Thursday, June 6, 2013

Elder Hatevil Nutter (1603-1675)

  ...quoted from the History of Dover, NH by John Scales... 
 Elder Hatevil Nutter was born in England in 1603, as appears from a deposition he made.  It seems he did not come over with the first lot of emigrants in 1633, but in 1637 he bought a lot of Captain Thomas Wiggin, which was rebounded in 1640, as follows: "Butting on ye Fore River, east; and on ye west by High Street; on ye north by ye Lott of Samewell Haynes; and on ye south by Lott of William Story."
     His house stood on the east side of High Street, about 15 or 20 rods from the north corner of the meeting-house lot.  An old pear tree stands (1923) in the hollow, which was part of the cellar.  He received various grants of land from the town, and had part ownership of a saw-mill at Lamprey River.  His ship-yard was on the shore of Fore River; the locality can be easily found by reference to the map.  He was one of the first Elders of the First Church, and helped organize it in November, 1638.  He remained a zealous and generous supporter of the Church.  When the Quaker Missionaries created disturbance in 1662, he vigorously opposed them, contending they had no right to come to Dover and make a disturbance.  The Quaker Historian, Sewell, speaks very harshly of the Elder.  He says: "All this whipping of the Quaker women, by the Constables (in front of the meeting-house), was in the presence of one Hate-Evil Nutwell (Nutter), a Ruling Elder, who stirred up the Constables (John and Thomas Roberts) to this wicked action, as so proved that he bore a wrong name (Hate Evil)."


In 1662 three young Quaker women from England came to Dover. True to their
faith, they preached against professional ministers, restrictions on
individual conscience, and the established customs of the church-ruled
settlement. They openly argued with Dover's powerful Congregational
minister John Reyner. For six weeks the Quaker women held meetings and
services at various dwellings around Dover. Finally, one of the elders of
the First Church, Hatevil Nutter, had had enough. A petition by the
inhabitants of Dover was presented "humbly craving relief against the
spreading & the wicked errors of the Quakers among them". Captain Richard
Walderne (Waldron), crown magistrate, issued the following order: "To the
constables of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Wenham,
Linn, Boston, Roxbury, Dedham, and until these vagabond Quakers are carried
out of this jurisdiction, you, and every one of you are required in the name
of the King's Majesty's name, to take these vagabond Quakers, Ann Coleman,
Mary Tompkins, and Alice Ambrose, and make them fast to the cart's tail,
and driving the cart through your several towns, to whip their naked backs,
not exceeding ten stripes apiece on each of them, in each town; and so to
convey them from constable to constable, till they are out of this
jurisdiction". Walderne's punishment was severe, calling for whippings in
at least eleven towns, and requiring travel over eighty miles in bitterly
cold weather.
On a frigid winter day, constables John and Thomas Roberts of Dover seized
the three women. George Bishop recorded the follow account of events.
"Deputy Waldron caused these women to be stripped naked from the middle
upwards, and tied to a cart, and after awhile cruelly whipped them, whilst
the priest stood and looked and laughed at it." Sewall's History of the
Quakers continues " The women thus being whipped at Dover, were carried to
Hampton and there delivered to the constable...The constable the next
morning would have whipped them before day, but they refused , saying they
were not ashamed of their sufferings. Then he would have whipped them with
their clothes on, when he had tied them to the cart. But they said, 'set us
free, or do according to thine order. He then spoke to a woman to take off
their clothes. But she said she would not for all the world. Why, said he,
then I'll do it myself.. So he stripped them, and then stood trembling whip
in hand, and so he did the execution. Then he carried them to Salisbury
through the dirt and the snow half the leg deep; and here they were whipped
again. Indeed their bodies were so torn, that if Providence had not watched
over them, they might have been in danger of their lives." In Salisbury,
Walter Barefoot convinced the constable to swear him in as a deputy.
Barefoot received the women and the warrant, and put a stop to the
persecution. Dr. Barefoot dressed their wounds and returned them to the
Maine side of the Piscataqua River.

Eventually the Quaker women returned to Dover, and established a church. In
time, over a third of Dover's citizens became Quaker.

John Greenleaf Whittier immortalized the suffering of the Quaker women in
the following poem.

How They Drove the Quaker Women from Dover

The tossing spray of Cochecho's falls
Hardened to ice on its icy walls,
As through Dover town, in the chill gray dawn,
Three women passed, at the cart tail drawn,
Bared to the waist, for the north wind's grip
And keener sting of the constables whip
The blood that followed each hissing blow
Froze as it sprinkled the winter snow.
Priest and ruler, boy and maiden
followed the dismal cavalcade;
And from door and window, open thrown,
Looked and wondered, gaffer and crone.

