I've been transcribing wills and indentures of ancestors who lived in Delaware from about 1740 to 1820. In one of these indentures, I discovered something exciting. One of the surnames in my family tree was wrong. The name Milford was really Hilford. Ok, that sounds pretty boring. However, I find it quite exciting because while searchfing for Milford turned up nothing, searching for Hilford turned up several documents, which provides valuable context and clues. One brick wall facing Dutton researchers is the maiden name of Eunice, wife of Abel Dutton, my 4th great grandfather. Some have her name as Heavelo and there is one Heavelo family in the area. However, no one has presented any sources or evidence that this was her name. On the other hand, there is the peculiar names of Abel and Eunice's two sons: Hezekiah Truitt Dutton and John Simpson Dutton. Truitt and Simpson are two families in region but why give their sons these surnames as middle names? Was Eunice a Truitt or a Simpson? I discovered nothing searching for Matthew Milford but now I know that Matthew Hilford had several children, including a daughter named Susannah, who appears to have married a man named Hezekiah Truitt. Now, suddenly, an interesting hypothesis presents itself. Susannah and Hezekiah were old enough to be Eunice's parents. That would certainly explain why Eunice's oldest son would be named Hezekiah Truitt Dutton.
Also, it appears as if Susannah may have died young; she is omitted from an indenture that included all her sisters. If so, its possible that an aunt, perhaps Mary Hilford, and her husband, John Simpson, helped to raise the orphans. That might explain a second son being named John Simpson Dutton. This is all just guesswork at this point. However, I've ordered a couple more documents from the Delaware State archives which may provide more evidence. It certainly pays to read these documents carefully! |
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