Weymouth New England Genealogy

In England in December 1631 , and return to New England.r220 He emigrated circa 1629 from "that he had lived in NewEngland these three yeares last past", Essex, MA.JOHN STRATTON OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTSJOHN STRATTON, eldest son of John and Ann (Dearhaugh) Strattonof Shotley, Eng., was born about 1606.(*) By his father's willdated September 24, 1621, he was to have, at the age of 21,certain rents from the Manor of Thurcarlton during his mother'slifetime and the manor itself after her death. His father diedin Ardleigh, and was buried in Shotley, May 4, 1627. Soon afterhis death Kirkton Manor was sold to meet the requirements of thewill. John Stratton, Jr., was one of the executors of this will.He must have come to America the following year (1628), for inDecember, 1631, he was granted land in Maine "in considerationfor and in respect that he had lived in New England these threeyears last past, and had expended 1000 li. in transportingcattle and maintaining of servants in their imployment." (SeeLand Grant to John Stratton, in Part I.) Of his movements duringthese three years we know nothing more. In the latter part of1631 he had returned to England and was with his mother andsisters at Dedham. He was then preparing to return to the NewWorld, and it was probably during this time that ThurcarltonManor and the demesne lands were sold.(+) In December, 1631, he left England to take possession of theland that had been granted him on the coast of Maine. Near thecoast he encountered a storm, and "lost valuable papers andgoods by the casting away of a boat." Lechford's Notes. This grant to John Stratton consisted of"2000 acres on the coast of Maine, in the vecinity of Ogunquitand Kennebunk rivers on the south side of Cape Porpoise, and anisland near the mouth of the Saco River." The island is oppositeBlack Point, a little west of Richmond Island, and about fourmiles from Old Orchard. It is still known as "Stratton Island." Many references are found in Maine historical works to "Mr. (*)See pedigree and history of the Shotley Strattons, Part I inthis Volume. (+) In the Suffolk Ship Money Returns for the year1639-40, the name Stratton does not appear amongst the propertyholders of the parish of Shotley, showing that the family hadsold all their possessions there before that date. Stratton's"claim. Judge Southgate's History of Maine refers to him as thefirst settler of Scarboro. The present city of Wells (*)probably had its origin as "Stratton's plantation." A manuscript written in 1660, and recently discovered in theBritish Museum by Henry F. Waters, A. B., refers to "Wells, ahandsome well peopled place lying on both sides of a river, forwhich place a patent was long since granted to one 'Mr.Stratton.'"Felts' Ecclesiastical History of New England says: "ThomasJenner (who had been settled at Weymouth, but now preaching atSaco), replying to a letter of Winthrop, writes, 'I have beensolicited, both from the inhabitants of Stratton's plantationand from those of Caskoe to be a means to help each of them to agodly minister, therefore I do make bold to entreat your worshipto do your endeavor to furnish them both.'"At this time immigrants were rushing into New England.Applications for grants became numerous, and patents were issuedwithout sufficient regard to definite boundaries, which laterled to litigation. In a letter dated September 27, 1641, ThomasGorges ("Superintendant of the affairs of Sir Ferdinand Gorges,Knight, Lord proprietor of the Province of Mayne") mentions thisclaim of Stratton's, yet granted to others (July 14, 1643) landcomprised within Stratton's grant--for which John Stratton seemsnever to have obtained redress.There is nothing to show that John Stratton remained long inthis vicinity. In January, 1636, he had been away from there forsome time.March 28, 1636, "It is petitioned for Mr. Edward Godfrey that anattachment might bee of one Brase Kettell, now in the hands ofMr. Edward Godfrey which was belonging to Mr. John Stratton of adebt dew now 3 years from Mr. Stratton to him."Cook County Records, Alfred, Maine. September 19, 1636, JohnStratton was in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was "fined o10 forlending a gun to an Indian for four days." December 7, 1636,"John Stratton being fined o10 is remitted to 10s if he goe tothe Merrimack."Mass. Bay Colony Records. Later, John Stratton, GoodmanWoodward, with an Indian, (*) The town records of Wells wereburned in the destruction of the house of Joseph Bowles in 1657.and two others, were appointed "to lay out a line three milesnorth of the northermost part of the Merrimac." This lineeventually became the boundary between New Hampshire andMassachusetts. August 8, 1637, "Mr. Stratton requests a farm beyond IpswichPond," near Salem. March 1, 1638, this farm was "laid out toJohn Stratton"--100 acres. The same year he was "admittedinhabitant" of Charlestown and given permission to buy theWithwell house.(*) He was granted other lands in Charlestown--six different lots making 63 acres in all--with their rights.