Richard Denton, lll, Reverend - The Origins of Reverend Richard Denton

We know that it's unlikely Denton arrived before 1638, so we can disregard that part. This list might be worth looking at again:

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The names of six of the Watertown Church members are preserved in the Colonial records, four of whom are on the list of the Original Proprietors of Hempstead in 1647. The plantation of Wethersfield, of which Mr. Denton was the leader, as well as the minister of the Church, was prosperous, and its numbers greatly increased. ...

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So here's the "flock" Denton lead. Who if anyone was a prior acquaintance?

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I also see the Church is making no claim of Essex in this study. Wonder how that came about. But deceased in 1662 is consistent.

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I'm inclined to think that Krumm's speculation that Daniel attended to estate business on his trip to England is just that - speculation. There is no indication Daniel was enriched by his English expedition, in fact rather the opposite! He loses his wife, doesn't seem to have been enriched by land speculation in the jersey province, and ends up raising his second family in a well settled area ....

https://books.google.com/books?id=064ybBytdDcC&lpg=PA147&dq... page 147 of Genealogical and Biographical Notes: Haring-Herring, Clark, Denton, White, Griggs, Judd, and Related Families Peter Haring Judd, 2005 - Connecticut - 277 pages is a good study.

I do wonder if the conflicts Rev Denton ran into were more political than theological. The theological issue was baptism & Denton did baptism for anyone asking is what I get?

The Dutch were really happy with his work for example, and surely the Dutch Reformed Church liturgy etc was some bits different from what he knew.

Presbyterian vs Congregational was, it seems, more a way of organizing structures of churches than the ritual. My understanding from early settlements was that there were usually two working in the churches: the teaching Elder (think "Elder" Brewster of the Plymouth colony, who was not ordained), and the minister who was actually paid a salary voted on by the congregation.

Rev Denton has issues with the latter. But also, he was a restless pioneer opening up new territory, wasn't he? Like Daniel ....

The histories which include descriptions of Rev. Denton remind of the Suffi story about the blind men describing the elephant. I see many different stories, each containing an element of truth, but I still don't know whether it is a snake, a pillar or a spear in front of me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant

Yes, if Rev. Denton had received a letter of termination and if that letter had remained at Coley, then Heywood would likely have been more precise. But if Rev. Denton resigned, any letter would have been sent to Halifax or York. I suspect Heywood's 7 years was based on stories from his parishioners who had been there when Rev. Denton was there. He may also have heard accounts about Rev. Denton from other local priests. There also may have been other Coley Chapel papers that indicated Rev. Denton was there at certain times but not the precise date when he left. The question might then be when did the 7 years begin and when did they end? This calculation is where the Suffi story comes into play. But we do have other evidence.

We know that Rev. Denton was living in Bolton and preaching at Turton until at least 9 March 1629 (Gregorian) because we have a baptism record for Nathaniel in Bolton on that date. We also know that Rev. Denton was at Coley by 29 May 1631 because his son Samuel was baptised in Halifax on that date. Krumm said his daughter Phoebe was also baptised there on 30 November 1634. We also know there is no evidence that Rev. Denton was made a freeman in Watertown. We also know that Richard Marsh was appointed the Vicar of Halifax on 12 April 1638 and immediately required reading from the Book of Sports causing Rev. Rogers to resign on 14 May 1638. The first evidence of Rev. Denton's existence in America is the 10 April 1640 Wethersfield deed.

Based on this evidence, the blind man who said Rev. Denton was in Watertown in 1630 was wrong. The blind man who said Rev. Denton was in Watertown in 1634 after spending 7 years at Coley was wrong because Rev. Denton was at Turton from 1627 until about 1631 and if that blind man was correct about 7 years at Coley, Rev. Denton would have been at Coley until 1638. The blind man who said Rev. Denton arrived in Watertown in 1634 and left there for Wethersfield in 1635 is wrong because (1) Phoebe was baptised in Halifax in November 1634, (2) there is no evidence Rev. Denton was ever in Watertown, (3) Rev. Denton was not named on the 26 April 1636 Court document allowing a church in Wethersfield, despite claims to the contrary (4) Rev. John Sherman was the first preacher in Wethersfield and Rev. Denton succeeded him and (5) the first evidence of Rev. Denton's existence in Wethersfield is the 10 April 1640 deed.

The appointment of Richard Marsh as Vicar of Halifax on 12 April 1638, about 7 years after Samuel's baptism in Halifax on 29 May 1631, aligns well with Rev. Heywood's statement that Rev. Denton was at Coley for about 7 years.

I think you are right that there is no evidence Rev. Denton brought anyone with him. It seems to me there were only a few familiar Halifax names among the residents of Wethersfield in 1640-41. But even if he brought no one with him from Halifax, he still might have traveled with a larger group from Yorkshire. The problem is that we just have the descriptions of parts of the elephant from numerous blind men. And unfortunately, we are at least partially blind, too.
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I noticed the 4 March 1658 book entry for the Rev's salary. Now we know he was still in Hempstead at least into March, 1658.

