Sir Richard Saltonstall was born April 1586 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom to Samuel Saltonstall (1560-1612) and Anne Ramsden (1557-1615) and died October 1661 West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Grace Kaye (1579-1625) 2 July 1609 in Almondbury, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. He married Eleanor West (1593-1632) 1640 in Yorkshire, England.
Biography
Sir Richard Saltonstall (baptised Halifax, England 4 April 1586 – October 1661) led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630.
Parentage & Ancestry
Saltonstall was the eldest of eleven children by Samuel Saltonstall and Anne Ramsden. He was a nephew of the Lord Mayor of London Richard Saltonstall (1517–1600.
Early Life
Entered Clare College, Cambridge, 1603, but did not take a degree, then was admitted to the Middle Temple on 24 February 1605/6.
Fifteen years later, was knighted on 23 November 1618. He served as justice of the peace in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1625–1626 and was Lord of the Manor at Ledsham, which he got from the Harebreds and later sold to the Earl of Strafford. He left briefly for America in 1630.
1630 Winthrop Fleet
Arrival of the Winthrop Colony, by William F. Halsall
He was a passenger on the in the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, part of The Great Migration. It was the largest fleet ever assembled to carry Englishmen overseas to a new homeland. It was a well planned and financed expedition comprising eleven ships that carried 700 immigrants from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The group, led by Governor John Winthrop, sailed from April to July of 1630. The fleet landed at Salem. Of the 700 on board, 200 died during the voyage, and 100 returned to England soon after arrival. Some of the 400 remaining settlers stayed in Salem, but many moved on to Boston, Watertown, or other settlements.
Sir Richard became involved with the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629, signing the original charter of Massachusetts,[7] and was named to the emigrant committee and appointed first assistant to Governor John Winthrop.[4] After the death of his first wife, he sold his land in England[5] and set sail for New England with his family.[1][4] They boarded the Arbella on 26 August 1629 at Yarmouth,[8] off of the southern coast of England, with the Winthrop company and arrived in Salem, Massachusetts on 12 June 1630.[9]
Watertown Founders Monument
Watertown Founders Monument
He is listed on Watertown Founders Monument, commemorating the first settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. The town was first known as Saltonstall Plantation, one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements. Founded in early 1630 by a group of settlers led by Richard Saltonstall and George Phillips, it was officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.
Shortly after his arrival in New England, Sir Richard led a small party of planters, including Rev. George Phillips, up the Charles River on the Arbella. They brought several servants and cattle[10] on the trip to establish the Saltonstall Plantation at present day Watertown.[4] On 30 July 1630, the group of about 40 men at the Saltonstall Plantation entered into a "liberal church covenant".[11] He was soon appointed magistrate and justice of the peace.[7]
Return to England 1631
Despite a land grant of over 580 acres, Saltonstall decided to leave the colony because of the harsh winter. The illness of one of his daughters caused him to return to England. He maintained an interest in the colonies and was one of the patentees of the Connecticut Colony. On 29 March 1631, Sir Richard and his family, less two sons, travelled to Boston where they lodged at Governor Winthrop's house. The next morning they set sail for England.
Sir Richard Saltonstall settled in London and remained involved with colonial affairs. In a letter to two leaders of the Boston church, Saltonstall expressed his disapproval of their hypocritical punishments and religious persecutions.[4]
In 1631, Sir Richard, and several other English gentlemen and lords, were granted a patent of Connecticut by the Plymouth Council in England. The patentees appointed John Winthrop as governor and commissioned him to construct a fort at the mouth of the Connecticut River.[11] In 1635, he organized and funded[12] a party of over 20 men, led by Francis Stiles, to prepare a settlement in Connecticut for the arrival of the patentees.[13] This claim was heavily disputed and resulted in severe financial losses for Saltonstall.[6]
Ambassador to Holland
In 1644, Saltonstall was appointed ambassador to Holland, where his portrait was painted by Rembrandt.[3] In 1649, he, among others, was commissioned by parliament for the trial of the Duke of Hamilton, Lord Capel, and the Earl of Holland, for high treason.[4][11]
Wales Expedition
Sir Richard Saltonstall appears to have been in Newtown, Montgomeryshire (Powys), Wales at the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660. On 18 July 1660 the Council of King Charles II issued an order to Sir Matthew Price, High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire to take into safe custody Vavasour Powell (described as, "a most factious and dangerous minister"), Sir Richard Saltonstall, and Richard Price of Aberbechan.[4]
According to Sir Matthew Price's letters to Secretary Sir Edward Nicholas, Vavasour Powell, Sir Richard Saltonstall and Richard Price were concerned in a plot to depose King Charles II. Letters were found in their possession indicating the plot extended all the way to London. By 2 August 1660 Vavasour Powell was taken into custody, while Sir Richard Saltonstall and Capt. Richard Price "had left these parts" [Montgomeryshire].[4]
Marriage and Family
1st Marriage: Grace Kaye
Saltonstall married his first wife, Grace Kaye, around 1609. They had the following children: Richard, Rosamond, Grace, Robert, Samuel, and Henry.
Although Saltonstall only remained in Massachusetts for a brief time, his descendants (Henry and one other son) played a major role in New England history. The other children all returned to England.
- Richard Saltonstall (c1610-1694)
- Rosamond Saltonstall (1612-)
- Robert Saltonstall (1617-1650)
- Grace Saltonstall (1618-1696)
- Samuel Saltonstall (1618-1696)
- Henry Saltonstall (1619-1657) - graduated in the first class at Harvard in 1642.
- Peter Saltonstall (1622-)
2nd Marriage: Elizabeth West
After his wife died in 1625, Saltonstall married Lady Elizabeth West, by whom he had two additional children: Anne and John.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Richard Saltonstall (c1610-1694) | 1610 Almondbury, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom | 29 April 1694 Hulme, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom | Muriel Gurdon (c1613-c1688) |
| Rosamond Saltonstall (1612-) | |||
| Robert Saltonstall (1617-1650) | |||
| Grace Saltonstall (1618-1696) | |||
| Samuel Saltonstall (1618-1696) | |||
| Henry Saltonstall (1619-1657) | |||
| Peter Saltonstall (1622-) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Anne Saltonstall (1626-1675) | |||
| Mary Saltonstall (c1627-) | |||
| John Saltonstall (c1628-) | |||
Siblings
Residences
See Also
Footnotes (including sources)
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