Ralph DAYTON/DEIGHTON

  General Notes:

The first known American reference to Ralph Dayton is in New Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut, where he signed the Covenant of Habitancy in 1639 (New Haven Compact). On 17 March 1641/2, "Goodman Dighton" drew his lot for the small land parcels in the town. On 22 October 1645, the town ordered Goodman "Deighton" to "burne the playnes with all convenient speed, takeing the fittest season." On 10 March 1646/7, he was assigned a pew in the metting house. He took the Oath of Fidelity on 5 August 1647. That same year he petitioned the town for some extra land, and had a difference with a neighbor arbitrated.

He was a shoemaker by profession. In 1647, he was appointed by the town with two other shoemakers to test the shoes made by a fourth man whose work had caused complaints form the citizenry.

He was a resident of the New Haven Colony from 1639 until 1649. In that year, he removed across Long Island Sound to Southamptom, Suffolk Co., New York, then to nearby East Hampton where he resided by 1650. He was one of the signers of the "Original Compact or Civil Combination" founding the town. He served as a Representative at the Connecticut Colony's legislature in Hartford, and was chose Constable on 7 October 1651. He was appointed as a Magistrate on 11 November 1652.

He died in East Hampton in 1658, probably in September. His will, written on 25 July 1658, was probated on 22 September that year:

" July 25 1658 This is the last will and testament of Ralfe Dayton I will that my son Robert shall be executor to administer upon all. My will is that my wife shall have three score pounds sterling accourding to our agreement to be paid as followeth: 1st that she shall have the house and land that is at Southold which was her own in part of payment of the three scor poundes and the rest paide her out of the goodes she brought with her. Also my will is that my wife shall have her living in this house at Northampton till the time be ought for her owne which is now lett ought for a term which is about a year to come next December after the date hereof. But if she think good to give up this house before the tyme be expired that she have liberty to live in it that she shal be fried from it when she please. Also my will is that my sonn Samuell shall have this house and land at Northampton and my cart and plow and tow chanes and all my sowmaking tooles and cumeing tooles and the sorill horse which I had of Jonas Wood. Also my sonn Robert shall have my mortar and the half of the bees which is between Samuell. Also my will is that my daughter baker the two swarms that comes of Roberts peart of the bees. Also Robert shall have my chest and all that is in it and a feather bead and my littel gunn and the cheayn and half a beck of leather. Also my will is that my son Samuell shall have a flock bead and a pello with a drawer in it. Also two coverlets and one white blanket. Also my will is to give my sonn baker twenty pounds sterling to be equally devided betwext them if the groat do rise but if it does not, then they shall abate but not to rise. Also that when this groat comes to be valued and devided according to that will above mentioned that whearin the groat fales short of which I have desposed of to my children sevarally they shall abate proportionally according to what seavrall summs they have given to them or if it does rise above so to add proportionally. This is my full mynd and will -- in witnes hereof I have set to my hand."

Daughters of the American Revolution magazine, Volume 17 By Daughters of the American Revolution
THE DAYTON FAMILY.

The Dayton family are English and the name a Bedfordshire name. Ralph Dayton removed from Boston to New Haven in 1639, thence to South Hampton, Long Island. He remained there ten years. In 1650, about the time of colonizing East Hampton, Long Island, he removed to that place. In June, 1656, he married the widow of James Hinds, of Southold, Long Island. He died in 1658, leaving two sons, Robert and Samuel. In the town records of South Hampton, we find this paragraph:

"Sept. 22d, 1658. At a quarter court, the will of the late deceased, Ralf Dayton was brought into the court, and approved of by the magistrates, and the £10 that Robert Dayton wed to his father, he hath put it into the estate."

Robert, son of Ralph Dayton was born in 1628; died April 16, 1712. He married Elizabeth Woodruff and had Elizabeth, Samuel and Beriah born 1674.


Children
1. Ralph DAYTON b: BEF 28 JUN 1618
2. Alice DAYTON b: BEF 21 MAY 1620
3. Samuel DAYTON b: BEF 7 FEB 1624/25 in Ashford, Kent, England
4. Ellen DAYTON b: BEF 3 DEC 1626
5. Robert DAYTON b: BEF 3 JAN 1628/29

Ralph married Alice GOLDHATCH on 16 Jun 1617 in Ashford, Kent, England. (Alice GOLDHATCH was born on 24 Sep 1587 in Ashford, Kent, England and died about 1655 in New York.)