John Eaton & Abigail R.

 

Information is an extraction from the book History and Genealogical and Biographical of the Eaton Families Compiled by Nellie Zada Rice Molyneux 1911.

Descendants of JOHN EATON, of Dover, England, who came in the "Elizabeth & Ann" 1635.  The living descendants of the settler JOHN EATON—the youthful JOHN who married the widow—are many thousands, and probably 2,000 bear the name of Eaton. The number of distinguished men whose ancestry can be traced to him is considerable and includes those who have made their mark in the pulpit, at bar, in war, medicine, business, politics, literature, art, and science.

 

Information of the below comes from Dedham Historical Register, ix. 73, 79; Pope’s Pioneers of Mass p 150-151; Hotton’s Original List of Persons of Quality, p. 5; and the New England Hist and Gen Regis. xiv.309.

JOHN EATON (the Immigrant), son of Nicholas by his first wife Katherine Master was(1) baptised in Dover, Co. ,

Kent, England, Aug. 21, 1611; m ABIGAIL R. Damon, a widow, April 5, 1630. They came to America in 1635 in the "Elizabeth & Ann” (ABIGALE, aged 35 with Mary aged 4, Thomas aged 1, and Jane Dammant aged 9); became a proprietor from May 25, 1637, town officer. That JOHN EATON, a boy of 19, should marry a widow of 29 or 30, with one or possibly two children, is not improbable.  

JOHN EATON, of Dedham, was a man of good social position, of reputation Hotten's and influence in the town and died possessed Original List of a fair estate. That he had some property of Persons on his arrival in New England is evident from the vote of the town, 28th, 9th mo., 1637, accepting his offer "to lay downe unto the Towne either his Lott in ye Island or that six acres in ye playne he purchased of Raffe Shephearde". Certainly he was not unworthy to be a son of the jurate and churchwarden, if he did marry a widow and emigrate to New England.

These p'ties hereonder expressed are to be umbarqued for New England having taken the oathes of Allegeance and Supremacie

* ABIGAIL Damon (sometimes Damand, Dummin, Da'mat) Eaton, had a daughter, Jane who married, in 1644 John Plimpton, and a son John Damant.)  and likewise brought Certificate both from the ministers and Justices where their abidings were latlie, of their Conformitie to the discipline and orders of the Church of England and y't they are no Subsedy men.  

Thomas Eaton  

ABIGAIL EATON  

Marv Eaton

 

(Mrs. Eaton, and children Jane and John Damment by former marriage who were received to Church of Dedham. 1640, 1645)  

JOHN EATON, d 10 (9) 1658, Will prob.10 (10) 1658, bequeathed to wife ABIGAIL; John, Mary, and Abigail; John Damment, of Redding; to John Plumpton, of Redfield; to kinsman Edward Hobson.  

Bond's History of Watertown, says of him: JOHN EATON, a very early settler of Watertown, was admitted freeman May 25, 1030. The witnessing of the Will of John Eaton, first of Watertown afterwards of Dedham, by Rev. John Allin and Hon. Major Eleasser Lushing (Lusher), and the taking of the inventory by Eleaser Lusher, Henry Chickering and John Hayard, imply that he held a responsible position.

JOHN EATON Eaton settled in Watertown and lived there a year. He received several grants of land in Watertown, Viz:

July 25, 1636, JOHN EATON, Forty acres

Feb. 28, 1636, JOHN EATON, Six acres

June 26, 1637, JOHN EATON, Six acres

April 9, 1638, JOHN EATON, Three acres

 

From which it would appear that he did not break off entirely with Watertown until near the time he joined the Dedham Church in 1641. The Dedham Covenant was dated 10th, of 7th 1630, and has the signature of JOHN EATON, but probably he signed it some months after that date. JOHN EATON's name first appears as present at town meeting on 28th 9th month 1637: after that he was a regular attendant. A meeting house was ordered "to be in length 36 Foote and 20 foote bredth & in ye studds 12 foote. 18, 11, 1637. Thomas Wright, John Dwight, Nicholas Phillips and JOHN EATON have undertaken to fell Pynes and Oake for it."

