Robert Stanton (abt. 1599 - 1672)

Born about 1599 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Avis (Unknown) Stanton — married 1638 in Newport, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 29 Aug 1672 at about age 73 in Newport, Rhode Island

Problems/Questions Profile managers: T Stanton [send private message] and Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message]

Robert Stanton migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 318) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Parentage: Robert has been detached as son of a previously conflated profile of Thomas Stanton. There is no credible proof of this parentage and it has been noted there are no sons or grandsons named Thomas.

Biography

Robert was a Friend (Quaker)

Robert Stanton was born in England about 1599.^[1][2][3]

Robert married Avis ________ by 1638.^[4] The given name of his wife is also found in Quaker records. Also in 1638, Robert and seven others were fined on 15 Jul 1638 for having been engaged in a riot of drunkenness on the 13th at Portsmouth.^[5] Another reference suggests that Robert and Avis married before 1627 in England, but provides no citations in support of their marriage there, or son Robert.^[3]

Portsmouth Compact

On 30 April 1639, Robert and 28 others signed the Compact of Loyalty, an addition to the Portsmouth Compact.^[6]

"We whose names are underwritten do acknowledge ourselves the legal subjects of his majesty, King Charles, and in his name do hereby bind ourselves into a body politicke unto his laws according to matters of justice."

Robert was made a Freeman of Newport 16 Mar 1641.^{[citation needed]} Other civil positions held include Sergeant Junior 1642; Sergeant 1644; Freeman 1655; Deputy 1670; and Juryman 1671.

Formation of Westerly, Rhode Island

In 1660, William Vaughan, Robert Stanton, John Fairfield, Hugh Mosher and James Longbottom, all of Newport, Rhode Island, purchased Misquamicut, land of an Indian chief, Sosoa, and formed a settlement of what afterward became Westerly, Rhode Island. Witnesses to the transaction were Jeremy Clarke, Latham Clarke and Henry Clarke.^[7]

Robert Stanton aged 73 at death 29 Aug 1672 Rhode Island. "1672. Aug. 29. Mr. Stanton, of this town, died, being of a Thursday."^{[8][9][10][11]}

Children

• Sarah^[3]
• John - b Aug 1645^[3][11]
• Daniel - b 1647/48^[3]
• Prudence, ^[3]

Undocumented Child

Robert is left in place here as undocumented because he appears in much speculative genealogy absent any documentation.

• Robert, born about 1627 in England. According to this reference, "The family account states that their son Robert accompanied them" [to New England];^[3] however no citations are shown for his birth, and no record of him in Rhode Island has been found.

Research Notes

Austin assigns eight children to Robert and Avis, none named Robert^[12] and there appear to be issues with this (and related) entries.

In The History of Stonington-The only known earliest English settler 1st Families of the name pg 601 were a Robert and a Thomas Stanton. It is highly unlikely that he was the brother of Thomas Stanton

In North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 for Robert Stanton. T Tanner William Tanner of North Kingstown, Rhode Island and his descendants it has been described on page 13 that in Henry Tibbets Will husband of Sarah, who is the daughter of Robert Stanton and Avis gives to his grandson land bought by "Thomas Stanton."

The surname is discussed at considerable length in the book New England Families by William Richard Cutter (notorious for not citing documentation). It states that “Robert Stanton, an early settler of Newpork, Rhose Island, was the progenitor of the Honorable Edwin M. Stanton, of Lincoln’s cabinet; died in Newport in 1672, aged 73." Robert Stanton is the third great grandfather of Edwin McMasters Stanton, confirmed as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court but passing away four days before being seated.

A 3-generation list of ancestors and collateral people was added to this profile, clearly a copy/paste from another website or publication. This was moved to a Free Space Page for Robert and should not be re-inserted here.

Geographical Notes

Westerly (Rhode Island) and Its Witnesses: For Two Hundred and Fifty Years ... By Frederic Denison states Newport was founded 1638, Providence founded in 1636, New London founded in 1646 and Stonington in 1649, the whole region embraced only about 30 white families which basically became a township in May of 1669 named "Westerly". It was the first township organized by the new colonial charter given in 1663 and the fifth organized in the state.

Sources

1. ↑ NEHGR 15:65 citing records of Friends Meeting Newport
2. ↑ Colonial Dames of America. Ancestral Records and Portraits (New York, The Grafton Press, 1910) Vol. 1, Page 113
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Stanton, William Henry. Our ancestors the Stantons (Philadelphia, Priv. print. for W. H. Stanton 1922) Pages 28+
4. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985. Page 701
5. ↑ Bartlett, John Russell. Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, Vol 1, 1636-1663. Providence, R.I., A. Crawford Greene and Brother, State Printers, 1856. pg 60
6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2019, April 28). Portsmouth Compact. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:32, October 25, 2020, from [1]
7. ↑ Denison, Frederic. Westerly (Rhode Island) and its witnesses. J. A. & R. A. Reid. Providence. 1878. Purchase of Misquamicut, pp. 47-50
8. ↑ Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899 for Robert Stanton Vol. 07:122: Friends and Ministers: Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths.
9. ↑ Austin, John O. The Journal of William Jefferay, Gentleman (E. L. Freeman & Sons, 1899) Page 132
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #37971967
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} NEHGR 15:64 $ubscription link citing Friends Church Newport records, among others.
12. ↑ Austin, John Osborne, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, Albany, J Munsell's Sons, 1887, pg 389

See Also:

• Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Directory (Boston : NEHGS, 2015), p. 318.
• Rhode Island, Vital Extracts, 1636-1899-For Death date
• North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 for Robert Stanton: T. Tanner, William Tanner of North Kingstown, Rhode Island and his descendants, pg. 13-wife listed.
• History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut: By Richard Anson Wheeler, pg 601 lists early settlers Robert Stanton and Thomas Stanton thought to be brothers with no evidence
• Meech, Susan Spicer. History of The Descendants of Peter Spicer (F.H. Gilson Co., Boston, 1911) Page 13 Note: this citation does not appear to be directly relevant to this profile.

Caution:

The following citations are frequently seen and cannot be documented to pertain to this Robert Stanton. They have been left on this profile to provide this caution.

• Robert Stanton in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975-lists father as Thomas Stanton-7 Jan 1603 as bap date
• Thomas Stanton London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 -father is Thomas Stanton & mother Mary-13 Jan 1707 marriage date
• https://stantonsociety.org/docs/TSS%20V3I1.pdf Note: this PDF does not appear to have any connection with this profile but has been left in place.