(+)The records at Charlestown, however, give no evidence of hisever having lived there, and he probably lived at Salem, where,in 1638, he was granted a house lot "there being two in thefamily." At this time he is styled "a merchant" and Lechfordrecords several notes of John Stratton, merchant.That he was a man of standing in those early days is shown bythe character of the men with whom he was associated, as well asby the extent of his business transactions. About this timefinancial misfortunes began to overtake him. The decision inEngland seems to have been against him concerning a part, atleast, of his land grant in Maine. Large debts due him inVirginia he could (*) Thomas Withwell was a teacher. He came toCharlestown 1635-6, and was for several years the grammarteacher there. (+) The location and boundaries of these lots aregiven in the Land Records of Charlestown. One lot adjoined thatof Rev. John Harvard, pastor of the church at Charlestown, andfirst benefactor of Harvard University. Another joined GeorgeBunker, of the family who possessed Bunker Hill. This book ofLand Records began March 26, 1638. It may be that John Strattonpossessed lands there before that date. ?? Promisory Note--John Stratton, gent, of Salem--Dec. 6, 1638.In 1641 there had been Received on this note one mare valuetwentyepounds. This wittnesses yt I Jno Stratton of Salem,merchant, have received of Edmund Angier of Cambridge, diverscomodityes and wares amounting to the some of twentye pounds &sixteen shillings & eight pence to be payd the sayd EdmondAngier or his assignees att or upon the five & twentye of November next after the date hereof.Witness my hand this twenty-fifth of September, 1638.JO STRATTON.Payment to be made in moneye, or cattle as money, delivered atthe Governors farme. not collect. Much of his property inCharlestown went into the hands of assignees, and we find himconveying all his "interests what-so-ever, in lands at CapePorpus, to Richard Saltonstall, Esq1 and Hugh Peters, pastor inSalem,--the rest that is not sold to Mathew Craddock, mercator,for o10." September 26, 1639, "John Stratton, gent, of Salem,made a letter of assignment and attorney to Mr. RichardHutchinson, citizen and iron monger of London." This letter was"signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of John WinthropeEsqr Governor of the Jurisdiction of the Massachusetts BayColony in New England." LETTER OF ASSIGNMENT AND ATTORNEYKnow all men by these present that I John Stratton of Salem inNew England, gent, for or in part payment of 50o wch I owe me toValentine Hill of Boston in New England, mercer, doe hereby give& grant unto the said Valentine Hill all that my lott or farmegranted & assigned to me by the Townsmen of Salem aforsaidcontaining one hundred acres or there-abouts bee it more or lesslying and being in the villiage within the prescints of the saidtown of Salem near the land of Mr. Hawthorne and St. Davenport.I say in part payment of so much of the said 50o as the saidpremises are well worth but if the premises are worth 50o thenin full payment of the said 50o. Then what in value the sameshall come short of the said 50o I or my heirs, executor or Adms shall and will pay & satisfy me unto thesaid Hill his executor or adms as soon as the said ValentineHill shall receive news from England that the 50o are not, andcannot be received from John Harrison, gent, by vertue of oneletter of attorney made by me unto Richard Hutchinson, citizanand iron-monger of London upon one bill or writing where-untoAdam Winthrope was witness, according to appointment of the saidValentine Hill & to the said Richard Hutchinson his executorsadma & assignees according to the said letter of attorney thenthis present gift & grant shall be voyd & of no force. And Ifurther covenent promise & grant to & with the said ValentineHill that I will pay all costs & charges to be expended in theendeavor to recover said 50o of said John Harrison if the sameshall not be recovered of him. Lechford's Notes.Then we find him making this will: "I, John Stratton, in the present letter of attorney mentioned,doe hereby make and declare this my last will and testamenttouching the suits and matters therein contained as followeth: "My will is that if it please God that I depart this life beforethe said suits and matters are finished that my attorneys, inthe said letter of attorney mentioned shall be my executorsjointly and severally to recover the premises. In testimonythereof I have here-unto set my hand and seal." To this will is affixed the following: "And the said Governor do hereby certify that the above saidJohn Stratton did in my presence publish and declare the saidwriting to be his last will and testament touching the premiseswhich I have granted also to testify under the said publicseal." Lechford's Notes. July 19, 1641, John was still in Salem, wherehe, with his mother and sisters,(*) made a letter of attorney toCaptain Edward Gibbons of Boston and Robert Stileman, merchant,of London, to receive from John Thurston of Hockston, Eng., thelegacies left him by this last will and testament of Mrs. MaryDearhaugh, late of Barrington, County Suffolk, Eng. (See pedigree of Shotley Strattons.) Two years later thetown records of Salem show that John Stratton is "absent" andThomas West is to have the use of his 10 acre (*) See pedigreeof Shotley Strattons. In 1637 the name of Ann Stratton, widow,appears on a list of church members in Salem. She was stillliving there in July, 1642. After this date she may have married again. Elizabeth Stratton married John (son of Francis and AliceThorndike of Little Carlton, Eng.), of Beverly, Mass. After her death hereturned to England, where he died in 1662 and was buried in theeast cloister of Westminister Abbey, near his brother, Rev. Herbert Thorndike.Their son Paul Thorndike lived in America, and has descendantshere to-day. Dorothy Stratton was in Salem, unmarried in 1640.Some have found reasons for believing that she married William Pester of Ipswichabout 1642. He was son of William Pester, Esq., of BarnardCastle, Eng. William Stratton, brother of John of Salem, madepreparations to come to Virginia with his Uncle Joseph in 1628.He did not come at that time, however, and nothing has been found to show that he ever came to America.In a deposition taken before Lechford in 1640-41, John Strattonof Salem, testifies that he is the "only brother & heir & nextof kin & creditor of William Stratton, gent, of Ardleigh, in theCounty of Essex, Eng. deceased."