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PIRATE JOHN STRANGEWAY HUTTON

(Ancestor of Nancy Hutton, wife of Andrew Cornessus Branson)

Taken from "The Windham Herald" (aka "The Phoenix), issue of Saturday, September 22, 1792:

Hutton, now living in this city, in the 109th year of his age, may it interest the public, they are communicated, with his consent, by your humble servant, C.W. Peale. Philadelphia, Sept. 3, 1792. Which is to be preserved in my Museum, the following particular respecting the old gentleman were collected from his children, and apprentice to a sea-faring man, who put him to school in New-York to learn navigation; at which time he became intimate with a boy who worked at the white-smiths trade, with whom he amused himself in acquiring the use of the hammer; from whence he obtained a facility in working at platework in the silver-smith's business.

He followed a sea faring life for 30 years, and then commenced the silver-smith's trade, without having served any apprenticeship to it; yet, in Philadelphia, he has been esteemed one of the best workmen, at hollow work, in that line of business; and there are still pieces of his work in this city much esteemed. He made a tumbler in silver when he was 94 years old. Was always plain and temperate in his eating and drinking; and avoided spiritous liquors, excepting once, when he was a lieutenant in a cruise on the Spanish main, he, with 50 or 60 men made a descent on a village; in pillaging of which, himself, with most of the men, became intoxicated. The Spaniards took advantage of their situation, and got between them and the sea, and killed every man of his party, except himself & one other, whom they made prisoners; from which state he attempted an escape, by cutting out a sloop, but was detected, and again put into confinement.

Catherine Chessman, by whom he had 8 children, 25 grand children, 23 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grand children, and second wife, maiden name Ann Vanlear, 19 years old when he married her; by whom he had 17 children, 41 grandchildren, and 15 great grand children. (That's a total of 25 children!)

More notes: Apparently, John Strangeway Hutton was a pirate! It is well known that pirates often pillaged the Spaniards who had settled in that area of the Caribbean then referred to as the "Spanish Main".

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