Robert Stanton (1653 - 1724)

Born 1653 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of JoAnna (Gardiner) Stanton — married 12 Nov 1677 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 25 Oct 1724 at about age 71 in Pawcatuck, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut

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Biography

Robert Stanton, son of Thomas Stanton and Anna (Lord) Stanton, b. 1653, was their seventh child. His birth location is not certain; whereas he could have been born in Stonington, Connecticut, his birth family did not physically complete their relocation to that town (from Hartford) until 1657.

Robert Stanton married Joanna Gardiner Sept. 12, 1677 [dau. of Thomas and Lucy (Smith) Gardiner of Roxbury, MA] at Stonington. They lived in Pawcatuck, Stonington, Connecticut. Their children:

1. Joanna Stanton, b. June 5, 1677; m. Robert Denison.
2. Lucia "Lucy" Stanton, b. Sept. 16, 1681; d Sept. 1687.
3. Anna Stanton, b. Oct. 26, 1684; m. William Stanton.
4. Mary Stanton, b. Feb. 3, 1687; m. Daniel Denison.
5. Robert Stanton, Rev. b. Dec. 7, 1689 ; graduated at Harvard College in 1712; d. in Salem, MA May 3, 1727; m. Katherine Simpkins of Boston, May 5, 1719.
6. Thomas Stanton b. June 9, 1693; m. Thankful Denison.
7. Lucy Stanton, b. May 3. 1696; m. James McDowell May 7, 1715.
8. Gardiner Stanton b. May 27, 1701; d. Feb., 1704.

Robert Stanton died 25 Oct 1724 at Stonington. His grave is in Wequetequock Burial Ground, northeast of Stonington, at the junction of Palmer Neck and Greenhaven Rds., about 200 feet from the Boston Post Road. His tombstone inscription:

Here lyeth the body of Robert Stanton, Gen'l who dyed Octo y 25 1724 in ye 71st year of his age.^[1]

Military

Robert Stanton was a soldier in King Philip's war, as were his older brothers, Capt. John and Joseph Stanton. In 1676, Capt. George Denison, with a large company of subordinate officers and men, who were raised in New London county, went in pursuit of the remnant of King Philip's army, and while a portion of them under the command of Canonchet, the last of the Royal Narragansett Sachems, were encamped on the banks of the Pawcatuck River in Rhode Island, they were attacked by the English under Capt. George Denison, accompanied by some of the friendly Pequot and Mohegan Indians, when most of the Narragansett and Wampanaog Indians fled, leaving Canonchet almost entirely alone. As soon as he realized his situation he too sought safety in flight. The Indian allies of the English and a few of the fleetest whites pursued him and as he saw his pursuers were gaining on him, he threw off his blanket, then his silver laced coat, and belt of peage, and ran with all possible speed to escape from his enemies, and as he crossed the rivers ford, he fell and wet his gun, which so embarrassed him in his flight, that he was soon overtaken and surrendered to Robert Stanton, son of the Interpreter General Thomas Stanton, then not 22 years old. Being questioned by the young man, whom he personally knew about a treaty of peace, between the English and Indians, and not wishing to recognize the authority of his youthful inquisitor, he looked upon him with lofty and defiant contempt and said 'you are a child you cannot understand matters of war', let your brother Capt. John Stanton, or your chief Capt. George Denison come, then I will answer. But when the officers whom he had requested to see came up, he refused to enter into any negotiations with them, so he was brought a prisoner to Stonington, where a council of war was held, which he declined to recognize and after his absolute refusal to enter into and abide by a treaty of peace with the English, who after considering their defenseless conditions and his ferocious temper, he was condemned and ordered to be shot; and when told of his fate, he said that he liked it well and should die before his heart had grown soft or he had said anything unworthy of himself and so he was shot near Anguilla in Stonington. (S#1: p. 592)

Note

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New ...page 278 Testimony at Groton, August 16th, 1720, Concerning the head of the Pawcatuck River mentions Robert Stanton aged 67, Dr Thomas Worden Worden-94 et al.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 27065299

• Connecticut Town Death Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection); Ancestry.com; Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Repository #R-1958205582

• Source S-2024265449 Title: Thomas Stanton of Connecticut, a record, genealogical, biographical, statistical, and his descendants

Author: Stanton, William, Ph.D., D.D.

Publication: Joel Munsell's Sons, Publishers , Albany, NY, 1892

• Wheeler, Richard Anson. History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, p. 578, no. 9: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n600/mode/1up

• Source: S-2126760096 Title: Ancestry Family Trees

Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=2701874&pid=971

Repository: #R-21

Acknowledgements

This profile was created on 13 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.

Merged with profile created through the import of master 11_12.ged on 21 October 2010.

Merged with profile Stanton-893 created through the import of Reffler-Brokaw-Sprague-Norton .ged on Jul 14, 2012 by Jessica Turner.