RICHARD LINTON [#1958], b. Eng. abt. 1585-1590, d. Lancaster, MA 30 Mar 1665, m. Elizabeth ____, d. abt. 1674.
It is not known what part of England Richard Linton came from, but he settled first at Watertown and later removed to Lancaster. He probably arrived in this country in 1630 as one Richard Linton appears on the Massachusetts Bay Colony Records of Sept. 28, 1630 as having been one of a jury impaneled to inquire into the death of Austin Bratcher, "dying lately at Mr. Cradock's plantation". He and two others failed to be present.[2/98]
Richard Linton had two children and maybe others. One was Ann, who married Lawrence Waters. The other, also a daughter, is never named in the records, but it is believed her name was Rachel. This woman died before her father, but the records show she left a daughter, Lydia Kibby, born about 1637. A careful search of the early men of the name Kibby points to the likelihood of Henry Kibby as the father of Lydia. Henry Kibby was a proprietor of Dorchester in 1639. His wife Rachel died July 16, 1657 which is prior to Richard's death. Additional evidence is that Ann Waters named a daughter Rachel.[2/98]
The first inventory of grants and possessions of Watertown, taken in 1639, shows Richard Linton with a homestall of eight acres bounded east with Hill Street, west by Thomas Smith and Ellis Barron, north by Thomas Boyson, and south by William Godfrey.[1/1:30] In the second inventory, taken in 1644, his land is not listed, but he is mentioned in connection with two others. The third inventory, 1646, shows him with the eight acre homestall,[1/1:131] but on Dec. 6, 1646 Lawrence Waters testified that Richard Linton of Watertown granted unto Robert Sanderson of same for a valuable consideration his dwelling house and lot in Watertown in a deed dated September 1645. It was about that time that Richard Linton, Lawrence Waters, and John Ball, all three ancestors, moved to Nashaway Plantation, now Lancaster (see the John Ball Family for more on Lancaster and their purpose there).[1]
Richard Linton was certainly in Nashaway Plantation in 1647 as on Aug. 5 of that year John Cowdall deeded 50 acres of land there to John Prescott "on which parcel of land Richard Linton and Lawrence Waters have planted corn".[1] On May 10, 1654 he was one of the signers of a petition to the General Court for the setting up of a township at Lancaster.[5/378] Richard subscribed to the town orders on Nov. 30, 1654,[5/30] and was an original proprietor of Lancaster.[1] A town meeting was held on March 9, 1654-5 at which Richard Linton was one of 25 townsmen present.[5/4041] In the first grant of lots, he was granted lot No. 2 of 20 acres, located on the north side of the lot of Edward Breck, and bounded west on the highway, and the Penacook River and Ralph Houghton on the east.[5/35]
An inventory of the lands in Lancaster revealed Richard Linton had the 20 acre house lot mentioned above and described as bounded east by Ralph Houghton, South by Edward Breck, north by James Atherton, and west by John Whitcomb, Sr. He also had six acres on which his dwelling house was situated bounded south and west by Lawrence Waters, north by Robert Breck, and east by the highway. He also had some intervale land.[5/252]
Richard Linton left no will, having disposed of his property by deed. In the deeds he mentions his daughter Ann Waters and grand daughter Lydia Bennet. Administration of his estate was granted to the Selectmen of Lancaster and Jeremiah Rogers. The inventory of his estate was taken by John Prescott and Ralph Houghton on June 14 and proved June 20, 1665. It amounted to 29.4.0.[6/2:301] The deed of gift to Ann Waters was not filed until 1674, and as she and her husband did not have complete ownership until Elizabeth's rights were ended by her death, it seems reasonable to believe that Elizabeth died between June 20, 1665 and Oct. 6, 1674 and probably in 1674. Miss Holman infers that the deeds of gift suggest Elizabeth was not the mother of Richard Linton's children and had probably made some property agreement at the time of her marriage to Richard.[2/100]
It appears that Richard gave more to his grand daughter, Lydia (Kibby) Bennet, than to his daughter Ann Waters. The inference here is that Rachel was his elder daughter and as such was entitled in his mind to a larger share of his property. It is also possible, however, that Lydia had made her home with her grandfather and had become endeared to him.[2/100]
REF: [1] The Warner-Harrington Ancestry - Frederick C. Warner,
1949 (pg.410)
[2] The Stevens-Miller Ancestry - Winifred Lovering Holman,
1948
[3] Suffolk County Deeds (1:79)
[4] Watertown Records, 1894
[5] Early Records of Lancaster - Henry S. Nourse, 1884
[6] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 14103)
Children:
1. Rachel, b. Eng. prob. abt. 1612, d. Dorchester, MA 28 May 1657, m. abt. 1636 Henry Kibby, d. Dorchester 10 Aug 1661 2. Ann, b. Eng. abt. 1614, d. Charlestown, MA 6 Feb 1680, m. abt. 1635 Lawrence Waters, b. abt. 1612, d. Charlestown 9 Dec 1687
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