Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Richard Denton

Male 1601 - Abt 1663  (~ 61 years)


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  • Name Richard Denton 
    Born Warley, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christened 19 Apr 1601  Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died Abt 1663  of, Essex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I3191  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Henry Denton,   b. Bef 1571, of Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Marie Maud,   b. Bef 1573, of Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married 8 May 1592  Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F1696  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Maria Duerden,   c. 14 Oct 1604, Heptonstall, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married 21/21 Jan 1625/6  Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Timothy Denton,   c. 23 Jul 1627, Saint Peter's, Bolton, Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 28 Jul 1631, Coley, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 4 years)
     2. Nathaniel Denton,   c. 9 Mar 1629, Saint Peter's, Bolton, Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 18 Oct 1690, Jamaica, Queens, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 61 years)
     3. Samuel Denton,   c. 29 May 1631, Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 15/15 Mar 1713/4, Hempstead, Queens, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 82 years)
     4. Daniel Denton,   c. 10 Jul 1632, Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 13/13 Mar 1695/6, Jamaica, Queens, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 63 years)
     5. Phebe Denton,   c. 30 Nov 1634, Coley, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Oct 1658, Hempstead, Nassau, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 23 years)
     6. Peter Denton,   c. 6/06 Jan 1636/7, Coley, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   bur. 5 Jun 1637, Hipperholme, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 0 years)
     7. Mary Denton,   c. 21 Jun 1638, Hipperholme, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location
     8. Richard Denton,   b. Abt 1640, of Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1576  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. From the internet accessed 15 Jan 2019: "The Origins of Reverend Richard Denton (1601-c.1662)," 20 September 2018, by R. Riegel [Citation: http://www.analent.com/Denton/OriginsOfRichardDenton.pdf]. Note the original PDF should be consulted online since it contains extensive images, extractions, and reproductions of the various sources and documents which cannot be reproduced in this transcription. There is also a copy of the PDF attached to Richard Denton and his family's entry in Family Search:
      "After reviewing the dubious assertions that Helen Windebank was Richard Denton's wife, I decided to revisit the original documents used to establish basic dates and people in Reverend Denton's life. While doing that research, I discovered several problems with those dates that make them unlikely to be correct. I also discovered evidence that a Richard Denton, likely the Reverend, married Maria Duerden on January 21, 1626 in Yorkshire. Of course, the births of at least 18 Richard Dentons in England between 1585 and 1605 complicated the analysis.
      Birth. Two years are generally given for the birth of Reverend Richard Denton – 1586 and 1603. But both of those dates are based on circumstantial evidence and both are questionable. They were likely derived by a process of elimination at times in the past when fewer parish records were available for easy (or even laborious) review. When those dates were first proposed, between the 1840's and 1920's, the aggregation of records on the internet obviously did not exist and the only way to research church records in England was to make visits to churches or libraries by horse, carriage, train or ship or by the exchange of correspondence that could take weeks or months.
      The 1586 birth date appears to come from "The History of Long Island from the Discovery to the Present Time" by Benjamin F. Thomson in 1843 at p. 19:
      Mr. Denton was born of a good family, at Yorkshire, England, in 1586, and was educated at the university of Cambridge, where he graduated in 1623, and was settled as minister of Coley Chapel, Halifax, for the period of seven years... [H]e probably arrived in New England, with Governor Winthrop, in 1630...
      He returned to England (says the Rev. Mr. Heywood, his successor at Halifax) in 1659, and spent the remainder of his life at Essex, where he died in 1662, aged 76. The cause of his departure from America is involved in mystery, particularly as he left behind him his four sons Richard, Samuel, Nathaniel and Daniel...
      Thompson gave no source for his 1586 date and I have found no baptismal records to support that date. That same date was repeated in "Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York," Vol III, (1902) in a footnote on page 1464.
      The 1603 birth date appears to come from the "Dictionary of National Biography," Vol XIV, (1888), p. 380:
      DENTON, RICHARD (1603–1663), divine, was born in 1603 in Yorkshire, and lived at Priestley Green [near Halifax in Yorkshire]. He took his B.A. degree at Catharine Hall, Sherlock Court, St. Catharine's College, Cambridge University Cambridge, 1623. He became minister of the chapel of Coley, near Coley Hall... Here he remained about seven years ...
      This 1603 date is supported by a Warley Parish (also known as Warley Town) baptism record for:
      "April 10 [1603] Richard Rich: Denton War[ley]” in the West Yorkshire County Record Office, Newstead Road, Wakefield. That record is cited by Walter C. Krumm in his article "Meeting the Reverend Richard Denton (1603 – 1663?)" appearing in the "Connecticut Ancestry," journal published by the Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc., Vol. 47, No. 2, Dec. 2004.
      The 1603 date also appears in Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part I, Vol II, John Venn (1922) (a biographical list of Cambridge University graduates) which cites the Dictionary of National Biography as one of its sources at p. 34:
      DENTON, RICHARD. Matric. sizar from St Catharine's, Easter, 1621. B. 1603, in Yorkshire. B.A. 1623-4. Ord. deacon (Peterb.) Mar. 9, 1622-3; priest, June 8, 1623. C. of Coley Chapel, Halifax, for some years. Went to New England, e. 1638. Preacher at Stamford, Conn.; and at Hempstead, Long Island, for 15 years. Returned to England, 1659. Said to have died at Hempstead, Essex, 1663. Author, Soliliquia Sacra. (Felt, 515; J. G. Bartlett; D.N.B.) [Emphasis added.]
      “Sizar” means “[a]n undergraduate at Cambridge... receiving financial help from the college and formerly having certain menial duties.” Oxford Dictionaries. Presumably, if Reverend Richard Denton received assistance to attend Cambridge, his father was not rich enough to pay for his entire education. “Felt” refers to Joseph B. Felt's The Ecclesiastical History of New England (1862). J. G. Bartlett (1872-1927) of Boston supplied biographical accounts of Cambridge students who emigrated to New England prior to 1650. Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol 1, p. xviii. And, “D.N,B.”stands for the Dictionary of National Biography.
      Note that the foregoing biographical entry is not a quote from a Cambridge University record. Rather, it is a 1922 compilation of information from various sources including the Dictionary of National Biography (1888) as stated above. In fact, the preface to Volume I of the Alumni Cantabrigienses discusses some of the difficulties encountered while developing the biographical information.:
      As this [the Matriculation Register for the entire university of Cambridge] is the only official record of membership, it ought to be complete and trustworthy. Unfortunately it is neither the one nor the other. Very many names of students who undoubtedly came into residence are omitted altogether. Indeed one negligent Registrary has emphasized his term of office (1590-1601) by failing to record any matriculations at all...
      [The University records] give no personal information, beyond the very vague suggestion as to social status, afforded by the fact of matriculation as fellow-commoner, pensioner, or sizar. It is from the College Admission Registers, exclusively, that we can obtain such facts as parentage, birth-place, age, school, and so forth... [A description of the records available from each college then follows:]
      (9) St Catharine's [the college attended by Reverend Richard Denton]. Commences about 1627; but is scarcely more than a list of names, ... Note that the student records for St. Catharine's College, which Rev. Richard Denton attended, did not begin until 1627, several years after he graduated.
