."
  4. [S81] Vital Records of Billerica to 1850, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1908), pg. 68 Dutton births, "Thomas, s. Thomas Jr. and Hanah (dup. Hannah), Aug. 28, 1713."
  5. [S94] Lyman Simpson Hayes, History of the town of Rockingham Vermont 1753-1907 (Bellows Falls, Vt.: Published by the town [Rockingham], 1907), pg. 649, "Dutton: Thomas (s. of Thomas and Hannah [Burge] Dutton) ... b. in Billerica, Mass., Aug. 28, 1713."
  6. [S56] A.M. Rev. Henry A. Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register, pg. 46 Dutton, "9. Thomas ... m. 1737, May 10, Mary Hill, prob. dau. of Samuel. 10."
  7. [S81] Vital Records of Billerica to 1850, pg. 250 Dutton marriages, "Thomas and Mary Hill, May 10, 1737."
  8. [S94] Lyman Simpson Hayes, History of the town of Rockingham Vermont 1753-1907, pg. 649, "m. May 10, 1737, Mary Hill."
  9. [S62] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Historical Data relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts (Prepared by Frederic W. Cook, Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1948), pg. 40.
  10. [S55] City Clerk Walter A. Davis., The Early Records of the Town of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Including That Part Which is Now Fitchburg, 1719-1764 (Fitchburg: Published by Authority of the City Council, 1896), pg. 227, "Intentions of marriage betwixt Thomas Dutton and Sarah Fitch both of Lunenburg was entered August ye 12th A.D. 1756" and pg. 248, "Thomas Dutton and Sarah Fitch both of Lunenburg were married together September ye 9th 1756 by the Rev Mr David Stearns minister of Lunenburg."
  11. [S94] Lyman Simpson Hayes, History of the town of Rockingham Vermont 1753-1907, pg. 649, "Dutton: Thomas ... He m. 2d Sept. 9, 1756, Sarah, dau. of Joseph Fitch."
  12. [S94] Lyman Simpson Hayes, History of the town of Rockingham Vermont 1753-1907, pg. 649, "came to R. as early as 1766 from Fitchburg, Mass."
  13. [S85] Compiler Jay Mack Holbrook., Vermont 1771 Census (Oxford, MA: Holbrook Research Institute, 1982), pg. 28, "Dutton, Thomas" appears in Rockingham in the 1771 Cumberland County, New York, census, quoting the reprint of the returns in the 4 February 1850 issue of the Semi-Weekly Eagle (Brattleboro, Vermont).
  14. [S93] Thomas Bellows Peck, compiler, Vital Records of Rockingham, Vermont, From the Beginning of the Records to January 1, 1845; and, Records of the First Church of Rockingham, Vermont, From its Organization, October 27, 1773 to September 25, 1839 (Pittsford, VT: Genealogical Society of Vermont, 1994 republication in one volume (originally 1908 and 1902, respectively)), pg. 5.
  15. [S93] Peck, Vital and Church Records, Rockingham, Vt., pg. 220, "James Sone of Thomas & Sarah Dutton" is baptized.
  16. [S93] Peck, Vital and Church Records, Rockingham, Vt., pg. 223.
  17. [S93] Peck, Vital and Church Records, Rockingham, Vt., pg. 202, "Such as were received ... 1777 Thomas & Sarah Dutton--by recommendation" and pg. 250.
 
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