Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass.

Source: Frederic Scherer Withington, “Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass., and Some of His Descendants,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 75[1921].

[Note: Please see also “Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass.: Additions and Corrections.”]

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By FREDERIC SCHERER WITHINGTON of Des Moines, Iowa*

1. HENRY¹ WITHINGTON, of Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, and Dorchester, Mass., the ancestor of most of those of the name in the United States, was baptized in the parish of Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, 22 Feb. 1589/90, the son of George and Margaret Withington, and died at Dorchester, Mass., 2 Feb. 1666/7. He married first, at Leigh, in Sept. 1615, ANNE LEECH, who was buried at Leigh 26 Sept. 1621, daughter of Richard and Anne (Yate); secondly, at Leigh, 30 Sept. 1622, ELIZABETH SMITH, who died at Dorchester, Mass., 16 Feb. 1660, sister of Thomas Smith, a well-known merchant of London; and thirdly, at Dorchester, in June 1662, MARGERY (TURNER) PAUL, who died at Dorchester 20 May 1676, widow of Richard Paul of Taunton.** A deed of settlement from Henry¹ Withington to her is dated 25 June 1662.

*The author will be pleased to receive any further information or, if possible, to answer any inquiry relating to the Withingtons or allied families. He may be addressed at 401 Kraft Building, Des Moines, Iowa.

**All places mentioned in this article are situated within the present limits of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, unless another State or region is indicated in the text or may be easily inferred from the context. The present name of a town or of that part of a town in which an event mentioned in the text occurred is usually given in parentheses after the earlier name.

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With his second wife, Elizabeth (Smith), and his four children, he came to Dorchester, probably in the same ship (the James) with Rev. Richard Mather and his company, arriving 16 Aug. 1635.

He was one of the signers of the covenant by which the Dorchester church was founded, and was the first ruling elder of the church, continuing in that office for twenty-nine years until his death. He was one of the selectmen of Dorchester in 1636, and was otherwise prominent in the affairs of the town and church, though there appears to be no record of his having been made a freeman. He shared in the division of lands in Dorchester, was a blacksmith by trade, and was one of the founders and original shareholders in the first ironworks in the American Colonies, on Mill River in Taunton, evidently intended by their original founder and operator, James Leonard, Sr., to be named for Henry Withington, notwithstanding the corruption of the name to “Whittington” and “Whittenton.” He purchased, 23 Apr. 1638, and occupied the house built on the lot in Dorchester formerly owned by Matthias Sension (or St. John), who went from Dorchester to Windsor, Conn., and was one of the founders of the church there.

Many records attest the fact that he was universally beloved, respected, and trusted. Rev. Richard Mather called him “Beloved Friend,” and made him overseer of his will in 1664. Rev. Samuel Danforth said of him: “A man that excelled in wisdom, meekness and goodness.”

In his will, dated 8, 11 mo., 1664, he says that he is “about the Age of 76 yeares or vpon 77.” The inventory of his estate amounted to £850. 17s. 3d. (REGISTER, vol. 16, pages 52-54.)

Children by first wife, baptized at Leigh, co. Lancaster, England:

i. FAITH,² bapt. 13 Oct. 1616; came with her father and stepmother to New England; d. at. Dorchester 3 Feb. 1688/9; m. about 1639 RICHARD¹ BAKER, said to have been born in co. Kent, Eng., about 1614, d. at Dorchester 25 Oct. 1689. He came first to Boston as first mate of the ship Bachelor, leaving England 18 Aug. 1635, and lived in Dorchester after his marriage. He was a brother of Thomas¹ Baker of Roxbury and an uncle of John Baker of Boston. He was admitted freeman in 1642, was a selectman in 1653, a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1658, and in 1668 was elected ruling elder of the church in Dorchester but declined to serve. He was an ancestor of Walter⁷ Baker, the chocolate manufacturer of Dorchester, whose grandfather, James⁵ Baker, bought the original chocolate mill of Henry⁵ Stone (6, ii, 4). (REGISTER, vol. 43, pp. 279 et seq.) Children: 1. Mary, bapt. 14 Feb. 1641; d. 27 Aug. 1714; m. in 1664 Samuel² Robinson, bapt. 14 June 1640, d. 16 Sept. 1718, s. of William.¹ 2. John, bapt. 30 apr. 1643; d. 26 Aug. 1690; m. 11 July 1667 Preserved Trott. 3. Sarah, bapt. 22 June 1645; d. 13 Oct. 1688; m. 22 Feb. 1664/5 James² White, s. of Edward¹ (vide infra, 3). 4. Thankful, bapt. 19 Mar. 1646/7; m. William Griggs. 5. Elizabeth, bapt. 27 Oct. 1650; d. young. 6. James, bapt. 30 Apr. 1654; d. unm. 30 Mar. 1721. 7. Elizabeth, bapt. 20 July 1656; m. William Pratt of Weymouth; they set out for South Carolina 22 Oct. 1695. 8. Hannah, b. 9 Jan. 1662; d. 18 Sept. 1690; m. 5 May 1685 John² Wiswell (Enoch¹).

