• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Yeaton Full Register Report Perhaps, if the origin of the above coat of arms is found, we can find the English origins and ancestry of the Yeaton family. Given the fact that the Yeaton men maintained the “family business” of fishing for many generations and the fact that several families which settled in the New Castle area were from Devonshire, England, I suspect that the family is from the Devonshire or Cornwall area of that country. Yeaton is an “old name” in the Portsmouth, Rockingham co., New Hampshire area. Members of this family can also be found in the records of New Castle, Rochester and other neighboring towns to Portsmouth on the eastern coast of New Hampshire and Southern Maine. Another branch settled in the Essex co., MA area, soon migrating west and south to Middlesex co., MA & the Boston, Suffok do., MA area. Until very recently, research on this family was extremely difficult. The original emigrants settled first in New Castle, Rockingham co. and Isles of Shoals area of New Hampshire and the rugged Cape Elizabeth area of Maine. They were fishermen, probably illiterate and considered the official recording of births deaths and marriages an unimportant duty. Savage speculated that the name probably originates via a place name in England. (Probably referring to Yeadon, a town just northwest of Leeds, next to the airport. It seems highly unlikely, but not impossible, that the family would have migrated to America from that location in England at that particular time.) He further asserted that the first Yeaton(s) probably arrived in the area after 1700, since the name is not found in Colonial Records before that date. Other speculation was that three sons of an “unknown couple” migrated form “somewhere in England” and settled as fishermen in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH. Subsequent lore maintained that, “...they did not agree, and one went to Fryeburg, Me., one to Somerworth, and one remained at Goat Island, since called Newcastle...”[5] However, through the tireless research of Martin Hollick, this family can now be conclusively traced to one Richard Yeaton and his wife Hannah. In addition, the research of Carolyn Depp and my own research had helped to piece this family together into the form found below. Using primarily original records and sources, this research has led to the following corrected seven generation report which includes nearly every Yeaton I have yet come across. This family lost many sons to the sea. Commercial fishing is till one of the most dangerous occupations in America and that fact is brought home when you see generation upon generation of family men with the notation “lost at sea” after their names. The Great Gale of 20 October 1770 was one of the most destructive and violent ever on the New England coast. It was a vicious Nor’Easter that started late Friday, 19 October 1770 and continued in full force on Saturday, 20 October 1770. Contemporary readers would recognize it as having the strength and ferocity of “The Perfect Storm” of October 1990. “...In the bay at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, two schooners from Rye were out fishing, and were seen about sunset Friday night, but were never again heard from. On one of the vessels were six men, John Sanders and his son John, John Yeaton, William Thomas and two others and two boys; and on the other were Samuel Sanders, Joshua Foss, Samuel Sanders, Jr., and two boys...”[6] Surname variations include Eaton, Yaton, Yeaten, Yeating, Yeaton, Yeatten, Yeatton, Yeten, Yetten, Yetter, Yetting and Yetton. Hollick notes that “tax rates in the early part of the 18th century are broken down into two parts for New Castle: Great Island and Little Harbor. The Yeatons are consistently at Great Island.” Please note that William Haslet Jones’ book The Yeaton Family of New England 1680-1850 (Villa Park, IL: August 1987 -- also any subsequent editions) needs serious correction and should not be used as a source. Page 1 Yeaton Full Register Report First Generation ————————————————————————————————————————————— 1. Richard1 YEATON[1,2,3,4] was born circa 1658[2] and died on the Isle of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire circa August 1732; he was 74[2]. Richard was a Fisherman and Farmer[2] and like quite a few settlers in the New Castle/Portsmouth area, he may have been a Quaker[2]. Richard was noted as a selectman of Gosport in 1721[2,12] and was on the Rate List of New Castle, Rockingham co., NH circa 1724 as “Richard Yetton” -- a notation