My Revolutionary War Patriots - Robert Wilson of Danvers, Massachusetts

 

At the Wilson Family Burial Ground, Peabody, Massachusetts

ROBERT WILSON

Died

Jan. 4, 1797

Aged 51

[epitaph illegible]

This is Patriot #10 I have written about for this series on my Revolutionary War ancestors.  

Robert Wilson is my 5th great grandfather.  He was born in Salem Village (after 1775 it was known as the town of Danvers), Massachusetts around 1746, the son of Robert Wilson (1724 - 1782) and Elizabeth Southwick of Danvers.  

Robert Wilson's father was a potter, and so was his grandfather, Isaac Wilson, and so were his sons.  According to the book Early New England Potters and Their Wares, by Lura Woodside Watkins, pages 65 - 66 "The Wilsons also were a prominent family of artisans.  Their homestead included the land near 141 Andover Street and eastward where Route 128 now crosses it.  The first two potting Wilsons were sons of Robert, a farmer.  They were Robert, known as Robert Jr., who remained in Danvers, and Joseph, who went to Dedham and thence to Providence, Rhode Island.  When Robert, Jr. died in 1782, he left property worth 627 pounds, including six lots of land, his house, barn, potter's shop, and corn house, a riding chair, and a large personal estate.  He seems to have done well in his trade.  His son Robert, known as Robert 3d, and a younger son Job were potters.  By an order of the court, Robert 3d, as administrator of his father's estate, was obliged to sell a large part of the elder Robert's property to pay certain debts.  This was not done until April 9, 1793, when two-thirds of the land and buildings, and an interest in the business was aquired by Isaac Wilson 3d.  He, too, was a craftsman in clay.  The threee Wilsons ran the shop together for a time, but Robert 3d. and Job both passed away before 1800, while Robert's son Robert, who had worked but a short time as a potter, died three years later at the age of twenty-seven.  Upon Isaac's decease in 1809, this early pottery must have come to an end."

Robert Wilson married Sarah Felton on 23 March 1775 in Danvers. She was the daughter of Malachi Felton and Abigail Jacobs (the great granddaughter of the George Jacobs hanged as a witch during the 1692 witch hysteria). She was probably the first child born in the Nathaniel Felton, Jr. house, which is still standing in the town of Peabody, Massachusetts.  Robert and Sarah had nine children, of whom seven grew up to adulthood and married.  I descend from the eldest child, Robert Wilson (1776 - 1803), mentioned above, who married Mary Southwick, his second cousin. This Robert died at age 27, leaving his widow with two babies.  She never remarried. 

The Wilsons produced an unsual kind of black pottery, which had an almost black glaze. There was a large clay deposit near Andover Street (now Route 114).  Some of this black pottery is on display inside the Nathaniel Felton houses (one is mentioned above) which are still standing on Felton Hill, owned by the Peabody Historical Society.  The Wilsons and their relatives lived on what is now the Danvers/Peabody line, near Route 114 and the Northshore Mall. Nearby is Wilson Square.  Several Wilsons were buried under the parking lot near Macy's at the Mall, but their graves were relocated. Across from the Mall, behind the Kappy's liquor store, there is a Wilson Family Burial Ground. 

At the start of the Revolutionary War there were over 50 small potteries in Danvers, all in the same neighborhood near the clay deposit.  The Wilsons lived and worked at the pottery business, along with other local families such as the Osborns, Paiges, Porters, and Southwicks. The last pottery in Peabody (which broke off from Danvers in 1855) closed due to a fire in the 1950s.  At one time some of these families also produced bricks. 

Robert Wilson served in the Revolutionary War as a Private in Captain Samuel Epe's Company under Colonel Pickering's Regiment of Danvers.  He marched on the alarm of 19 April 1775 for two days of service and is listed in the DAR Patriot's Index. There were six Wilsons from the area of Danvers and Peabody who marched on the Lexington Alarm.  

Robert Wilson died on 4 June 1797 in Danvers, and his son, my 4th great grandfather, Robert Wilson, was the administrator of his father's estate in 1782.  His will (Essex County Probate #30142) mentions his widow Sarah and all the children except for Mercy and Samuel in 1796. He was buried in the Wilson Family Burial Ground, and when Sarah died on 20 November 1836 she was buried nearby in the Felton Family Burial Ground. I cannot find a record of her applying for a widow's pension, and she never remarried. 