      Dates. Dates in England prior to 1752 can be confusing and ambiguous. See the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks Project:
      Prior to 1752, the Julian calendar was in use in England. In this calendar, the new year began on 25 March each year, so 31 Dec would be followed by 1 Jan of the same year, and 24 Mar would be followed by 25 Mar the following year. This applied up to 31 Dec 1751, after which the Gregorian calendar was adopted. 31 Dec 1751 was followed by 1 Jan 1752.
      To solve this problem, the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks Project uses a dual date for the period from 1 January to 24 March of each year:
      To avoid any ambiguity, we record dates between 1 Jan and 24 Mar of each year prior to 1752 as dual dates. So for example, 31 Dec 1746 is followed by 1 Jan 1746/7, 2 Jan 1746/7 and so on until 24 Mar 1746/7, then 25 Mar 1747.
      The Alumni Cantabrigienses used a similar system but said:
      Sometimes, however, this is not possible, and then we have to leave the exact date ambiguous. Thus, when any one is said, in these volumes, to have died 'Feb. 15, 1615,' it is meant that we simply do not know whether this should stand 1614-5, or 1615-6. A number of these puzzles have been left us, the Dictionary of National Biography itself being a notinfrequent offender.
      In addition, determining what year written in a church record was actually intended can also pose issues. The Lancashire Online Parish Clerks Project describes the problem as follows:
      Sometimes the minister would not record the change of year correctly, forgetting to do it until a few days later. The information presented on our website will normally reflect the change of year at the point where it should have occurred, not necessarily where the minister wrote it.
      And, the Alumni Cantabrigienses said:
      The principal difficulty one has to face is this. In taking a date, from an ordinary history of the popular kind, we often do not know what the author means. Has he simply copied some contemporary record — parish register, tombstone, etc. — or has he tacitly substituted the modem reckoning? Wherever we can determine which he has done we have substituted the double date in order to avoid confusion.
      Finally, the CCEd Clergy of the Church of England Database displays only a single year in its dates and does not explain whether that is the actual date shown in the historical record or whether it has been adjusted from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.
      The foregoing issues suggest viewing all dates from this period with extra caution.
      Ordination as a Deacon and Priest. The Church of England's records for Rev. Richard Denton appear under his given name Richard (CCEd Person ID: 33942), but also under the given name “Roger” (CCEd Person ID 134825), and both entries must be viewed to see all of his records. The reason for this error in names is not clear. While Rev. Denton's record under the name Richard indicates that he was ordained as a deacon at Peterborough Cathederal on 9 March 1622, his record under the name Roger indicates he was ordained a deacon a year later on 9 March 1623. Venn also gives his ordination as a deacon as 9 March 1623 (Gregorian) in Alumni Cantabrigienses. Rev. Denton's “qualification” to be a deacon was noted as “literate” which meant that he had not yet earned his degree from Cambridge but that the bishop judged he had sufficient education to qualify for ordination. See CCEd Clergy of the Church of England Database.
      The Church of England's CCEd database also states that Rev. Richard Denton was ordained as a Priest on 8 June 1623, the same Gregorian date given by Venn and only three months after being ordained a deacon. But Rev. Denton's record in Venn's Alumni Cantabrigienses indicates that he received his B.A. degree from Cambridge in 1624 (Gregorian), while the CCEd database gives 7 March 1628 for his graduation date. (That 1628 graduation date is exactly the same as the CCEd date given for his appointment as Curate at Turton and likely in error.) Typically, a university degree was required for ordination as a priest and one year would pass between ordination as a deacon (1623) and ordination as a priest. In addition, about nine out of ten B.A. degrees were awarded in January but, when awarded after March 25th, were technically called Ad Baptistam (A.B.) degrees. See Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol 1, Venn (1922), p. xvi. Therefore, Rev. Denton's ordination as a priest was more likely to have been in June 1624 after his graduation from Cambridge and receipt of the typical B.A. Degree in January, 1624. In fact, mental contortions are required to explain all of these inconsistent dates unless one makes just one simple correction to Rev. Denton's ordination date as a priest from 1623 to 1624.
      In the 17th Century (and even today) priests could not be ordained in the Church of England until they were at least 23 years old (called the “canonical age”). (See “Sources of Personal History,” “Ordinations” in the Preface to Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol 1, (1922), p. xii and Canon C-3-6 of the Church of England. Also see The Oxford History of the Laws of England, Vol. 1, R. H. Helmholz (2004), p. 273 et seq.) If Rev. Richard Denton was ordained in 1624, then he should have been born no later than 1601. Thus, a birth date in 1603 would have precluded his ordination. The Preface to Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol 1, (1922) says the church records of ordinations indicate that ordinations “almost invariably” occurred within a year or two after the ordinand turned 23.
      The Church of England database indicates that Rev. Denton was not officially given his own church until 7 March 1628 (likely 1629 under the Gregorian calendar) when he was appointed Curate of St. Bartholomew's (later renamed St. Anne's) Church in Turton, Lancashire. The record for that appointment notes he had his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge. The St. Anne's web site, however, states that Rev. Denton became an incumbent in Turton in 1627. And, the baptism record for Rev. Denton's first son, Tymothie, at nearby St. Peter in Bolton on 23 July 1627 states that Rev. Denton was already a preacher at Turton. The St. Anne's web site also indicates that Rev. Denton held an M.A. (Master of Arts) degree. While I have found no other source for that M.A., it could explain where Rev. Denton was during at least some of the years between 1624 and 1627.
      A list of all the Richard Dentons I could find who were born in England between 1585 and 1606 is included at the end of this document. Below is a list of those baptized between 1595 and 1601: (Baptism Date Location Father's Name)
      Denton Richard 29 Jun 1595 St John the Baptist, Halifax, Yorkshire, WR
      Denton Richard 21 Sep 1595 Holborn, London Richard Denton
      Denton Ric. 18 Apr 1596 Royston, Yorkshire
      Denton Richard 12 Nov 1599 Fishlake, Yorkshire, WR Edward Denton
      Denton Ric 1 Jan 1600/1 Tonbridge, Kent Wm Denton
      Denton Richard 19 Apr 1601 Halifax, Yorkshire, WR Henry Denton
      “WR” = West Riding, Yorkshire
      As stated above, Reverend Richard Denton was a priest at St. Anne's Church in Turton, Lancashire from 1627 to 1631. The following is a list of “Incumbents at Turton” from the St. Anne's web site:
      Incumbents of Turton
      1596 Gilbert Astley/Aston
      1610 "Well supplied with ministers"
      1627 Richard Denton M.A.
      1632 Mr Boden
      Walter Krum in his "Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton," (The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 120 [1989]: 10-17, 94-97, 160-163; 121 [1990]: 221-225) states:
      It is possible to reconstruct much of Denton's immediate family from English records. As a subsidized university student he was almost certainly unmarried when he was graduated from Catharine's Hall, Cambridge in 1623/4. The next mention of him, found in the baptismal record of his son in July, 1627, identifies him as "preacher at Turton," a small chapelry in Bolton Priory, Lancashire. This suggests that he married c. 1625 (no record has been found) and that his son was born a year or so later. St. Peter's Parish Church, Bolton, has only these two Denton entries (Lancashire Parish Register Society Publications 50:107, 114) [emphasis added.]:
      "Tymothie Denton, son of Mr. Denton, preacher at Turton baptised 23 July [1627]."