which was then underlined and struck out in the town records[11]. Gosport was a town on Star Island -- one of the Isles of Shoals, which is a set of nine small islands located 6 miles off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine and straddling the borders of both states. Gosport no longer exists and the Isles of Shoals are primarily occupied by tourists these days. Richard was a good & trusted neighbor, as seen by the fact that he was frequently called upon to take inventory & appraisal of their estates. He took inventory of the estate of Samuel Matthews of the Isles of Shoals on 26 September 1720[2,10]. On 1 June 1721, he took inventory on the estate of George Blagdon[2,8]. “Richard Yeaton” was authorized to appraise the estate of James Couch on 12 August 1721[2,9]. Finally, on 1 September 1722, Richard Yeaton “of Star Island” took inventory of the estate of James Blagdon[2,7]. Administration of his own estate was granted to his sons John & Samuel[6]. Circa 1680 when Richard was 22, he married Hannah [surname not known][2], who was born circa 1660[2]. William Hazlet Jones claims that she is Hannah DAVIS, daughter of Roger DAVIS as based on the facts that a Hannah Yeaton was named in a warrant on Star Island in 1693/4 and also in the quitclaim deed of Richard Yeaton to John Davis[2,3,13]. Highly probable, but I want other proof to back up a claim by Hazlet. They had the following children: 2 i. John 3 ii. Philip 4 iii. Joseph 5 iv. Benjamin 6 v. Samuel Generation: G8 Grandparents twice Person Numbers: 1136/1137 (via Richard) and 1156/1157 (via Benjamin) Second Generation ————————————————————————————————————————————— Family of Richard YEATON (1) & Hannah [surname not known] 2. John2 YEATON, Sr.[3,4] (Richard1) was born circa 1682 on the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire[2] and died in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH circa December 1756; he was 74[14]. Like his father, he was a Fisherman & Farmer[2] and was illiterate, being able to sign his name only by mark[15]. John lived primarily in New Castle, Rockingham co., NH, where he served as Constable in 1717 (as “John Yeatton” and collected the Town Rate[45]. Later, he served as Selectman in 1734/5[46]; Fence-Viewer in 1743/4[47]; Cullor Of Fish in 1743/4[47]; Selectman again in 1744/5[48] and Tythingman in 1744/5[48]. The break in his service between 1717 and 1734/5 is explained by the fact that he was living in Epsom, Merrimack co., NH during at least a part of that time span. Epsom was established on 18 May 1727 by people of Newcastle, Rye and Greenland, all in Rockingham co., NH[20] and is located roughly 5-7 miles east of Concord, Merrimack co., NH. Clearly, John was one of the New Castle residents who went to found this new town. He bought land there (Lot #51 in the second range) and was listed as a “Proprietor of Epsom” on 9 November 1732[20] -- even though he was listed as a head of household in New Castle during that same year[20,24]. His lands in Epsom were sold by several of his sons. Page 2 Yeaton Full Register Report His residences (although it seems that he, like many “adventurers” of the time who helped to found new towns in New England, he kept one foot in his town of origin) can be better pinpointed by Tax Records of the time. He came of age and had his own established household in New Castle by 1709 & 1709/10 when he was taxed at the Great Island part of town[32,33]. He remained in New Castle for the next 18 years or so. He was on the Town Rate list of 1713 as “John Yeating”[34]; on the Town Rate list of 1717 as “John Yetton”[35]; and on the Town Rate list in 1719[36]. He was further on the Town Tax list in 1720[2,22,37]; the Town Rate list in 1723[38] and on the School Rate list for that same year[39]. In 1723, he was on the Province Tax list as “John Yeatton”[39] and on the 1723 Tax Abatement list as “John Yetton”[40]. “John Yetton and son” were on the c. 1724 Rate List[11]. John alone was on the Town Rate list of 1725[41]; on the Province Tax list of 1726 as “John Yetton”[42]; and on the Town Rate list of 1727 as “John Yetton”[43]. At this point, it appears that he moved to Epsom, Merrimack co., NH as he is on the New Castle Abatement list in 1728[44]. At this time, he also starts dealing regularly in real estate. On 3 March 1729, he sold land on Great Island in New Castle to his brother Joseph, with his wife releasing her dower[20,26]. On 22 July 1730, he bought land from his “brother Philip”, location of land unknown[20,30], without his wife releasing her dower.

Load more

  61

Copy Link