Came to New England aboard the Planter with two other Tuttle families: John who setteld in Ipswitch and Richard who settled in Boston. Recorded in the ship’s record [ [1053]] is William, husbandman, age 26, Elizabeth, age 23, John, age 3 1/2, Anna, age 2 1/2 and Thomas, age 3 months when they set out. A girl age 11 named Maria Bill was also with them. [ [701]] John and Richard were probably brothers (although John supposedly died in Ireland) and Jacobus (in Hale, House) says their mother Isabel accompanied them as well.[ [1051]]

Elizabeth joined the church in Boston in 1636. The family had two sons baptized in Boston in the early years, Jonathan and David.

The profession of “husbandman” indicates he likely owned land, but he may also have been a merchant, as that was the profession of most of the other men in the company aboard ship. William is later listed as a creditor to a man named George Griggs in 1638 - along with John Tuttle, indicating a possible connection of some sort. On June 4 1639, the planters of Eaton’s company gathered in Mr. newman’s barn and signed the Church Covenant for the Quinnipiac Colony. William’s name is on the list. In 1656 William Tuttle bought of Joshua Atwater his original allotment, large house, barn and other lands. This land, siguated at the corner of Chapel and College Sts, later became the first lands of Yale College. Other records in New Haven attest to his continued involvement in civic affairs, including when he took the Constable’s oath in March 1666/7.

The exact date of death is unknown. His inventory appears right after that of Benjamin Ling, dated June 6, 1673. A deed was presented in court Jun 19 that William had died before signing.[ [701]]

His children were not exactly known for being models of decorum. His daughter Elizabeth was fined for being with her husband before they were married when a child was born less than 9 months after the wedding. Her husband (Richard) later found out it wasn’t his child, and sued her for divorce. The town fathers didn’t grant it and he brought the petition again in 1691. By this time he needed the divorce to marry another woman, who had already been fined for laying with him. The divorce records say Elizabeth had committed adultery on several occasions and was no longer really right in the mind. The divorce was granted and there are no further records of Elizabeth. (On a somewhat ironic note, Elizabeth and Richard were the grandparents of puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards.)

Daughter Mercy, who married Samuel Brown, killed her 17-year-old son Samuel Jr. with an axe in the summer of 1691. Her husband at first claimed she seemed rational, but others testified to her “distracted” state. She was indicted for murder on October 1, 1691 and eventually sentenced to death. However, due to confusion resulting from the deposing of Edmund Andros as colonial governor, she escapted the death penalty.

William himself was apparently involved in an incident in 1660 where his daughter Sarah was prosecuted for “sinful dalliance” with Jacob Marlain. They were accused of sitting on a chest and kissing for half an hour, in front of witnesses. There was a law that basically allowed a father to charge a young man with stealing away his daughter’s affections. The two were found guilty and admonished sharply by the court. Sixteen years later, Sarah was killed by her brother Benjamin, who hit her on the head with an axe (there’s a nice gruesome description in Connecticut court records). Benjamin was tried and convicted of murder and was hanged June 13, 1677.[ [1051]]


Savage’s: WILLIAM, Boston, came in the Planter 1635, aged 26, with w. Elizabeth 23; ch. John 3 1/2; Ann, 2 1/4; and Thomas, 3 mos. He is, by tradit. said to have come from Co. Northampton. His w. join. our ch. 24 July 1636, and brot. to be bapt. Jonathan, 2 July 1637; David, 7 Apr. 1639. Soon aft. he rem. to New Haven, there became a man of conseq. had Joseph, bapt. 22 Nov. 1640; Sarah, Apr. 1642; Elizabeth 9 Nov. 1645; Simon, 28 Mar. 1647; Benjamin, 29 Oct. 1648; Mercy, b. 27 Apr. bapt. 19 May 1650; and Nathaniel, 24, bapt. 29 Feb. 1652. His est. was giv. to be admin. June 1673, all the ch. liv. and the w. d. 30 Dec. 1684. Of the ds. Sarah m. 12 Nov. 1663, John Slawson; Mercy m. 2 May 1667, Samuel Brown; Elizabeth m. 19 Nov. foll. Richard Edwards. Farmer numbers the gr. in 1834, as six at Yale, four at Harv. and two at other N. E. coll.

After her husband’s death, she lived with her son Nanthaniel. It’s interesting to note that while the name William was give to none of their children and only one of his many grandsons, the name Elizabeth appears frequenty. She was buried in the Old Green, but the stone was moved with others in 1821 to the Grove St. Cemetary: Age: 76:31:10:1684/Elizabeth Tutle/ The: blest: live: af/ They: are: the: blest/ That: live: at: Rest. [701]