Took passage for Virginia in the merchantman "Bonaventura" onJanuary 2, 1635 and recorded himself as being twenty years old.His will was proved June 1678. Thomas Stanton was of Hartford, afterward of Stonington.THOMAS, Stonington, came from Virginia, whither, in 1635, he hadgone from London, at the age of 20, was one of the orig. proprs.of Hartford, and there resid. many yrs. for it is thot. that allof his nine ch. were b. at that place; yet with a traveller'sspirit learn. the lang. of the Ind. and so was of prime import.as an interp. He seems to have shown his ability first in thiskind 1637, when Stoughton, in his advice of Aug. on the firstexped. ment. his serv. He was rep. 1666, and aft. the chiefinhab. active in the founda. of ch. 3 June 1674, and obtain.ordina. of Rev. Mr. Noyes in Sept. foll. his name being first,and that of Thomas Jr. sixth, and of addit. to the ch. in 1675,is sec. name of Mrs. Ann his w. wh. d. 1688. He d. 1678, hiswill being pro. in June of that yr."The surname Stanton is derived from a place name, and isidentical with Stonington in origin. The family is of ancientEnglish origin. Robert, an early settler of Newport, RhodeIsland, was the progenitor of Hon. Edwin M. Stanton of Lincoln'scabinet. There was a John Stanton in Virginia in 1635, andThomas, aged twenty, sailed for Virginia in 1635 in themerchantman "Bonaventura." The family historian thinks he wentto Virginia, but many ships whose records state Virginias astheir destination, came to New England. The "Bonaventura" mayhave landed some passengers in Virginia, others in Connecticutor Boston. (I) Thomas Stanton was in Boston in 1636, and is onrecord as a magistrate there. If he was the one who came in1635, his age must have been understated, as men undertwenty-one were not magistrates in the colony, and in 1636 hewas acting as Indiana interpreter for Governor Winthrop. It isreasonable to suppose that he was a trader and had been both toEngland and Virginia before 1635, in order to have sufficientknowledge of the language of the Indians to become aninterpreter. The services of Mr. Staton as interpreter duringthe Pequot war were invaluable, says the history of New London,Connecticut: "He was, moreover, a man of trust and intelligenceand his knowledge of the country and the natives made him auseful pioneer and counsellor in all land questions, as well asdifficulties with the Indians." DeForest's history ofConnecticut says: "Sometime in April (1637), a small vesselarrived at the fort (Saybrook) having on board Thomas Stanton, aman well acquainted with the Indian lannguage, and long usefulto colonial authorities as interpreter." Stanton served throughthe Pequot war and special mention is made of his bravery in thebattle of Fairfield Swamp, where he nearly lost his life. lHemust have returned to Boston at the close of the war, for he wasone of the magistrates in the trial of John Wainwright, October3, 1637. In February, 1639, he and his father-in-law, ThomasLord, were settled in Hartford, Connecticut, coming there soonafter the colony of Rev. Thomas Hooker established the town. Hewas appointed official interpreter for the general court ofHartford, April 5, 1638, and at the same session was sent withothers on a mission to the Warrannocke Indians and as a delegateto an Indian-English council meeting at Hartford. He wasinterpreter for the Yorkshire, England, colonists at New Haven,November 24, 1638, when the land on which the city of New Havenis located, was bought as early as 1642, when with hisbrother-in-law, Richard Lord, he made a voyage to Long Island totrade and collect old debts, and there is a document showingthat he traded as far away as Virginia. He had the grant of amonopoly of the trading with the Indians at Pawkatuck and alongthe river of that name. He built a trading house there and about1651 moved to Pequot, and in 1658 occupied his permanentresidence at Stonington. In 1650 the general court appointed himinterpreter to the elders who required to preach the gospel tothe Indians at least twice a year. Caulkins said of him: "Fromthe year 1636, when he was Winthrop's interpreter with theNahantic sachem, to 1670 when the Uncas visited him with a trainof warriors and captains to get him to write his will, his nameis connected with almost every Indian transaction on record." Hereceived several grants of land. In 1651 he was deputymagistrate. In 1658 he moved to Wequetequock Cove, east ofStonington, where he was the third settler; it was then calledStonington, part of Suffolk county, and in 1658 he was appointedone of the managers. In 1664 he was commissioner to try smallcauses and in 1665 had authority to hold semi-annual court atNew London. In 1666 he was again commissioner of county judges,overseer-general of the Coassatuck Indians, commissioner inIndian affairs, and commissioner until his death 1677. In 1666he was in the genral assembly, until 1674. He and his sons wereactive in King Philip's war. He was one of the founders of theStonington church, June 3, 1674, and his name was first on theroll. He died December 2, 1677, and was buried in the familyburial ground between Stonington and Westerly. He married AnnLord, born 1621, in England, daughter of Thomas and DorothyLord. Her father was the first physician licensed to practice inConnecticut, by the general court, June 30, 1652, and the rateshe could charge in hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, and othertowns in that section were fixed on the license, a salary offifteen pounds to be paid by the county. Ann Stanton spent herlast days with her daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Noyes, of Stonington,and died there in 1688. The original home site of Thomas Stantonat Hartford is now occupied by the Jewell Leather BeltingCompany factory. Children: Thomas, born 1638; John 1641; Mary,1643; Hannah, 1644, Joseph, mentioned below; Daniel, 1648,Dorothy, 1651; Robert, 1653, Sarah, 1655; Samuel, 1657.