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Thomas Stanton (c. 1615–1677)

Anna Lord (bp. 1614–1688), daughter of Thomas Lord and Dorothy Bird

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Thomas Stanton was born about 1615. He died on 2 December 1677. He married by about 1639 Anna Lord, the daughter of Thomas Lord. [1]

Anna Lord was baptized on 18 September 1614 in Towcester, Northamptonshire. She died on 4 September 1688. [2]

Nothing is known about the origins of the migrant ancestor Thomas Stanton. He was not, as has been suggested, the son of Thomas and Katherine (Washington) Stanton. He came to Cambridge in 1635 and went to Hartford in 1636. He learned the Algonquian languages of southern New England and was an interpreter. [1]

On 5 April 1638 Thomas Stanton was one of six men ordered by a General Court at Hartford to go and speak to the Warranocke Indians, “to declare unto them that wee have a desire to speake with them, to knowe the reasons why they saide they are affraide of us, and if they will not come to us willingly then to compel them to come by violence, and they may leave 2 of the English as pleadges in the meane time and to trade with them for corne if they can.” He was one of two men who was to go and smooth matters with Soheage, sachem at Wethersfield and appointed one of seven men allowed to trade in “this River” with the Indians for beavers. At the same court, it was ordered that Thomas was to be a public officer, to attend the court on all occasions and to interpret for the magistrates in meetings with the Indians. He continued in this position until 9 April 1646. On 25 January 1648 he was again hired to attend court and act as an interpreter. [3, vol. 1, 17–20, 139, 175]

At a 9 April 1640 Court of Elections Thomas was told to give notice to the Indians that any Indian breaking into a house or endangering anyone’s life would be shot. [3, vol. 1, 47]

At a General Court in April 1642 it was ordered that no one was to trade with the Indians on Long Island until the meeting of the court in September, except for Thomas Stanton and [his brother-in-law] Richard Lord, who could make one trip. [3, vol. 1, 71.] Thomas and Richard Lord apparently had some sort of disagreement about trading Indian corn and on 12 October 1643 the General Court fined Richard Lord five pounds for drawing his sword and using threatening speech when contending with Thomas. [3, vol. 1, 94]

Thomas was the second European, after William Chesebrough, to settle in the area that is now Stonington. On 6 February 1650 the Court allowed him to erect a trading house at Pawcatuck with six acres of planting ground and gave him a three-year monopoly on trade there. He built and occupied a trading house at Kitchemaug the following year, but did not bring his entire family until 1657. [4, vol. 1, 204–5][5, 29]

Thomas was present at a town meeting in New London on 10 November 1650. [6, 66] He was deputy for New London to the Connecticut General Court on 15 May 1651. [3, vol. 1, 218]

In August 1657 James Morgan testified that he heard Thomas Stanton say that the commissioners, “had cast of Uncas, & hee had it in his pocket to show.” The court ordered that Thomas be found and sent forthwith to Deputy Governor Thomas Wells or have him post 40 shillings and appear before the court. On 1 October he was fined ten pounds for not appearing. [3, vol. 1, 300, 306]

George Denison, Thomas Parke, Thomas Minor, Thomas Stanton, and Samuel Chesebrough laid out the bounds of Sotherton (later Stonington) on 2 March 1659. [7, 13]

In January 1663/4, Thomas Minor wrote in his diary, “Thomas Stanton was taken prisoner.” Apparently this did not last long as in February he wrote, “Mr. Stanton was here to have me help on the sabath day.” [8]

Thomas appears in a 1668 census conducted in Stonington. [5, 40–41] His is the first name on a 5 October 1669 list of freemen in Stonington. [3, vol. 2, 523] He was one of the nine original members of the first church in Stonington on 3 June 1674. [5, 43]

Thomas was a selectman of Stonington from 1658 to 1674. [1] He was a frequent deputy for Stonington to the General Court between 10 May 1666 and 14 May 1674. [3, vol. 2, 31, 44, 47, 59, 70, 83, 94, 105, 116, 127, 136, 147, 159, 170, 184, 192, 209, 211] He was appointed commissioner to end small causes between 13 October 1664 and 10 May 1677. [3, vol. 1, 435; vol. 2, 17, 32, 63, 84, 106, 131, 152, 170, 192, 221, 250, 275, 304]

Thomas signed his will on 24 October 1677; it was proved on 20 September 1678. He left bequests to his eldest son Thomas Stanton; his sons Daniel, Robert, Samuel, Joseph and John; his daughters Mary Rogers, Sarah Prentice, Hannah Palmer and Dorothy Noyes; his wife Anna. He mentions his sons-in-law James Noyes and Nehemiah Palmer. [1]

In her will of 8 February 1669[/70?] Dorothy Lord of Hartford, widow of Thomas Lord, left a bequest to “my daughter Stanton.” [1]

Mrs. Annah Stanton was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 14 March 1675. [18]

On 6 September 1649 Thomas Stanton successfully sued Joane Sipperance for slander, “to the utter undoing of his wife’s good name and almost taking away her life.”[3, vol. 1, 193–4.]

