Person:Richard Sawtell (1)

Origins

NEHGS Register, Volume 126, January 1972, pp. 3-17: First appears in New England records 25 July 1636 as a proprietor of Watertown, Mass. (Henry Bond, Genealogiies of the Famileis and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Mass., 1860, p. 424). He was probably from Somersetshire, England, where the name seems to have originated, but there is no proof to identify him with any particular town or family in England. He had a brother Thomas, who was admitted freeman 2 May 1649 in Boston and died there in 1651, childless and apparently unmarried. In his will of 14 May 1651, proved 18 Sep. of that year, Thomas Sawtell referred to brother Richard and brother and sister Kenrick of Muddy River (Suffolk County Probate, No. 111; The Register 4:286)...

Life in New England

On 28 February 1636/7 at Watertown, the plowlands at "Beverbroke Planes" were divdied and lotted out to the townsmen, allowing one acre per person and likewise for cattle valued at 20 lb. the head. Richard Sawtell was granted one acre, indicated that he was then a single man. Since his first child was born 1 May 1638, he obviously married about the summer of 1637. His wife was probably the daughter of one of the middle aged proprietors living nearby.

Richard Sawtell lived for more than 25 years at Watertown and then, with sons Jonathan and Zachariah, became an original proprietor and settler of Groton, Mass. He served as the first town clerk there, 1662-4 (Bond, op. cit.). King Philip's War broke out in 1675, and Richard Sawtell's home was one of the five garrison houses in Groton. On 13 March 1676 Groton was burned and the inhabitants, including RIchard and family, were driven out. He returned to Watertown about this time, as did several of his chlidren. He served as selectman there in 1689.

Legacy

On 16 May 1692, Richard Sawtell executed a will (Bond, op. cit., p. 424) and he died at Watertown 21 Aug. 1694, "an aged man" (ibid, p. 932). In his will, he providd for wife Elizabeth, mentioned son Obadiah of Groton and Enoch of Watertown, daughters Bethia Sawtell, Hannah Winn, Ruth Hewes, son John, and son Jonathan, deceased, who he had given to

"in his lifetime what I judged meat (and more too) But yet unto his children I bequeath the moity of one shilling apiece..." (Middlesex County Probate, No. 19950).

Additional Sources

[Incorporate into Sources]

1. NEHGS Register, Volume 126, January 1972, pp. 3-17

2. Henry Bond, Genealogiies of the Famileis and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Mass., 1860, p. 424

3. Suffolk County Probate, No. 111; The Register 4:286

4. Middlesex County Probate, No. 19950

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Kellogg, Dale C., “Richard Sawtell of Watertown, Mass.,”, in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   Volume 126, January 1972, pp. 3-17.

Founders of Watertown, MA

Located along the Charles River, Watertown was one of the first settlements in Massachusetts Bay Colony. After a brief stay by Roger Clapp and others who then went on to settle Dorchester. In late July 1630, Sir Richard Saltonstall led a group of about 115 households to settle at Watertown, which at the time included parts of present-day Cambridge and much of the surrounding area; the population approached Boston's in the mid 17th century. In 1632 the residents of Watertown protested against being compelled to pay a tax for the erection of a stockade fort at Cambridge; leading to the establishment of representative government in the colony. Full list of original heads of households See also: History of Watertown - Wikipedia entry - Richard Saltonstall on Wikipedia Watertown Founders' Monument Current Location: Middlesex County, Massachusetts   Parent Towns: None   Daughter Towns: Cambridge, Weston, Waltham, Belmont, Lincoln