      "Nathaniell Denton of Turton, son of Mr. Denton baptised 9 March [1629]."
      Marriage. While Walter Krum did not find any record of Reverend Denton's marriage, four records of men named Richard Denton marrying in Yorkshire in 1625 and 1626 do exist.
      The first indicates that “Richus” (Richard) Denton married Maria Duerden in Halifax, Yorkshire on January 21, 1626 (using the Gregorian calendar). The surname “Duerden” was variously spelled as Durden, Dearden and Deurden. A Maria Durden was baptised in Heptonstall, St. Anne's Church, Turton, Yorkshire about 5 miles west of Halifax, on 14 Oct 1604. This Maria Durden/Duerden's father's name was Thomas. A Thomas Duerden is also shown in the Clergy of the Church of England Database (CCEd) as a Curate in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1592. Rochdale is about 15 miles from both Heptonstall where Maria was baptised and Bolton where Rev. Denton became a Curate by 1627. Rochdale is also in an area that, at various times, has been part of the counties of West Riding, Yorkshire and Lancashire. In fact, the Church of England describes Rochdale as being in the county of “Lancashire, West Riding, Yorkshire.” Two more daughters of Thomas Duerden were baptised in Heptonstall, Sara on 1 April 1607 and Grace on 20 January 1610. The CCEd comments about Rev. Thomas Duerden say: "Clasisified in 1592 amongst 'no graduates, but preachers, honest men'.”
      There is also some evidence that the Heptonstall, Halifax Denton and Durden families knew each other. An Agnes Dentone was married to Robert Durden in Halifax in June, 1572. In addition, a Richard Duerden was baptised in Halifax on 10 January 1601/2 to a father named Richard in Sowerby which is only a mile or two from Warley where Rev. Denton was born. This Richard Duerden would have been Rev. Denton's age, they may have known each other and, perhaps, even attended Heath Grammar School together. This young Richard may also have been Maria Duerden's cousin. And, a Richard Dearden (perhaps young Richard Duerden's father) was a Governor of the Heath Grammar School (1624-26) in Halifax which Rev. Denton had likely attended before leaving for Cambridge in 1621. Heath Grammar School: A Popular History of the Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth, at Heath, Thomas Cox (1879), p. 121.
      A second marriage record indicates that a Richardi Denton (who died 23 Mar 1653/4 in Normanton) married an Editha Oatly on June 29, 1625 in Wragby, Yorkshire, but I could find no record of her birth. There are records, however, for the birth of a son named Richard on 25 Nov 1627 in Normanton, Yorkshire and another son named William on 23 Dec 1631 in Normanton.
      A third record indicates that a Richard Denton married Margaret Patterson in Costessey, Norfolk in July, 1626. A Margaret Patterson was baptised October 11, 1601 in Gressenhall, Norfolk to Jon Patterson. Records indicate, however, that this Richard Denton died in Feltwell, Norfolk on 12 Dec 1626.
      A fourth record appears in The Registers of the Parish Church of Adel in the County of York, George Lumb (1895). That entry on page 22 reads as follows: “Mariages in the yeare 1625. May 11. Richard Denton maried Susanna Coates, they being both of this pish.” The entry for this marriage on FreeReg.org indicates that Susanna Coates was a “servant to the Parson of Adle [sic]” and the church was named St. John the Baptist. Adel is a village about 14 miles northeast of Halifax, Yorkshire and is now a suburb of Leeds. (See maps infra.)
      While the Adel Parish Registers say Susanna Coates was "of this parish," there are also records for two Susanna/Susan Coates baptised in England around that time. A Susanna Coates was baptised December 30, 1593 in Fulborn, Cambridgeshire to Christofer Coates and a Susan Coates was baptised August 19, 1604 in Petworth, Sussex to Radulphj [sic] Coates. In addition, the baptism records for St. John the Baptist Church in Halifax include two children of a Richard Denton from Adel: George baptised 26 Mar 1626 and Mary baptised 1 Aug 1629.
      The marriage of Reverend Richard Denton in the 1625-26 time frame would fit neatly with his graduation from Cambridge in 1624 and the birth of Reverend Denton's first son in 1627. Earlier in the 1620's, other Richard Denton's married:
      1. Jana Nicoll (bp. 30 Nov 1589 in Huddersfield) at St. Peter in Huddersfield, Yorkshire in 1620,
      2. Sara Hall (bp. 7 Dec 1600 in Mirfield) at St. Mary in Mirfield, Yorkshire in 1621 and
      3. Bridget Hancock (bp.1602 in Worcestershire) in London in 1622.
      Records for those marriages also appear at the end of this document.
      Helen Windebank. A record does exist for the marriage of a Richard Denton to a Helen Windebank on 16 Nov 1612 at Southwark, St. Saviour in Surrey, England (near London). (That record is included at the end of this document.) Since searches do not reveal other records for a “Helen” Windebank, this “Helen” is likely “Ellen Windebank,” baptised on 5 February 1593 in Hurst, Berkshire and the daughter of a Thomas Windebank. See A History of the Parish of Hurst in Berkshire, Rev. John Wimberley (1937). If this Helen or Ellen had married Reverend Denton in 1612, why was their first child not born until fifteen years later, in 1627? And, why would Reverend Denton start college at Cambridge nine years after their marriage?
      In addition, searches reveal only one other Helen or Ellen Windebank who was baptized in England between 1583 and 1603. Her name was “Ellyn Windebanke” and she was baptized on 1 Feb 1597 (perhaps 1598 under the Gregorian calendar) in Cornwall, about as far from Yorkshire as one could get.
      Given there were eight Richard Denton's baptised in England between 1588 and 1593 alone, Rev. Denton was not the only Richard Denton Helen or Ellen could have chosen to marry. If one were to believe Reverend Richard Denton had been born earlier in the 1590's and had been married between 1610 and 1620, three Richard Dentons married three other women during that period:
      1. Grace Mawde (bp. 12 Dec 1591 in Halifax) in 1612 in Elland, Yorkshire,
      2. Eleanor Guy in 1615 in Southwark, St. Saviour, Surrey and
      3. Susan Bouthoumley (bp. 1592, 1595 or 1598 in Elland) in 1618 in Elland, Yorkshire.
      Records for those marriages also appear at the end of this document.
      Marriages Summary. In light of the foregoing evidence, the most logical conclusion would be that Reverend Richard Denton married Maria Duerden in 1626. And, a marriage at a Yorkshire church in 1625 or 1626 shortly after Rev. Denton graduated from Cambridge in 1623/4 and then worked on his Masters degree, coupled with the birth of his (their) first child in 1627, simply makes the most logical sense in light of the evidence available, as suggested by Walter Krumm, supra.
      Which Richard Denton was the Reverend? There were four Richard Dentons born in Yorkshire between 1595 and 1601 who may have been the Reverend Richard Denton. The Richard Denton born in Fishlake in 1599 was the only Richard born in Fishlake between 1520 and 1640 except for a Richard Denton born to a Richard Denton on 4 Mar 1632. (There were fewer than 30 baptisms in Fishlake between 1600 and 1640.) It seems likely that the Richard born in 1632 was the son of the Richard born in 1599 which makes it unlikely this Richard Denton was the Reverend.
