The History of the Duttons
City on a Hill
Dutton is a town in Cheshire, England. The town name is from the old English
dun tun. Dun means hill or mountain. Tun became the word town in modern
English, but at the time refered to any enclosed space. Quite literally Dutton
is "a city on a hill" (the word town being the English equivalent of city until
that word was imported from French in the 1300s). Some translate the name as
"the farm on the hill" due to the vague definition of tun. The name of the
town predates the Duttons by at least 600 years.
Norman Conquest
The first Dutton was a man named Odard (or Hodard, Udard, Hudard, or Houdard).
He had five brothers. Five of the six fought in the Norman conquest and the
following scurmishes in the Cheshire area. The sixth brother, Horswin, was a
priest. All of the five became Lords in north England. Nigel became Baron of
Halton, Geffry became Lord of Stopfort, Odard became Lord of Dutton, Edward
(or Edard) became Lord of Heswall, and Wolfath (or Wolfrid) became Lord of
Hatton.
William (the Conqueror) gave Odard the town of Dutton, which he held through
the Earl of Chester. This means that the Earl owed the King fealty in exchange
for the lands, and Odard likewise owed the Earl, who was also installed by
King William. Odard took the style "Lord of Dutton" and settled in the manner
in 1086. According to census records (called the
Doomsday Book),
he initially owned the town with two other Lords, although he had possession
of the manor. These other portions were bought by his descendants in 1341 and
1354, making the town an undisputed possession of the Duttons.
Royal Blood
There is legend that says that Odard was the nephew of William the Conquerer,
but there is little historical evidence to back up this claim. His mother,
Emma de Bretange, was descended from Rollo, Duke of Normandy, and his father
was descended from Rollo's Uncle. William the Conquerer is a direct descendant
of Rollo in the male line, so there is consanguinity between the Duttons and
the Brittish Royals. In addition, Sir Edward Dutton was an ancestor of both
Prince Charles and Lady Dianna.
Supposedly, Rollo, who was Norse, and invaded the Norman coast in the late
800s was offered Gisela, Charles the Simple's bastard daughter, as a peace
offering. He is purported to have taken her as his "Christian wife", having
already been married to a Norse woman. They married in 898, and if Rollo's
children came through Gisela, then there is a link to Charlemange. Gisela was
a direct descendant of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Prior to Rollo, there are two different theories on the origins of the Normans.
The given genealogy is that they are descended from the Norse Jarl (Earl) of
Möre, Rögnvald. The alternate (false, IMO) theory has Rollo coming
from Danish stock. The Dutton ancestor, Malahuc of Möre, and uncle of
Rollo under the Norse version of the geneology, came from the North to
Normandy with Rollo. Because of this close connection, I reject the Danish
geneology claim. Through Rollo and Malahuc, the Duttons are descended from
Fornjot, King of Gotland, Finland, and Kvenland, and progenitor of most of
Western royalty.
Crest and Motto
The Dutton Family motto is "Servabo Fidem", which is Latin for, "I will keep
the faith." It is likely a reference to 2 Timothy 4:7.
The Dutton family crest
is divided into four quadrants of white or red. The red quadrants (upper right,
and bottom left) have a gold cross (stylized with a square at the intersection)
set on a diagonal angle. Below are two examples found online.
