I am looking for Tax or other government records or lists prior to 1687 last list my ancestor Nicholas Utter who in 1687 shows up on a list residents of Kings Town, Rhode Island. Later his decendants that are related to me are at Stonnington, Connecticut, Westerly, Rhode Island, Preston, Connecticut and finally Greenwich and neighbouring Stamford, Connecticut.

Nicholas Utter Sr. was a Swede who first settled at New Sweden in 1654 and remained in America after New Sweden was taken by the Dutch and at some point after that made his to Rhode Island. Because of the lack of records I have not yet figured out when he arrived in Rhode Island or at Kings Town.

regards

Donald Clink Toronto, Ontario, Canada

There are many books with records regarding Nicholas Utter. For Starters there is "One Hundred & Sixty Allied Families" by John Osborn Austin Privately Printed 1893 pages 251 & 252 where it states that he died in 1722 and his will was proved Aug 17,1722. His wife was Elizabeth. He died in or near Stonington CT.

Other Books are "Genealogies of RI Families Volume II where he is listed on a Tax List "Taxes under Gov Andros on Pg 593, also Genelaogies of RI Families Volume II, RI Vital Records New Series Volume 4, RI Genealogical Register Volume 1 No 4, Volume 15, Volume 2 and others. There are many additional books and places to get documentation. In one it mentions the sale of Land to his son Nicholas and therefore indicates Land Records are available.

Some of these books should be available at your local Genealogy Library and/or the FHL in Canada. I have found many NE books at various libraries when I have been researching in Ontario.

Let me know if this helps

Pat Regan in FL
Another Descendant of Nicholas Utter

Hi Pat,
I am a descendant of Mrs Stephen Clink (1780-1861) who was Christianna Utter daughter of John Utter born abt. 1750 probably in Fairfield or New London, Connecticut. Christianna's great-grandparents were John Utter and Jemima Benjamin and this Utter line descends from Thomas Utter a son of old Nicholas Utter.

The record you mentioned of Gov. Andros that I also have seen was from 1687 or something like that; but that is the earliest record I have seen in Rhode Island for our ancestor. There is thus this 30 yr. gap from the time he arrived at New Sweden in the mid 1650's to 1687 for my records. I have seen some of the early 18th century land transactions which list him and his sons before he died. I also have some accounts of his early years and that of the Swedes at New Sweden; but little else on Nicholas Utter. The next few generations that are related to me seem to have been residing in Preston, New London Connecticut for a number of years in the 1700's and Christianna's grandfather seems to have located at Preston and Westerly, Rhode Island shortly after his marriage to a woman named Hannah who we believe to have been a Greenwich, Palmer apparently of the Denham Palmer Sr. family of Greenwich, Connecticut. Later Utters of our family group named their children Palmer Utter and Christianna's father John Utter was infact looked after in his teens by his guardian Uncle Denham Palmer according to Stamford, Connecticut records in the 1760's

So that is how I fit into the Nicholas Utter family. Christianna's father and two brothers came to New York State about the time of the revolution and her father apparently lived with the two brother in Tryon County where loyalist support was strong and he briefly joined up or was recruited into a loyalist militia probably as Burgoyne and his forces made into New York State from Canada in 1777.

After British General Burgoyne's defeat and capture at Saratoga, New York, most of his loyalist troops had already escaped to Canada because of Burgoyne's fear they would be mistreated or killed by their captors as loyalist soldiers were regarded by the local militias and the population as traitors to their County. Many in New York State, strongly were against the war as much as they were pro British; but were compelled to either join up with their local militia on the rebel side or join with the "enemy". Neutrality seems to have been an option for only a few during the war.

In fact many local loyalists because the prisons were too small and loyalists too numerous were paroled with a fine and a warning; so it would seem with my Utter ancestor. John Utter it fairly certain escaped lengthy imprisonment, did not go to Canada to receive official loyalist status or to rejoin with the other Tryon and other New York loyalist, instead he married Margaret Houghteling of an old Dutch New York family whose father Henry Hougteling lived near present day Claverack at a village called Nobletown (present day Hilsdale). John Utter probably married Margaret about 1777-1778 as his first son John Utter JR. was known to have been born abt. 1778 for certain in New York State. The next child as far as we know was my ancestor Christianna Utter born abt. 1780. John Utter Sr. and his family settled farther north up the Hudson River in Albany County, Coeymans Township by the late 1780's apparently following John's older brother Dr. David Palmer Utter who purchased land in Albany County beginning in the mid 1780's and subsequently purchased land also at Coeymans in the late 1780's.

Dr. David Palmer Utter, although not known to have served on the loyalist side during the war, apparently expressed his unhappiness some years after the Revolutionary War with the new government in Albany, New York and later considered himself to be pro British. This then appears to be the reason why he was banished from Albany County and New York State in 1790,lost his medical practice and had his small estate confiscated. To make matters worse his first wife Lydia Eaton did not accompany him to Canada and at some point around this time divorced him and married his neighbour in Coeysman, New York.