2. ii. RICHARD, bapt. 3 May 1618.

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Children by second wife, probably born in London, England:

iii. MARY, b. about 1623; came with her parents to New England; d. at Cambridge 26 Mar. 1697; m. 23 Feb. 1643/4 THOMAS² DANFORTH, b. 20 Nov. 1623 at Framlingham, co. Suffolk, Eng., d. at Cambridge 5 Nov. 1699, s. of Nicholas¹ and Elizabeth. He was representative from Cambridge in the General Court, 1657-8, assistant, 1659-1679, deputy governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 28 May 1679 to May 1686, president of the Province of Maine during the same period, and associate justice of the Superior Court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 until his death. He strongly opposed the infamous proceedings against alleged witches. He was also president of the Board of Commissioners for the United Colonies, and from 1650 to 1669 was treasurer of Harvard College, to which he made bequests. Children: 1. Sarah, b. 16 Apr. 1645; d. 29 Oct. 1645. 2. Sarah, b. 11 Nov. 1646; d. in 1723; m. Rev. Joseph Whiting. 3. Mary, b. and d. 2 Apr. 1649. 4. Mary, b. 28 July 1650; d. after 1725; m. (1) Solomon Phipps; m. (2), as his second wife, Thomas Brown of Sudbury. 5. Samuel, b. 5 Oct. 1652; d. unm. in London, Eng., of smallpox, 22 Dec. 1676. 6. Thomas, b. 16 Dec. 1654; d. unm. 19 Dec. 1675. 7. Jonathan, b. 27 Feb. 1656/7; d. in Apr. 1657. 8. Jonathan, b. 10 Feb. 1658/9; d. unm. 13 Nov. 1682. 9. Joseph, b. 18 Sept. 1661; d. 2 Oct. 1663. 10. Benjamin, b. 20 May 1663; d. 23 Aug. 1663. 11. Elizabeth, b. 17 Feb. 1665; d. 4 July 1721; m. 3 Oct. 1682, Francis Foxcroft. 12. Bethia, bapt. 16 June 1667; d. 21 Sept. 1668.

iv. ANNE, b. about 1625; came with her parents to New England; d. at Huntington, Long Island, in 1700; m. about 1647 JAMES² BATES (or BATE), bapt. at Lydd, co. Kent, Eng., 19 Dec. 1624, d., probably at Huntington, Long Island, in 1692, s. of James¹ and Alice (Glover). They moved to Haddam, Conn., and, apparently, to Huntington, Long Island. Children: 1. Samuel, bapt. 19 Jan. 1648; d. 28 Dec. 1699; m. 2 May 1676 Mary Chapman. 2. John, b. about 1650. 3. Hannah, b. about 1652; bapt. at Haddam 7 Mar. 1669. 4. Elizabeth, b. about 1654; m. about 1673 Thomas Spencer. 5. Alice, b. about 1657; d. young. 6. Mary, b. about 1659; d. young. 7. James, b. 15 Apr. 1662; m. Mary —–. 8. Margaret, b. 17 July 1664; m. William Spencer. 9. Mary, bapt. 11 Mar. 1666; m. 18 Aug. 1685 Samuel Hough.