I'm curious to find out if the black and redware pottery produced in Danvers and Peabody contained a lead glaze. Both Robert Wilsons mentioned above (the Revolutionary War veteran and his son) died very young.  Perhaps it was lead poisoning? Perhaps we will never know? 

For the truly curious:

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolution

Essex County, Massachusetts Probate

Early New England Potters and Their Wares,  by Lura Woodside Watkins,  Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1950, pages 65-66. 

Sophia Richter, "Peabody: Pottery City, 1730 - 1940", Peabody Historical Society and Museum, posted 1 August 2025, ( https://peabodyhistorical.org/2025/08/peabody-pottery-city-1730-1940/: accessed 22 March 2026). 

#1 in this series,  Colonel Joshua Burnham of Milford, New Hampshire:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/02/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-colonel.html  

#2 in this series,  Andrew Munroe of Lexington, Massachusetts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-major.html  

#3 Jonathan Flint of Reading, Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-jonathan.html   

#4 Daniel Glover of Marblehead, Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-daniel.html  

#5 Levi Younger of Gloucester, Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-levi.html  

#6 Nathaniel Treadwell of Ipswich, Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-nathaniel.html 

#7 Captain Westley Burnham of Essex, Massachusetts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-captain.html  

#8 Abner Poland, Sr. of Essex, Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/05/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-abner_02014071889.html   

#9 Abner Poland, Jr. Of Essex, Massachusetts and Enfield, New Hampshire:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/05/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-abner_02014071889.html  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Revolutionary War Patriots - Robert Wilson of Danvers, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 2, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/06/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-robert.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ HUTCHINSON of Salem Village, Massachusetts

HUTCHINSON

There were several HUTCHINSON families in early Massachusetts.  William Hutchinson (1586 – 1641) was the husband of Anne Marbury, who was exiled for religious reasons.  There was a George Hutchinson in Charlestown, and a Samuel Hutchinson in Andover.  There was a Hutchinson family in Reading, which I will write about in another “Surname Saturday” because Elizabeth Hutchinson, wife of Isaac Hart (1614 – 1699) is my 8^th great grandmother. 

This post is about Richard Hutchinson (1602 – 1682) who was born in Nottinghamshire, England and had three wives.  His first wife,  Alice, was the mother of his children.  She came to England with Richard in 1634 with the four eldest children.  They settled in Salem Village, which is now the town of Danvers and had four more children.  Alice died about 1668 and Richard remarried Susanna, widow of Samuel Archard.  He married a third time to Sarah, the widow of James Standish when he was about 79 years old.  She survived him to remarry to Thomas Roots of Manchester. 

The first mention of Richard Hutchinson in the records recognizes him for owning one of the first plows.  He was granted one hundred and forty acres of land.  April 17, 1637, it was voted "that in case Ric'd Huchenson shall sett up plowing within 2 years he may haue 20 acres more to bee added to his pportion." 

Richard Hutchinson’s will mentions his “servant” Black Peter, who was probably not a slave since he was granted land for himself and his heirs (see below):

In the name of God Amen, I Richard Hutchinson, of the towne of Salem bein of pfect (perfect) memorye, & vnderstanding & Thought weake in body by Reason of age, doe make this my last will & testament.

1. First I doe bequeath my soule into the hands of the Lord whoe gave it when it shall please him to call for it, and my body to be decently buried by my exectutor with assured hopes of a resurection.

2. In relation to my deare & loueing wife, my will is that shee shall be & remaine at my son Joseph Hutchinson house during her natural life if shee see cause there to be prouided for with convenient house roome meat drink & lodging & all other things whatsoeuer that may be comfortable & suitable for one of her age, during her life, and ten shillings yearly to be at her dispose to be paid by him in money or butter, or if shee see cause to remoue from thence & to live in any other place then shee shall haue all that estate, which was in her hands, when I marryed her excepting that pcell (parcel) of land which Samuel Leach of Manchester had, which was for the paiment of her debt, the sd estate to be at her dispose to whome soeeuer shee pleaseth, But if shee remaine at my son Hutchensons house during her life, then the said estate shalbe in the hands of my executor & be fully at his dispose only her wearing apparrell shalbe at her liberty to dispose of at her decease.