So we have the passenger list of the John of London with Ezekiel Rogers who presumably came first and mysterious ships full of Yorkshireman following, with proof that the numbers have been exaggerated. (No parishes were emptied out). The ones we know of settled Rowley MA after supposedly having been contracted for the ultra conservative New Haven Colony, if I remember this right.

It is hard to think that Rev Denton was not part of that "fleet"; did he just hitch a ride? Seems a bit unlikely ...

The religious turmoil in Yorkshire in 1638 was sufficient to cause Rev. Rogers and many commoners or yeomen from Rowley and environs to hire at least one ship to head for the New World. It was also sufficient to cause Rev. Denton to leave. We may not know how many others left Yorkshire or how many ships it took, but it does not take much imagination to believe it was more than one ship. And, they did not all need to leave as a "fleet," whatever the number.

I would postulate that there were at least a few parishioners from each of the various Halifax churches and chapels (e.g. Heptonstall, Elland, etc.) who were like-minded and ready to try the New World. They could have organized themselves and received at least some help from Rev. Rogers who was near Hull. We know that the cloth trade was doing well in Halifax and there may have been plenty of yeomen who had enough money to finance the venture. They may all have chipped in an extra quid or two to have a priest on board to say some prayers on the dangerous voyage into the unknown. In addition, the parents of Rev. Denton and Maria Durden may have helped to finance the trip.

I would be looking for a wealthy sponsor like Saltonstall. And someone(s) funded the renovation at Coley Chapel Denton executed. Priestley was well off until the Civil War; we postulate was married in to his family. All the evidence I've seen is that Denton was a poor man until his short lived 18 acres in CT.

But someone(s) believed in his talents (already on exhibit at Coley) and believed in his bodily danger if staying.

Rogers was the organizing guy. I think
I am having trouble thinking the Rev wouldn't risk his babies unless he had assurances that a position would be awaiting him in New England.

Assurance of a position waiting in New England:

That is another argument for the timing of Rev. Denton's arrival in Wethersfield which may be the same as his arrival in New England. Rev. Sherman was already setting the stage to leave Wethersfield in late 1639. Very close upon Rev. Denton's arrival, Rev. Sherman did leave for Milford, New Haven. That suggests some pre-planning by Denton and Sherman. Rev. Denton may still have been in Yorkshire in 1639 while completing a deal to preach at Wethersfield. Perhaps Rev. John Davenport was involved in making the arrangements. (The following is from my timeline about Wethersfield above on 5/24/2017 at 1:55 PM.)

1639, 20 November - Rev. Sherman on list of free planters in Milford, CT
1640, 10 April - Rev. Denton received deed for 15 acres in Wethersfield.
1640, 7 May - Rev. Sherman freed from the watch in Wethersfield.
1640, 20 Nov - Rev. Sherman admitted to church in Milford, New Haven, CT

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Davenport_(minister)_ would have been on the opposing side of the infant baptism controversy.

By an odd coincidence I was just working on a child of the Theophilus Eaton mentioned in the article. She married Valentine Hill and somehow there had been a genealogical mixup in this family with Love Parsons & Peter Lurvey of Gloucester, who are in my ancestry. Seems very far from this stiff necked guy!

I'll look at Rev Sherman next.

... And that's a bingo.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=27163004

John Sherman, b. Dedham, Essex, England, Dec. 26, 1613, son of Edmund and Grace (Makin) Sherman; matriculated sizar at St. Catherine's Hall, Camb., Easter, 1631; declined to subscribe for his degreee; came to N.E., 1634; ...

Partners in sizar misery at St Catherine's! not contemporaries, but how many do you think there were? A couple a year?

For one-stop financing of the Reverend's trip, I would bet on the Sunderlands or the Saltonstalls.

Since a Saltonstall had endowed Coley Chapel as early as 1530, it would not be surprising to see Saltonstall money involved.
"A Concise History of the Parish and Vicarage of Halifax, in the County of York," John Crabtree (1836), p. 386
https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00crab

And then you have the Sunderland (of Sunderland Hall) and their wealth and connection to the Saltonstalls through Mary Saltonstall and Richard Sunderland with Coley Hall being part of an inheritance.
"Chapters on the Early Registers of Halifax Parish Church," Walter James Walker (1885), p. 35
https://books.google.com/books?id=9sHFAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=...

So since Sherman & Denton are a dozen years different in age & not from the same area, i would think it's a St Catherine's tutor who was the intermediary.

Yes, I would call Sherman at St. Catharine's a bingo.

Could John Knowles have been the bridge between the two of them?

There's something about Sunderland that nags at me for a family connection to Priestley. There is no doubt they were wealthy lords of the manor, involved with the Heath School, churches in Halifax, etc.

But it was Saltonstall who was all involved with colonial adventuring.

So how do the Halifax people get involved with the Hull people? Shelf .... Saltonstall had Halifax property.

While Rev. Denton and Rev. Davenport may have been on opposing sides of the baptism controversy, perhaps they did not now that much about each other's theological beliefs until they were in the same neighborhood (New Haven and Stamford). But those differences could, then, have prompted the move from Stamford to Hemtead.

