Not “very well fitted”

Perhaps someone can help me with your interpretation of  what is happening in the record below?

In Book 2, page 133 of the Records: Town of East-Hampton (1887), there is a deposition from September 25, 1665 that confounds me. There may be a more meaningful story here, if only I was able to more fully understand what is actually happening.

As best as I can grasp, Samuel Dayton and two other men are testifying that there was a debate involving the master of the ketch “Triall” and the merchant & freighters of the ketch. It appears to me that the vessel is already carrying some cargo and is about to be loaded with more freight but the merchant is hesitant to put his product on the vessel because he thinks it is not seaworthy. Am I correct?

The record says,

The Deposition of mr John Blackleech Mr John Osburne & Samuell Dayton Taken before me Testifieth as ffollowest That on the twenty third Day of this Instant Moneth there was a debate betwixt the Master of the Catch “Triall” Of Boston and the Merchant & ffraiters of the sd Catch she then Ridinge in the Roade of Easthampton at Ancor and she then not beinge very well fitted with masts sailes provisions and water whether she should goe to sea in the condition that then she was in or that she should land her goods at the port without Confiscation of goods or vessell [Book 2, page 132.] and in order there unto Answer was made by the Cunstable of the sd place by name Thomas Chatfield, that they might if they would willingly come a shore without being forced ashore she might as well come a shore at the sd place and Land her goods wth as much freedome as the whalemen might strike a whale, and bringe her ashore at the sd place and this to our best Remembrance he spoke at the prsent Instant., And afterwards we doe attest that on the twenty ffowerth of this prsent Moneth he did affirme the same in our hearinge whereupon this beinge an encoragement to the Merchant & ffraiters they under their hands gave the Master of the sd Catch an order to acte as they have Donne: Taken before me John Mulford.

What does the phrase “the said Ketch she then Riding in the Road of East Hampton at anchor” mean?

Does this mean that the vessel is docked at the port used by East Hampton, while its cargo is either coming or going on the road to East Hampton?

It appears that Justice John Mulford has sided with the East Hampton merchants and freighters, but why should the master be worried about confiscation of goods?

What is Samuel’s role in the exchange? Is he one of the “ffraiters?”

I appreciate your thoughts. -Steve

Review

Note: NEHGS’s Register for Spring 2018 was released yesterday. We had hoped the quarterly would contain a review of our book, but found a notification of publication only. Even so, we are grateful to NEHGS for acknowledging the book, even though it was submitted to them so long after its publication. We also thank Terry for his suggestion and encouragement.

Original Parish Registers to be Available Online

Findmypast recently announced that they will publish original Kent parish registers online. The Kent County Council is currently digitizing the records to be available exclusively on Findmypast sometime in 2018.

On May 22, Dick Eastman reported in Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter that a partnership between Findmypast and the Kent County Council will produce searchable collections from the early 1500’s to 1918 in high quality, full color images. It is estimated there will be over 2,500 handwritten parish registers of original baptism, banns, marriage and burials available through Findmypast, who is responsible for indexing, hosting and publishing with search and browse capability.

Mary Haines (last of four parts)

Mary Knight Haines (Haynes/Hindes) and Ralph Dayton had been married a little over two years when Ralph died. The couple was still residing at North Sea (then called Northampton) when Mary was left in September of 1658. Ralph’s health had probably been declining since July, when he wrote his will.

Mary Haines (part three)

As the agreement states, Mary was to receive half the estate and her children were to receive the other half, according to its appraised value. Ralph then pointed out that much time had passed since the last inventory of the estate was recorded, so the court

Mary Haines (part two)

When John Herbert heard that Mary Haines was about to marry Ralph Dayton, he inquired what she would do for her children. Remember, common practice was to dispose the widow’s children when the widow married. As overseer, John Herbert knew that James had left nearly his entire estate to his wife and ownership of the estate would transfer to Ralph upon marriage. According to Charles Hoadly,

Mary Haines

The marriage of Ralph Dayton and Mary Knight Haines (Haynes) is interesting in so many ways, one post is not sufficient to touch on most of the notable elements. I’ll try to limit the subject to no more than three posts, but would be happy to extend the conversation in more detail, if anyone desires.

Ralph and Abraham Dayton, Brookhaven trustees

In May of 1693, Ralf and Abram Daiton were both elected trustees of the town of Brookhaven and they appear later in town record, performing duties of their office. This Ralph Dayton was probably Abraham’s brother, Samuel and Medlin’s eldest son, born about 1649 in Southampton.

In a November 27, 1693 meeting, Col. William Smith had his patent read before the trustees and a related document was signed by the trustees, including the marks of Ralf and Abram Daiton. The purpose for posting this document, here on the blog, is to present

Earliest Dayton Marker in America

Of the original six members of the immigrant Ralph Dayton family, the location of only one original gravesite can be confirmed, that of Alice Baker.

Daton of Latoket

Long ago, it was established that the New Haven Land Record of June 21, 1726 is probably the final record of Abraham Dayton, while he was still living. Abraham was the third son of Samuel and Medlin Dayton.