      A “Rychard” Denton married Jane Greenold in Royston, Yorkshire in 1624. There was then a John Denton born in Royston in 1628 to a father also named “Rychard” Denton. If this “Rychard” Denton was the "Ric. Denton" baptised in Royston on 18 Apr 1596 then it is unlikely this Rychard or Ric was the Reverend Denton.
      There was a Richard Denton baptised at St. John the Baptist in Halifax on 29 June 1595. There was also a marriage of Rich Denton to Susan Bouthoumley in Elland, Halifax in 1618 and the birth of a Jana Denton to a Richard Denton in Elland on 25 July 1624. In addition, if this Richard were the Reverend, he would have been 29 years old at the time of his ordination in the summer of 1624. That age would have put him 6 years past the age (23) at which Anglican priests were "almost invariably" ordained.
      Finally, there was a Richard Denton (the son of Henry Denton) baptised in Halifax on 19 April 1601. If this Richard was the Reverend, he would have been 23 years old if he was ordained in June 1624. Because church records were not always accurate, it is likely that the year shown in the CCEd database for his ordination (1623) is wrong. After all, the Church database suggests he was ordained a priest before he had graduated from Cambridge and before he had been a deacon for a year, contrary to Canon Law. And, while the Church database noted Rev. Denton's qualification to be a deacon as “literate,” it did not give that same qualification for becoming a priest only three months later. Also, while Rev. Richard Denton is noted on the St. Anne's, Turton web site as being a preacher there in 1627, the Church of England's database states his appointment to Turton and his graduation from Cambridge were both on 7 March 1628 (1629 Gregorian). And, the Church of England database erroneously lists Rev. Richard Denton's appointment as Curate at Coley under the name Roger Denton in 1633 (1634 Gregorian) although Rev. Richard Denton was at Coley by 1631. Correcting the year Rev. Denton was ordained a priest to 1624 gives a more natural progression of his career and a progression that complies with Canonical and Parliamentary law: (1) matriculation at Cambridge in 1621, (2) ordination as a deacon in March, 1623, (3) graduation from Cambridge in January, 1624, (4) 23rd birthday on 19 April, 1624 and (5) ordination as a priest in June, 1624 at age 23 and one year after becoming a deacon.
      Coley. After serving at St. Anne's Church in Turton, Rev. Denton became the minister at Coley Chapel in 1631. Coley is several miles northeast of Halifax. The Church of England records (which erroneously show his given name as Roger) state that he was appointed Curate at Coley on 5 February 1633 (1634 under the Gregorian calendar). Rev. Denton and his family lived nearby at Priestly Green. While at Coley. Rev. Denton and his wife had five more children. Three of those children are listed in the Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton, by Walter C. Krumm in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 120[1989]:10-17, 94-97, 160-163; 121[1990]:221-225:
      The next baptisms show that by 1631 the family had moved to Coley Chapel in Halifax Parish, Yorkshire, 25 miles east of Bolton (records compiled and anglicized by the West Yorkshire Archive Service):
      Samuel, son of Richard Denton, Minister of Coley, 29 May, 1631
      Daniel, son of Richard Denton, Curate of Coley, 10 July 1632
      Phoebe, dau. of Richard Denton, minister of Coley, 30 Nov. 1634
      But Walter Krum missed two more children of Rev. Denton:
      Peter who was baptised on 6 January 1637 (Gregorian calendar) at Coley, and
      Mary who was baptised on 21 June 1638 at Hipperholme, a chapel only about a mile from Coley.
      Copies of the Halifax Bishop's transcripts for those baptisms appear at the end of this memo.
      The Reverend Oliver Heywood (1630-1702) later succeeded Reverend Denton at the Coley church in about 1651. Rev. Heywood stated that Reverend Richard Denton was the Curate at St. John the Baptist Church, Coley, Yorkshire for about 7 years, at which time he emigrated to New England. Rev. Heywood's substantially contemporaneous recollection would place Rev. Denton and his family at Coley from 1631 to about 1638. See The Rev Oliver Heywood, His Autobiography, Diaries, Anecdote and Event Books, Vol IV, Horsfall Turner (ed.) (1885), pp. 11-12.
      Emigration. While some authors have asserted that Rev. Denton had migrated to Watertown, Massachusetts and Wethersfield by 1635, those assertions have been made without citing evidence and are unlikely. For example, Sherman W. Adams, a contributing author to Henry R. Stiles' 1904 book The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Vol. 1, took conflicting positions about Rev. Denton's arrival date in Wethersfield. On pages 20-21, Sherman claimed that Rev. Denton was with six other men who went from Watertown to Wethersfield on May 29, 1635. But on pages 135-136 Sherman said that Rev. Denton “came from Watertown, Mass., in 1638.” And, he noted it was strange that his name did not appear along with six other Wethersfield founders on a Court document dated April 26, 1636 authorizing the formation of a church in Wethersfield.
      We know, however, that Rev. Denton's daughter Mary was baptised at Hipperholme (only about a mile from Coley) in June of 1638 with his occupation as “minister” noted at the end of that baptism entry. And, we know that Reverend Heywood wrote that Rev. Denton remained at Coley in Yorkshire until about 1638 (the same date adopted by Venn in his Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part I, Vol II, (1922)). Rev. Denton's migration to New England was likely prompted by the appointment of Richard Marsh as the new Vicar of Halifax in April of 1638 and the re-imposition of preReformation Church of England liturgical practices. See “Century of Revolution,” Halifax Minster. In fact, Rev. Oliver Heywood who succeeded Rev. Denton at Coley in about 1651 said:
      Mr. Denton ... was a good minister of Jesus Christ, affluent in his worldly circumstances, and had several children. He continued here about seven years; times were sharp, the bishops being in their height. In his time came out the book for sports on the Sabbath days. He saw he could not do what was required, feared further persecution, and therefore took the opportunity of going into New England. He returned to Old England about 1659, and lived and died in Essex. In his time the chapel at Coley was enlarged." Memoirs of the Rev. Oliver Heywood, B.A., Rev. Richard Slate (1827) , p. 20.
      We also know that Rev. Denton's name does not appear on the passenger lists for the many ships sailing from England to America in the 1630's. See the Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Most of those passenger lists for the late 1630's are for journeys from London, Southampton and Bristol. And the number of those lists available becomes smaller and smaller from about 1636 forward. But there was another port closer to Coley at Hull, Yorkshire and only about 70 miles away from Coley. Another Yorkshire minister named Ezekiel Rogers from Rowley reportedly organized a fleet of eight to eleven ships from Hull to Massachusetts in 1638. The English Ancestry of Richard Belden of Wethersfield, Connecticut, Paul Reed and John Sharp, in The American Genealogist (2001), p. 20. But, again, the passenger lists for those ships are not yet available, presuming they still exist.