If nothing else, Hull would have been important as the closest port to Halifax. Merchants in Halifax would likely have had connections with shippers in Hull. Perhaps there was a cloth or wool trade across the Channel to Holland. The connection did not need to be through the church. It could have been clothier to shipper.

I'm sure the Saltonstall's were well known in Halifax and had many local connections including property & family.

The question would be if they were involved with Rev Rogers enterprise.

Re: Davenport. He was a big enchilada, Rev Denton at that point a poor country curate. I don't see a connection point in England. And we have a smoking gun with Sherman. Sherman is ready to move on, needs a replacement, contacted friends & acquaintances, Denton emerged as a candidate. The colonists prioritized getting ministers, hired sight unseen based on recommendations. Denton with his MA? Oh yeah. I doubt Davenport had anything to say one way or another at that point; after all, a sight unseen hire could always move on or have his contract not renewed. He probably did not anticipate the bitter fight & congregation Migration; but on that other hand, daughter colonies were spun off all the time. Usually without difficulty however. :)

Pulling up stakes for the wild Dutch country of Hempstead was a big move. I wonder if there was more to it than the theological dispute. It was Yorkshire men settling what became New YORK. English took over in 1664. Daniel Denton is recruiting for what had been New Netherlands in 1670. There's a merchant adventurer in London with court connections from Yorkshire in this story.

From the Davenport article:

"Convention required that Davenport secure a release from his former congregation before accepting a new post ..."

So Sherman would in theory have needed a similar release

Here is another possible connection between Rev Denton and Rev John Sherman. Sherman was from Dedham in Essex. Rev. Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley was from Wethersfield Essex. Ezekiel Rogers was the son of Richard Rogers of Wethersfield Essex. Perhaps Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley was the bridge to Sherman through his father Richard Rogers in Wethersfield, Essex.

Nice! Was Richard Rogers clergy or a university man?

And the Shermans had clothiers in the family. Remember the network went from north of Yorkshire all the way to Kent. I'm sure plenty of chances to brag on their college attending sons and nephews.

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From https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=37235068

In his will of 14 June 1643, "Samuel Sherman of Dedham in the County of Essex, clothier, brother of this Edmund Sherman, included bequests to ....

Rather than Richard Rogers, I should have said Daniel Rogers. Both Daniel and Ezekiel were sons of Richard. See the Wikipedia article about Daniel here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Rogers_(Puritan)

Daniel was clergy and also got his BA from Cambridge.

Seems like plenty of opportunities for Reverends Denton and Sherman to make contact.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel_Rogers_

Morose and Presbyterian brother Daniel ... (I notice court connections however)

He was a son of Richard Rogers, who held the living of Wethersfield in Essex, and younger brother of Daniel Rogers. He graduated M.A. from Christ's College, Cambridge in 1604,[1] and became chaplain in the family of Sir Francis Barrington in Essex. He was preferred by his patron to the living of Rowley in Yorkshire.[2]

In December 1638, after seventeen years of service, Rogers was discharged from his post as rector of Rowley, after he had refused to read The Book of Sports. Believing the future of Puritanism was at stake, he left for the New World with the members of twenty families of his congregation.[2]

He arrived in New England in December 1638 with the families on the ship John of London, and wintered at Salem, Massachusetts. The first printing press brought to America came on board the ship with them, with the printer Stephen Daye.[3] Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport were then setting up their colony at New Haven; they tried to enlist Rogers, but without success.[2]

4. The wife's family tree, her family emigrated 1630 homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~marshall/esmd266.htm

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Notice:

- Davenport tried to recruit Rogers and he kept his distance. This is about more than theology, perhaps. This is the political structure Davenport advocated, and it just didn't sit well with the (cheeky) Yorkshiremen, perhaps
- that 1638 edict was a Very Big Deal. These were not the radical separatists of the early 1620s who faced Holland, death, or Indians; this batch of Puritans had worked uneasily but OK within the church structures, I'm sure it helped being off in the boonies and perhaps not under so much scrutiny. And that changed.
- I honestly believe they may have feared for their lives as well as their livelihood. And also, perhaps, knew that revolution was in the air, and wanted to stay out of the way of war.

Anyway, Rogers sounds strong minded, practical, and plugged in. It's harder to gain an impression of Sherman, he died too soon.

Rogers father in law - first minister of the first church of Boston

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilson_(minister)_

During his journey across Ireland and England, Wilson was able to minister to many people, and tell them about New England. In his journal, John Winthrop noted that while in Ireland, Wilson "gave much satisfaction to the Christians there about New England."[22] Leaving England for the final time on 10 August 1635 ---

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Seed planted for emigration?

I think Daniel and Ezekiel Rogers father was the source of the fire and independence. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Rogers_(theolo...=

Sizar at Cambridge. Presbyterian.

Was there a sizar alumni association :)

Surely Rev Denton studied his works and would not have hesitated in seeking out his son if he had heard of the proposed expedition.

Richard Rogers studied under https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Perkins_(theologian)_

I notice in his article that only unmarried men could be Fellows at Cambridge.

So he became a Lecturer after marriage.