2ly. In respect of my lands my will is

1. That my sonn in law Anthony Ashby & my daughter Abigaile his wife, shall have twenty Acres of land lying by the hill, called Hathorne's Hill & lying the whole length of my land, this land being free to them theire heirs & assignes.

2. I giue to my sonn in law Daniell Bordman & my daughter Hanah his wife theire heirs or assignes, twenty acres of land, lying by and adjoyning to the land aboue expressed & lying the whole length of my land.

3. I giue to my Grand children Bethiah Hutchenson & Sarah Hadlock & each of them ten acres free to them & their assignes, lying by & adjoining to the land, aboue expressed & lying the whole length of the land.

4. I giue vnto black Peter my seruant, four acres of land lying by & adjoyning to the land aboue expressed to him & his heires, or if he [p. 100] haue noe heires then it shall returne to my exectuor his heires & assignes.

5. I give unto my son in law nathaniell Putnam & my son in law Thomas Hale & my son in law James Hadlock, each of them forty shillings to be paide by my executor within two years after my decease.

6. Alsoe I give to my son in law Daniell Bordman & Anthony Asby each of them forty shillings, to be pd. by my exector within two years after my decease, all ye sd. aboue written sums to be pd. in comon pay at price currant.

7. Lastly I make my son Joseph Hutchenson sole exector to this my last will & testament enjoyning him his heirs & assignes to pay all my debts and leagacies & I doe freely give vnto him his heirs or assignes peeter my seruant & all the rest of my estate both moueable & Imoueable. This is my last will & testament made by me this 19 January in ye yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred seaventy nine.

This clause (twenty acres of land betweene the 28 & 29 line) interlined before the signing thereof.

Witness

James Baily

Joseph mazury.  His mark

Richard H Hutchenson [seal]

More resources for Richard Hutchinson:

The Hutchinson Family: or the Descendants of Barnard Hutchinson of Cowlam, England, by Perley Derby, Essex Institute Press, 1870, Salem, Masssachusetts

A Genealogy of the Hutchinson Family of Yorkshire, by Joseph Lemuel Chester, 1868 (available online at Internet Archive)

The Ancestry of Margaret Brooks Threlfall, by John Brooks Threlfall, 1985 (unpaged) Ancestor #846

The Story of the Hutchinsons, by John Wallace Hutchinson, Volume 1, 1896

Pioneers of Massachusetts, by Charles Henry Pope, 1900

The website "The Descendants of Richard Hutchinson"  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rhutch/

There are 69 books about HUTCHINSON in the NEHGS card catalog. There are many famous HUTCHINSONs descended from Richard of Salem, including the Hutchinson family singers of Milford, New Hampshire if whom I wrote HERE and HERE.  

My Hutchinson genealogy:

Generation 1: Richard Hutchinson, born about 1602, died 26 September 1682 in Salem Village, Massachusetts; married as his first wife to Alice Bosworth, daughter of Joseph Bosworth, 7 December 1627 in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, England.  Eight children.  He also married Susanna, widow of Samuel Archer in October 1668, and Sarah, widow of James Standish.

Generation 2: Elizabeth Hutchinson, baptized on 30 August 1629 in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, England, died 24 June 1688 in Salem; married on 3 September 1652 in Salem to Nathaniel Putnam, son of John Putnam and Priscilla Gould.  He was born 3 September 1619 in Wingrove, Buckinghamshire, England and died 23 July 1700 in Salem Village.  Seven children.

Generation 3: Elizabeth Putnam m. George Flint

Generation 4: George Flint m. Jerusha Pope

Generation 5: George Flint m. Hannah Phelps

Generation 6: Phebe Flint m. John Flint

Generation 7: Olive Flint m. Luther Simonds Munroe

Generation 8: Phebe Cross Munroe m. Robert Wilson Wilkinson

Generation 9:  Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

Generation 10:  Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ HUTCHINSON of Salem Village, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 5, 2016,  

( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/11/surname-saturday-hutchinson-of-salem.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ PUTNAM of Salem, Massachusetts

Map of Salem Village
from A Storm of Witchcraft, page 121
note all the PUTNAM families on this map

PUTNAM

In Salem Possessed, a book by history professors Boyer and Nissenbaum, [page 111], John Putnam was first granted 100 acres in Salem in 1641.  Little by little he bought and was granted more land until he owned almost 800 acres at the time of his death in 1662.  He was one of the most wealthy land owners in Salem.  Then two of his sons lost much of his fortune. Was this the cause of his family’s involvement with so many accusations during the 1692 witch hysteria?