      Reverend John Sherman was one of the six members of the Watertown church who founded the Wethersfield church in April 1636 where he was the minister until he moved to Milford, New Haven between November 1639 and May, 1640. The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Vol. 1, Henry Stiles (1904), p. 135. In 1638, Reverend Denton became the seventhmember of the Wethersfield church as noted by Henry Stiles, ibid., p. 136: “This seventh member may have been the Rev. Richard Denton, who came from Watertown Mass., in 1638.” The distinction between the original six members of the Wethersfield church who had come from Watertown in 1636 and the later seven members was also noted by Rev. E.B. Huntington in his History of Stamford, Connecticut (1868) at p. 14 where he said “"The church at Wethersfield had only seven voting members, six who had come from Watertown, and one who had joined them.”
      Because Rev. Denton's daughter Mary was baptised in Halifax in June of 1638, Rev. Denton and his family must have spent very little time in Watertown, if any at all. In fact, there is no record Rev. Denton was made a “freeman” (a church member and voter) in Watertown.
      When Rev. Denton and his family arrived in Wethersfield in 1638, the church was in the midst of a dispute among its members. That dispute ultimately led to a split, with many Wethersfield families (including Rev. Denton's) arranging in November of 1640 to purchase land from New Haven which they later named Stamford. Rev. Denton did receive a deed on April 10, 1640 for 15 acres of land in Wethersfield. The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1636-1776, (Hartford 1850-1890) Vol 1, p. 63. The move to Stamford occurred in the summer of 1641. History of Stamford, Connecticut, ibid.
      But by 1644, Rev. Denton, his family and many of his parishioners were on the move again, this time to Hempstead on Long Island. In 1647 the original settlers of Hempstead created a written record of their original 1644 allotments of land which included a list with the names of those settlers. Rev. Denton was on that list along with his sons Nathaniel, Daniel and Samuel. His son Peter was not included because he had died in 1637, six months after his birth. But a new son, named Richard Denton, Junior was included. The Early History of Hempstead, Long Island, Charles Moore (1878), pp. 6-8.
      Richard Denton, Jr. does not appear on any of the original Bishop's Transcripts of baptisms in Halifax between 1624 and 1640, nor does he appear among the baptisms in Lancashire from 1611 to 1635. Although the earliest baptism recorded in Stamford was for Jonathan Bell in September 1640-41, there are no baptisms recorded for any Dentons in Stamford. History of Stamford, Connecticut, Huntington (1868), p. 155 et seq. Nevertheless, Richard, Jr. does appear on the list of Hempstead settlers in 1644. The only other location Richard Denton, Jr. might have been born would have been Wethersfield. Unfortunately, none of those Wethersfield records remain:
      The total absence of any church records during the first sixty-two years of its existence leaves us in complete ignorance of Wethersfield's religious history during that period... The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Vol. 1, supra, p.135.
      In 1656, Nathaniel (b.1628/9) and Daniel (b.1632) Denton are both shown on a certificate for the purchase of Jamaica on Long Island. But Samuel (b.1631) and Richard, Jr. remained in Hempstead after their parents returned to England in 1658. Then, in 1685 Samuel is shown as owning 240 acres while Richard, Jr. is shown as owning only 50 acres. Richard, Junior's smaller land holdings suggest he may have been the younger brother. History of Long Island, Thompson, Vol 2, 3rd ed., (1918), pp. 494, 584. Given this evidence, it seems most likely that Richard Denton, Jr. was born in Wethersfield circa 1640.
      The full list of Reverend Richard Denton's children follows:
      Tymothie, 1627 Jul 23, Turton, Bolton, Lancashire (died 1631)
      Nathaniel, 1629 March 9 [Gregorian], Turton, Bolton, Lancashire
      Samuel, 1631 May 29, Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire
      Daniel, 1632 Jul 10, Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire
      Phoebe, 1634 Nov 30, Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire
      Peter, 1637 Jan 6 [Gregorian], Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire (died June 1637)
      Mary 1638 Jun 21, Hipperholme/Coley, Halifax, Yorkshire
      Richard, Jr., b.c.1640, probably Wethersfield, Connecticut
      Return to England. Reverend Denton did likely return to England with his wife about 1658. Two men who knew Rev. Denton in New York (Johannes Megapolensis and Samuel Drisius) wrote in October 1657 that Rev. Denton intended to return to England with his “sickly wife” to collect an inheritance of 400 pounds from a “friend.” Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York, Vol I, 1901, p. 407. Some suggest Rev. Denton and his wife went to Essex, east of London, upon their return. (A Wethersfield in Essex was the namesake for Wethersfield, Connecticut. Ezekiel Rogers' father, Richard, had been a famous pastor in Wethersfield, Essex for 43 years. The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Vol. 1, Henry R. Stiles (1904), p. 52, et seq.) It is also possible that Rev. Denton and his wife made their way back to Yorkshire, although Rev. Oliver Heywood, who succeeded Rev. Denton at Coley Chapel near Halifax in about 1651 and who knew of Rev. Denton, did not mention any return by Rev. Denton to Halifax. Unfortunately, again, the ship on which Rev. Denton and his wife returned to England has not been identified.
      After Rev. Denton returned to England, Oliver Cromwell died in September 1658 and Charles II was restored to the throne in May 1660. Then, Parliament adopted the Act of Uniformity in May 1662 which required the use of the new Book of Common Prayer and gave English priests until 24 August 1662 to comply. Nearly 2,500 priests were ejected from the Church of England for failing to comply with the Act of Uniformity, but Rev. Denton was not included in the list of those ejected, suggesting he may have died before The Great Ejection. See Freedom After Ejection, Gordon Alexander (1917).
      For a much more in depth review of Reverend Richard Denton's life, see the discussion called The Origins of Reverend Richard Denton on Geni.com. [https://www.geni.com/people/Rev-Richard-Denton/4295150054050067693#/tab/discussion]
      Timeline for Reverend Richard Denton
      1601 April 19 - Richard Denton baptised at Warley, Halifax
      1604 Aug 14 - Maria Durden baptised in Heptonstall (near Halifax)
      c.1606-c.1620 - Probably at Heath Grammar School with Henry Priestley
      1621 - Became sizar at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
      1623 March 9 (Gregorian) - Ordained deacon at Peterborough Cathederal
      1624 January (Gregorian) - BA degree from Cambridge
      1624 April 19 - Turned 23 and then one year after being ordained deacon
      1624 June 8 - Ordained a priest at Peterborough (erroneously reported as 1623)
      1624 June through 1625 - Teaching at Cambridge for his Master's degree
      1626 January 21 (Gregorian) - Married Maria Duerden in Halifax
      1626 - Curate at Turton Chapel, living in Bolton, Lancashire. Chapel says 1627; church records say 7 Mar
      1629 (Gregorian). Gilbert Astley, prior Turton priest, buried 27 January 1626.
      1627 July 23 - Tymothie baptised at St. Peter in Bolton. Baptism record confirms Rev. Denton a preacher at Turton, Lancashire in 1627.
      1629 Mar 9 (Gregorian) - Nathaniel baptised at St Peter in Bolton, Lancashire
      1631 - Became Curate at Coley (near Halifax). Stays at Priestley Green owned by Henry Priestley or the Sunderland family. Edward Sunderland was a local Curate in 1605.
