The MOULTON Family of Charlestown and Salem

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First Generation

GEORGE DOWNING

Parents: Unknown

George Goode died between 15 Dec 1561, when he signed his will, and 26 Jun 1564, when it was proved. [Ref] He married Cecily Unknown.

In his will, he mentions his wife Cecily and his second and third sons, John and George. They were to go to grammer school and the University of Cambridge. [Ref]

Children of Thomas Goode and (possibly) Cecily Unknown:

Children of George Downing:

1. Unknown eldest son.
2. George Downing married Unknown Bellamy.
3. John Downing

Second Generation

GEORGE DOWNING

Parents: George Downing and possibly Cecily Unknown

George Downing died after 17 Jan 1610/11, when he signed his will. [Ref] He married Miss Bellamy. [Ref] She must have died before 1610/11, as she is not mentioned in her husband's will. [Ref]

He received his bachelors degree from Cambridge in 1573/4 and his masters degree in 1577. [Ref] He was master of the grammer school in Ipswich, co. Suffolk, in 1589 - 1610. [Ref]

Children of George Dowing and Miss Bellamy:

1. Emanuel Downing was baptised on 12 Aug 1585 in St. Lawrence, Ipswich. [Ref] He died about 1656/60, while on business in England or Scotland. [Ref] He married first Anne, the daughter of Sir James Ware of Dublin. [Ref] He married second Lucy, the younger sister of Gov. John Winthrop. [Ref]
   Emanuel came to New England on the Thomas and Frances, arriving by 1638. [Ref] Emanuel and Lucy were the parents of the famous Sir George Downing, after whom Downing Street in London is named. [Ref]
2. Nathaniel Downing was baptised on 8 Oct 1587 in St. Lawrence, Ipswich. [Ref] Nathaniel Downing, gentleman of London, died after 7 May 1616, when he signed his will. [Ref]
3. Susanne Downing married Francis Kerby, a "skinner" and merchant of London. [Ref]
4. Nahomie Downing probably married Richard Hill of London. [Ref]
5. Abigail Downing married John Goode.
6. Joseph Downing [Ref]

Third Generation

ROBERT MOULTON (d. 1655) of Charlestown and Salem

Parents: Unknown

Robert Moulton died between 20 Feb 1654/5, when he signed his will, and 15 May 1655, when inventory was taken on his estate. He married Alice Unknown. [Ref]

MacAllen [Ref] suggests that, based on his connections, Robert may have been from Great Yarmouth or the area around it.

Robert Moulton was a master shipwright. He was hired by the Massachusetts Bay Company to take charge of the shipwrights who sailed with the Higgonshon fleet of 1629. [Ref] "In a letter dated Gravesend, 17 April 1629, Gov. Craddock described Robert Moulton: 'We have sent six shipwrights of whom Robert Molton is chief...'" [Ref]

He came to New England in 1629. [Ref] He lived first in Salem, moved to Charlestown in 1630 and moved back to Salem in 1636. [Ref]

He is on the 18 May 1631 list of those who took the oath of freemen. [Ref] "Alice Molton" joined the church at Charlestown on 27 Dec 1632. [Ref] Robert Moulton was deputy to the General Court from Charlestown on 14 May 1634 and 6 May 1635. [Ref] He was the constable in Charlestown in 1634. [Ref] He was Selectman on 10 Feb 1634/5. [Ref] He was a lot layer and assessor on 9 Jan 1633/4. [Ref] He was deputy from Salem on 18 Apr 1637. [Ref] He was a Selectman in Salem in 1636 and 1637. [Ref] He was auditor in 1637 and tythingman on 7 Jul 1644. [Ref] He was on the committee to supervise the building of the seafort on 14 May 1634. [Ref]

Robert Moulton was foreman of the jury at the 27 (10) 1636 and 3 (8) 1637 meetings of the Court at Salem; he was a member of the jury at the 25 (4) 1539, 24 (7) 1639, 29 (7) 1640 and 29 (4) 1641 meetings of the Court at Salem; on 6 (5) 1647 he was on the trial jury. [Ref]