The widow of Thomas Stanton made her nuncupative will on 14 September 1688. She left bequests to her children, naming her daughter Noyes and her daughter Palmer. She also left bequests to “the fatherless child in Barbados,” her son Noyes and “little Dorothy Noyes.” Inventory was taken on the estate of Mrs. Anna Stanton deceased the 4th of September 1688 on 6 December 1688. It totaled 49.16.10 pounds with no real estate included. [1]

On 13 March 1689 Thomas Stanton renounced administration on his mother’s will. Lieutenant Ichabod Palmer, attorney for Nehemiah Palmer, on behalf of Mr. Thomas Stanton and Captain John Stanton, both of Stonington, Mr. Joseph Stanton of Westerly, Mr. Robert Stanton, Mr. Samuel Stanton, Mr. Nehemiah Palmer and Hannah his wife, Mr. James Noyes and Dorothy his wife, Lieutenant William Denison and Sarah his wife, all of Stonington, moved that administration be granted to Nehemiah Palmer. [1]

Children of Thomas Stanton and Ann Lord:

iii. Mary Stanton was born say 1643. She married Samuel, the son of James Rogers, on 17 November 1662 in New London. [1]

 iv. Hannah Stanton was born say 1645. She married Nehemiah Palmer.

v. Joseph Stanton was born in 1646 in Hartford. He was baptized on 21 March 1646/[7?] in Hartford. He died in 1714. He married first Hannah Mead on 19 June 1673. Hannah was the daughter of William Mead of Roxbury. He married second his cousin Hannah Lord on 13 August 1677. She was born in 1656. She died on 6 April 1681. He married an unknown third wife. [7, 578, 586]

Thomas Minor wrote in his diary,“Thursday the .19 of June [1673] Robert Burrows was maried and Joseph Stanton” and “The .13 of Agust 1677 Joseph stanton and Hanah Lord was maried.” [8, 117, 144]

Joseph appears in a 1668 census conducted in Stonington. He is on a 5 October 1669 list of freemen in Stonington. His wife was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 16 March 1683.

vi. Dorothy Stanton was born about 1650. She died on 19 January 1742/3 in Stonington. She married Reverend James Noyes.

viii. Robert Stanton was born about 1652. [7, 578, 592] He died on 24 October 1724 in Stonington. [9] He married Joannah Gardiner on 12 September 1677 in Stonington.  [7, 578, 592][9] Joannah was the daughter of Thomas and Lucy (Smith) of Roxbury. [7, 578, 592][31]

Robert’s gravestone in the Ancient Burial Ground in Stonington says, “Here lyeth the Body of/Robert Stanton/Gentlwho dyed/Octo ye 25th 1724/in ye 71st year/of his age.” [11]

Robert Stanton was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 29 July 1677. [5, 189]

ix. Sarah Stanton was born about 1654. She died in August 1713. She married first Thomas Prentice. Thomas was the son of Captain Thomas and Grace Prentice. She married second William, the son of George Denison. [7, 578]

x. Samuel Stanton was born in 1657. [7, 578] He married Borodell Denison on 15 or 23 June 1680. [9] Borodell was the daughter of George Denison. [7, 578]

Thomas Minor wrote in his diary, “The 23d of June .1680 samuell Stanton and borendel Denison was maried.” [8, 160]

Borodell, the wife of Samuel Stanton, was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 5 October 1690; Samuel was admitted on 28 December 1690. [5, 190]

vi. Daniel Stanton was born say 1658. He died before 14 September 1688. He married Martha ___.

Daniel apparently went to Barbados. On 31 March 1678, Thomas Minor wrote in his diary, “prayd for Daniel Stanton.” [8, 147]

Daniel wrote his will on 1 June 1681. He named his wife Martha Stanton, “now with child” and his mother-in-law Honor Pickford. [1]

Endnotes

1. "Great Migration 1634–1635, R–S," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org,  originally published as:  Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634–1635, Volume VI, R–S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 467–9.

2. "Great Migration, 1634–1635, I–L," digitized book, originally published as Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration to New England, 1634–1635, Volume IV, I–L (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005), 331–5.

3. J. Hammond Trumble, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, vol. 1 (Hartford: Brown & Parsons, 1850; vol. 2 (Hartford: F.A. Brown, 1852), vol. 3 (Case, Lockwood, & Co., 1859).

4. Charles J. Hoadley, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, vols. 4–12 (Hartford: Press of the Case, Lockwood and Brainard Co., 1868–1890).

5. Richard A Wheeler, History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Conn., 1674–1874 (Norwich, T.H. Davis and Co., 1875).

6. Frances Mainwaring Caulkins, History of New London, Connecticut (New London: H.T. Utley, 1895).

7. Richard Anson Wheeler, History of the Town of Stonington (New London: Press of the Day, 1900), 13

8. Thomas Minor, Sydney H. Minor and George D. Stanton, The Diary of Thomas Minor, Stonington, Connecticut, 1653–1684(New London: Press of the Day, 1899).

9. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, from > Stonington, 238–241.

10. Manasseh Minor, The Diary of Manasseh Minor: Stonington, Conn., 1696–1720 (n.p: published by Frank Denison Miner with the assistance of Hannah Miner, 1988), 141.

11. J.D. Champlin, “Ancient Burial Ground at Stonington, Conn.,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 13 (1859), 23–29.

Revised July 5, 2023

© 2019 A. Buiter