      1631 May 29 - Samuel baptised at Coley. Evidence he was at Coley/Halifax in 1631.
      1631 Jul 28 - Tymothie buried at Coley
      1632 Jul 10 - Daniel baptised at Coley
      1634 Sep 29 - Phoebe baptised at Coley. Krumm found no later evidence of her existence.
      1637 Jan 6 - Peter, baptised at Coley [Gregorian] . Died June 1637.
      1638 Apr 12 - Richard Marsh appointed Vicar of Halifax to restore pre-Reformation liturgical practices. Likely substantial contributing cause for migrating to New England.
      1638 June 21 - Mary, baptised at Hipperholme/Coley
      1638 - John of London and fleet of 8 to 11 ships sail from Hull, Yorkshire to New England. No evidence when or on what ship Rev. Denton sailed.
      1638 - Denton family emigrated to Wethersfield, CT. 1640 Apr 10 deed to 15 acres in Weathersfield is first written evidence of Rev. Denton in America.
      c.1640 - Richard, Jr., born probably at Wethersfield
      1641 - Denton family moved to Stamford, CT
      1644 - Denton family moved to Hempstead, Long Island
      1656 - Nathaniel (b.1628/9) and Daniel (b.1632) purchased Jamaica, Long Island with others
      1658 - Rev. Richard Denton and Maria returned to England to collect inheritance
      1658 September 3 - Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, died
      1660 May 29 - Charles II restored to the throne
      1662 Aug 24 - Deadline to comply with Act of Uniformity and use new Book of Common Prayer. 2,500 priests ejected from church in "Great Ejection." Rev. Denton not listed as among those ejected.
      1685 - Samuel (b.1631) owned 240 acres and Richard, Jr. (b.c.1640) owned 50 acres in Hempstead
      [The following documents and images are in the PDF for which I only include the the sources as follows:]
      Richard Denton Baptism 1601 April 19 at Warley, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1601," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 31 Aug. 2018), entry for Richard Denton baptism, 19 Apr 1601, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/4 (Image ID: 32355_248981-00943).
      Maria Duerden Baptism 1604 Oct 14 at St. Thomas, Heptonstall
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Heptonstall, St Thomas 1604," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 5 Sep. 2018), entry for Maria Duerden baptism, 14 Oct 1604, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D149/1 (Image ID: 32355_248834-00222).
      Richard Denton and Maria Duerden Marriage 1625/6 Jan 21 in Halifax
      Richus Denton and Maria Duerden marriage 21 January 1625/6, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. From the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York. Yorkshire Parish Registers and Bishop's Transcripts. Database FindMyPast.com (accessed 3 Sept. 2018), entry for Maria Duerden, marriage 21 January 1625/6 (file name: GBPRS_YORKSHIRE_007587960_00045.jpg).
      Samuell Denton Baptism 1631 May 29 at Coley, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1631," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 29 Aug. 2018), entry for Samuel Denton baptism, 29 May 1631, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01351).
      Tymothy Denton Burial 1631 July 28 at Coley, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1631," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 20 Sep. 2018), entry for Tymothy Denton burial, 28 July 1631, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01352).
      Daniell Denton Baptism 1632 Jul 10 at Coley, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1632," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 29 Aug. 2018), entry for Daniel Denton baptism, 10 Jul 1632, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01365).
      Phebe Denton Baptism 1634 Sep 29 at Coley, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1634," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 29 Aug. 2018), entry for Phebe Denton baptism, 29 Sep 1634, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01392).
      Peter Denton Baptism 1636/7 Jan 6 at Coley, Hipperholme, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1636," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 29 Aug. 2018), entry for Peter Denton baptism, 6 Jan 1636/7, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01421).
      Peter Denton Burial 1637 June 5 at Hipperholme, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1637," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 20 Sep. 2018), entry for Piter Denton burial, 5 June 1637, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01426).
      Mary Denton Baptism 1638 Jun 21 at Hipperholme, Halifax
      "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812, Halifax, St John the Baptist 1638," database, Ancestry.com (accessed 29 Aug. 2018), entry for Mary Denton baptism, 21 Jun 1638, West Yorkshire Archive Service Reference D53/1/5 (Image ID: 32355_248981-01438)."

      2. "Connecticut Ancestry," periodical published by the Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc., Dec. 2004, Vol. 47, No. 2: "Meeting the Reverend Richard Denton (1603 - 1663?)," by Walter C. Krumm:
      "Queen Elizabeth, the First, of England died in London on Sunday, 24 March, 1603, after reigning for almost 45 years. During April London theatres were closed because of the plague, but in May the first edition of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" [Quarto I] appeared in the shops. Also at this same time appeared the following entry in the Warley Parish Baptism list: "April 10 [1603] Richard Rich: Denton War[ley]:(1)
      Warley is still identifiable as an area just west of the market town of Halifax, now an industrial center producing textiles, rugs, and clothing. The location lies almost 200 miles north of London and only 40 miles from York. Settlement in this area stretches back to Roman, Celtic, even prehistoric times. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes the neighboring countryside surrounding Halifax as "a bare, hilly district" near the confluence of the Hebble and Calder Rivers.
      The only Richard Denton to be married in the parish of Halifax in the late sixteenth century married a Mary Hardye on 29 July 1595 (the record is reproduced at right.) The indexed transcript of the register further records as follows: the only Richard Denton baptized in this period in Halifax was the son of Gilbert Denton of Ovenden on 20 October 1575. Baptisms of three Mary Hardys are listed: 20 November 1569, daughter of John Hardy of Sowerby; 25 December 1575 daughter of William Hardy of Halifax; and 5 July 1578, daughter of Robert Hardy of Northowram. Since no marriage of a Gilbert Denton is recorded in Halifax earlier than 1556, the marriage must have taken place in another parish, which was usual when the bride lived in another parish from the groom.
      Before the end of the 16th century the town of Halifax numbered "520 houses" and historian William Camden described the residents as "very industrious, so that though the soil... be barren and unprofitable, not fit to live on, they have so flourished... by the clothing trade that they are very rich and have gained a reputation for it above their neighbours." This trade was increased by the arrival of merchants from the Netherlands persecuted by the Duke of Alva. In 1607 David Waterhouse, lord of the manor of Halifax, "obtained a grant of two markets there every week ... two fairs every year." The Heath Grammar School was founded in 1585 under royal charter for instruction in classical languages. "It possesses close scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge Universities." Probably the education at this school enabled Denton to attend St. Catherine's Hall at Cambridge (some 150 miles south of Halifax) 1621-1623, where he was graduated as an Anglican priest. Almost immediately thereafter he was ordained a deacon at Peterborough Cathedral.
      [Image reading "Richard Denton, Saint Catherine's Hall, Deacon 1622."]
      Meantime all over England the religious scene was darkening with dissent. James Stuart, a son of Mary, Queen of Scots, already James VI of Scotland, in 1603 was crowned James I of England & Ireland. Henry VIII had abolished Catholicism in England when he established the Church of England in 1537. In addition many so-called Protestant Groups were forming across the British Isles, opposing the severe regulating of religious practices. By 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers had migrated to the Netherlands and then to America, seeking freedom to worship as they pleased. In 1625 Charles I succeeded to the English throne and began to tighten his control of religious activities throughout the kingdom. It was the beginning of the slide toward the Civil War that ended with the beheading of Charles in London in 1649.
