Samuel GORTON

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Name:
Samuel Gorton, clothier, of London, was born in 1592 in Gorton (now incorporated within the city of Manchester), "where the fathers of his body had lived for many generations, not unknown to the Heraldry of England." He was reared in the Established Church. In an address to King Charles the first he said that he sucked in the so-called peculiar tenets attributed to him from the beasts of his mother the Church of England. To the fundamental doctrines taught by the church he ever firmly held, although he was a Nonconformist. England was under the rule of the Conformist King James. Laud was conspicuous in the universities; and they had declared it to be unlawful to be opposed to the king upon religion or any other subject. Gorton was instructed by private tutors, and, being of studious habits, he secured a classical education, became well read in English law and more than ordinarily skilled in the languages. "One of those noble spirits who esteemed liberty more than life, and counting no sacrifice too great for the maintenance of principal, could not dwell at ease in a land where the inalienable rights of humanity were not acknowledged." He left his native country, he says, "to enjoy liberty of conscience in respect to faith toward God and for no other end."
He landed at Boston in March, 1636, with his wife Mary (daughter of John Maplet, gent, of St. Martin's le Grand, London, and Mary his wife), his son Samuel and one or two other children. At the time of his arrival the Massachusetts government was proceeding against Wheelright, the brother-in-law of Annie Hutchinson. He says he found the people of the colon at great variance in points of religion, prosecuting it very hotly in their courts unto fines and banishments. Their laws prohibiting non-subscribing churchmen from living there, he took up his residence in Plymouth, which was then a more liberal colony......


Samuel died in the year 1677 in December, probably the 10th day of the month, aged within a few days of eighty-six years. The time of Mary's death is unknown. His body rests in the Gorton Burial ground at Warwick, and her body also probably rests there. No monument of marble or stone has ever marked their graves.

Family/Spouse: Mary MAPLET. Mary was born in England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Samuel Gorton and Mary Maplet

Mary married Peter GREENE about 1657. Peter (son of John GREENE and Joanne TATTERSHALL) was born on 10 Mar 1621/2 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England; died in Feb 1659 in drowned. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Capt John SANFORD on 17 Apr 1663. John (son of Gov. John SANFORD and Elizabeth WEBB/WEED) was born on 4 Jun 1633; died on 25 Jan 1687 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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We find no data from which to fix the time or place of his birth. He was given by his father all his lands west of Warwick, including land in Cranston. He married, January 25, 1665, Margaret Weeden. In 1668 he bought land with orchard and buildings of William and HannahBurton. In 1677 he and forty-seven others received a grant from the colony of 5,000 acres of land in East Greenwich in consideration of their "services in King Philip's War." East Greenwich then included what is now West Greenwich, the latter having been set from it in 1741. John was a mariner, and this occasion of protracted absence from home may account for the but few references to him that we find among the records of the town and colony. the date of his death is inscribed on the Warwick records as occurring February 3, 1714; no data regarding his wife Margaret is given.

John married Margaret WEEDEN on 25 Jan 1665. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
He was among those who were in 1677 granted 5,000 acres, to be called East Greenwich, in consideration of their "services in King Philip's War." He was in 1686 Deputy, or member of the Upper Hose of the Rhode Island Legislature, Captain of the military company and at the time of his death. His will, made August 25, 1721, proved August 7, 1724, mentions his wife, sons and daughters and the latter's husband's surnames.

Benjamin married Sarah CARDER on 5 Dec 1672. Sarah died on 8 Aug 1724. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]