Ralph Dayton’s long lot at East Hampton

Last week I came across the Home Sweet Home Historic Structure Report by Robert Hefner, prepared for the Board of Trustees of the Village of East Hampton, with research by Hugh King, 2004. The report includes a very detailed structural history and description of the building known as Home Sweet Home museum. I thought we had posted this previously, but I am unable to find it here. I hope you find it as interesting as it is to me.

http://www.aaqeastend.com/contents/historic-structure-report-home-sweet-home-c-1720-by-robert-hefner-new-1-23-16/

The map below was prepared for the report, and included in the report, from the “Records

Famous Ancestors

As I’m sure some of you have realized, we have not mentioned three of our infamous distant relatives—Elias Dayton, Jonathan Dayton and William Lewis Dayton, all

Current Ralph Dayton family projects

There are currently several Ralph Dayton family projects in process.

Jim is investing numerous hours/weeks searching old documents, looking for such items as David Dayton’s land deed in Hadley NY (about 1790). As you can imagine, it is a tiresome task to translate handwritten documents containing early spellings.

Ralph Dayton of Danish descent?

My brother Jim recently discovered a newspaper memoriam published in 1895 for a Robert G. Dayton of Granville NY, published in the Salem Review-Press.

What is so interesting about this memoriam is that almost two-thirds of it summarizes “the family of Dayton [that] is of Danish descent.” The article goes on to say that Dayton is

Is Ralph Dayton entry the earliest East Hampton town record?

(Written yesterday)
This is the third post I’ve written for this week, but the first two were discarded as the content turned out to be false. So here we are on March 7, and it wasn’t until I was almost finished with the second draft that I noticed the record I had been working on was from

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Dayton of New Jersey

RE: another discussion of potential children from Abraham Dayton and an unknown first wife (before Mary).

Today, I am pulling an entire paragraph from a webpage entitled Schanus, Frank, Kass and Sholly Families, owned by Edward Schanus. As far as information on our line of early

Former Samuel Dayton property becomes Nature Center

The Washington Lodge estate in the Hamlet of Brookhaven, located on Dayton’s Neck, has been acquired by an Art & Nature Group to create Long Island’s first Nature Retreat Center with overnight lodging. The Mission Statement of the group is “To be a professional organization which promotes interdisciplinary lifelong learning in, for, and about the outdoors and inspires an appreciation of the environment for all people.”

There is a reasoned belief that the Lodge sits in very close proximity to the spot Samuel Dayton chose to locate his farm in the 1670’s.

Read about the Center for Environmental Education & Discovery plan to renovate the Lodge into a nature center for outdoor education http://www.ceedli.org/about-the-washington-lodge.html.

Lord’s Day at Thomas Baker’s house

In the January 31 post, an interesting ingredient was left out of the story of the ongoing tension between Thomas Baker and Reverend Thomas James. I said “eventually” both men resettled at East Hampton, when actually the East Hampton record shows that the reverend had a town lot on April 22, 1651, so he was probably serving as pastor within one year after Thomas moved there.

Ralph Dayton, “interpreter to the Indians”?

I am curious to discover the origin of the idea that Ralph Dayton was “an interpreter to the Indians”—has anyone found a primary source or even a secondary source that implicates him?

Samuel Dayton contemplated going to Killingworth, Connecticut?

Google® the phrase “apparently contemplated going to Killingworth” and you will find many references to Samuel Dayton, repeating variations of the sentence “He apparently contemplated going to Killingworth, Conn. where four lots had been assigned him before 19 Apr 1667.” It’s unfortunate that the real story that is so interesting and significant is completely lost with this statement.

The excommunication of Thomas Baker

oes the unexplained excommunication of Thomas Baker, beginning in January 1645/46, tell us more about Reverend James than about Thomas? Thomas Baker, the husband of Alice Dayton, was censured for two years from the Milford First Congregational Church, according to their records.

Who was Abraham Dayton’s eldest son?

I continue to be fascinated by the theory that Mary Beardsley may not have been Abraham Dayton’s first wife. The very fact that Jacobus mentions it grants the question some measure of importance. Please refer to the related December 10, 2016 post entitled “Did Abraham Dayton have sons from a wife before Mary Beardsley?”

Dayton book will be reviewed in the NEHG Register

We just received exciting news through Terry Brown, that The New England Historical and Genealogical Register will review Our Long Island Ancestors, the First Six Generations of Daytons in America 1639-1807, in their Spring 2018 publication.

This is quite an honor for us and Jim and I are truly humbled, as submission for scholarly review was certainly not in our plans. Thank you to our friends who have supported and encouraged us.

 

Do you see “Dayton?”

I was reminded this week of the excitement of searching registry pages from the St. Mary the Virgin parish in Ashford, Kent. In addition to now well-known entries of Tritton and Dayton marriages, baptisms and burials, many more entries exist that may not have been fully explored.

Among the entries known to us are also examples that appear very similar to “Dayton or Deighton,” but we’ve not seen a reference to them or explanation.  Does this entry say “…baptized Deighton”?

According to the Kent Archaeological Society, this December 1583 entry says “William Austen and Johne Lightfoot.” The name “Austen” appears many times in the parish registry and is easy to interpret as “Dayton.”

An index of Ashford, Kent known births, marriages and burials from c. 1570 – late 1800’s can be found by clicking on this link to the Kent Archaeological Society.  https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/01/ASH/01/0.htm

Many thanks to Terry Brown as he continues to sort these things out.

Samuel Dayton’s primitive shelter

With this bitter cold we’ve been experiencing across the Midwest and East Coast, I couldn’t help but think about what it must have been like for our pioneer ancestors, particularly for those who established residence where no Europeans had lived previously. Consider Samuel Dayton, particularly at Matinecock, or later when constructing his farm house on Dayton’s Neck “at South,” where it is believed Sam was the first European settler in the area.