Descendants of John Cutting

John Cutting is our English Cutting Family ancestor. The name Cutting is a very rare English surname which is almost exclusively found in County Suffolk with many in the area of the city of Ipswich. John Cutting was born ca 1593 probably in the area of Ipswich. He gave his age as being 63 in April 1656. He died on 20 Nov. 1659 at Newbury, Ma. He married, ca 1615 probably at Little Wrathing or Ipswich, County Suffolk, Mary Ward, the daughter of Edward and Judith (–) Ward. The name of his wife is noted in “Genealogical Gleanings in England, V1, Part 2, Pg 584" by Henry Waters-1901 wherein she, Mary Warde Cutting is mentioned in the will of Susan Ward Brown, her sister. Mary Ward Cutting, John’s wife, died on 06 March 1667 at Newbury, Ma.

Our Capt. John Cutting was a “Master” mariner; the first record shows him in command of the ship “Francis” of Ipswich, England which set sail the last of April 1634 with some eighty passengers aboard. About the same time, the ship “Elizabeth”, William Andrews, Master departed from Ipswich, England with a Richard Cutting, age 11 and a William Cutting, age 26 among the over one hundred passengers aboard. Judge Savage stated that these two vessels departed from Ipswich, England on the same day and likewise arrived at Boston on the same day. There is no known relationship between our Capt. John Cutting and the above mentioned Richard and William Cutting. Richard Cutting, born 1621 and died 1696, settled in Watertown, Ma. and married Sarah (–) in 1648.

Captain John Cutting decided to make his home in New England and brought over his wife and children, probably sometime early in 1636, where they settled in Watertown, Ma. Between 25 July 1636 and 16 June 1637, Capt. John had three grants of land, the first being 60 acres in he First Division, the second being 10 acres in the Beaverbrook plain, and the third being 10 acres in the Remote or West Pine Meadows. He later received an addition 10 acres of upland.

Mariner Capt. John continued his work as a sea captain until at least 1656. It is reported that he made thirteen trans Atlantic trips. His wife, Mary, proved herself of being very capable of managing her husband’s affairs while he was at sea. On one occasion, in 1639, she wrote a letter to the Governor, addressing him as “Right Worshipfull John Winthrop”. She was seeking the Governor’s support in obtaining payment for service of a man, brought over as a servant by them to New England, who was “bound” for eight years. Many of the early, especially single, people “indentured” themselves for a period of time in return for passage and nominal support costs. In this case, a Capt. Thornback, a kinsman of the servant in question, arrived from Virginia to negotiate the release of the servant; Capt. John was amenable to the idea but in the meantime the servant just departed with his goods in wife Mary Cutter’s shallop(a rowing or sailing vessel for use in shallow waters). Mary was asking the Governor’s support in obtaining 20 Ls from Capt. Thornback which she, Mary, thought was “little enough” for three and one years support of the servant including the servant’s original passage cost.

The Cuttings removed to Newbury, Ma. around 1639; in 1641 we find a document where Capt. John and his son, John, of Newbury, as Master Mariners of the good ship “Desire”, were bound to pay Lawrence Hazzard, shipwright of London, and Robert Crisp and William Wilbert, mariners, noted sums of money upon arrival of the ship “Desire” in London, England. In 1642, Capt. John Cutting was a “freeholder”,i.e., owner of a freehold, a form of tenure by which an estate, land/house etc, is held for life. He was one of the eight commissioners appointed to arrange for the moving of the village from Parker River to the Merrimac River. By 1645 Capt. John had received many other land grants including a 200 acre farm bounded by Falls River on the south.

In 1648, Capt. John bought a house and land in Charleston and was a resident there. In 1651 he was styled a “gentleman” and Mary, his wife, was admitted to “full communion” in the Charlestown church in 1652. Mary acted as attorney for her husband when he, Capt. John, was at sea..The family returned to Newbury, Ma. by 1656. The last record of the living Captain John Cutter is dated 29 March 1659 wherein he was haled before the court at Ipswich for “taking tobacco in the bell yard”. He was fined but the fine was remitted until the court should take further action.

Capt. John Cutting of Newbury made his will on 22 October 1659 with the will being proved on 27 March 1660. He was literate to a degree as seen in the opening words of his will. “Bee it knowne vnto all men by theife prfents that I John Cutting of Newbury in the County of Effex in Newengland being through gods mercy in health of body and perfect memory, Confidering ferioufly minr owne fraility and mortality, endeauouring to leave mine eftate to my relations as may continue loue & peace amongft them et al”. His will is quite encompassing and mentions among many, “his daughter Mary the wife of Nicholas Noyes”. The valuation of Capt. John’s inventory amounted to L737, a large estate for the time.

Capt. John and Mary Ward Cutting had a son, John,Jr, noted as joint “master” of the ship “Desire” of Boston in 1641. John Jr married, prior to 1638, Mary (–) and they had a daughter Mary who married Samuel Moody. The latter two are mentioned in Capt. John’s will. It is assumed that John Jr died prior to the writing of the will. It is well established that Capt. John and his wife Mary had a daughter, Sarah, who married, prior to 1652, James Brown, born 1605 died 1676. They also are mentioned in Capt. John’s will. Sarah subsequently married, 29 Nov. 1677 at Newbury, William Healey and, as a third husband, Sarah married, 03 Dec.1685 at Newbury, Hugh March. There is, maybe, another daughter, i.e., Judith who supposedly married, in 1638, the above James Brown, as his first wife with Judith dying prior to 1652. Recognized documentary sources are divided on whether James Brown’s first, Judith, was a Cutting or a woman with a different surname.

Sometime before May, 1662, the widow Mary Ward Cutting married, as his second wife, John Miller, a gentleman who matriculated at Caine and Gonville College, Cambridge.. Mary Ward Cutting Miller made her will on 26 Nov. 1663 which was proved 29 March 1664. The value of the inventory, not including land, total L71.
References:PH7:201; PH27:1586; PH71:V8:165-166; PH97:128; PH212:V1:357-363; PH221: 584; FH100:201-202; FH240:44,46; FH242:40; NEHGR:V53:36; MD9:67.

Mary Cutting, probably the third child and second daughter of John and Mary Ward Cutting was ca 1624 in England and died 01 April 1673 at Newbury, Ma. She married, in 1641 at Newbury, Ma, Nicholas Noyes who was born in 1616 at Cholderton, Wilts, England and died 09 April 1701. He was the son of Rev. William and Anna Parker Noyes.
References:PH7:591; PH71:V8:165-166; PH97:128; PH212:V1:360-361; NEHGR:V53:36