Thomas Watton (abt. 1585 - aft. 1641)

Born about 1585 in Castor, Northamptonshire, England

Descendants

Died after 1641 after about age 56 in Castor, Northamptonshire, England

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Biography

Thomas Watton/Wooten was born in 1585 in Northamptonshire, the child of Thomas Watton. He married Jane. They had children during their marriage. He was still living in 1641 in Castor, Northamptonshire, at the age of 56.

"In 1538, Henry VIII, through his archbishop, had ordered all parishes to begin keeping records of baptisms, burials, and marriages. In the Castor Parish Register, I found a record of the burial of a John Watton in 1588. Looking further, I found a whole series of baptisms and burials of Wattons, most of whom were listed as children of THOMAS AND JANE WATTON.

There was no record of their marriage in the Castor Register, so it would appear that they were married in some neighboring parish. Their Castor Register entries begin May, 1608, with the baptism of a son THOMAS son of Thomas Watton, followed in December, 1609, with the burial of THOMAS son of Thomas Watton. Jane must have been very pregnant at the time of the death of little Thomas, for the next entry comes in January, 1610 (1609 old style) with the baptism of JOHN THE SONNE of Thomas Watton. In May, 1611, comes the baptism of Agnes the daughter of Thomas Watton. And then comes 27 September, 1612, the baptisms of THOMAS THE SONNE OF THOMAS WATTON. The parents were evidently determined to have a son names Thomas; after the first one's death, they simply used the name again. More children followed: Richard (1613), Henry (1617), Dove (dau©1618), Jane (1620), Maria (1622). Then came burials: John (1624), Richard the Sonne of Thomas and Jane Watton (1639), and Jane the wife of Thomas Watton, buried the third of March, 1641. Since Jane was described as "wife" rather than "widow" or "relict", it seems probable that Thomas the father was still living in 1641."

CHILDREN: Please note these are baptisms and not actual dates of birth.^[1]

1. Thomas Watton b. May 1608, Castor, Northamptonshire, England, d. Dec 1609, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.
2. John Watton b. Jan 1610, Castor, Northamptonshire, England, d. 1624.
3. Agnes Watton b. May 1611, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.
4. Thomas Watton b. 27 Sep 1612, St. Kyneburgha, Castor, Northamptonshire, England; d. Bef 9 Dec 1670, Isle of Wight Co. VA
5. Richard Watton b. Mar 1613, Castor, Northamptonshire, England, d. 1639.
6. Henry Watton b. Jun 1617, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.
7. Dove Watton b. Dec 1618, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.
8. Jane Watton b. Jan 1620, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.
9. Marie Watton b. Jan 1622, Castor, Northamptonshire, England.

Research Note

A different Thomas Wotton (surgeon)

From Wikipedia (and other sources)

Born in England

Thomas Wotton was a surgeon who traveled to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 with the original group of colonists. Another surgeon, Will Wilkinson, also was among the first colonists.^[2]

Captain Christopher Newport who brought the first settlers from England took Wotton on his journey up the James River on the Susan Constant to the falls at Richmond, Virginia. Wotton stayed in Virginia to help care for the colonists.

In a compilation of abstracts of English wills from the 17th century, the compiler notes that Thomas Wotton, barber and surgeon, whose will was dated March 15, 1635 and proved April 28, 1638, may have been the same Thomas Wotton who accompanied the first settlers to Jamestown.^[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wotton_(surgeon)

The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, carrying 105 passengers, one of whom died during the voyage, departed from England in December 1606 and reached the Virginia coast in late April 1607. The expedition was led by Captain Christopher Newport. On May 13, after two weeks of exploration, the ships arrived at a site on the James River selected for its deep water anchorage and good defensive position.

https://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement/history-jamestown/

From John Smith's writings:

Traveled to Jamestown on original 1607 voyage

From May, to September, those that escaped, lived upon sturgeon, and sea-crabs, fifty in this time we buried, the rest seeing the president's projects to escape these miseries in our pinnace by flight (who all this time had neither felt want nor sickness) so moved our dead spirits, as we deposed him; and established Ratcliff in his place, (Gosnol being dead) Kendall deposed. I newly recovered, Martin and Ratcliff was by his care preserved and relieved, and the most of the soldiers recovered with the skillful diligence of Master Thomas Wotton our surgeon general.

From the book: "The Making of America", by Charles Higgins;

The history of the progress of medicine in America, as distinguished from surgery, is essentially the history of the men who practiced medicine. It had a beginning when Thomas Wotten came out with the expedition which sailed from England on December 19th, 1606, for Jamestown. This was before Harvey had announced his great discovery of the circulation of the blood. The world was new, doctors many, but scientists were few. The many theories and systems of the time may be compared to their religious creeds, and interest us no more. Wotten, the first of our pioneer doctors, with an education such as the England of that day afforded, probably was able to do little to help those of the colonists who fell sick. The high courage and vigor however which impelled him to the voyage to the distant and unknown land, seemed to make him a worthy predecessor to the long line of able men who have honored American science.

Sources

1. ↑ Recorded in the Castor Parish register (Currently (7/90) on file at the NORTHAMPTONSHIRE County Records Office in NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND), all of which probably took place in the Church of ST. KYNEBURGHA, CASTOR
   
2. ↑ https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/jamestown.htm
3. ↑ Withington, Lothrop. 'Virginia Gleanings in England: Abstracts of 17th and 18th-century English wills and administrations relating to Virginia and Virginians: a consolidation of articles from The Virginia magazine of history and biography'. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980. Reprinted 1998 by Clearfield Publishing Company. Excerpted from Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. ISBN 0-8063-0869-9. Retrieved March 2, 2013. p. 361.

• http://appalachianaristocracy.com/getperson.php?personID=I7252&tree=01
• "The Wootens of Edgecombe" (Edgecombe County, NC) (revised and updated, 1/16/98) A.R. Tyndall
• Richard C. Wooten, writing in the WOOTEN & RELATED FAMILIES JOURNAL
• Castor, Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England and historically part of Northamptonshire
• https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74089407