Robert ‘the Ship Builder’ Moulton

Not the same as Robert Moulton, of Hemsby

Robert Moulton, II.

• Birth: Abt 1616
• Immigration: 1629 Salem, Essex, Massachusetts
• Married: Aft 20 Jan 1640/1641 to Abigail Goade
• Death about Sep 1665. Will written 5 Sep 1665 Salem, Essex, Massachusetts; 3 Oct 1665 Inventory Taken; 28 Nov 1665 Will proved.

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Origins

According to Moulton Annals, Robert Moulton (Sr) arrived at Massachusetts Bay from England in 1629, accompanied by his brother James and adult son Robert, a clergyman of the Church of England. An attempt was eventually made by Robert Sr.'s son to establish the English Church in Salem, "but it was opposed by Gov. Endicott and others in authority, as not in accord with the prevailing ideas of the colonies."

Disambiguation

Do not merge this Robert Moulton “the Ship Builder of Salem” with Robert Moulton of Ormsby. Robert Moulton the Ship Builder died in 1665 and listed a different family in his will. According to A History of the Moulton Family: “Robert Moulton was sent over in the fleet with Higginson to Salem in 1629…with orders to commence ship building…He soon removed to Charleston where he was made freeman in 1631…He came back to Salem in 1637…Moulton did a large business, not only in ship carpentering, but also in exporting ship timber…He was the first deacon of the first church in Salem. He died in in Wenham in 1665. In his will…he mentioned his son Robert, daughter Dorothy Edwards and grandson Robert Buffum.”[7]

Biography

from Robert Moulton, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995).

ROBERT, b. say 1616 (asks for a farm in 1637 [ STR 1:64]); m. by 1641 Abigail Goad (on about 20 January 1640/1 Lucy Downing, writing from Salem, to Margaret Winthrop, reported that "my maid Abigail is suddenly to be married to Robert Moulton of this town" [ WP 4:306]; "my maid Abigail" is identified in a letter of the same date from Emmanuel Downing to John Winthrop as "my niece Nab Goade" [ WP 4:306]), daughter of John and Abigail (Downing) Goad [ TAG 74:305].

Will

"The last will and testament of Robert moulton senir of Salem: I Robett Moulton of Salem senir beinge by gods hande on my sick bedd but of pfect memorie doe dispose of my estate as folioweth : vidz : I doe ordaine my wife my whole exeeurx of this my last will and testament and I giue and bequeath to my son Robert fiue pounds at my decease and to my daughr Abigaile fiue pounds sterlinge also my son Samuell to inioy all my lands within Readinge bounds buttinge on IpsMach riuer by estimation sixscore akers more or less; also I giue to my daughtr Hannah twentie pownds in neate Cattle to be pd at her day of marriage also I giue vnto my two yonger sons John and Joseph my now dwellinge house with all the lande and meadow with all othr apurtenances there vnto belonginge after the decease of my wife they payinge as a legasie to my two youngr daughr meriam and mary to each of them twentie pounds to be pd within one yeare after they com to posess it and in case either of my sons John or Joseph should die before theire mother then my will is that my son Samuell shall inioy the pt of my house and lande giuen to the ptie deceased and this I leaue as my last will and testament witnis my hande the 5th of Septembr 1665." -- Robert Moulton senior
Witness: Henry Bartholomew, George Gardner, Samuell Gardner.

Proved in Salem court 28:9:1665 by Lt. George Garnder and Samuell Gardner
Inventory taken 3:8:1665, by Samuell Gardner and Job Swinerton, jr., being by the widow:... (1)

Sources

1. Estate of Robert Moulton, Sr. of Salem, in Massachusetts, Probate Court (Essex County). The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts. (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1916, 1917, 1920), v 2, p 20, Secondary quality
2.   The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), 27: 29, 1873.
3.   Pierce, Frederick Clifton. Batchelder, Batcheller genealogy: descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiler of England, a leading non- conformist, who settled the town of New Hampton, New Hampshire, and Joseph, Henry, Joshua and John Batcheller of Essex Co., Massachusetts. (Chicago, Ill. : : Press of W.B. Conkey Company, , 1898), Page 353, 1898.

Links

• http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Robert_Moulton_%284%29_