      We must guess at the events in Richard Denton's life after his inauguration as deacon. Although he married during this time, no record of where, when, or to whom has been found. In 1627 and 1628 he is mentioned as a preacher at Turton, in Lancastershire: his sons Tymothie and Nathaniel are baptized at Bolton Parish Church. In 1631 he becomes curate at Coley Chapel, Yorkshire, where three more children are baptized: Samuel 1631, Daniel 1632, and Phoebe on 20 September 1634.(2) Most probably he endeavored to set an example for a religious life to the members of his flock, and administered faithfully to their religious needs until political and economic pressures drove them all to seek religious freedom in North America.
      Perhaps one day a ship's lading notice will be found that lists the Rev. Richard Denton and family as passengers en route to the New World. Unlike travel today a small wooden sailing ship was the only mode for transportation; and there were few expectations of ever returning to England. Properties had to be sold before departure, perhaps at reduced prices. Only limited numbers of livestock and fowl could be brought because of limited space aboard ship; and only healthy animals were worth the risk of the month-long crossing. Tools, both household and professional, were not yet for sale in America. Nor were furniture, clothing, food, books, utensils, etc. The desire to leave must have been very strong to precipitate this departure from home. Even the first step of moving furniture, family, livestock, etc. the forty miles to the seacoast from Halifax could daunt a family from leaving this area. Certainly spring would be the best choice for setting out on such a journey, but was there a ship in port adequate to transport the congregation? And at what sort of place would they arrive? Would it be desolate? Infested with wild animals? Or, worse yet, Indians? It was a time to test one's faith.
      But The Great Migration, as it came to be called, was much more than just a religious movement. The new world offered economic opportunities to anyone with even a little venture capital, ability in some trade or venture, and a willingness to work. Fish were plentiful and varied; so also were hardwood lumber trees for making barrel staves, and for shipbuilding and housing. Farmland, as much as a man could manage, was available, almost for the taking. The new land in America offered economic independence to any settler willing to undertake his own business. The immigrants brought with them their English laws and customs to this new world. The oppressive restrictions that drove them from their homes were left behind when they crossed the Atlantic Ocean
      The Rev. Denton and his family, probably with members of his congregation, set sail for America in 1635, less than one year after Phoebe's christening. Their landing place was most probably Watertown (now a Boston suburb), Massachusetts. Records from this early time indicate that the area was almost overrun with new arrivals. Within a year he and his followers had migrated 100 miles farther west, to found Wethersfield, Connecticut, one of the very first settlements to be established inland along the Connecticut River. The distribution of land was apparently handled by secular authority, most probably on a "first come, first served" priority. At least two ministers, perhaps three, with congregations were recorded among the first arrivals. A reconstructed property map, showing the lots owned by the original Wethersfield settlers, identifies the "meeting house" in the center square of the town. All of the lots are identified by the names of the original owners, and all are within easy walking distance of the meeting house. At least three protestant ministers were a part of this founding group, including the Rev. Richard Denton, whose lot was six doors south from the meeting house. Also included were the Rev. John Sherman, who was among the first six men to be dismissed from Watertown church to help form a new church in Wethersfield, and yet another pastor, the Rev. Peter Prudden.
      Fortunately this map locates the settlers who first founded Wethersfield, for this was the "frontier." At first religious services had to be improvised until appropriately experienced clergymen arrived to lead their flocks. In civic matters local leaders were called upon to establish local ordinances and adjudicate local disputes; the settlers brought their English regulations and customs with them. In the homeland, however, the royal government was increasingly distracted by unrest and dissension; Cromwell's revolution was inching toward civil war (1642), the beheading of Charles I (1649) followed by an 11-year inter-regnum until 1660.
      [Image of map: "Wethersfield in 1634-1644."(3)]
      A localized disruption was soon brewing in Wethersfield. Let me quote notes from the journal of Gov. John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay to explain the event as it developed:
      "The rent [dispute] at Connecticut grew greater, notwithstanding the great pains which had been taken for healing it; so as the church at Wethersfield itself was not only divided from the rest of the town etc., but of those seven which were the church, four fell off; so as it was conceived, that thereby the church was dissolved, which occasioned the church at Watertown... to send two of their church to look after their members, and to take order with them. But the contention and alienation of minds was such, as they could not bring them to any other accord than this[:] that the one party must remove to some other place, which they both consented to, but still the difficulty remained for those three, who pretended themselves to be the church, pleaded that privilege for their stay, and the others alleged their multitude, etc., so as neither would give place..."(4)
      The ministers and elders of Hartford and Windsor labored in vain to restore harmony. In 1639, the advice of the Rev. Mr. Davenport of New Haven was sought, who, finding reconciliation unlikely, if not impossible, advised that one party should remove and establish a new colony. The church in Watertown also sent a committee of two persons to look after their members in Wethersfield, who gave the same advice. But here arose a serious difficulty: which party should remove? The church, consisting of but seven members, was divided four and three. The four, being the majority of the church, claimed to represent the town and church, though only a minority of the planters (property owners) were with them. The three church members, with the majority of the people, claimed the right to remain, and the others finally left and commenced a colony at Stamford, in connection with the colony of New Haven, carrying with them the records of the church, and also of the town, if there were any, claiming them as their right.(5)
      In 1638, while the groups in Wethersfield were working out their differences, the Rev. John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton had established New Haven as a separate colony some fifty miles south of Wethersfield on Long Island Sound. With a population drawn mostly from London this cleric and this merchant peopled their colony with devout believers willing to live under the laws of Moses. In their possession was title from the king to a large grant of land extending westward along Long Island Sound. They wanted to sell large portions of this land to purchasers who would abide by the laws and religious restrictions they were establishing in New Haven itself. Under this agreement the new colonists must sign agreements to conform to the regulations of these magistrates. Rev. Denton's group were among the very first to respond.
      In 1640, perhaps at the invitation of Rev. Davenport, Denton's group deputed Andrew Ward and Robert Coe to treat with New Haven to purchase land in the new territory. On July 1 Capt. Nathaniel Turner of New Haven acquired 128 square miles of land, forty miles to the west, from the Toquam and the Shippan Indians. In October twenty leaders at Wethersfield signed a mutual pledge "under paine of forfeiture of £5 per man" to move with their friends to Rippowams - Denton before 16 May, 1641, and the others before the end of the next November.(6) The prospective settlers agreed to move there with these requirements: to accept New Haven's form of government, to repay the £33 purchase price,(7) and to reserve a fifth of the area for one year for other colonists expected to arrive from England at New Haven. Twenty-eight families moved the sixty miles to the site during the summer and changed its name to Stamford. It was located on the Sound only thirty miles from the thriving Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam on lower Manhattan Island. On 19 October 1641, at their first official meeting, they elected five men to form a provisional government and divided the new land between them (Denton was allotted fourteen acres). A problem or two still lingered. New Haven officials were not fully satisfied with the hundred bushels of corn, so a cash assessment of £56 sh10 was levied to satisfy the account, turning a neat profit on the £33 New Haven had paid only a year before. In addition neighboring Greenwich disputed the line boundary dividing the two communities; the dispute was finally settled a second time on 2 November 1641.