2. RICHARD² WITHINGTON (Henry¹), of Dorchester, baptized at Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, 3 May 1618, died at Dorchester 22 Dec. 1701, “Aged about 84.” He married, about 1648, ELIZABETH² ELIOT, baptized at Nazeing, co. Essex, England, 8 Apr. 1627, died at Dorchester 18 Apr. 1714, daughter of Philip¹ and Elizabeth (Sybthorpe) and niece of Rev. John Eliot, the Apostle to the Indians.

Richard Withington came with his father and stepmother to New England, was admitted a freeman 13 May 1640, was elected a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1646, was deacon of the church in Dorchester in 1668, and was elected several times as a selectman. He was always active and prominent in public affairs.

Children, born at Dorchester:

3. i. JOHN,³ b. 1 July 1649.

4. ii. EBENEZER, b. 7 Sept. 1651.

5. iii. HENRY, b. 2 Oct. 1653.

iv. ANN,* b. 24 Aug. 1656; d. at Dorchester 21 Sept. 1723; m. at Dorchester, 13 Nov. 1679, as his
second wife, JAMES² BIRD, b. in

*In the records of the First Church of Dorchester her name is entered incorrectly as Elizabeth.

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Feb. 1644, d. at Dorchester 1 Sept. 1725, s. of Thomas¹ and Anne…

6. v. PHILIP, b. 26 Mar. 1659.

vi. CONSTANT (or CONSTANCE), b. 16 Nov. 1661; d. s.p., probably at Falmouth (Portland), Me., about 1720; m. RICHARD BROADRIDGE Falmouth, Me. …

vii. ELIZABETH, b. 16 Apr. 1666; d. at Dorchester 12 Aug. 1700; m. at Dorchester, in 1691, JONATHAN² HALL, b. at Dorchester 8 Apr. 1659, d. there 29 Dec. 1718, s. of Lieut. Richard¹ and Elizabeth (Collier)…

7. viii. JOSEPH, b. 15 June 1668.

3. JOHN³ WITHINGTON (Richard,² Henry¹) of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 1 July 1649, died in 1690, being drowned, with forty-six others of the Dorchester military company, of which he was captain, in the expedition of Sir William Phips against Quebec. He married, about 1672, ELIZABETH³ PRESTON, born about 1653, died at Dorchester 19 Nov. 1722, daughter of Daniel² and Mary. She married secondly, 13 Feb. 1695/6, as his second wife, James² WHITE, who died 11 Nov. 1713, son of Edward.¹ James White’s first wife was Sarah² Baker (1,i,3), daughter of Richard¹ and Faith (Withington).

John Withington was made a freeman 7 May 1673, and was a selectman of Dorchester for three years.

Children, born at Dorchester:

i. MARY⁴, b. 2 Dec. 1673; d. 15 Sept. 1676.

ii. ELIZABETH, b. 5 Aug. 1676; d. at Dorchester 24 Dec. 1765; m. about 1700 HUMPHREY ATHERTON, b. at Dorchester 26 Jan. 1672/3, d. at Stoughton (Canton) 2 Feb. 1748, s. of Consider and Anna (Annable.) Children: 1. Elizabeth, b. 14 Apr. 1701; d. probably 27 Mar. 1747; m. 29 May 1718 Ebenezer Maudesley, b. 19 May 1695, d. 22 Mar. 1773, s. of Ebenezer and Elizabeth. 2. Humphrey, b. 5 June 1707; d. 17 Nov. 1786; m. (1) 1 Oct. 1730 Anna Field, who d. 6 May 1748; m. (2) 21 Dec. 1749 Mary Graham. 3. Anna, b. 3 May 1710; d. about 1761; m. Edward Belcher. 4. John, b. 3 May 1714; d. 4 Oct. 1785; m. in 1741 Rachel Wentworth. 5. Consider, b. 9 Feb. 1716/17; m. 2 July 1744 Mary Bailey.

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iii. MARY, b. 10 Mar. 1678/9; d. 1 Oct. 1679.

8. iv. RICHARD, b. 1 Aug. 1680.

v. SILENCE (twin), b. 15 Jan. 1682; d. 29 Jan. 1682/3.

vi. SUBMIT (twin), b. 15 Jan. 1682; d. 3 Feb. 1682/3.

