| Notes |
- (Research):Mayflower Passenger, servant to Stephen Hopkins family.
http://www.edward-doty.org/Doty-Doten/Doty.pdf
http://www.stephentowngenealogy.com/mayflowerfamilies.html
http://www.pivot.net/~jlinscott/doty.htm#JohnA
http://etext.virginia.edu/users/deetz/Plymouth/DOTEYED.htm
The ancestry of Edward Doty is unknown. He came on the Mayflower as an apprentice ("servant") to Stephen Hopkins. The Mormon's I.G.I. says Edward Doty was born in Shropshire, England on 14 May 1598, but this record is complete fiction. [For more information on this hoax, see The American Genealogist 63:215].
Another entry, which is circulated widely on the internet and is also on the 1994 I.G.I. addendum is that he was baptized 14 May 1598 in St. Mary le Strand, Thurburton Hills, Suffolk, England, son of John. This is just a perversion of the fictional Shropshire origins, and this record is, again, completely mythical. To begin with, there is no such place as Thurburton Hills, Suffolk. Further, the parish of St. Mary le Strand is in London not Suffolk, and contains absolutely no baptismal entries for any Edward Doty's from 1595 to 1600.
There are no fewer than eight known genuine Edward Doty baptisms that occurred between 1585 and 1605, but none have been conclusively identified as the Edward Doty of the Mayflower.
Edward was an apprentice (servant) to Stephen Hopkins, and apprentices could not generally get married until their contract term was up. William Bradford, in his journal Of Plymouth Plantation, states in early 1651 "But Edward Doty by a second wife hath seven children, and both he and they are living." Doty's mysterious first marriage must have occurred in Plymouth sometime after he was released from his contract with Hopkins (which apparently occurred between 1623 and 1627). Nothing is known about his first marriage, and all his children were by his second marriage to Faith Clarke
EDWARD DOTY'S WILL AND INVENTORY.
[Plym. Col. Wills, Vol. II, Pt. I, pp. 14 - 16]
[p. 14] May the 20th 1655
In the Name of God Amen
Know all men to whom It may concerne that I Edward Dotten senir: of the Towne of New Plymouth in New England being sicke and yett by the mercye of God in prfect memory and upon matture Consideration Doe by this my last will and Testament leave and bequeath my purchase land lying att Coaksett unto my sons; my son Edward I give a Double portion and to the rest of my sonnes equall alike if they live to the age of one and twenty if they Die before then to bee prted among the rest onely to my wife I leave a third During her life then after to returne to my sonnes, And unto my loveing wife I give and bequeath my house and lands and meadows within the precincts of New Plymouth together with all Chattles and moveables that are my proper goods onely Debts and engagements to bee paied; As for my Share of land att Punckquetest if it come to anything I give it unto my son Edward;
This being my last will and Testament; I Edward Dotten Doe owne it for my Act and Deed before these my loveing ffrinds whoe are Witnesses;
and Doe sett my hand to the same; the Day and yeare above
written
Witnesse
Edward Dotten
John howland his Marke
James hurst
John Cooke Ther being many names besides
Willam hoskins Coaksett I mean all my purchase
land According to the Deed
1. Edward Doty - he was born in 1600 at London, England.[2] He died 23 (or 28) Aug 1655 at Yarmouth, Barnstable Co. (or Plymouth, Plymouth Co.), Ma. He came to this country as a servant to the Stephen Hopkins family to work his passage on the Mayflower, which landed at Plymouth, Ma., in 1620. He fought the first and only duel in Plymouth Colony. He was the fortieth signer of the "Mayflower Compact." After becoming a freeman, he purchased land at Yarmouth, Cohasset and Dartmouth [Ma.]. His first wife's name is unknown. He married (2nd) 6 Jan 1634 at Plymouth, Ma. to Faith CLARK (or Clarke) (who arrived at Plymouth on the Frances in 1634 with her parents Tristram & Faith CLARK from Ipswich, England.[3] Tristram was aged 44 at this time. Faith was born in 1619; she married (2nd) 14 Mar 1666 to John PHILLIPS[4] on 14 Mar 1666/7. Faith was buried 21 Dec 1675, whereabouts unknown, [but possibly Marshfield, Ma.[5]]; her will is dated 12 Dec 1675 and proved 8 Jun 1676). According to William Bradford in his history of the Plymouth Plantation, 1912 edition, page 41, they had 7 children:[6]
