Gregory Wolterton

Gregory Wolterton

• aka Wilterton, Wylterton, Willterton, Winterton
• Born about 1593 in Norfolk, England
• Died Aug 1674 at about age 81 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
• Son of Richard Wolterton and Mary Bensley
• Brother of Sarah (Wolterton) Waller
• Husband of Susannah (Unknown) Wolterton — married 1630 (to 1662) in England
• Husband of Bennett (Tritton) Wolterton — married about 1663 (to about 1665) in Hartford, Connecticut
• Husband of Hannah (Thurston) Wolterton — married about 1665 in Hartford, Connecticut
• Husband of Jane (Unknown) Wolterton — married Oct 1670 in Hartford, Connecticut
• Father of Samuel Wolterton (died young)
• Adoptive father of John Merrill

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Biography

Gregory Wolterton (Wilterton), Hartford, 1639; on original proprietor; his home-lot in 1639 was on the south bank of the Little River, on the highway now Elm St. He was chosen townsman, 1639, 1646, 1651, 1666; constable, 1643, 1654; fence-viewer, 1650. He signed the agreement to move to Hadley in 1659, but did not go. He was a tanner. He married (1) Susanna, who died in 1662, age 75; (2) Benet, widow of Thomas Stanley, who died in Jan., 1663-4; (3) Jane, widow of Nathaniel Ward, and previously wife of John Hopkins. He died 1674; will dated July 14; inventory August 6, £585. 16. He left no children, and names a large number of people in his will, — wife Jane; James Wolterton, of Ipswich, old England, son of Matthew, brother of Gregory; land in Hartford to John Shepard, son of Edward, of Cambridge; Dorothy, Hannah, and Sarah, daughters of Thomas Lord, deceased; and others, not of Hartford.

SOURCE: James Hammond Trumbull, editor, The memorial history of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1 (Boston, Massachusetts: Edward L. Osgood, 1886), page 270. Retrieved: 3 May 2011 from GoogleBooks

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wolterton-2

The Connecticut Colony records spell his name a variety of ways, none of which is actually Wolterton, although that's the spelling on the founders monument.

Gregory Wolterton was born c1593 likely at Norfolk, England, son of Richard Wolterton and Mary Bensley. [1]

He was a tanner by trade. [2]

1636: Gregory Wolterton was one of the original founders of Hartford, Connecticut. [3] [2]
1639: 46: 51: 56: Chosen Townsman. [2]
1643: 54: Chosen constable. [2]
1650: Served as fence viewer. [2]
1659: He signed an agreement to move to Hadley, Massachusetts, but remained in Hartford. [2]
Marriages
He married first, about 1630, in England Susannah Unkown, who died at Hartford in 1662 at the age of 75. They had no known children. [1] [2]

He married second, c 1663/4, widow Benett Tritton Stanley. She was baptized at Ashford, Kent on July 30, 1609, daughter of Daniel and Alice (Goldhatch) Tritton, and widow of Thomas Stanley who died at Hadley, Massachusetts on January 30, 1663. Benet died at Hartford in January, 1664/5, aged 55 years. [1] [4] Her will was written on November 1, 1664 and proved on March 28, 1665. [5] [2]

He married his third wife Hannah Thurston Lord, widow of Thomas Lord, about 1665. Hannah died at Hartford about 1669.[1]

Child by Hannah

1. Samuel born on August 21, 1667; died aged 7 months. [1]

He married fourth, in October, 1670, Jane Unknown (Hopkins) Ward, widow likely first of John Hopkins, and second of Nathaniel Ward. She had no children by Gregory. [1] [6] [7] [2]

Gregory died at Hartford, Connecticut in August, 1674. [1]

His widow Jane survived him. [1]

"Gregory gave 30 acres in Hartford to Elizabeth Shepard Disboro for life and then to go to her sons, John, Joseph, Jonathan and Ephraim Strickland on 30 June 1674 (17 days before he made his will)" [8]

Will

Gregory wrote his will on July 7, 1674, and it was proved on August 26, 1674. In it he names: [9]

• wife Jane
• James Wolterton, son of Matthew of Ipswich, Suffolk, England if still living, or to his children (nephew to Gregory, son of his brother Matthew)
• Matthew Waller of New London, Rebecca and Sarah Waller (Gregory's sister Sarah Waller's descendants)
• John Shepard Sr., who is to pay his father Edward, sisters Deborah Fairbanks and Sarah Tomson, and the children of his sister Abigail Pond
• Hannah and Mary Lord, daughters of Thomas Lord, deceased (children of wife Hannah)
• William, John, Samuel and Matthew Waller, his great-nephews, sons of William Waller deceased
• Wolstone Brockwood Sr., his son William Brockwood (Gregory's sister Sarah's descendants)
• Bethia Stoken, daughter of Samuel Stoken (grand daughter of wife Jane)
• Samuel Stoken Sr.(son-in-law of wife Jane)
• Steven Hopkins Sr. (son of wife Jane)
• Nathaniel Stanley (child of wife Benet)
• Mary (nee Stanley) Porter, wife of John Porter (child of wife Benet)
• Hannah (nee Stanley) Porter, wife of Samuel Porter (child of wife Benet)
• Ruth (nee Stanley), wife of Isaac Moore of Farmington (niece of wife Benet)
• John Whiting, Pastor of the Congregation
• Joseph Haynes, teacher at the old meeting house
• Elizabeth Stickland Andrews, wife of John Andrews Jr.
• Dorothy Lord, daughter of Thomas Lord, deceased (child of wife Hannah)
• John Merrill, executor
• James Richards and john White Sr., overseers [1] [9]

The inventory of his estate was valued at L585 16s. [2]

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-148037

Susanna and Nathaniel Merrill's second son, John, was adopted by Gregory Willerton or Wollerton of Hartford soon after Nathaniel died, and John became Gregory's heir.

"John Merrill, second son of Nathaniel and Susanna Merrill, went to Hartford, Ct., shortly after his father's death, and first appears there in 1656. Later facts show that he became the adopted son and heir to Gregory Wollerton or Willerton, of Hartford, who had no children, and at his death made him the heir to the chief part of his large estate. It is highly probable that John Merrill was akin to Gregory Willerton, otherwise his going to Hartford and adoption by the latter would be unaccountable, for at that date he was not of age. The plausible conjecture is that Gregory Willerton was his uncle, and that Susanna Merrill, wife of Nathaniel, was by maiden name Willerton. While nothing is certain in this conjecture, there are many small facts which point in the same direction, which it would take too much space to enumerate and discuss. On the whole, from careful investigation I conclude that everything short of positive proof show the maiden name of Susanna to have been Willerton."[11]

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Comments

"The only thing I seem to find about him is that he was the father of the wife of Nathaniel Merrill."

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References

1. http://sherry.server-hosts.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I43...