      Once again there are no surviving original surveys or maps of the town as it was laid out. However a recent author has reconstructed the locations of the earliest home lots as given in the city's listings of individual holdings, first recorded in 1650: [Image of map "Stamford in 1641-1650."(8)
      Referring to this map, lot 23 is located in the center of the town across North Street from the Meeting House, which was also the church. The Rev. John Bishop purchased this property in 1650 from Robert Lockwood, who had obtained it from Richard Denton. This fact is known because Denton had difficulty collecting full payment from Lockwood; he had to sue to obtain it.(9) Today's map of Stamford's city center is much altered, so where is the original church site in the modem city? A reasonable guess may be that the First Stamford Meeting House was erected on the northeast corner of Main Street and Atlantic Street, making that the site of Rev. Denton's church. (Later, when the congregation did finally construct its own edifice, it could well have been where today's First Congregational Church now stands.) The present congregation traces its organization back to Denton's group. On a wall inside the present church is a bronze plaque chronologically recalling the ministers who have ministered there, beginning with Denton. Additionally there are two murals painted directly on the interior walls, both fancifully showing the original church building (as well as the five later ones), and including an imagined portrait of Rev. Richard Denton himself. It may be the only "portrait" of the minister in existence.
      But then a remarkable event took place: sometime in 1643 Denton decided to remove himself and his congregation once again - this time across Long Island Sound and out of English jurisdiction onto Long Island, territory claimed by the Dutch. The reason for this transfer has not been recorded but can be guessed at. Perhaps internal discord arose again over the seemingly trivial issue of baptism. Or perhaps the authorities of New Haven levied new charges and taxes (although no records establish that). Most probably he moved because back in England the Civil War had finally begun; the King himself faced capture. It has been suggested that the Dutch actually extended an invitation to Denton and his followers to re-establish their church under Dutch protection, the first English group to do so on western Long Island. We can remember that the newly established Dutch nation had welcomed the Pilgrim fathers for ten years before they finally migrated to America in 1620. Above all the New Netherlands colony was a business venture of the Dutch West Indies Company, not a project of the national government; a greater population of colonists promised stockholders a larger income from the venture.
      The departure from Stamford seems to have gone better than the move from Wethersfield but was certainly no less risky. Even with permission to settle from the Director General Kieft, the newcomers faced possible attack from local Indians. After all, in August 1643, Indians massacred Anne Hutchinson and sixteen members of her household close by on Long Island Sound. This time John Carman and the Rev. Robert Fordham were dispatched from Stamford to find a suitable town site and to purchase it from the Indians.(10) After a careful search they chose the fertile 16-mile wide plain "belonging" to the Rockaway tribes and confirmed their purchase with a deed dated 13 December 1643, still on file in the Hempstead, New York, Town Hall. Once settlement had begun, the town fathers negotiated with the local Dutch authorities for authorization and protection. These were not hard to come by, for Dutch efforts to attract settlers to their territory was lagging. On 14 November 1644, Kieft granted them a generous patent: village rights with magistrates and local courts of justice, the condition being that one hundred families should be living there within three years.
      At long last Denton's group was "home" but where was he? No original "map of early homeowners," if there was one, has survived. Researcher George D. A. Combes has compiled a careful listing of the "Fifty Original Proprietors of Hempstead" based on surviving land and other records, but did not list Denton among.(11) Two letters he (Denton) sent to Dutch authorities during this period have survived in the New York State Archives in Albany.(12) The first document, dated 5 March 1650, was signed by him and six other persons in a petition against the sheriff of Flushing. The second, written one year later on 18 April 1651, was addressed to Pieter Stuyvesant, governor of New Netherland. It was a desperate appeal for the governor's help to compel John Carman to repay his debt to Denton, whose family was suffering from their lack of funds. The first letter was written from Mashpeag (now Flushing) and the second from Middleborough (later Newtown), both westward on Long Island from Hempstead. In the second of these letters (from which an image of his signature is reproduced alongside this paragraph(13)) he begged Stuyvesant to "help me in these my sad straits and wrongs," and said that he was in a condition of: "... not having [funds] either to pay my debts or to supply my wants unless I should sell the be[ ] [apparently meaning to sell his bed] from under me or what else is as necessary for our subsistence."(14)
      When we combine these evidences of financial distress with the difficulty he had collecting payment on the sale of his Stamford property, we can see that Richard Denton and his family had fallen on hard times. Without further evidence we can only guess at how he and his family fared during his years in New Netherland.
      Indeed he still had a family to support and maintain, a wife and three sons still at home. How early was a church organized and built in Hempstead? The early town records (up to 1657) are lost, leaving us to conjecture the intervening events. I suggest that Rev. Denton may have acquired a lot in Hempstead from which, to augment his income, he could travel as an itinerant minister from time to time, preaching to a larger flock. In that way his family could have remained at home among neighboring friends as he carried on his work over a somewhat wider area. Although the evidences are contrary,(15) he is still listed by some as the founder of the first church in Hempstead, where the congregation still meets on "Denton Green." The "church" was actually the town's meeting hall, which was used by Dutch, French and Puritan worshippers as well, making theological conformity in Hempstead impossible.(16) Reasonable conjecture suggests that he became an itinerant minister, visiting neighboring parishes that were unable to support a pastor of their own. Money was scarce, and he developed an iterant mode over an extensive hinterland. He even undertook a visit to the Virginia colony in search of funds (see letter below). His daughter Sarah had married in 1639 one William Thorne, moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts, and bore 12 children; the 10th was named "Denton". Sons Nathaniel and Samuel were married circa 1656, presumably by their father in Hempstead, and raised families in that vicinity.(17)
      The real crisis for the Rev. Richard Denton was a continuing difficulty in collecting his salary, apparently throughout the period since 1650 and perhaps even since leaving Stamford. Peter Stuyvesant's letter to the Hempstead magistrates on 23 July, 1657, makes that clear: "Before my departure from you I was in hopes of a good act amongst you, both in settling of Mister Denton's continuance and the agreement of tents [government taxes] for the present year. But being back and ready for my return, both were broken off by some turbulent spirits…"(18)
      A week later Richard Gildersleeve, representing the Town, disclaimed the speeches of some malcontents and promised that the townspeople would pay their taxes, and that: "Our desires are to embrace Mr. Denton's ministry if god be pleased to continue him amongst us..."(19)
      Stuyvesant replied promptly in a letter sent 29 July: "Your letter ... has given us full satisfaction ... About the continuancy of Mister Denton amongst you we shall use all endeavors we can; if he cannot be persuaded, you must look for another able and godly man, whereunto we … shall contribute what lies in our power."(20)
      Although the Dutch governor on Manhattan was reassured, the Rev. Mr. Denton in Hempstead was not; he resolved to return to England.
      The last contemporary reference we have of this peripatetic clergyman is revealing as well as touching Two Dutch Reverends, Johannes Megapolensu5 and Samuel Drisius, both of New Amsterdam, wrote the following letter dated 25 October, 1657, to their home church in Holland:
      "We are at this time in great want of English ministers … Mr. Richard Denton, who is sound in faith, of a friendly disposition, and beloved by all, cannot be induced by us to remain, although we have earnestly tried to do this in various ways. He first went to Virginia [!] to