Cotton, Thomas

Other Events and Attributes:

• DAR Ancestor Number: A205624
• Military: Revolutionary War Veteran

Thomas married Broughton, Sarah on 27 Oct 1747. Sarah died in 1810 in North Hampton, Rockingham Co., NH; was buried on 02 Sep 1810. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Cotton, Abigail was born on 26 Aug 1748 in Rye, Rockingham Co., NH; died about 1809.
2. Cotton, John was born on 28 Oct 1750 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH; died on 14 Aug 1820 in Gilford, Belknap Co., NH.
3. Cotton, Comfort was born on 15 Oct 1752.
4. Cotton, Thomas was born on 06 May 1754; died on 31 Dec 1801.
5. Cotton, Noah/Mark was born on 15 Dec 1755; died on Probably died young.
6. Cotton, Nathaniel was born on 10 Jan 1757.
7. Cotton, Sarah was born on 01 May 1759.
8. Cotton, Mary was born on 16 Apr 1762; died on 03 Apr 1807.

Thomas married Riggs, Comfort on 28 Jul 1718. Comfort (daughter of Riggs, John and Wheeler, Ruth) was born on 03 Mar 1698 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA; died on 31 Jan 1741 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

THE WILL OF JOHN COTTON OF PORTSMOUTH, NH

John Cotton - 1714 - Portsmouth, NH. In the name of God Amen.

The fourteenth day of September in the yeare of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & fourteen; I John Cotton of the town of Porstmouth in New Hampsheire in New England Yeoman being verry infirme & weak of body.

Item: I give & bequeath to my well beloved son William Cotton my Halbert : besides twenty ounds in money he hath had : which I forgive him.
Item: I give & bequeath to my son Solomon all & singular the house and land where he now lives : together with a piece of fresh meadow on the west side of Joses which he hath sold George Vaughan Esquire to be to him his heirs & Assignes for ever--

Item: I give and bequeath to my son John Cotton all & singular my land in the province of Maine which I Bought of David Libby & Jacob Smith as by theire Deed of sale will appear be the same more or less : And alsoe one halfe of the fresh meadow in the frsh Marshes on the north side of the brook et comes to the Creek Mills: (his brother thomas to have the other halfe of the fresh meadow) the above said land and halfe the fresh meadow to be by him the said John Cotton his heirs & Assignes freely possessed & enjoyed for ever: But if he die without issue then all the above given land & meadow shall be to my son Thomas Cotton & his heirs: if he has none then to my son Solomon & his heirs male.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Cotton all and singular my halfe lott of land on the bank: as specyfied in a deed of partition between my self & John Downing Senior of Dover & is on record: And also halfe the fresh Meadow against his brother John Cotton in the fresh marshes one the North side of the brooke that comes to the Creek Mills-- And alsoe all and singular my lot of the Common land of this town together with 8 acres old grant bought by my father Cotton of John Locke: as tis laid out with the same Common land as will appeare by the return of the comitte entred on Portsmouth town books: together with all the preveleidges oto the same belonging : to be by him his heirs or Assignes freely possessed & enjoyed for ever: But if he die without Isue then all the above given land & meadow shall be my son Johns and if John has noe isue then to the heirs male of my son Solomon.

Item: I give & bequeath to my daughters Abigall Marget & Susannah Cottons: to each of them the sume of twenty pounds in Money and alsoe a feather bed to each of them: with all its furniture as Bolster Pillow Curtains &c all that belongs to it: & if either of the sisters die before her part is received then her part shall be equally divided between the other two above named.

Item: I have given each of my five eldest daughters viz Elizabeth Tomson: Mary Paul : Joannah Jones : Sarra Catter Hannah Mead each of them theire portions & parts already.