His second son, Nathaniel (1619 – 1700) is my 9^th great grandfather.  He was one of the wealthiest men in Salem, and he owned an interest in the ironworks at Rowley with his brother John.  About 1674 the ironworks burned to the ground, and there was a lot of paperwork and litigation in the Essex County records.  The Putnam brothers lost a lot of money, and turned back to farming their extensive lands.  Nathaniel Putnam owned the “Putnam Cupboard” made by James Symonds, a famous Salem furniture maker, now on display at the Peabody Essex Museum. This is amusing to me because two generations later one of Nathaniel Putnam’s descendants married Jerusha Pope, whose parents owned the “Pope Chest”, which was also attributed to Symonds and also on display at the PEM!

The Putnams were on both sides of the witch hysteria.  Their cousin was Ann Putnam, one of the main accusers.  They also signed a petition for the innocence of Rebecca Nurse.  There are many books and even several movies that dramatize the Putnam family during this sad period in history.  There is too much about the Putnams, especially Ann Putnam, Sr. and Jr. to include here in a short blog post, but if you are interested in learning more I will list some books below.  Ann Putnam, Jr. (1679 - 1716)

Nathaniel’s daughter, Elizabeth Putnam (1662 – 1697) married George Flint who removed to North Reading as a farmer.  Their nephew, Daniel Putnam, was the first minister of their church at the North Parish.  The Flint house was a garrison since this area, called the North Precinct, was considered the frontier.  They lived five miles from the meeting house.  There is a curious story about two little daughters who were left home while the family traveled to church on the Sabbath, and one little girl ended up shooting the other with a pistol.  Such accidents are not new, they have probably been happening since firearms were invented.

Some PUTNAM resources:

Chase- Wigglesworth Genealogy, by Alice Crane Williamson, 1990, pages 341-356

The American Genealogist 68: 77 – 83, 69: 212 – 218

A History of the Putnam Family, by Eben Putnam, 1891  (online at Hathi Trust)

History of Salem, Volume 2, by Sidney Perley, 1926 (online at Hathi Trust)

and for more about the PUTNAM family and the witch trials:

Salem Possessed, by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, 1974

A Storm of Witchcraft, by Emerson W. Baker, 2014  (online at Google Books)

The Enemy Within, by John Demos, 2008

Currents of Malice, by Persis McMillen, 1990

for legal evidence in the Salem witch hunt see Salem Village Witchcraft: A Documentary History of Local Conflict in Colonial New England, by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, 1972    

and also see

Records of the Salem Witch Hunt, edited by Bernard Rosenthal, 2009  (all the legal documents in chronological order) 

My PUTNAM genealogy:

Generation 1:  John Putnam, son of Nicholas Putnam and Margaret Goodspeed, was baptized on 17 January 1579/80 in Wingrove or Aston Abbots, Buckinghamshire, England, died 30 December 1662 in Salem, Massachusetts; married about 1611 in Buckinghamshire to Priscilla Gould, daughter of Richard Gould and Elizabeth Young.  She was born about 1585.  Four children.

Generation 2:  Nathaniel Putnam, born 3 September 1619 in Wingrove, died 23 July 1700 in Salem Village (now Danvers), Massachusetts; married on 3 September 1652 in Salem to Elizabeth Hutchinson, daughter of Richard Hutchinson and Alice.  She was baptized on 30 August 1629 in Nottinghamshire, England and died 24 June 1688 in Salem.  Seven children.

Generation 3: Elizabeth Putnam, born 11 August 1662 in Salem, died 6 March 1697 in Salem, Village; married on 2 March 1679 in Salem to George Flint, son of Thomas Flint and Ann.  He was born 6 January 1652 in Salem, and died 23 June 1720 in the North Precinct (now the town of Reading).  Ten children.

Generation 4:  George Flint m. Jerusha Pope

Generation 5:  George Flint m. Hannah Phelps

Generation 6:  Phebe Flint m. John Flint

Generation 7:   Olive Flint m. Luther Simonds Munroe

Generation 8:  Phebe Cross Munroe m. Robert Wilson Wilkinson

Generation 9:  Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

Generation 10:  Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ PUTNAM of Salem, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 29, 2016,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/10/surname-saturday-putnam-of-salem.html: accessed [access date]).