Dr. Utter first arrived at Grimsby, Upper Canada in 1790 and in 1796 petitioned the Crown for a land grant in neighbouring Saltfleet Township in compensation for his mistreatment and losses. Although the Crown did not grant him loyalist status his petition was accepted and he received a generous 243 acre land grant at Saltfleet TOwnship in 1796. By 1803 or 1804, my ancestor John Utter Sr, the Doctor's brother was invited to come up to Canada with his three sons in Coeymans, New York and farm a 50 acre portion of Dr. Utter's land grant near Lake Ontario.

In 1811, John's daughter, Christianna Utter and her husband Stephen Clink 1786-1871, my great-great-great grandfather of Albany County, New York came up with wife Christianna and my then infant great-great grandfather John Utter Clink (1810-1887) to settle first of all at Saltfleet with the Utter family.

Several years later Stephen Clink applied for a land grant in 1819 and eventually by 1821 the Stephen Clink family established a farm in Erin Township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. That greatly symplified is how my Utter connected Clink family ended up in Canada from Albany County, New York State.

Hope this tale is of some interest to you Pat and any of the Utter researchers. I have compiled as much as I can of my Connecticut/New York/Ontario John Utter family, his ancestors and particulary descendants over the last few years. But always looking for info on John Senior's family in old Connecticut and Rhode Island if it turns up. Thanks again for your suggestions. I have also seen the Waterman book; but it does not dwell much on our branch of the Connecticut Utter family I think. I am also researching the David Palmer/Denham Palmer family Greenwich, Connecticut Genealogy as I am apparently a descendant of this family through John Utter's mothers family.
regards
Donald Clink

regards
Donald Clink

I have just started investigating this line so don't have information. I am interested in resources if you will share.

Here is some information I have on him. He's an ancestor of mine as well. -Jennifer in Orlando
_________________

1630: Nicholas Mattson Utter was born at Stockholm, Sweden.
"Nicholas Utter of Westerly, Rhode Island, and a few of his descendents" by Katherine Minerva Utter Waterman; Utter Company, publisher; 1941 (929.2 UT8W ACPL)

1653: " . . . list of soldiers, sailors, etc., on which appears Nils Mattson Utter, soldier, hired in Stockholm. The Swedish Governor, Rising, had arranged with the victorious Stuyvesant for the return of the Swedes to the Fatherland by way of New Amsterdam, many of them were persuaded by the Dutch to remain there. The rest sailed for Sweden October 23, 1655. Perhaps Nils Utter was among those who remained.
"The Swedish Settlement on the Delaware" by Johnson; II:722; 1911)

1653 - 1655: Nils Utter was a member of the Vestmanlands Regiment, serving as a light Auxiliary troop that would have such functions as Pioneer, Flanker, Forager, Skirmisher, Baggage or Prisoner guard. Lieutenant Skute hired troops in Vasteras in 1653 then sent them on to Stockholm to wait shipment on the Orn. (Kent Beam, family researcher)

1654: "There was a Nils or Nicholas Utter in the New Sweden colony who served for some time as a soldier, his trade being a sword cutler and blacksmith. This man must have be in born about 1630 or earlier. There is of course, a possibility that he migrated to Rhode Island and there went over to the Baptists, as he was a Lutheran when he arrived in America."
"Nicholas Utter of Westerly, Rhode Island" by Katherine Minerva Waterman and George B. and Wilfred B. Utter; The Utter Company, Printers; Westerly, Rhode Island; 1941 (929.2 UT8W ACPL) (HeritageQuest

1678, May 6: Nicholas Utter, Daniel Dawley and two others were fined, buy the General Court at Newport for opening Indian graves. Daniel Dawley pleaded guilty, but the others claimed they "knew nothing of it". No record as to whether the fines were collected.
1687: Nicholas Utter appeared on a Tax List in Rochester (Kingstown) Rhode Island.
1698, June 13: Nicholas Utter was made freeman at Westerly, Rhode Island.
1699: He appeared before the Westerly Town Council in regard to the seizure of some of his property by the Constable of Kingstown for taxes owed.
1707: He was living in "near Shaddock Falls" in the "Shaddock Purchase". He received 100 acres of land from the Town of Westerly and he bought two parcels from the Shaddock purchasers. The largest, 296 acres on the north bank of the Pawcatuck, he sold a few months later to his son, Nicholas, Junior. The other, 156 acres, his heirs sold after his death.]
"Nicholas Utter of Westerly, Rhode Island" by Katherine Minerva Waterman and George B. and Wilfred B. Utter; The Utter Company, Printers; Westerly, Rhode Island; 1941 (929.2 UT8W ACPL) (HeritageQuest)

