Roger & Susan Petersen petrsand(a)dwx.com to me
show details 12/14/08
JD,
I am a reader of Gen-Medieval-L but I am not a contributor, therefore I am providing this
information to you which you are welcome to share in that forum or elsewhere.
I am a descendant of John Sutton's daughter Margaret, who married Joseph Carpenter.
One of the responders to your question regarding John Sutton referenced the book,
Thirty-One English Immigrants Who Came to New England by 1662, by Dorothy C. and Gerald E.
Knoff, 1989. I copied off these pages some years back and here is some information
given:
On about three trips to England starting in 1959, Gerald Knoff searched for records
pertaining to John Sutton and his family. In Boyd's Marriage Index, Norfolk
1626-1650, v. 6, p. 99, he found the marriage records of John Sutton and Elizabeth
Skarlette. He also traveled to the Church of Saint Stephen in Norwich and viewed the
Parish Register, and reported these records:
Marriages:
John Sutton of Wortwell, single man married Elizabeth Skarlette of Norwich Dec. 4, 1927.
Baptized:
March 11, 1631 John, first son of John Sutton
January 16, 1632 Margaret, daughter of John Sutton
The book went on to say that in 1962 he went to see the Register of St. Stephen's
Church at Wortwell, but the church was locked and no one could be found.
He goes on to say that sometime after the birth of Margaret the Sutton family moved to
Attleborough from which they came to Massachusetts. They were passengers on the Diligent.
Planters of the Commonwealth 1620-1640, by Charles Edward Banks 1930, gives the family of
John Sutton as follows:
John Sutton of Attleborough, Norfolk to Hingham
Mrs. Elizabeth Sutton
Hannah Sutton
John Sutton, Jr.
Nathaniel Sutton
Elizabeth Sutton.
He noted that Margaret, who was baptized at the Church of St. Stephen, was not named among
the children.
He mentioned that at some time John Sutton married a second wife, as the name of his widow
was Julian. John Sutton died on 1 Jun 1672 and left an estate record.
The author included the following children (summarized):
1. John, bapt. at St. Stephens Church in Norwich on 11 Mar 1631. Married in Scituate 1
January 1661 to Elizabeth House, d/o Samuel House. John Sutton of Scituate left a will
dated 12 Nov 1691, indicating he was aged 70 years or there abouts.
2. Margaret, bapt. at St. Stephen's Church in Norwich on 16 Jan 1632. "she may
have died in England or Banks may not have learned of her existence. If Cushing [Town
clerk of Hingham, MA] numbered six persons in the family of John Sutton, she would have
made it seven. If she died in England, another child was named Margaret, for a Margaret
Sutton, daughter of John, married at Rehoboth 25 Nov 1655 Joseph Carpenter."
3. Hannah, named in Banks' list of the Sutton children, but may have been the
daughter Anna.
4. Anna/Anne married at Rehoboth 23 Oct 1651 to John Doggett. Other sources say
November. Torrey has her birthdate about 1629 which would make her probably the oldest
child in the family, as John is called "the first son."
5. Mary married John Fitch.
6. Nathaniel, b. England
7. Elizabeth, b. England
8. Ester, b. prob. Mass, m. at Rehoboth 4 Mar 1656 to Richard Bowen.
The author included a brief account and photographs of St. Stephen's, Wortwell and St.
Stephen's, Norwich.
I just took a look at the IGI and the marriage of John Sutton and Elizabeth Skarlette is
included as an entry. The FHL indicates that it has microfilm of the parish records of
St. Stephen's Norwich, but there is nothing for Wortwell.
I made contact a few days ago with the Sutton surname study through FamilyTree DNA. The
coordinator contacted me to say that none of the current participants is descended from
this John Sutton.
You are welcome to pass this information on to others who have interest in this Sutton
family.
Roger Petersen
petrsand(a)dwx.com