Hi, Susan. I am back from a bit more than a week away. Thanks for responding to my post regarding my severe qualms about the John Dutton / Thomas Dutton connection in Massachusetts and my belief that the John Dutton, son of Sir Ralph Dutton in England could not have been the John Dutton Savage noted in Massachusetts. I am simply raising questions and concerns. I'll quote your recent message and ask my questions. >John was born ca 1596 and died 4 May 1693 at Reading, Middlesex, MA. What is the source of this information. Specifically, what is the source of the info regarding the birth date for the John Dutton who was in Massachusetts. The only source I've seen quoted in Savage and that was in Cope's genealogy of the Duttons of Pennsylvania. I'm more than willing to concede that Cope probably didn't have access to all the information on Massachusetts. But there must be some source for this 1596 date, no? And what about the death. Cope doesn't mention that either. John would have been about 97 years old if both dates are true. That's not impossible but it is extraordinary for those times. I would doubt that more than 1 in a 1000 lived to be over 95 during that period. This all seems unlikely to me, but I'm willing to accept it if there is a good source for it. > Ralph was 1575 and died 1646 at Burnt Island (I don't know where this is) >From page 422 of "Supplement to Collin's Peerage of England" "Sir Ralph Dutton, Knight, which honour he received at Woodstock, in August 1624. In the reign of King Charles the first, he was Gentleman of the Privy Chamber in extraordinary, and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1630; and being zealously attached to the interest of his sovereign in the great rebellion, his estate was sequestered, for which a comfition of 952 (pounds), 17 (shilling), 1 (pence) was paid, and heforced to fly beyond the sea; but being beat back by contrary winds in his passage from Leith in France, he was cast away on Brunt Island, and there died in the year 1646." In this rendition the spelling is "Brunt Island". Whether this book has a typo or later renditions of this story got the spelling wrong, I don't know. >So why is this so wrong? John could travel to the colonies when he was in his 30's. Because according to this source (which I quoted in my original message), the John Dutton who was the son of Sir Ralph died in England without children. If you have any source that contradicts this, I'd be more than pleased to acknowledge it. "Sir John Dutton, of Shirborne, Baronet, some time Knight of the shire for the county of Gloucester, who died February 1, 1742-43, aged 61, and was buried at Shirborne the fourth of the same month, having had two wives, first Mary, sole daughter and heir of Sir Rushout Cullen, of Upton, in Warwickshire, Baronet, but she died without issue, and was buried at Shirborne, on May 23, 1719; and by his second wife Mary, daughter of Sir Francis Keck, of Great Tew, in Oxfordshire, Bart. They had only a daughter, Mary, of whom her mother died in child-bed; and they were both buried at Shirborne, on June 15, 1729. Sir John having survived all his brothers, and dying without issue, the baronetage became extinct at his death." Since this John (son of Sir Ralph) died in 1742-43 at age 61, he would have been born in 1681-82. He could not, therefore, have been in Massachusetts at the time Savage indicated there was a John Dutton in 1630. I just don't see how the John who was son of Sir Ralph could be the same John in Massachusetts. The dates are wrong by more than 60 years and we have a source for the continual life of the John in England, including the fact that he died childless and that his baronetage expired on his death. As far as I know we have no source that connects John Dutton of Mass with any branch of the Dutton family in England. If you have one, that's great, but please share it with us. >I am a descendant of John Dutton (born 1596 at England and died 4 May 1693 at >Reading, Middlesex, MA) and Mary Neeld. Do you have any source for the Mary Neeld name? >John and Mary's son, Thomas (Born 1621-1686/7) married Susannah Palmer Do you have any source for Thomas being the son of John? >Tom and Susannah's son, Joseph X. Dutton (1650/1- 1733/4) married Mary (Marah) Cutler. This and the following material I have no reason whatsoever to doubt. What I am looking for is some sort of proof that links (1) Thomas Dutton as son of a John Dutton; (2) a Mary Neeld as the wife of John Dutton of Massachesetts; (3) John Dutton of Massachusetts back to a specific parentage or Dutton line in England. Doug Hall