[Amelia's note: The above John Roberts was Hatevil Nutter's son-in-law.]
Residence: 1633 Dover, New Hampshire ·  Note: was one of the first settlers 4 ·  Occupation: set up a sawmill on the Lamprey River which became a prosperous business. In 1659, he was elected the first Moderator of Dover 1647 4 ·  Religion: an influencial elder of the Dover church who persecuted Quakers and helped drive them out of Dover colony 1650 4  

Note: He was prominently identified with the early history and development of Dover, NH. He is presumed to be one of the "Company of persons of good estate and of some account for religion" who were induced to leave England with Capt. Wiggans in 1633 and to help Found on Dover Neck a compact town.


  Hatevil was a Puritan Elder who was active against the Quakers. He is listed as a puritan immigrant who came to America prior to 1640 on www.angelfire.com. He is listed in 1653 in Dover Extracts as a freeman.


 The following was submitted by Jan Nutter Alpert.

WILL OF HATEVIL NUTTER
 Dover 1674 I Hatevill Nutter of Dover in New England Aged about seventy one yeares at prsent weake in body but havinge in some good meashure (by gods blessinge) the use of my understandinge and memory, Do make this my last will and testament in maner and forme as followeth, hereby abrogatinge all former and other wills by me made, whatsoever Com'endinge my soule to my blessed god & saviour, my body to the Dust by christian buriall in hopes of a glorious resurection, I appoint and will my outward estate to be had and held as followeth viz: To my prsent wife Anne I will and bequeath (after my Debts payed and funerall expenses defrayed) the use and improvement of my prsent Dwellinge house barne orchard & land thereunto adjoininge, with all com'ons pastures priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonginge, as also the use & benefit of that marsh which belonges to me in the great Bay, at Harwoods cove, the other halfe whereof I have formerly given to my son, Anthony, this also descendinge to him at his mothers Decease, To her also I bequeath the use of two other marshes, the one of them lyinge on the easterne, the other on the western side of the back river, which both fall from her to my Daughter mary Winget To her also my said wife I bequeath the use of my houshold stuff cattle Debtes goodes & all other movables whatsover; that is to say the above bequeathed partes of my estate I bequeath to her use Duringe her widdowhood, but if she shall see meet to marry I appoint that at or before her Marriage, halfe the movables or assignes and that then my Daugher Mary receive the marsh on the eastern side of the back river. The other halfe of the movables, and the house & land & other marshes to continue in her handes and use duringe her life, and at her Decease to descend as followeth--To my sonne Anthony Nutter his heires and assignes I Bequeath (besides what I have formerly made over to him) my mill-grant at Lamprill River with all dues and Demands priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonginge to be had and held by him or them forever after my Decease. To him also I bequeath one third part of my movables as they fall from his mother at her marriage or Decease as above said. To him I also bequeath my prsent dwelling house barne orchard and land on dover neck with my right in the ox pasture calve pasture sheep pasture on the said neck as also one quarter part of my land graunted to be in the woodes above Cuchecha, with the priviledges and appurtenances belonginge to any and every one of them, to be had and held by him or them his said heires or assignes forever after the Decease of his mother. To my Daughter Abigail Roberts I Bequeath one halfe of my two hundred acres of Land granted to be in the woodes above cuchecha to be had & held by her her heires and assignes for ever after my Decease. Also to her I give one third part of my movables to be received as above said when they fall from her mother at marriage or Decease. To my Daughter Mary Winget her heires or assignes I bequeath the other quarter of the above said Land graunted to be above cuchecha to be had & held by her or them for ever after my Decease To her also I Give my marsh on the eastern side of the back river to be had & held by her her heires or assignes forever after the marriage, or Decease of her mother. To her also I give the other third part of the movables as they fall from her mother by mariage or decease as above said. Lastly I Do by these prsents Constitute and appoint, my wife Anne above said and my said sonne Anthony, joint executor and executrix of this my will, duringe their lives, and the longer liver of them solely after the Decease of either of them. In wittnes of the prmises I doe hereunto set my hand & seale this 28th day of Decembr Anno. D. 1674. Hatevill Nutter (seal)The word (mother) interlines betwene 40th & 41st Line before signing & sealinge Wittness Jno Reynr John Roberts (Proved June 29, 1675. See Court Records)Inventory, June 25, 1675; amount 398.7.4 pounds; signed by Henry Langstaff and Peter Coffin.
Source: The Nutter Home Page 


Hatevil Nutter * (1603 - 1675)

 is our 9th great grandfather
 daughter of Hatevil Nutter *
 daughter of Abigail Nutter *
 daughter of Abigail Roberts *
 son of Abigail Hall *
 daughter of Christopher Hussey *
 son of Amy Naomi Hussey *
 daughter of Enoch Cox *
 son of Phoebe Hinton Cox *
 daughter of Noah Stewart *
 son of Mary Lou Ella Stewart *

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