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Over 50 years of research into the Stratton, Schneider, King, and allied families—from colonial Massachusetts to Indiana and beyond. Built by Bill & Karen Stratton.
Strattons of Massachusetts Bay
Running Through the Sands of Time
Samuel Stratton was born around 1592 in England, possibly in Gravesend, Kent, the son of John Stratton and Alice Piggot. He became the first of his family line to cross the Atlantic to the New World, arriving at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1633. After securing land, he returned to England, only to make the voyage back to America around 1647—this time bringing his wife Alice Beebe (daughter of Alexander Beebe and Elizabeth Hull) and their three sons: Samuel Jr., Richard, and Joseph.
Some genealogical sources suggest the family traveled on a ship called the "Godspeed," though documentation varies on this detail.
"The welfare of the commonwealth is the welfare of each member thereof." —Massachusetts Bay Colony Covenant
Samuel established himself as a man of good social standing in Watertown—the fourth town constituted in Massachusetts Bay Colony—where he served as surveyor of town lots as early as 1647 and was referred to by the title "Mister." He and his sons Samuel Jr. and John took the Oath of Fidelity on December 6, 1652, and all three appeared on the muster roll of the Watertown Militia, maintaining readiness to be called to service at any time.
Samuel acquired considerable real estate in Watertown and Concord, including several lots, a mansion, a barn, and an orchard. The family homestead—likely the property later known as "Elmwood" (the Oliver-Gerry-Lowell House in Cambridge)—was described in early Stratton wills and became a historic landmark, eventually home to Elbridge Gerry, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and other prominent Americans. In a 1672 deposition, Samuel stated he was eighty years old and his son John was thirty-nine.
"Dare to think for yourself." —Anne Bradstreet, Colonial Poet
Samuel and Alice Stratton were not typical strict Puritans; they demonstrated remarkable independence of thought and compassion during one of colonial New England's darkest chapters—decades before the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692. In 1648, when Margaret Jones of Charlestown, a healer whose blunt medical advice had unnerved some patients, was executed as a witch—probably the earliest such execution in the Boston region—Samuel publicly declared "that Jones's wife Died wrongfully, and was no witch and that the magistrates would doe anything for bribes." Alice likewise stated "that Goodwife Jones dyed wrongfully and was no more a witch than she was."
This bold stance came at a steep price. On October 30, 1649, the county court at Cambridge ordered Samuel and Alice to appear before the public assembly at Watertown, pay a fine of £5, and acknowledge their offense against the commonwealth and court. When they refused to fully recant—stating they acknowledged "the mercy of the magistrates" but remained "of the same mind" about the charges—Samuel was ordered to pay an additional £5 in April 1650. Samuel and Alice "were nearly suspected themselves and had to apologize publicly for contradicting the magistrates," according to recent historical research. Like other Watertown residents, Samuel had "strong convictions and the courage to maintain them."
In a remarkable postscript to this story, in 2025—more than 375 years later—Massachusetts legislators introduced House Bill 1927 to formally exonerate Margaret Jones and seven other pre-Salem witch trial victims, with Samuel and Alice Stratton's courageous defense of Jones specifically cited in testimony before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
"The family is the foundation of all society and good governance." —John Winthrop, Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony
Alice's death date is unknown; the last mention of her in records is November 9, 1649, and she had died before 1657. On June 27, 1657 (some sources say August 28, 1657), Samuel married Margaret Bowlins, daughter of Thomas Bowlins and widow of William Parker of Scituate and Boston; they were married in Boston by Governor John Endicott. Margaret outlived Samuel, dying as a widow in Watertown on December 7, 1676, aged 81.
Like many colonial landowners, Samuel employed indentured servants. In 1655, he purchased the indenture of Alexander Gordon (or "Gorthing"), a Scotsman who bound himself to six years of service. Gordon was among a group of Scotsmen whose situation illuminated the harsh conditions faced by bondservants in the early Massachusetts Bay Colony. On May 23, 1655, a petition was presented to the General Court of Massachusetts by Scotchmen seeking their freedom from servitude, arguing their conditions were unjust. The court, however, refused their petition, declining to grant relief to these bound laborers.
Alexander Gordon's indenture with Samuel Stratton, described as "Goodman Stratton, Planter of Watertowne," detailed the terms of his bondage. The contract required Alexander to perform "true and faithfull service" for the duration of his six-year term, prohibiting him from absenting himself "day or night" without permission. Such indentures were binding legal documents that committed workers to labor in exchange for passage, subsistence, and the promise of freedom dues upon completion of service—though enforcement of these terms often favored the master over the servant.
Samuel's will directed that his servant Thomas Cooper receive a cow after his death, suggesting some degree of care for those who labored for him—a modest gesture that nevertheless distinguished him from masters who left their servants nothing.
"A man's life and legacy are measured not by the riches he leaves behind, but by the children he raises and the principles he upholds." —William Bradford, Plymouth Colony Governor
Samuel Stratton Sr. made his will on December 19, 1672, "being in sound memory and understanding, But near my Death." He died on December 25, 1672, aged 80 years, and was buried in the Old Burying Place in Watertown. His will carefully distributed his real estate among his sons Samuel Jr. and John, and provided for his grandson Samuel (son of his deceased son Richard, who had died in 1658 at about age 30).
Samuel's descendants spread across almost every state in the Union—more than two thousand traced by genealogists by the early 20th century, and likely tens of thousands today. "In almost every case, they are among the substantial citizens of the towns in which they dwell—many occupy positions of trust and honor." Through courage, enterprise, and an uncommon willingness to speak truth to power, Samuel Stratton established a family line that would help shape American history for generations to come.
Samuel Stratton Sr. (c. 1592–1672) arrived in New England aboard the ship Planter in 1635 and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Alice Beebe, and they had at least three sons: Samuel Jr., Richard, and John. A planter and land proprietor, he served the town as selectman, surveyor, and constable for four decades. He is buried in the Old Burying Place in Watertown. He was the earliest traced ancestor of the Stratton line documented on this site.
—Wm. F. Stratton, April 2026
Over 50 years of research into the Stratton, Schneider, King, and allied families—from colonial Massachusetts to Indiana and beyond. Built by Bill & Karen Stratton.
If you are tracing a Stratton line, start here. Harriet Russell Stratton's two-volume Book of Strattons is the most comprehensive Stratton genealogy ever compiled—both volumes are free and fully searchable online.