9. vii. SAMUEL, b. 4 May 1684.

viii. HANNAH, b. 19 Dec. 1686; d. at Dorchester 30 Apr. 1768; m. 16 May 1708 JOHN³ BAKER, b. 25 Nov. 1671, d. 9 Oct. 1746, s. of John² (1,i,2) and Preserved (Trott). Children: 1. Hannah, 9 June 1709; m. 29 Dec. 1730 Benjamin Clapp. 2. John, b. in 1711; d. young. 3. James, b. 24 May 1713; d. 18 Nov. 1776; m. 14 Dec. 1738 Priscilla Paul. 4. John, b. 28 June 1715; d. in Nov. 1798; m. (1) 7 Feb. 1738 Sarah Wiswell; m. (2) 2 Feb. 1790 Jane Wheeler. 5. Thomas, b. 3 May 1717; d. 28 Dec. 1745; m. 26 July 1739 Ann Mattock (vide infra, 8, ii). 6. Elijah, b. 14 May 1720; m. Hannah Puffer. 7. George, b. 13 Aug. 1724; d. 4 Mar. 1810; m. (1) 23 Feb. 1747 Ruth Williams; m. (2) 11 Apr. 1753 Mary (Wiswell) Jones (vide infra, 5, i, 3); m. (3) 2 Oct. 1777 Susan Viles.

ix. SUSANNAH, b. 18 Feb. 1689/90; d. 14 Oct. 1762; m. at Dorchester, 11 Aug. 1708, PRESERVED CAPEN, JR., b. 10 Apr. 1686, d. 18 Oct. 1757, s. of Preserved and Mary (Payson). Children: 1. Preserved, b. 12 May 1710; d. 29 May 1710. 2. Preserved, b. 2 Nov. 1711; d. 18 Apr. 1721. 3. Mary, b. 7 July 1714; d. 16 Oct. 1714. 4. Ebenezer, b. 15 Apr. 1716; m. 9 Nov. 1736 Elizabeth Leeds. 5. Susannah, b. 20 Jan. 1717/18; m. (1) 16 Jan. 1745 Charles Harvey, who d. 15 Nov. 1762; m. (2) 16 Dec. 1777, as his third wife, Nathaniel Langley, who d. 22 Oct. 1779. 6. David, b. 3 Apr. 1720; m. 18 Sept. 1746 Relief Evans (5,iii,4). 7. Elijah, b. 23 Mar. 1721/2; d. 1 Aug. 1722. 8. James, b. 2 June 1723; d. 22 June 1723. 9. Elijah, b. 6 June 1724. 10. Mary, b. 16 July 1729; d. unm. 19 May 1746.

…

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8. RICHARD⁴ WITHINGTON (John,³ Richard,² Henry¹), of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 1 Aug. 1680, died there 18 Mar. 1748. He married in Boston, 15 May 1707, SARAH ATHERTON, born at Dorchester 8 May 1683, died there 14 Mar. 1762, daughter of Consider and Anna (Annable) and sister of Humphrey Atherton, who married her husband’s sister, Elizabeth Withington (3, ii).

Children, born at Dorchester:

15. i. HOPESTILL,⁵ b. 2 Sept. 1707.

ii. JOHN, b. 10 Apr. 1710; d. s.p. at Dorchester 22 Apr. 1785; m. (1) at Dorchester, 22 June 1737, SARAH CHILDS, who d. at Dorchester 10 Mar. 1778; m. (2) at Dorchester, 12 Nov. 1778, ANN (MATTOCK) BAKER, widow of his first cousin, Thomas⁴ Baker (3, viii, 5). John Withington was a soldier in the Revolution, serving as a private in the same regiment and company as his brother Hopestill.

16. iii. SAMUEL, b. 16 May 1714.

17. iv. EBENEZER, b. 2 Mar. 1718/19.

18. v. JOSEPH, b. 22 Jan. 1723/4.

9. SAMUEL⁴ WITHINGTON (John,³ Richard,² Henry¹), of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 4 May 1684, died 15 Dec. 1726. He married at Dorchester, 11 July 1715, ABIGAIL PIERCE, born at Dorchester 20 Aug. 1694, died there 23 May 1761, daughter of John and Abigail (Thompson). She married secondly, 21 Oct. 1729, Joseph⁴ Weeks, born 19 Oct. 1701, died 22 May 1751, son of Joseph³ and Sarah (Sumner).