 

From the Dedham Historical Register, ii. 75, 78.

JOHN EATON helped to build the first bridge over the Charles river in Dedham.  JOHN EATON's house was valued at £10.8.0 But we must remember that measured in the money of the present day the houses would be worth three or four times as much. JOHN EATON, took an active part in the affairs of the little community: He served on committees to lay out land, was Surveyor of Highways: was "Wood reeve" several years. In 1647 he was a "committee" to decide who was behind in their way work.  

He with his wife was admitted to Dedham Church, July 5, 1642. He sold land in Watertown to Edward How.—His Will dated Nov. 2, proved Dec. 7, 1658. mentions wife ABIGAIL; son John, Mary, & Abigail. Deposed inventory of the Estate taken 30: 9: 1659 by Eliazer Lusher, Henry Chickering, Jno. Harvard: Amt. £392. 10s. "Land in the Island Playne £23: "two peels in the great plaine £19; by South Plaine, at foule Meadow; Right in an Island in the swamp, &c., ABIGAIL relict of JOHN EATON deposed, 16: 10-58."

 

From Dedam Historical Register, ii. 79  

WILL Of JOHN EATON: Suffolk Probate Records Vol. I p. 313 Date 2nd of month 9th, 1658: Presented 9 : 10 : 1658.  John Eaton, of Dedham, though sicke, yet sound in memory, doe make this my last Will.—I give ynto ABIGAIL my wife, the free vse of my parlor in my now dwelling house, & the Leantoe thereunto adjoining and all the household stuffe at present in them to her use, all the tearme she shall remaine a widdow; & sufficient firewood for her vse, to be provided and Layd in the yard at her assignment, I giue my wife, the annuitie of 6 pounde p ann. to be payd at the End of each halfe yeare after my decease, in such things as she needeth out of my estate here-after to be disposed of, during her life; or the third pt of my Lands during the same tearme; her selfe to chose which of these two she best liketh. I giue unto my wife so much of my other household stuffs as come to the value of 5 pounds, such as her selfe shall make choyse of, and also one Cowe her selfe to choose. I give to John Dammant, of Reading £5; to John Plimpton, of Meadfield £b vnto Edward Hobsman my kinsman, 40s. The remainder of my Estate shall be devided into equall pts. & that pt. of her potion which my daughter Mary haue received to be accounted therevnto; the one halfe whereof I giue to John Eaton my sonne, and his heyres foreuer and the other halfe to Mary and Abigail, my two daughters and their heires; my sonne and my two daughters to pay my wife, their mother, that £6 p. ann. As aboue written I nominate ABIGAIL, my wife, to be my executrix.                                  John Allin Eleazer Lushing.

Inventory of JOHN EATON

Taken 30th, of ye too. 1658 by Eleazer Lushing. Henry Chickering and John Hayard Haward.

31 yards New Cloth £ 3. 2.0

Bridle & Sadie I pillion I pannell 1. 0.0

7 load Hay from foule meadow 3.10.0

The dwelling house & the 2 barns 45.0

I pcell of upland where the house stands with the orchard as it encompassed with meadow 28. 0.0

land in the Ilande playne broken & unbroken. 28. 0.0

the further pcell in the great plaine 7.10.0

the other 12. 0.0

1 Pcell by Thomas Paynew 5. 0.0

The meadow at home by the house lot 50. 0.10

The Meadow enclosed in the Hand playne fence 9. 0.0

2 pcells of swamp lying in the iland & one in the South playne 6. 0.0

Woodland distributed and near Meadfield and all Common rights of all sorts 5. 0.0

Furniture, rugg, blanket, Wearing apparell, Farming Tools Oxen & Calves 2 mares, I colt, sheep, lamb, swine, carts, ploughs, yokes. 180.08.0    £329.10.

Presented by ABIGAIL EATON, the relict of John Eaton 16, 10, 58.

 

This inventory shows that he owned a lot in Fowl meadows, but that his principal estate was on Dedham Island, and we shall see that it included the land on which the Powder' House Rock was located. The estate was inherited by John Eaton 2nd, who was but 22 years old when his father died.

 

 

 

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