General Notes

[from: Lawton, Elva, The Descendants of Geroge Lawton of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1977; Lawton, Frederick T., Thomas Lawton, Immigrant 1638, Aquidneck (Rhode) Island, 1950]

Thomas and George Lawton

Thomas and George Lawton were brothers, and the sons of George Lawton and Isbell Smith, who emigrated from Cranfield Parish, (on the western side of and on a range of hills in) Befordshire, England to Aquidneck around 1638-1655. Thomas brought with him his wife Elizabeth Salsburie and his infant daughter Elizabeth. George was not married.

Between 1635 and 1638, Bedfordshire, which was strongly Puritan, was assessed 3000 pounds by the king, without a Parliament, for ship-money and required to furnish 200men for the campaign against Scotland. The call to America was strong. The fact that the first records of the Lawtons in America were in Aquidneck, indicates that they were not Puritans. They were planters and yeomen.

During this same period of time Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony due to his opposition to the government. Within nine months, however, Anne Hutchinson and her followers revolted against Coddington and Williams and established another settlement in Newport. Amon the 32 men who signed the compact with Hutchinson were George and Thomas Lawton (who signed his name then as he did all through his life with the letter T).

George Lawton was admitted an inhabitant if 1638 and Thomas probably at the same time. George served as deputy for six years and as Assistant for nine years besides serving on numerous committees; his land was granted on the Wading River and on the opposite side of the road from his mill, the first in Lawton's Valley. Beginning in 1649, Thomas served in several capacities, Deputy for one year, Overseer of the Poor, and Commissioner for four years. He was made Freeman in 1655. Thomas's land grant was near Quaker Hill and south of Union Street; in addition, he acquired much land south of Union Street which he called "Hunting Swamp Farm." A description of Quaker Hill, which stand 285 feet high, a few hundred yards southwest of the Thomas's farm, was made by Frederick MacKenzie, a British officer in 1776, saying: "There is a hill about 7 miles from Newport, and on the eastern side of the island, called Quaker Hill (from there being a Quakers' meeting house on it) from whence there is a very fine view of all of the North part of the island, and of the adjacent islands. And the Continent for many miles. The many fine and cultivated Islands and the beautiful bays and inlets, with the distant view of the towns, farms and cultivated lands intermixed with woods, together with the many fine views of the adjacent waters, contribute to make this (even at this bleak season of the year) the finest, most diversified, and extensive prospect I have seen in America."

Thomas eventually bought several parcels of land, in addition to the original allotment of three acres near the Town Pond and that near Quaker Hill, Hunting Swamp Farm and Long Swamp Farm in the southerly part of Portsmouth, 600 acres on the southwest end of Warwick on the mainland, five parcels forming a farm on Puncatest Neck lying across Sakonnet River east of Rhode Island, a house and lot on Martha's Vinyard, land in Dartmouth, Massachusetts and in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

The present location of the grants are located as follows:

At the junction of the West Main Road or Kings High Road and the U.S. Naval Reservation on Naragansett Bay is the 240 acre grant of George Lawton. Thomas's son Isaac had a farm of about 40 acres on the easterly side of the road in later years. About a mile and a half further south is the Wading River where George built his grist mill. Just east and north of the town line of Portsmouth was Hunting Swamp Farm. Continuing eastward to the Newport path then south to Braman Lane then east to Wapping Road is the Long Swamp Farm of Thomas Lawton on the west side of the road. Returning to the East Main Road and continuing north about two miles, one comes to Quaker Hill and then to the present Portsmouth Town Hall.

If their first abodes were like those of other early settlers they consisted of dugouts or rough shelter made of twigs woven together, with thatch roofs, followed by a 400 square foot one-room, four-foot tall log cabin. Their diet consisted of fish and oysters obtained from the Indians, wild grapes, eels (the skin of which was also braided into rope), black ducks, deer meat, rabbits, partridges, squirrels, raccoons, bear meat, turnips, red peppers and dried berries. Corn was bought from the Indians and later grown this was pounded and made into coarse bread or boiled, pounded and baked into Johnny cake. The clothing consisted often of doe skin or buck skin.

Safety was an early concern and many families had a large dog. In 1639, it was ordered "that in regard of the many incursions that the Island is subject unto and that an Alarum for the securing the place is necessary therefor it is thought meet for the present that an Alarum be appointed to give notice to all who inhabit the place that they may forthwith repair and gather together at the Howse of the Judge for the defending of the Island or quelling any Insolences that shall be tumuously raysed within the Plantation; therefore the Alarum that we appoynt shall be this Three Musketts to be discharged distinctly and a Herauld appointed to goe speedily throw the Towne and crye Alarm Alarm Upon which all are to repair immediatley to the place aforesaid." And it was not just Indians or trespassers from the mainland which caused concern; there were wild bears and boars as well.

