Edward Hutchinson (captain) facts for kids

Edward Hutchinson (1613–1675) was an important early settler in America. He was the oldest child of William Hutchinson and his famous mother, Anne Hutchinson. She was a religious leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Edward is known for making peace with the leaders after his mother was forced to leave Massachusetts. He returned to Boston and later died serving the colony. This was the same colony that had treated his family very harshly.

He was born in Alford, England. At age 20, he sailed to New England. This was a year before the rest of his family arrived. After his mother's troubles, Edward, his father, and his uncle signed a special agreement. This agreement helped create a new government. They set it up in Portsmouth on Rhode Island.

Edward did not stay in Portsmouth for long. He soon went back to Boston to live in the family home. There, he had 11 children with two wives.

Early Life in the Colonies

Edward Hutchinson was baptized in Alford, Lincolnshire, England, on May 28, 1613. His father, William Hutchinson, was a cloth merchant. His mother was the well-known Anne Hutchinson. Edward was the oldest of their 15 children.

In 1633, Edward traveled to New England. He sailed on a ship called the Griffin. His uncle, Edward Hutchinson Sr., was also on the ship. They traveled with Reverend John Cotton. Cotton later became a minister in the Boston church. Edward joined the Boston church on August 10, 1634. This was around the time his family arrived from England.

The Portsmouth Compact document. Edward Hutchinson's name is ninth on the list.

In 1636, Hutchinson sailed back to England. There, he married Katherine Hamby. Her father was a legal advisor in England. Edward and Katherine returned to the colonies later that year. Around this time, his mother became involved in a big religious disagreement. This event is known as the Antinomian Controversy.

His mother was put on trial in November 1637. She was ordered to leave the colony. Many people who agreed with Mrs. Hutchinson, including Edward, met on March 7, 1638. They signed a document to create a new government. Most of these signers left Massachusetts to build homes on Aquidneck Island.

Edward was one of the few family members who stayed in Boston. He was there for his mother's church trial in March 1638. He spoke up for her. The church leaders felt that Edward showed too much "natural love" for his mother. They warned him and others who were close to her. By doing this, the ministers were able to remove the family's support. This allowed them to banish Anne Hutchinson.

Edward likely went with his mother and siblings to Aquidneck Island in April 1638. He helped found the community there. It was first called Pocasset, then renamed Portsmouth. However, Edward soon returned to Boston. No charges were ever made against him by the Massachusetts leaders. He and his family became the caretakers of the family house there.

In August 1643, Edward's mother, Anne Hutchinson, and many younger siblings died. They were killed in an attack by Native Americans in New Netherland. Edward likely heard about this in early September. One of his sisters, Susanna, survived the attack. She was taken hostage. After living with the Siwanoy natives for several years, Susanna was released. She was brought back to Boston. It is believed she came to live in Edward's house.

Edward's first wife, Katherine, had seven children. She died around 1650. Soon after, he married a widow named Abigail Button.

Public Service and Military Life

In the late 1650s, Massachusetts had strict laws against the Quakers. But Quaker preachers still came into the colony. During this time, Edward Hutchinson served as a Deputy to the General Court from Boston. He was elected in 1658.

The leaders of the colony strongly enforced the laws against Quakers. But many regular people felt more sympathy for them. The Deputies, including Hutchinson, showed their disagreement with the laws. Hutchinson's young cousin, Patience Scott, was a Quaker. She came to Boston alone. Captain Hutchinson took on the task of sending her home safely. The Court did not take action against her.

Historians praise Hutchinson for standing up against the harsh treatment of Quakers. He also supported the Baptists. In 1668, he signed a request to free Baptists who were in prison.

In November 1659, Hutchinson became a partner in a land investment company. He gained about 1000 acres of land in the "Narragansett Country." This area is now North Kingstown, Rhode Island. This land was in a disputed area. The colonies of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Plymouth all claimed it.

It is not certain if Hutchinson lived on his land. But he and two others were chosen by Connecticut to manage the area. It was named Wickford in 1663. Hutchinson's youngest living sister, Susanna, and her husband, John Cole, became caretakers of his property. They lived there for the rest of their lives.

Grave marker for Captain Edward Hutchinson, Springhill Cemetery, Marlborough, Massachusetts

Hutchinson was active in the colony's military. In 1638, he helped start the Military Company of Massachusetts. Today, it is known as the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. In 1641, he was a junior sergeant. In 1654, he became the lieutenant (second in command). Three years later, in 1657, he was elected captain (commanding officer).

King Philip's War and Death

As a captain, Hutchinson was called to serve in King Philip's War in 1675. He commanded a company of soldiers. His brother-in-law, Major Thomas Savage, was the overall commander.

On July 28, 1675, Hutchinson and Captain Thomas Wheeler led a group of men. Their mission was to make peace with the Nipmuc leader, Muttawmp. The Native Americans avoided them. Then, on August 2, near Brookfield, the captains and their men were ambushed. This event became known as Wheeler's Surprise.

Hutchinson was badly wounded in the fight. Wheeler was also hurt. The survivors managed to reach a fortified house in Brookfield. They stayed there for over a week, under constant attack.

With help from more soldiers, they finally escaped Brookfield. Wheeler later wrote about Hutchinson's death: "We came to Marlborough on 14 August. Captain Hutchinson had not recovered from his wounds. He was very tired from the long journey. Because of his weakness, he got worse. On the 19th day of the same month, he died. He was buried there the next day."

He was buried in the town cemetery, now called Springhill Cemetery. A marker was placed there in his honor in 1926. Historians have noted that Edward Hutchinson, who was once persecuted with his mother, gave his life serving the colony.

Family Connections

The loyalist Massachusetts governor, Thomas Hutchinson, was Edward's great-grandson.

Edward Hutchinson had 11 children with two wives. His first wife was Katherine Hamby. They married shortly after October 19, 1636, in England. Katherine was born in Ipswich, England, in 1615. Her father was a legal advisor.

Edward and Katherine had seven children:

• Elishua (born 1637) likely died young.
• Elizabeth (1639–1728) married Edward Winslow. He was the grandson of Mayflower passenger James Chilton.
• Elisha (1641–1717) married twice and had 12 children.
• Anne (1643–1717) married Samuel Dyre, then Daniel Vernon. She had 11 children in total.
• William (born 1645) and Katherine (born 1648) likely died young.
• Susanna (1649-after 1716) married Nathaniel Coddington. He was the son of Rhode Island Governor William Coddington. They had six children.

Katherine died sometime after June 10, 1649. By 1650, Hutchinson married his second wife, Abigail (Fermayes) Button. She was a widow.

Edward and Abigail had four children:

• Edward (born 1651) died unmarried in 1692.
• Katherine (born 1653) married Henry Bartholomew. She was still alive around 1730.
• Benjamin (born 1656) likely died young.
• Hannah (born 1658) married Peter Walker. They had six children.

Edward Hutchinson's descendants include three United States Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. He is also an ancestor of Thomas Hutchinson. Thomas Hutchinson was a loyalist governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.