Robert Moulton was one of five Salem men disarmed for supporting Wheelwright and Hutchinson on 20 Nov 1637. [Ref]

He was attorney for John Grant when John sued Isaac Allerton at the 3 (8) 1637 meeting of the Court at Salem. [Ref] He was fined along with several others for keeping his cattle in the common corn field in Dec 1642. [Ref]

Robert Moulton of Salem signed his will on 20 Feb 1654/5. He mentions his son Robert, his grandson Robert and his daughter Dorothy Edwards. He also left 20 shillings to Goodwife Buffum and 10 shillings to Joshua Buffum. The inventory was taken on 15 (3) 1655 and his estate amounted to 113£ 8 s. It included his farm; eight cows, five young cattle, two yearlings and seven lambs; seven books; shipwright's tools. [Ref 1;395-6]

Children of Robert Moulton I and (presumably) Alice Unknown.

1. Robert Moulton died between 5 Sep and 3 Oct 1665. He married Abigail Goode.
2. Dorothy Moulton married first Abraham Finch. [Ref] Abraham, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Finch, died in 1637. [Ref] Dorothy married second John Edwards. [Ref] She married third Richard Tousley. [Ref]

JOHN GOODE

John Goode married Abigail Downing between 1618 and 1622. [Ref]

John was a "skinner": a dealer in hides, furs and leather. [Ref]

ABIGAIL DOWNING

Parents: George Downing and Unknown Bellamy

Children of John Goode and Abigail Downing

1. John Goode was born by 1615/16. [Ref] He is mentioned in the 7 May 1616 will of his mother's brother Nathaniel. [Ref]
2. Thomas Goode was born about 1620. He came to New England at age 15 on the Abigail as a servant of John Winthrop in 1635. [Ref]
3. Abigail Goode was born about 1618/22. She died between 5 Jan and 22 Mar 1665/6. She married Robert Moulton.

Fourth Generation

ROBERT MOULTON (d. 1665)

Parents: Robert Moulton and Deborah Unknown.

He died between 5 Sep and 3 Oct 1665. He married Abigail Goode. [Ref]

Robert Moulton (transcribed as "Houlton") is on a 14 May 1634 list of those who took the oath of freemen. [Ref]

Robert signed his will on 5 Sep 1665. He mentions his wife, sons Robert and Samuel, daughers Abigail and Hannah, younger sons John and Joseph and younger daughters Miriam and Mary. Inventory was taken on his estate on 3 (8) 1665. It amounted to £294.10s. [Ref]

ABIGAIL GOODE (abt 1618/22 - 1656)

Parents: John Goode and Abigail Downing

Abigail Goode was born about 1618/22. [Ref] She died between 5 Jan and 22 Mar 1665/6. [Ref] She married Robert Moulton about or soon after Feb 1640/1.

Abigail went to New England by 1640, to live in her uncle Emanuel's household. [Ref] Her aunt Lucy wrote to her sister in law, the wife of Gov. John Winthrop, in early 1640/1:

I thank you for the mayde. I have good hopes for her. My cozen [niece] NAB and she were fellow trauillers in the ship from Eng: NAB gives her the the report of a good carigd there: ... My mayde ABYGALL is suddaynlie to be mared to ROBERT MOULTON of this town: and I hope it may proue a blessing of comfort to her, for the parents and sonne [Moulton] are people of a religious peacable life and prouident in their estates. [Ref]

Her uncle Emanuel wrote to Governor Winthrop on 20 Jan 1640/1:

I have provided a verie good match for my neice NAB GOADE; he is old Moulton his only sonne, a member of our church, of 4 or 500 li [pounds] estate. [Ref]

Children of Robert Moulton and Abigail Goode:

1. Abigail Moulton was baptised on 22 (3) 1642 in Salem. [Ref]
2. Robert Moulton was baptised on 23 (4) 1644 in Salem. [Ref] He married Mary Cook.
3. Samuel Moulton died before Jun 1668, when inventory was taken on his estate. [Ref]
4. Hannah Moulton died on 20 Mar 1673 in Salem. [Ref] She married Thomas, the son of Thomas Flint, on 22 May 1666 in Salem. [Ref]
5. John Moulton was born on 25 (4) [before 1656] in Salem. [Ref] Based on his depositions that he was about 25 in Sep 1678 and about 29 on 12 Mar 1682/3 [Ref], his birth year was probably 1652. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Giles Corey, on 16 Sep 1684 in Marblehead. [Ref]
6. Joseph Moulton was born on 3 Jan 1656 in Salem. [Ref]
7. Miriam Moulton was born on __ Jan 1658 in Salem. [Ref] She married Joseph Bachelor on 8 (8) 1677 in Salem. [Ref]
8. Mary Moulton was born on 15 Jun 1661 in Salem. [Ref] She married William Lord, Jr. on 7 Apr 1680 in Salem. [Ref]

Fifth Generation

ROBERT MOULTON (bp. 1644) of Salem

Parents: Robert Moulton and Abigail Goode

Robert Moulton 3 was baptised on 23 (4) 1644 in Salem. [Ref] He married Mary Cook on 17 Jul 1672 in Salem. [Ref]

Robert deposed that he was about 33 in Sep 1678; about 34 on 11 (3) 1680 and about 39 on 12 Mar 1682/3. [Ref]

Robert had a feud with Giles Corey. He testified that Giles had threatened him about his planting in Sep 1678; Giles sued him for defamation about another matter, but withdrew his suit at the Nov 1678 court. [Ref]

Children of Robert Moulton 3 and Mary Cook

1. Robert Moulton married Hannah Groves.
2. Mary Moulton was born on 2 Jun 1673 in Salem. [Ref]
3. Ebenezer Moulton was born on 28 Apr 1678 in Salem. [Ref]
4. Abigail Moulton was born on 28 (12) 1681 in Salem. [Ref]

Sixth Generation

ROBERT MOULTON of Salem

Parents: Robert Moulton and Mary Cook

Robert Moulton of Salem Village married Hannah Groves of Beverly on 11 Apr 1698 in Salem. [Ref][Ref]

Robert Moulton and Thomas Durkee took inventory on the estate of Thomas Fuller; no date is given, but Thomas's will was proved on 6 May 1718. [Ref]

Children of Robert Moulton and Hannah Groves:

1. Hannah Moulton was born on 1 Aug 169_ in Salem. She died on 12 Jun 1782. She married Stephen Fuller.
2. Robert Moulton was born on 18 Dec 1700 in Salem. [Ref]
3. Mary Moulton was born on 30 Sep 1702 in Salem. [Ref]
4. Abigail Moulton was born on 13 Mar 170_ in Salem. [Ref] She was baptised in 1707 in Salem. [Ref]
5. Lydia Moulton was baptised on 4 Apr 1708 in Salem. [Ref] She may be the Abigail Moulton who married John Burdon on 13 Jan 1725/6 in Salem. [Ref]

Seventh Generation

HANNAH MOULTON (abt 1690 - 1782)

Parents: Robert Moulton and Hannah Groves

Hannah Moulton was born on 1 Aug 169_ in Salem. [Ref] She died on 12 Jun 1782, age 92, and is buried in the Litchfield Cemetery in Hampton, Windham, CT. [Ref] She married Stephen Fuller on 1 Jan 1723/4. [Ref]

References

Dow, George Francis, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Essex Institute, 1911.

Ferris, Mary Walton, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines: A memorial volume containing the American ancestry of Rufus R. Dawes, Milwaukee, Cuneo Press, 1931-1943.

Fuller, William Hyslop, Genealogy of Some Descendants of Thomas Fuller of Woburn, privately published 1919.

Great Migration Project: http://www.greatmigration.org/, entries for Robert Moulton and Daniel Finch.

Hale Collection, on the Windham County GenWeb Site.

MacAllen, Barbara, "The Great Yarmouth Company of Migrant Families," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 154, 2000, 215 - 217.

Mainwaring, Charles W., A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records, R. S. Peck & Co. Printers, Hartford, CT, 1904.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

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