Item: I give & bequeath to my well beloved wife Sarrah whom I likewise constitute make & ordaine my sole Exetrix of this my last will & testament all my moveable estate both within Doores and without (that is not already given) & alsoe all debts dew to me of any kind: willing that if she see cause to marry againe that then she make distribution of what estate is left to either of her daughters as may have most need according to her discretion: & if she see cause to take the advice of any friend in ye distribution she may chuse whom whe will and my further will is that if she die a widdow: then to make the like distribution to any of our daughters.
If anything more then is herein specyfied remaine after my self & wifes decease it shall be distributed to any of our daughters as above--

And if what I leave should not be sufficient to pay the twenty pounds a peice to the 3 sisters above saide then my 2 sons John and Thomas Cotton: or either of their heirs: shall each of them pay out of theire respective parts of land they have received: within one years after it is soe known the sume of seven pounds ten shillings: to be paid their three younger sisters above said to each of them 5 ounds in money--

Item: I give to my sons: William John & Thomas Cotton all my yoaks chaines & all materials of Iron and wood for hauling plowing & such like to be qually divided amongst them.

And I Doe hereby utterly disannul disalow & revoake all & every other former testament wills legacies & bequest & exec ratifying and confirming this and noe other to be my last wuill and testament in wittness whereof I have herunto sett my hand & seale the Day & Yeare first above written--

Signed sealed & declared by the said John Cotton Senior to be his last will and testament in presence of Susannah Tufften, Annis Graffam, James Jeffry. [proved Dec 9, 1714.]

John married Hearle, Sarah in 1674 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH. Sarah (daughter of Hearle, William and Hunking, Beaton) was born about 1652 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH; died on 12 Dec 1716. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Wheeler, Ruth on 01 Jan 1690 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. Ruth (daughter of Wheeler, Henry and Allen, Abigail) was born on 15 May 1677 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA; died in 1731 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Ham, Elizabeth in 1650 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH. Elizabeth (daughter of Ham, William and Stephens, Honor) was born on 12 Jul 1629 in Botusfleming, Cornwall, England; died in 1678 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Hunking, Beaton in 1651 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH. Beaton was born in 1618 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH; died on 17 May 1689 in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., NH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The house that Thomas moved into in 1661 is the oldest house in Cape Ann. It had been built by the previous owners in the 1640's or early 1650's, and is still standing, at 27 Vine St. Gloucester, Ma. 01930. As it now offers bed and breakfast accommodation , current descendants of Thomas's have the opportunity to stay in the house in which he lived
Thomas Riggs purchased the squared-log house (one of only three surviving in Massachusetts) for his bride Mary Millett in 1661. Three adventurers, the Wakley brothers and Mathew Coe, built it sometime during the 1640s or early 1650s. On the southern peninsula of Annisquam Harbor, the house looks across to Gloucester's earliest successful settlement. It was an ideal site for ship chandlery (repairing and provisioning vessels) in the protected harbor and for farming. Amazingly, the pasture between Thomas Sr.'s house and that of his son Thomas Jr. (1690) survives to this day.
When Thomas Sr.'s youngest son Andrew married Mary Richardson in 1704, a single-storey cape was added to the log house. In 1753 Andrew's youngest son George built the gambrel roof, accommodating three upstairs bedchambers. The house remained in the Riggs family nearly untouched until the current owner designed a timber-frame wing of 18th-c. handhewn beams that provides a great room and loft as well as the house's first permanent electricity, running water, and heat (save for the six working fireplaces).
George died intestate in 1798, so his household inventory was taken by the usual three assessors. He had 7 children, 3 sons who had their own properties, and 4 daughters who did not. His daughters inherited the house:
Rachel received the "end of the house adjoining on kitchen with the garret above", i.e. the log house; Lydia inherited the "southwestern or unfinished chamber [known as grandfather's room--undoubtedly because it was the warmest and sunniest in the winter; it is the drawing room or parlor], also the chamber over the great kitchen with the northern side garret as partitioned off". Lydia finished this room ca. 1800 in Federal style with a nice chimney breast and dado; Mary received the "northwestern [dining] room and the chamber above with the closet and selves in the back entryway"; Marsha got the best [bed] chamber with the southern garret and side garret in the kitchen chamber.
The two women that were [probably had been] married got the best rooms. By 1798 any children they had had undoubtedly had left home.
What is so exciting in this house is not only its originality, but that about half the furnishings are Riggs Family, dating from the 17th century through the mid-nineteenth century. The house remained in the Riggs family nearly untouched until recently, when the current owner erected a timber-frame wing of 18th-century handhewn beams and added in 1998 its first electricity, running water, and heat ever (save for the 6 working fireplaces).
The house is actually in Riverdale, a Gloucester hamlet and a large parcel of Riggs land survives. The pasture consists of 7 acres immediately behind the house stretching to Washington Street, which is the main road (Route 127) that rings the island. Across Washington Street is the other 3/4ths of the pasture, preserved as the Goose Cove Reservation. At the end of this is Thomas RIGGS Junior's house, circa 1690, and plank framed. So the whole pasture is framed by these two 17th century (or "1st period") houses! Furthermore, these two houses exhibit all three types of 17th-century building techniques: log, plank, and post-and-beam. Unfortunately, the 7 acre parcel immediately behind the house is currently under threat of development by the separate owner of that land

From Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts, Volume 2
Thomas Riggs, of Gloucester, who must be regarded as the immigrant ancestor of a branch of the Riggs family distinct from those who preceded him in New England, undoubtedly was of a family of position in England. His superior attainments are sufficient proof of this fact, and the tradition that he was educated for the profession of scrivener is substantiated by his capable performance of the offices to which he was chosen in the early history of Gloucester ; for he was perhaps the most capable man among the settlers there for many years. He was town clerk 1665 to 1716, selectman twenty-nine terms between 1669 and 1/05 ; representative to the general court, 1760; schoolmaster many years; and otherwise was identified with the early growth and development of the town in various respects more actively perhaps than any other one of the townsmen. He received several grants of land, aided in the erection and maintenance of both saw and grist mills, inaugurated a system of schools, promoted the welfare and permanency of the church and other of the town's institutions, and by his influence and example contributed largely to the prosperity of Gloucester in the early years of its history ; and the town appears to have appreciated the value of his services and rewarded them accordingly. In defense of the rights and liberties of the people he stood firmly with Jeffrey Parsons, Thomas Millett (his father in law), William Sargent, senior, James Stevens, Timothy Somes, William Haskell and others, and Governor Andros and his oppressive measures of taxation received little favor at their hands, although they were all subjected to penalties on account of their action. Thomas Riggs died February 26, 1722, aged ninety years. He married, June 7, 1658, Mary Millett, born August 21, 1(>39. died January 23, 1695, daughter of Thomas Millett and his wife Mary, who came from London, England, in 1635, in the "Elizabeth," and settled in Dorchester, removing thence to Gloucester. He married, second, October 30, 1695, Elizabeth Frese, who died June 17, 1722. Thomas Riggs and Mary Millett had children: 1. Mary, born Gloucester. March 6. 1659, died January 29, 1698; married, November 21, 1677, Benjamin Haskell. 2. Thomas, born Gloucester, January 23, 1660. died February 1. 1660. 3. Sarah, born Gloucester, February 16, 1661 ; married. May 9, 1681, John Tucker. 4. Anna, born Gloucester, April 27, 1664, died December 17, 1701 ; married Nathaniel Wharf. 5. Thomas, born Gloucester, December 7, 1666; (see post). 6. John, born Gloucester, December 25, 1669, died January 18, 1748; married first, Ruth Wheeler ; second, Dorothy

Thomas married Millett, Mary on 07 Jun 1658 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. Mary (daughter of Millett, Thomas and Greenaway, Mary) was born on 21 Aug 1639 in Dorchester, Suffolk Co., MA; died on 23 Jan 1695 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Henry married Allen, Abigail on 18 Jun 1658 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA. Abigail (daughter of Allen, William and Goodale, Ann) was born on 04 Jan 1639 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA; died in 1696 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]