Ralph Dayton (abt. 1588 - bef. 1658)

Born about 1588 in Ashford, Kent, England

Husband of Alice (Goldhatch) Dayton — married 16 Jun 1616 (to before 1655) in Ashford, Kent, England

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Davis — married Jun 1656 (to 22 Sep 1658) in Southold, Suffolk, New York

Descendants

Died before 22 Sep 1658 before about age 70 in Southold, Long Island, New York [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], John Putnam [send private message], Paul Lee [send private message], and Shelby Oxley [send private message]

Ralph Dayton migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 91) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

A previous version of this profile associated Ralph as the son of William Dayton and his wife, Agnes Green. This association has been disputed by WikiTree collaborators since at least 2017, based on the "absence of primary documentation" in support of the claim. See Comments and the G2G, Help regarding parents attached to Ralph Dayton ....

Biography

Ralph Dayton. Born ca 1588 at Kent, England. Ralph died at Southampton, Long Island between 25 Jul and 22 Sep 1658.

Ralph was of Ashford, Kent, England, when he married Alice, and remained there for at least twenty years before coming to New England. He was probably not in New Haven in 1639, but he drew his lot for the small lots on the bank side and by the west creek on 17 Mar 1641/2. He took the oath of fidelity 5 August 1647. By 1650 he settled in East Hampton, Long Island. There he was appointed agent to the Connecticut Colony in 1651. He was also chosen for constable 7 October 1651. Not long before his death, Ralph moved from East Hampton with his son Samuel to Southampton, where his will was recorded, 25 July 1658, settling at North Sea, then called Northampton, and leaving his son Robert on the East Hampton realty which he had conveyed to him in 1655.

On 16 June 1609 Ralph first married Alice Goldhatch, daughter of Robert Goldhatch (ca 1557-Jan 1597/8) & Bennett Meade (-ca 1 Dec 1638), at Ashford, Kent.5 Born ca 1587 at Kent, England. Alice was baptized in Ashford, Kent on 24 September 1587. She died before 1655.

Alice (Goldhatch) (Tritton) Dayton, widow of Daniel Tritton. Alice's mother, widow Bennett (Meade) Goldhatch, had married Daniel's father, Hugh Tritton, as his second wife, in 1601, a few years before Alice and Daniel were wed in 1607.

Children:

1. Ralph (ca 1618-1706)
2. Alice (ca 1620-1709)
3. Samuel (ca 1623-1690)
4. Ellen (ca 1626-)
5. Robert (ca 1628-1712)

About 1656, Ralph second married Mary Haynes, the widow of James Haynes of Southold, Long Island.^[1]

Immigration

Ralph Dayton's stepdaughter Bennett Tritton Stanley emigrated to New England with Thomas Stanley in 1634. It is not clear exactly when Ralph and his family came over. Ralph is first mentioned in an American record in 1639 when he signed (as Ralph Dayghton) the book of the Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Planters. However, he was not there for the original signing on June 4, 1639.

Occupation

Ralph Dayton was a shoemaker by trade. In the economy of that period, skilled tradesmen were essential members of the community and were welcomed in the pioneer settlements by the ministers and merchants who organized the first settlers. In 1647 he was appointed with two other shoemakers to test the shoes made by a fourth shoemaker whose work had caused complaints.

Religion

Ralph is listed on 10 March 1646/1647 as having a seat in the New Haven meeting house. His wife Alice is not listed, but it is unclear whether she was dead or not a member. (Her daughter Alice never joined the church so it seems possible her mother may have simply not joined.)

Residence & Land

Ralph Dayton drew for lots on 17 March 1641/1642 and received small lots on the bank side and by the west creek. He took the oath of fidelity 5 August 1647. Around this time, he asked for a little land near his house lot, and also had a difference with a neighbor arbitrated. On 3 April 1649, the Court was asked to settle a dispute about land in New Haven that Ralph Dayton had bought of Richard Platt.

