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William Hutchinson (1586–1641): was a

  • London Merchant (1615)
  • Migrated with large family to Massachusetts (1634)
  • Original Founder of Portsmouth Colony (1638)- Rhode Island
  • Treasurer of Porstmouth (1638)
  • 2nd Chief Magistrate of Portsmouth (1639)

William Hutchinson was born 14 August 1586 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England to Edward Hutchinson (1564-1631) and Susanna Wheelright (1564-1646) and died 1641 Aquidneck Island, Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island of unspecified causes. He married Anne Marbury (1591-1643) 9 August 1612 in Church of Saint Mary Woolnoth on Lombard Street, London, Middlesex, England.

Biography

Born into a prominent Lincolnshire family, William Hutchinson was the grandson of John Hutchinson (1515–1565) who had been Sheriff, Alderman, and Mayor of the town of Lincoln, dying in office during his second term as mayor.[1] John's youngest son, Edward (1564–1632), moved to Alford and with his wife, Susanna, had 11 children, the oldest of whom was William, who was baptized 14 August 1586 in Alford.

Early Life

William Hutchinson grew up in Alford, where he was the warden of his church in 1620 and 1621, and after becoming a merchant in the cloth trade he moved to London.[2] Here he became close to an old acquaintance from Alford, Anne Marbury, the daughter of Francis Marbury and Bridget Dryden, and the couple was married on 9 August 1612 at the Church of Saint Mary Woolnoth on Lombard Street in London. Anne's father was a clergyman, school master, and Puritan reformer who was educated at Cambridge.

Puritan Migration

Hutchinson and his wife raised a large family in Alford, as he prospered in his business. The couple had 14 children in England, one of whom died in infancy, and two of whom died from the plague. The Hutchinsons, particularly Anne, became very enamored with the preaching of the Reverend John Cotton who was the vicar of Saint Botolph's Church in the town of Boston, about 21 miles from Alford.

The Hutchinsons made the day-long round trip to Boston whenever they could to hear Cotton preach, but Cotton had strong Puritan sympathies, and when Archbishop William Laud began cracking down on those whose opinions differed from those of the established Anglican church, Cotton was forced into hiding, and then had to flee the country to avoid imprisonment.[1] Mrs. Hutchinson was distraught to lose her mentor, and the Hutchinsons would have sailed with Cotton to New England aboard the ship Griffin in 1633, but Mrs. Hutchinson's 14th pregnancy kept the family from leaving. However, with the intention of following Cotton to New England as soon as they could, the Hutchinsons sent their oldest son, 20-year old Edward, under the care of Cotton. William Hutchinson's youngest brother, also named Edward, was also aboard the same ship with his wife.

Settlement of Portsmouth

On 7 March 1638, before leaving Boston, William Hutchinson and other supporters of his wife signed an instrument, sometimes called the Portsmouth Compact, agreeing to form a non-sectarian government that was Christian in character. The group of signers considered going to New Netherland, but Roger Williams suggested they purchase some land on the Narragansett Bay from the Indians, which they did. They settled on the island of Aquidneck (an island called Rhode Island, whose name was later given to the entire colony and state), and formed the settlement of Pocasset, renamed Portsmouth in 1639.



Children


Offspring of William Hutchinson and Anne Marbury (1591-1643)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Edward Hutchinson (1613-1675) 28 May 1613 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 19 August 1675 Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Katherine Hamby (1615-1649)
Abigail Fermayes (1615-1689)
Susanna Hutchinson (1614-1630) 4 September 1614 Alford, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom 1630 Alford, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom
Richard Hutchinson (1615-) 8 December 1615 Alford, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom
Faith Hutchinson (1617-1652) 14 August 1617 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 20 December 1651 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Thomas Savage (1607-1682)
Bridget Hutchinson (1619-1698) 15 January 1619 Alford, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom 1698 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States John Sanford (c1605-1653)
Francis Hutchinson (1620-1643) 24 December 1620 Alford, Lincolnshire, England August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York
Elizabeth Hutchinson (1622-1630) 17 February 1622 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1630 Alford, Lincolnshire, England
William Hutchinson (1623-1624) 22 June 1623 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1624 Alford, Lincolnshire, England
Samuel Hutchinson (1624-) 17 December 1624 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 9999 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Unknown Wife Hutchinson (c1625-)
Anne Hutchinson (1626-1643) 5 May 1626 Alford, Lincolnshire, England August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York William Collins (1612-1705)
Mary Hutchinson (1628-1643) 22 February 1628 Alford, Lincolnshire, England August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York
Katherine Hutchinson (1629-1643) 7 February 1629 Alford, Lincolnshire, England August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York
William Hutchinson (1631-1643) 28 September 1631 Alford, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York, United States
Susanna Hutchinson (1633-1713) 15 November 1633 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 14 December 1713 Wickford, Washington County, Rhode Island John Cole (1625-1707)
Zuriel Hutchinson (1636-1643) 30 March 1636 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States August 1643 Pelham Bay, Bronx County, New York, United States



Siblings


Offspring of Edward Hutchinson (1564-1631) and Susanna Kealle (1564-1646)
Name Birth Death Joined with
William Hutchinson (1586-1641) 14 August 1586 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1641 Aquidneck Island, Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island Anne Marbury (1591-1643)
Theophilus Hutchinson (1588-)
Samuel Hutchinson (1590-1667) 1 November 1590 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1667 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Hester Hutchinson (1593-1630) 22 July 1593 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 23 December 1630 Lincolnshire, England Thomas Rishworth (1591-1632)
John Hutchinson (1595-1644) 18 May 1595 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 20 June 1644 Alford, Lincolnshire, England Bridget Burie (1602-1688)
Richard Hutchinson (1598-1670) 3 January 1597 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1670 London, Middlesex, England Mary Waters (c1610-1679)
Susanna Hutchinson (1599-1601)
Susanna Hutchinson (1601-1651) 9 August 1601 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1651 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Augstene Storre (1585-1641)
Atherton Hough (c1590-)
Anne Hutchinson (1603-) 12 June 1603 Alford, Lincolnshire, England
Mary Hutchinson (1606-) 22 December 1605 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1662 Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts John Wheelwright (1593-1679)
Edward Hutchinson (1607-) 20 December 1607 Alford, Lincolnshire, England 1669 England Sarah Unknown Hutchinson (c1608)


References

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