Person:Nicholas Utter (1)

See also https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Utter-29

Nicholas came to Rhode Island in 1655.

His way of life was a separate class - the Military of Sweden. New Sweden was a colony founded in 1638 on the banks of the Delaware River. Nicholas was hired in Stockholm in 1653 to come to the Colonies to fight the Dutch. They fought for two more years and in 1655 the Dutch captured the strongest fort, Fort Christina. Even though the victorious Stuyvesant arranged with the New Sweden Governor Rising, for the return of all soldiers to Sweden on October 23, 1655, many of them stayed in the New World. Nicholas Utter, soldier, stayed. He was listed as a married man on the lists from Sweden. Whether he left a wife and family in Sweden or was widowed is not known, but in 1659 ? he married Deborah? and then Elizabeth (now known to be Tefft or Tifft)?, a widow with one daughter, Eleanor. He lived most of his life at Westerly, Rhode Island. He recorded land at New Port, R.I. in May 1678. He paid land taxes in Rochester, R.I. in September 1687 and also at Kingstown, R.I. In 1701 he bought more land in Westerly, and in 1699 he went before the Westerly town court on a boundery dispute. He was supported in his lawsuit by the town council. Until 1714, his name appeared thirteen times on the Westerly records. He received 100 acres of land from the town of Westerly and bought two parcels from the 'Shannock Purchase' (the Shannock Purchase was a tract of land mostly in the present town of Richmond, sold by the colony agents to encourage the settlement of vacant lands.) Nicholas was employed in making a list of the town estates and was a grand juryman for a setting of the General Court at New Port. He engaged in many land transactions. He lived at 'Shannock Falls', near the present town of Shannock.

Nicholas Mattson Utter arrived in America in 1654 to fight the war between the Dutch and the Swedish in what was then, Delaware/New Jersey at Fort Christina, but when the Dutch won, he left the Swedish Colony and sailed to other places until 1678 where he settled in Westerly, R.I.made a freeman of Westerly in 13 June 1698. . Lvd, in Stonington Conn 1701-1714. Before and after this lived in Westerly.

From research of Gary Utter as found on http://genforum.genealogy.com/utter/messages/418.html: "from my research in Sweden: Nils (Niels) Mattson Utter, Vestmanlands Regt. Roterings-och utskerivning Langder 1653- 1655, No# 1099-wa716 Vasteras Stadsbiblioteket Parrish Saby - Personaliebok. Mantalslangder Vestmanlands No# 958CD863 (1651 - 1659)"

"This information was collected by me during my four trips to Sweden between 1981 - 1985. It shows that Nils was a member of the Vestmanlands Regiment from 1653 - 1655, serving as a light Auxiliary troop that would have such functions as Pioneer, Flanker, Forager, Skirmisher, Baggage Or Prisoner guard. Lt Skute hired troops in Vasteras in 1653 then sent them on to Stockholm to wait shipment on the Orn."

1.   NGS Quartelry Report Descendants of Nicholas Mattson Utter copied form internet.
2.   .

   On January 8, 1714, he bought land in Stonington, CT. 'land bounded south by the Asnawage River, near Glead Brook.' Here he lived until he died. In his will-probated August 17, 1722 - he leaves 'amounts and property to his widow and children and also 20 pounds to his Brothern of the First Day Baptist Church at Groton. My son Thomas to have a double share of dividable estate for taking care of me in my old age.'
   There is a listing of Nicholas as being married before coming to the New World, then he married a Deborah (2) and then Elizabeth (3) who was a widow with a daughter, who may very well be Eleanor. Four sons and 1 daughter were born before he married Elizabeth and Sarah was more likely the only child Elizabeth and Nicholas had together.