Nutter, Hatevil, 1603-1675. He was one of Captain Thomas Wiggin's company that came over in the fall of 1633, and settled on Dover Neck; he may not have come on the same ship, but soon after. He was among the noted men of the town, both in business and in church affairs. He was one of the first Elders of the First Church, and held the office for life. Though not given to much office holding, he received various valuable grants for saw mills and trees for supplying his mills for sawing into lumber. He had a ship yard on Fore River, and was largely engaged in ship building; his ships sailed all along the coast and to the West Indies, with which islands Dover had much trade.
Elder Nutter was a staunch supporter of the Church, hence was a strong opponent of the Quaker women missionaries when they came to town in 1662, and later, and created much disturbance in the First Church, of which Rev. John Reyner was then minister. The Quaker historian grossly misrepresents the Elder in regard to his treatment of the women. He believed the Quakers were wrong, and that their teachings were pernicious, as set forth by those women who were whipped. The Quakers had liberty to go elsewhere; as they did not exercise that liberty Elder Nutter believed it was right to make them go. No doubt both parties were wrong, but the worthy Elder should be judged by the standard of that day, and not by that of the present day, to get a correct estimate of his character. He possessed a reasonable share of this world's goods ; these considerations procured for him the respect which the moral worth of a rich man always excites. The spot where his house stood can be easily pointed out. An aged pear tree now (1918) stands in the hollow where was his cellar; it is on the east side of High street, about fifteen rods northeast from the northeast corner of the second meeting house lot.
Elder Nutter died at a good old age. His will is dated 28 Dec, 1674, he being then about 71 years of age ; it was proved 29 June, 1675. His wife's name was Annie.