But by 1650 Ralph had settled in East Hampton, Long Island. Since he was over 60 at this time, this move may have been instigated by his son-in-law Thomas Baker, husband of his daughter Alice. He was chosen as Constable on 7 October 1651.

On 13 February 1654/1655, Ralph gave land to his son Robert, reserving life use to himself and his wife. The wife then living, whether Alice or another, did not long survive, since the widow Mary Haynes became his wife a little over a year later.

Ralph Dayton's will was recorded at Southampton, so it is likely Ralph had moved with his son Samuel, settling at North Sea, then called Northampton, and leaving his son Robert on the East Hampton property which he had conveyed to him in 1655.

Family

Four of his children are mentioned in American records and in his will. However, his eldest son, Ralph Jr., is never mentioned. Ralph Jr. would have been 21 in 1639 and possibly married and stayed in England.

Ralph's will, dated 25 July 1658, gave his wife Mary 60 pounds sterling, mentioning the "land at Southold which was her owne." His son Samuel was to have the house and land at Northampton and certain tools and a horse. His son Robert was to have specified articles. He mentions "my daughter Baker" and gave to "my sonn Baker" 20 pounds, and to "my son brinlye's children" 20 pounds to be equally divided between them. The will was approved 22 September 1658 and it was mentioned that Robert Dayton owed his father 10 pounds. It appears his daughter Alice was living at the time, but his daughter Ellen must have already died.

Research Notes

Disputed Parents:
A previous version of this profile associated Ralph as the son of William Dayton and his wife, Agnes Green. This association has been disputed by WikiTree collaborators since at least 2017, based on the "absence of primary documentation" in support of the claim. See Comments and the G2G, Help regarding parents attached to Ralph Dayton ....

The first section of this profile as of 9.18.22 was added in 2015 with just a single source, The Pane-Joyce Genealogy website. (Currently http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/ ). After reviewing several names in the index to try and find matching info, I came up empty. Children Robert and Alice are mentioned in the report, in reference to their children, but no other information. 17:39, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines. The Early Daytons and Descendants of Henry, Jr. (New Haven Historical Society, Connecticut, 1959) Page 3.

• "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NNWX-4YX : 13 March 2020), Ralfe Deayton, 1617.
• Seversmith, Herbert Furman. Colonial Families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut (Washington, D.C., 1939) Vol. 2, Page 887
• Lineage verified by: Friends of St. George and Descendants of Knights of The Garter
• Dayton, Lewis Scott. The Ancestry and Descendants of Nancy Eliza Dayton (1811-1856) (LaMoille, Ill., 1951) Page 34
• Howell, George Rogers. The Early History of Southampton, L. I., New York, with Genealogies, 2nd ed. (Weed, Parsons & Co., Albany, 1887) Page 229 & Page 284
• Case, Joseph. Southold Town Records Copied and Explanatory Notes Added (N.Y., 1882) Vol. 1, Page 434
• Sheppard, Jr., Walter Lee. The Daytons of South Jersey, The American Genealogist (Barrington, RI, 1945) Vol. 22, Page 129
• Perry, Retta Bostwick. Identity of Ellen (____) Lindley, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1974) Vol. 128, Page 147.
• Fessenden, Laura Dayton. Genealogical Story (Dayton and Tomlinson) (Crist, Scott & Parshall, Cooperstown, N.Y., 1902) Page 136-7.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7592082/ralph-dayton: accessed 05 October 2023), memorial page for Ralph Dayton (1588–22 Sep 1658), Find A Grave: Memorial #7592082, citing Old Burying Ground of First Presbyterian Church, Southold, Suffolk County, New York, USA; Maintained by David (contributor 47319474). (No gravestone, burial location unknown, no photo.)
• Ralph's Y-DNA haplogroup is believed to be R-FTA44402 based on FamilyTreeDNA Big-Y testing of two 9th cousins descended from Ralph through two different sons (Samuel and Robert). For additional information please contact the FamilyTreeDNA Dayton Surname Project administrator, Deane Dayton.