'A careful search of his ancestral line and social standing at home was made in 1873 and it was found that Edward Doty or Doughty of the Mayflower was an English youth belonging to the same family as Sir Charles Montague Doty or Doughty, of Therbuton Hill, Suffolk County, England. The family has an ancient and honorable record dating back to the Norman Conquest. There is a well founded statement in writing that "Edward Doty ran away from his home in resentment of his older brother's inheritance of the home and emoluments," has not only foundation but truth, but there is more to it than this fact. Under the laws of primogeniture introduced by Norman lawyers soon after the Norman Conquest only the oldest son had any rights and the younger son in common with all others under the laws of England was obliged to serve his apprenticeship of seven years in order to earn his rights of citizenship. This was Edward Doty's situation when he entered the service of Stephen Hopkins and occupied the same position socially as that of any other member. He was of the party that set forth to explore the country, 6 Dec. 1620. That Doty and his fellow-apprentice were not at that time thoroughly Puritanic in their views may be judged from the fact that they fought a duel. A small part of the English people had come to disapprove of the duel, but the Pilgrim fathers saw fit to punish the combatants. They fought with swords and daggers and one was wounded in the hand, the other in the thigh. They were adjudged by the whole company "to have their head and feet tied together, and so to be for twenty-four hours, without meat and drink; which is begun to be inflicted, but within an hour, because of their great pains, at their own and their master's humble request, upon promise of better carriage, they are released by the Governor." His later disputes he took to court, and his names was found often as plaintiff or defendant in the civil court.'[7]
In 1624 he was granted land on Watson Hill, Plymouth, for a home lot. He had joined the church and was admitted a freeman before March 7, 1636-7. One of the first deeds at Plymouth on record is dated July 12, 1637, Edward Doty to Richard Derby. Doty signs with a mark. He had many real estate transactions and his rates show that he was in later life a man of property. His occupation is given as planter, indicating that he did not find much opportunity to follow his trade. In 1652 he was one of the purchasers of the Dartmouth tract.
Edward Doty is recorded as a contentious man, often getting himself in trouble with the law. On 18 June 1621 he fought a duel with Edward Leister, which would become the Colony's first (and only) duel. Neither were seriously injured, and both were subsequently punished by having their heels tied to their neck. However, their punishment was cut short due to their apparent suffering.
Doty was in court on a number of occasions, mostly in civil disputes. On 2 January 1632/3, Edward Doty was sued by three different people: John Washburn, Joseph Rogers, and William Bennett. It all appears to have been a disagreement about a trade of some hogs; John Washburn's case was thrown out, Joseph Rogers was awarded four bushels of corn. In William Bennett's case, Edward Doty was found guilty of slander, and fined 50 shillings. Two years later, in March 1633/4, Edward Doty was fined 9 shillings and 11 pence for drawing blood in a fight with Josias Cooke. In January 1637/8, Doty was fined for assaulting George Clarke.
In 1639, Edward Doty posted "bail" for John Coombes, who was charged with giving out poisoned drinks. There were a number of other civil disputes and court matters that Edward Doty was involved with. And however disagreeable in personality, Edward Doty was mostly involved in simple civil disputes and was never in any serious official trouble.
Edward fought a duel in single combat, with sword and dagger, against Edward Lister. Both men were wounded, one in the hand, the other in the thigh. Their punishment for this undignified behavior: the two men were sentenced to be tied together for twenty-four hours, without food or drink. But after an hour, "because of their great pains" they were released by the governor. And so it was that Edward, also, had the honor of being the recipient of the first pardon ever issued by the hand of an American governor.
|
Abt 1600 - 1655 (55 years)