General Notes

    Settled at Salem, Massachusetts, before 1641, admitted freeman June 2, 1641. He had a grant of 10 acres at Enon (now Wenham), Massachusetts in 1642 and was a witness to the will of Samuel Smith of Enon in December of that year. He soon married Joanna Ingersoll, daughter of Richard Ingersoll of Salem who names him as one of his sons-in-law in his will of 1644. He was still a member of Salem church when on July 7, 1644, he and his brother-in-law John Ingersoll were appointed "to walke forth in the time of Gods worshippe to take notice of such as either lye at home or in the fields without giving good account thereof" and report them to the magistrates. This duty fell to them on every seventh Sunday from the date of the order. He was constable of Wenham in 1648, and in that year he was a witness against George Norton for "scandalizing" the church. After Wenham had a church Pettingill was received by letter from that of Salem on August 4, 1649.


    In 1651, having sold his Wenham house and land to Samuel Foster, Pettingill moved to Newbury where he obtained various grants of land. He was chosen by Newbury as a trial juryman in 1654 and 1671 and grand juryman in 1658, 1665 and 1672. He took the Oath of Allegiance in 1678. In 1654 he, regrettably, acknowledged that he was sorry that he had signed the petition to the General Court in favor of Lieut. Robert Pike. His first judgement was the better.


    In 1669 Pettingill, aged about 45, deposed in the case of Ingerson v. Barney that John Knight came home to Newbury and told his wife (Joanna Pettingill's mother) that he had sold to Mr. Pain some timber on the lot at Frost Fish river. She was much troubled and asked him why he had sold her timber, whereupon Knight said that she should have 20s. for it and acknowledged that he had no right in the land. [Records and Files, IV:111].


    During the PArker-Woodman controversy which rocked Newbury in 1671 Nicholas Noyes said that he had heard Richard Pettingill say that he had had dismission from the Salem to the Newbury church. It was decided that, although Richard was listed as a member of the Newbury church, he was not so. "richard petinggill never desmision from Salem." The Wenham church was ignored. [Records and Files, IV:357, 360-362].


    A most interesting deposition is that of October 14, 1673. Pettingill, aged about 52, said "I being very well acquainted with Giles Fuller of Hampton, deceased, & with Mrs. Fuller of Bastable [Barnstable], doctor, both in old England & here in new england & both told mee they were of Kinn : & ye sd Giles Fuller have told me in old England & new that Marth. Fuller Doctor now of Barnstable was ye nearest kinsman he had." [Records and Files, V:244]. Dr. Matthew Fuller was a son of Edward Fuller who was a Mayflower passenger, and followed his father to Plymouth. The Fullers were from Redenhall, co. Norfolk. [Register, 55:102].


    In King Philip's War Richard supplied for the troops cheese at 19s., a pair of bandoleers 3s., bullets 6d., a pound of powder and a worm 2s., a horse for 20 weeks 30s., a knapsack 2s. 6d., a saddle and bridle 22s. He asked 5s. for curing a horse. [Records and Files, VI:448, 449, 454].


    Richard Pettingill did not make a will but divided his houses and lands between his three "loving and dutiful" sons by deeds. On July 15, 1695, he granted to his son Matthew the two acres on which Matthew then dwelt, several other small acreages, and a one-third interest in the third of the farm of 70 acres in Salem which his father-in-law Richard Ingersoll had conditionally willed to him. Two days later, on July 17, he granted to his son Samuel the upland where Samuel then dwelt and similar small lots, but the one third of one third of the Ingersoll farm was to go to the grantor's grandson, Samuel's son Samuel. On the same day his own homestead of five acres and other small lots went to his youngest son Nathaniel together with a third of a third of the Ingersoll farm in Salem. [Essex Deeds, 10:184; 13:33; 14:282].


    Savage, Vol. 3, p.403: Came from Staffordsh. tradit. says, was first at Salem.