Individual Details

Thomas Lawton

(17 Apr 1614 - 29 Sep 1681)

Events

Birth17 Apr 1614Cranfield,Bedfordshire,England
Marriage20 May 1635Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England - Elizabeth Salisbury
Event30 Apr 1639Portsmouth, Newport Co, Rhode Island
Marriage9 Aug 1663Portsmouth, RI - Grace Parsons
Death29 Sep 1681Portsmouth, Newport, RI

Families

SpouseElizabeth Salisbury (1616 - 1654)
ChildElizabeth Lawton (1637 - 1720)
ChildDaniel Lawton (1639 - 1719)
ChildRebecca Lawton (1641 - )
ChildAnn Lawton (1644 - 1703)
ChildSarah F. Lawton (1647 - 1718)
ChildIsaac Lawton (1650 - 1732)
SpouseGrace Parsons (1622 - 1679)
FatherGeorge Lawton (1581 - 1641)
MotherIsbell Smith (1585 - 1641)
SiblingGeorge Lawton (1607 - 1693)
SiblingSarah Lawton (1609 - 1674)
SiblingMary Lawton (1611 - 1676)
SiblingBennett Lawton (1613 - 1623)
SiblingIsaac Lawton (1616 - )
SiblingNicholas Lawton (1621 - )
SiblingElizabeth Lawton (1623 - )

Notes

Event

Thomas and Elizabeth were in Portsmouth soon after the first settlers. Shortly after their arrival, there was a schism in the community, with people loyal to the Hutchinsons remaining in Portsmouth and those loyal to William Coddington leaving to found Newport. Thomas was one of the 29 original signatories to the Portsmouth Compact, which was the governing compact for those who remained in Portsmouth. (Thomas signed his mark, while brother George was able to sign his name.) The compact read: '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 civil body politic, unto his laws according to matters of justice.'