The Tuttle's--Courage and Perseverance in the 1600's

Over twenty years ago I searched through a library book of passenger lists from centuries ago and confirmed what I had thought—William and Elizabeth Tuttle were the first of my ancestors to come to America.  That year was 1635; the ship was the Planter and it sailed from St. Albans, England to Boston, MA.   I didn’t know their ages or that their three young children (John 3 ½, Hanna 2 ¼, and Thomas 3 months) were accompanying them.  As I imagined what an incredibly difficult two and a half month journey it must have been I was overwhelmed with emotion.   I felt like I was part of that journey.  At the same time I felt tremendous gratitude for their courage and faith that they would reach their new land and that life would be better for all of them.  At 26 and 23, William and Elizabeth were on the adventure of a lifetime with no guarantees.

The ship itself was about the size of the Mayflower and carried 125 passengers, including William’s two brothers—Richard and John, along with their families, and mother Isabelle.  It’s doubtful that Isabelle survived very long since no mention is made of her in America.  Several years later John returned to England.  I wonder what caused his return and why William and Richard stayed.  What if William, my direct ancestor had returned to England along with John or instead of him?  I guess that’s part of my fascination with genealogy.

According to genealogy records by Donald Tuttle, the passenger ship listed the family as the Tuttells, which at some point was changed to Tuttle.  By 1639 William and Elizabeth had moved from Charleston, MA to New Haven, Connecticut.  There they acquired land that later became the first property owned by Yale College. The Tuttle Homestead was Yale’s only property for 30 years.  William was one of 16 of the original proprietors of a home in New Haven in the late 1630’s. He died in 1673 and is buried on the grounds of Yale University, under the Green. Elizabeth, who lived for another eleven years, is buried nearby.

Years ago my cousin Judy, fascinated with the history of the Tuttle family, traveled to Yale to continue her research.  There she had access to records from the 1600’s.  She returned home with an abundance of stories and family history, which she shared with me. I will be forever grateful.

From early records I learned that Sarah Tuttle, the seventh child of William and Elizabeth was a bit of a rebel.  She became involved with “Jacob Melyn, a Dutchman from New Amsterdam” (New York) and the two were prosecuted for “sinful dalliance.”  According to records, “They were sitting down on a chest together, his arm about her waist and her arm upon his shoulder or about his neck, and continued in this sinful position for about half an hour during which time he kissed her, and she kissed him, and they kissed one another as the witnesses testify.”

Surprisingly, it was William, Sarah’s father who made the Complaint.  The law of the day stated that the suitor needed to obtain the permission of the parent or guardian or pay a fine of 40 shillings. A second offense would cost four pounds, and a third offense could result in imprisonment or even corporal punishment. William was apparently not happy that Jacob had vied for his daughter’s affections. In addition, he didn’t like or trust him.   Sarah told the court that she didn’t think there was anything sinful about her actions. Apparently she was a woman ahead of her time and full of spirit.  The puritanical wisdom of the day disagreed with her.  The court said that “they had carried on in such a wanton, uncivil and lascivious manner, they are sentenced to pay each of them 20 shillings to the treasurer.”  Three years after that Sarah married another man, perhaps because Jacob had already married.  I laughed at Donald Tuttle’s observation:  “Sarah’s kiss, as you see, had no dire results.  The Dutch, at any rate, were repulsed.  Sarah was the first girl of the family born in this country, and the first of the family with spirit enough to rebel against the blue laws of the day.”

William, as it turned out, had some problems of his own.  He, along with a fellow named Jeremy Watts was fined for sleeping at the watch house. He was serving as “fence sitter” to alert the community of potential dangers. He said that he was overcome, and “Jeremy being sentinel, he sat down on the threshold and slept.”

William appeared to be a prominent and respected member of his community.  He is often referred to in the historic records of New Haven, Connecticut.  He served in different capacities, as arbitrator, juror, and constable.

As for Elizabeth, Donald Tuttle had this to say:  “We know little about her, but she must have been a good and true wife and mother, for she reared all of her twelve children to maturity amidst privations and dangers unknown today.”

I did discover some shocking information about Benjamin, the son of William and Elizabeth Tuttle.  He and Sarah had a violent argument, witnessed by their mother Elizabeth and suddenly he attacked and killed Sarah. The year was 1676 and William had died three years earlier. Benjamin was later brought to trial and sentenced to death at the age of 29.  Sarah was 34.

A few well-known historical figures were also part of my ancestry.  I learned that Aaron Burr, who was Vice-President under Thomas Jefferson was William and Elizabeth Tuttle’s third great grandson.  Burr is famously known for his duel with Alexander Hamilton, in which Hamilton was killed. He became a very controversial figure, but numerous books have been written about him recently which shed a much more positive light.

Jonathan Edwards, known as “The Divine”, because of his fiery preaching methods, which were both loved and hated, was the son of William’s daughter Elizabeth who married Richard Edwards.  Jonathan was known for his great intelligence and was sometimes referred to as “the last of the great Puritans.” He entered Yale University at the age of 13 and graduated at 17, at the top of his class.  He became the third president of Princeton.  Many of his descendants went on to become college presidents, surgeons and judges, as well as people involved in finance.

My grandmother (Myrtle Tuttle) and my grandfather Oluf from Norway

Over 375 years have passed since the Tuttle’s left England. Some of the people on board The Planter in 1635 were fleeing from religious persecution.  I don’t know if that was the case with my ancestors, but I do know that they have always fascinated me.  My grandmother, Myrtle Tuttle was a descendant of William and Elizabeth Tuttle.  She was a strong woman who raised nine children and was married for over 60 years.  She was feisty and yet tender-hearted, and as my mother would have said, proud of her heritage.  I’m proud of that heritage as well and one day I would love to visit the area where my ancestors came from.  Over twenty years ago when I was in England my friend Angie contacted a Mrs. Tuttle on Hayling Island, telling her about my ancestors.  She was a lovely lady and we wrote letters back and forth for several years.  She also sent me a Coat-of-Arms of the Tuttle family.  It was a chance connection and I was always thrilled when a letter arrived from her in England. Thanks be to Mrs. Tuttle and to my first ancestors to America, William and Elizabeth Tuttle.