1709, June 28: The Shannock Purchase: To: . . . Nicholas Utter . . . "
"The Early History of Narragansett" by Elisha R. Potter; pp-216-217; Marshall, Brown & Company, printers; Providence, Rhode Island; 1935 (HeritageQuest)

1714: He removed to Stonington, Connecticut.
1722: January 8, 13 and 14: He purchased land in Stonington, Connecticut, bounded on the south by the Ashawage River" near "Gilead (Glade) Brook and lived on the property until his death. This land was sold to his Matthew Randall, husband of his step-daughter, Eleanor.
"Nicholas Utter of Westerly, Rhode Island" by Katherine Minerva Waterman and George B. and Wilfred B. Utter; The Utter Company, Printers; Westerly, Rhode Island; 1941 (929.2 UT8W ACPL) (HeritageQuest)

1722: Nicholas Utter died at Stonington Village (New London) Connecticut Colony.
"New England Marriages Prior to 1700" compiled by Clarence Almon Torrey; p. 765; The Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc.; Baltimore, Maryland; 1985 (974.0 NEa/Marriage SCGS)

1722, August 17: The Last Will and Testament of Nicholas Utter; Stonington, Connecticut. " . . . Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my well beloved wife one bed and bedding belonging to it which she shall chuse and small iron kettell two small iron potts three putter platters and two cows to be att her own disposall and £10-00-00 a year yearly during her natturall life which legacy I give instead of her right of dower and power of thirds." He then leaves [pilcrow (paragraph) sign] 10 to his "daughter-in-law Ellinor Randall wife of Matthew Randall".
Nicholas Utter
Petter Crandall, John Maxson, John Richmond, Robert Burdick, Peter Tifft and Elizabeth [X] Tift

Note: These above two excerpts suggest to me that Elizabeth was a second wife, and had a daughter named Ellinor. He then names his daughter Sarah Forman, eldest son Jabez Utter, second son Thomas Utter, then son Nicolas Utter, son William Utter, and daughter Millesent Yeomans.

1722, September 14: "Robart Burdick and Peter Tift and Elizabeth Tift all of Stonington personally appeared personally appeared and made oath that they saw Mr. Nicholas Utter signe and seal the within written will . . . " Testator was "Daniell Palmer Justice of ye peace".
"Recorded in the 9th book of Wills" compiled by Rosewell Saltonstall Clerk [Tim Tefft, Tefft family researcher)

Nice job of copying MY research . . . can I be of any additional help to you?????

I don't understand your comment, but I share your sensitivity. Too often, I have seen my own reseasrch bouncing back to me. Unfortunately, I can recognize my mistakes coming full cirle a lot faster than I can spot the correct information which people usually can find in a number of places. In a few rare cases, I have some family information that is not available from other sources. At times I have seen this making rounds without proper credit.

Are you following up on the last post in this thread? If so, I thought the poster did an excellent job. He or she listed sources. 1941 seems to be one of the most recent reference cited except for a reprint of an earlier publication. There aren't many people still around that are old enough to have compiled a genealogy in 1941 and also to have acquired the computer skills to be on the internet.

When you speak of your research are you referring to research in original records or a review of the literature? Where was your research published? Is any of the information cited by the poster incorrect?

Yes, I am sure that if you can add to any of the material in this thread, there are people on this list that would welcome it.

As I said, I don't understand our comment, so I will take it at face value. "Nice job" and an offer to help. I don't have Utter ancestry myself, but there are some Utters listed in the genealogy I published in 1993.

Bill Wright

My commednt was "sarcastic", not "complimentary". I was purposely vague as I did not want to cause embarassment as we were on a public form and I could not find your email address to address you, personally.

Bill, have you every felt "Used"? I mean really used. I have spent years of my valuable time to do the very best research I could for my Web site (data base) and hundreds on hundreds of persons "cut and past" my research to their work without so much as a nod to me in respect of all my work. I have, some of the best documentation on the Internet and this only encourages more copying than would be normally expected. I often feel that I should remove my research from the Internet and let the muchers do their own research; but once or twice a year a person will write me with an expression of their gratitude and respect for what I have done and that helps a lot.

Though you may not have "cut and paste" from my Web page, you did not cite the source of your information and that appears as though you were implying that it was your research. If you will take the time to look at the family pages in my data base, you will see reference on reference, not only to the primary, secondary, etc. source, BUT to the person who provided it to me.

wrr
Web Page: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~randall

hello

i am writing for a friend who seeks information on her lineage (Utter).

by what i read from your message above, .. it appears you may have quite a lot of information, and I would be very grateful and recognizant for any help.

Marc Joseph marion

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

You didn't ask a question. Who is her earliest known Utter ancestor for whom she has dates and location? Without knowing her questions, it is difficult to answer. My personal email is wmewrght (note there is no "i"). The domain is hal-pc.org.

But a query on the list may bring better responses.

Bill Wright