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• A history of the Moulton family; a record of the descendents of James Moulton of Salem and Wenham, Massachusetts, from 1629-1905 by [Moulton, Eben Hobson]
• https://archive.org/details/historyofmoulton00moul
• https://archive.org/stream/historyofmoulton00moul#page/5/mode/1up
• ROBERT MOULTON was sent over in the fleet with Higginson to Salem in 1629, by the Home Company, with orders to commence ship building. There were seven other ship building carpenters in the fleet and during the first season they built three shallops on Salem Neck. (Found in History of Salem.)
• Moulton had charge of the work. He soon removed to Charlestown where he was made freeman in 1631. He was one of the first selectmen of that town and was representative to the first General Court in 1634. He came back to Salem in 1637 and in that year was disarmed because he was a friend of Wheelwright, who was a father-in-law to Anne Hutchingson.
• "Moulton did a large business, not only in ship carpentering, but also in exporting ship timber, for which purpose he cut off all the timber on Salem Neck pasture (Upham) and Goat Hill in Beverly, of which he had a deed." (John I. Baker.)
• He was at one time in partnership with Robert Baker, one of the ships' carpenters that came in the fleet with him. Baker owned Baker's Island and Moulton the Misery Island in Salem Harbor, (Tradition in Baker's family) formerly called Moulton's Misery because at an early date the ship and crew of the R. S Rantoul
• https://archive.org/stream/historyofmoulton00moul#page/6/mode/1up
• were lost on it. Moulton's house in Salem, stood on the northern side of Essex St. where it joins Boston St., i. e. Buffum corner, and the site of the cellar can be seen in the garden of his descendant, Robert Buffum, of Upham.
• He was the first deacon of the first church in Salem. He died in Wenham in 1665. (Annals of Salem.) In his will, which was probated Jan. 20, 1666, he mentioned his son Robert, daughter Dorothy Edwards and grandson Robert Buffum. He came from the eastern part of England. ________________
• The Annals of Salem: From Its First Settlement By Joseph Barlow Felt
• https://books.google.com/books?id=249b3gPNo54C&pg=PA573&lpg=PA573&d...
• Pg.226
• 1665.
• Nov. 28th. The Friends here were fined £56 10. John Hathorne was confirmed as Quarter Master. - Robert Moulton, sen'r, had died recently. His children, surviving him, were Robert, Abigail, Samuel, Hannah, John, Joseph, Meriam and Mary. He was a ship builder and lived in Salem as early as 1629. he became freeman 1631. He resided a short time at Charlestown, which he represented in General Court
• Pg.227
• 1635. The town granted him 100 aces of land 1636. He held the chief offices of Salem and served as one of it Deputies to General Court. He sustained a reputable character. _______________________________

Robert Moulton died between 20 Feb 1654/5, when he signed his will, and 15 May 1655, when inventory was taken on his estate. He married Alice Unknown.

MacAllen suggests that, based on his connections, Robert may have been from Great Yarmouth or the area around it.

Robert Moulton was a master shipwright. He was hired by the Massachusetts Bay Company to take charge of the shipwrights who sailed with the Higgonshon fleet of 1629. "In a letter dated Gravesend, 17 April 1629, Gov. Craddock described Robert Moulton: 'We have sent six shipwrights of whom Robert Molton is chief...'"

He came to New England in 1629. He lived first in Salem, moved to Charlestown in 1630 and moved back to Salem in 1636.

He is on the 18 May 1631 list of those who took the oath of freemen. "Alice Molton" joined the church at Charlestown on 27 Dec 1632. Robert Moulton was deputy to the General Court from Charlestown on 14 May 1634 and 6 May 1635. He was the constable in Charlestown in 1634. He was Selectman on 10 Feb 1634/5. He was a lot layer and assessor on 9 Jan 1633/4. He was deputy from Salem on 18 Apr 1637. He was a Selectman in Salem in 1636 and 1637. He was auditor in 1637 and tythingman on 7 Jul 1644. He was on the committee to supervise the building of the seafort on 14 May 1634.

Robert Moulton was foreman of the jury at the 27 (10) 1636 and 3 (8) 1637 meetings of the Court at Salem; he was a member of the jury at the 25 (4) 1539, 24 (7) 1639, 29 (7) 1640 and 29 (4) 1641 meetings of the Court at Salem; on 6 (5) 1647 he was on the trial jury.

Robert Moulton was one of five Salem men disarmed for supporting Wheelwright and Hutchinson on 20 Nov 1637.

He was attorney for John Grant when John sued Isaac Allerton at the 3 (8) 1637 meeting of the Court at Salem. He was fined along with several others for keeping his cattle in the common corn field in Dec 1642.

Robert Moulton of Salem signed his will on 20 Feb 1654/5. He mentions his son Robert, his grandson Robert and his daughter Dorothy Edwards. He also left 20 shillings to Goodwife Buffum and 10 shillings to Joshua Buffum. The inventory was taken on 15 (3) 1655 and his estate amounted to 113£ 8 s. It included his farm; eight cows, five young cattle, two yearlings and seven lambs; seven books; shipwright's tools.

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First Generation in the New World'

Massachusettes Bay First Settlers: Came to New England in1629, with the Higginson-Skelton fleet on 1 May 1629, arriving at Salem Harbor on 24 Jun 1629) to commence ship building in the New England Colonies.

Robert Moulton, a shipbuilder; came 1629, in fleet with Higginson, but went to Charlestown; freeman 1631; was one of the first selectman, and representative at the first court, 1634, and for Salem in 1637; was that year disarmed as a friend of Wheelwright, died 1655 [this year can not be correct because he fathered children from 1642-1661], leaving Robert and Dorothy, wife of one Edwards, as also grandson, Robert, named in his will.”

Durkee family Newsletter Vol XVII #1, Spring 1998, Page 9

"Robert Moulton from the eastern part of England, master shipwright, was sent to Salem, Mass., in 1629 with the Rev. Francis Higginson and the first shiploads of settlers there by the Governor of the New England company.

Five other shipwrights were included and Moulton was designated their chief, with orders to begin ship building at once. Three shallops were constucted at Salem Neck the first season.

When Gov. John Winthrop in 1630 removed the Salem colonists to Charlestown, Robert Moulton went along. There he lived where the navy yard now is and the site was called Moulton's Point. On May 18, 1631, he was made a freeman. Many of the colonists returned to salem and he with them, and he filled various offices of trust and reponsibility.

In 1634 he was representative to the first General Court."

____________________________ https://archive.org/details/moultonannals00moul/page/60

• Reference: Ancestry Records - SmartCopy: Apr 3 2017, 2:15:46 UTC

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