GEORGE SUTTON OF SCITUATE, MA: Second Generation

4. William2 SUTTON (George1) was born in Scituate, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts circa 1640. William died April 28, 1718 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey at 77 years of age.(8) He was interred April 1718 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey.

He married twice. He married Damaris BISHOP July 11, 1666 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.(9) Damaris was born 1646 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. Damaris was the daughter of Richard BISHOP and Alice MARTIN. Damaris died February 6, 1682/3 in Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey at 36 years of age.(10) He married Jane BARNES January 3, 1683/4 in Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey.(11)

There has been controversy regarding William's ancestry. Various unsubstantiated sources claimed that he was the son of John Sutton of Hingham while others stated that he was the son of George Sutton of Scituate, both of whom came to Massachusetts in 1638. Most modern evidence tends to support the contention that he was the son of George and Sarah (Tilden) Sutton.

He appears first in the Plymouth Colony Court record for June 1666 when he is fined twenty shillings for taking a bible from the meeting house at Barnstable and another ten shilling for telling a lie about it. A month later his marriage to Damaris Bishop at Eastham is noted in the record. Their first three children were born at Eastham, prior to 1672 when the family migrated to Piscataway in Middlesex Co., New Jersey.

In New Jersey he was an influential Quaker and it is probable that matters of religious belief were involved in his leaving Massachusetts. He prospered in New Jersey acquiring patents for 250 acres of land. He was at various times chosen as Constable, Town Clerk, and Freeholder and was prominent in the church.

About two months before the death of his first wife, the following entry appeared in the Piscataway Town Records: Nov. 25, 1682 William Sutton voluntarily gives his son Richard to James and Elizabeth Giles until he should be 21. They agreeing to do for him "as their own".

In early 1685, William married Jane Barnes who was probably the widow of John Barnes. A child, Joseph, born in 1693 is sometimes attributed to William and Jane but he is more likely the first child of William's eldest son Thomas and Mary Adams.

Quakers records indicate that William Sutton, about to remove from Piscataway to Burlington, on the 15th of June, 1706 donated a year old steer "towards building [the Woodbridge] Meeting-house". On 19 January 1713, the Woodbridge Quaker meeting offered to William Sutton and his wife, an aged couple, the privilege of living up-stairs in the meeting house. That is probably where he lived until his death in 1718 at about 78 years of age.

William SUTTON and Damaris BISHOP had the following children:

child 15 i. Alice3 SUTTON was born in Eastham, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts May 13, 1668.(12)

child + 16 ii. Thomas SUTTON was born November 11, 1669.

child + 17 iii. Mary SUTTON was born October 4, 1671.

child + 18 iv. John SUTTON was born April 20, 1673.

child + 19 v. Judah SUTTON was born January 24, 1674/5.

child + 20 vi. Richard SUTTON was born July 18, 1676.

child 21 vii. Joseph SUTTON was born in Piscataway, New Jersey June 27, 1678.(13) Joseph died December 19, 1682 in Piscataway, New Jersey at 4 years of age.(14) He was interred December 1682 in Piscataway, New Jersey.

child 22 viii. Benjamin SUTTON was born in Piscataway, New Jersey February 20, 1679/0.(15) Benjamin died December 22, 1682 in Piscataway, New Jersey at 2 years of age.(16)

child + 23 ix. Daniel SUTTON was born February 25, 1681/2.

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