In 1655, Thomas's wife Elizabeth died. Shortly before he made his will, June 5, 1674, Thomas married the widow Grace Parsons Bailey. It was not a marriage made in heaven. It appears that Thomas Lawton may have committed adultery with Grace and later have charged her with committing adultery. [from Fiske, Jane Fletcher, Records of the General Court of Trials, Boxford, Massachusetts, 1998] In 1671,       " Upon an Indictment by the Grand Jury against Grace Lawton the wife of Thomas Lawton formerly the wife of William Baily ffor comitting Adultrie with Thomas Lawton. The said Grace being Mandamassed, Enters Traverce pleads Not Guilty and Referrs her selfe for Tryall to god and the cuntry. The Jurrys Verdict is Not Guilty.

"The Court doe declare them selves wholy dissatisfyed with that Verdict and therefore cannot cleere her, The Aturney declareinge there was a failer in the Testimony he depended on or otherwise he had produced other Testimony."

Then, in 1673, "Upon an Indictment by the Genrl Aturney against Grace the wife of Thomas Lawton of Portsmouth for com[m]ittinge Adultry with James Murfie she enters  Traverce, pleads Not Guilty and referrs for Tyall to God and the Cuntry. The Jurrys Verdict, Not Guilty of  Adultry.The said Grace Lawton is by order of Court cleered by proclamation payinge ffees."

In Frederick T. Lawton's work, he says that a descendant of Thomas stated that he found it more difficult to get along with his second wife that with the Indians. It is his belief that misunderstanding and disagreement may have come through the use of some of Thomas Lawton's land by William and Grace Parson Bailey, pursuant to an unusual deed which was executed August 13, 1661. "Thomas Laiton has agreed that William Baily shall have three score acres of his land at his farme at Huntinge Swamp - said William Bally is to have the same land for his own life time and if his wife Grace Bally keepe herself a widowe after her husband's death then she also is to enjoy in the full term of Thomas Laitons life time and three years afterwards - agreed that William Bally shall nott lett nor sell the same land for his time to any others, but if the said William shall be minded to leave it, he shall return it to afore said Thomas Laiton againe, the said Thomas Laiton painge for it accordinge as two or three indifferent men shall judge."

Later, "Upon an action of the case for non performance of covinnat, commenced by Grace the wife of Thomas Lawton of the town of Portsmouth plaintiff against Daniel Lawton defendant, beareing date the 23 of August 1675. Damage 40L Sterll.
Upon a long debate of the case the court order that the action shall fall; and it is ordered by this court for the time past and for the future Daniell Lawton shall allow and pay to said Grace Lawton the sum of four shillings a week paid monthly, to be paid to her or he signes in silver New-England mony in liew of the use of a horse and fire-wood, the sum of twenty shillings yearly, and this act to be in force untill further care either by her husband or this to court to be taken in the premises, and the same to be paid out of his father Thomas Lawtons estate, and ordered that the said Grace Lawton shall give unto the said Daniell Lawton a true inventory of all the partickular estate she hath in her hands, and that the said Daniell Lawton shall forth-with pay the said Grace Lawton the sum of twenty shillings in mony over and above what is afore ordered."

In the Proceedings of the General Assembly of Rhode Island are many entires regarding Grace and her welfare:

"June 14, 1676. His wife Grace, having presented her many grievances to the town often, and to the Assembly several times, for due and sufficient maintenance, she being much neglected in her husband's absence, it was therefore ordered by the Assembly that 6 shillings per week in silver be paid her or her order, during her life, or until her husband, Thomas Lawton, shall come himself to maintain her. During his absence or neglect, the said sum of 6 shillings per week shall be paid by his agent, Daniel Lawton, which inventory Daniel Lawton shall have, Grace to have the privileges of chamber she is now possessed of, and use of necessary moveables; and the rights of herself or any of her children now or in future to any estate, are not cut off."

"Apr. 31, 1677 (Apr 13?). Thomas Lawton made an agreement for his step-son John Bailey, to give Grace, his mother, 10 pounds per year, and his daughter, Elizabeth Sherman, 3 pounds per year (40 shilling sin money and another 20 s. in good merchantable sheep's wool at 12 pence per pound), in return for a lease of a dwelling house, selling him the household goods, but reserving a bed, settle, chairs, etc."

"Apr. 22, 1677. Grace accepted the 10 pounds per year in silver provided for by her husband, and acquitted him of all 'dower, thirds, portions or legacies, bills, bonds or grants whatsoever.'"

Thomas's will mentions his property and his children, sons Daniel and Isaac, daughter Eilzabeth Sherman, wife of Peleg Sherman, daughter Anne Slocum, daughter Sarah Sisson, son-in-law George Sisson, and wife Grace.