Direct Line to Me
I am a 31st generation Dutton. My direct line to Odard is as follows:
Generation 1
Odard, Lord of Dutton (b. abt 1046-1086 in Normandy, France)
m. Alice (b. ABT 1056 in Cheshire, England)
NOTE: sometimes spelled Udard, Hodard, Hudard, or Houdard
Generation 2
Hugh FITZODARD, Lord of Dutton II (b. abt 1076-1096 in Dutton)
m. Alice PICHARD (b. 1080-1106 in Dutton)
Generation 3
Hugh DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton III (b. abt 1102-1128 in Dutton)
m. Alice PRESCOTT (b. ABT 1128 in England)
Generation 4
Sir Hugh DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton IV (b. ABT 1155 in Dutton)
m. Isabell DE MASSEY (b. ABT 1155 in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England)
Generation 5
Sir Hugh DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton V (b. ABT 1177 in Dutton)
m. Muriel LE DESPENCER (b. ABT 1191 in Dutton, Cheshire, England)
Generation 6
Sir Thomas DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton VII (b. ABT 1214 in Dutton)
m. Phillippa DE STANDON (b. ABT 1214 in Standon, Staffordshire, England)
Generation 7
Sir Hugh DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton VIII (b. abt 1245-1250 in Dutton)
m. Joann DE SANCTO PETRO VULGO SAMPIER (b. ABT 1251)
Generation 8
Sir Hugh DE DUTTON, Lord of Dutton IX (b. 8 DEC 1276 in Dutton)
m. Joan DE HOLLAND (b. ABT 1276 in Upholand, Lancashier, England)
Generation 9
Sir Thomas de DUTTON, Lord of Dutton X (b. 1314 in Dutton)
m. Ellen THORNTON (b. 1316 in Thornton, Cheshire, England)
Generation 10
Sir Edmund DUTTON (b. abt 1342-1349 in Dutton)
m. Joan MINSHULL (b. ABT 1342 in Minshull, Cheshire, England)
Generation 11
Sir Hugh DUTTON (b. 1369 in Dutton)
m. Petronella DE VERNON (b. 1383 in Hatton, Cheshire, England)
Generation 12
John DUTTON (b. ABT 1403 in Hatton, Cheshire, England)
m. Margaret ATHERTON (b. ABT 1410 in Atherton, Lexington, England)
Generation 13
Richard DUTTON (b. abt 1430-1454 in Chester, Cheshire, England)
m. Mary MAINWARING (b. ABT 1433 in Croxton, England)
source: Leycester's Historical Antiquities pp. 248-260.
Generation 14
Ralph DUTTON (b. ABT 1458 in Chester, England)
m. Elanor (or Elinor) PULESTON (b. ABT 1465 in Dutton)
Generation 15
William DUTTON (b. ABT 1482 in Dutton)
m. Agnes CONWAY (b. ABT 1484 in Flints Co, England)
Generation 16
Thomas Dutton (b. 1507 Sherborne, d. 4 Oct 1581 Sherborne)
m. Mary Taylor (b. 1507)
Generation 17
William Dutton (b. 1537, Cheshire, d. 1616 Cheshire)
m. Anne Nicholas (b. 1537) daughter of Sir Ambrose Nicholas
Generation 18
Ralph Dutton (b. 1575 Cheshire, England, d. 1646 Burnt Island)
m. Mary Duncombe (b. 1575)
Generation 19
John Dutton (b. 05 Oct 1596 Sherborne, d. 04 May 1693, Reading, MA)
m. Mary Neld (b. 1596 Sherborne, d. 1627, Reading, MA)
Generation 20
Thomas Dutton (b. 1619 Dutton, England, d. 22 Jan 1686)
m. Susannah Palmer (b. 1626 Reading, MA, d. 27 Aug 1684 Billerica, MA)
Generation 21
Thomas Dutton (b. 14 Sep 1648 Reading, MA, d. 1721)
m. Rebecca Brabrooke (b. 1652, Concord, MA, d. 16 Mar 1720, Billerica, MA)
Generation 22
Thomas Dutton (b. 02 Aug 1681 Billerica, MA, d. 04 Aug 1759)
m. Hannah Burge (1688-1775)
Generation 23
James Dutton (b. 05 May 1721 Billerica, MA, d. 15 Aug 1807)
m. Rebecca Hildreth (b. 31 Mar 1726, d. 04 Feb 1785)
Generation 24
Jesse Dutton (b. 1 Mar 1762) Westford, MA
m. Lydia Udall (1767-1850), died with surname "Deming"
Generation 25
Jesse Dutton b. 01/25/1791 d. 07/15/1866
m. Mary "Polly" Penfield b. 5/21/1803 d. 10/9/1881
Generation 26
Delos Dutton (b. 1 Apr 1829, Penfield, d. 8 Jun 1901 Rochester)
m. Ellen Mooney (b. 1854, Ireland, d. 27 Aug 1926, Penfield)
Generation 27
Jesse Harry Dutton (b. Jan 1861, Illinois, d. 1937, Rochester)
m. Lillian Jeans (b. 20 Jun 1869, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, d. 1927)
Generation 28
Jesse Walter Dutton (b. 26 Jan 1902, Rochester, d. 29 Sep 1982, Rochester)
m. Harriet Clarissa Landou
Generation 29
grandparents, living
Generation 30
parents, living
Generation 31
me, living