WILLIAM HUNTINGTON
The parentage of William and his birth place/date has yet to be confirmed by any official records. We can presume, however that he was a son of Simon Huntington, and stepson of Margaret Barrett Huntington.
The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III (online databases) cites a letter from James Cudworth to his stepfather Dr. John Stoughton noting that his Uncle Thomas was to be married to a widow that had “good means” and five children. Since Simon and Margaret’s last child, Henry, died before they left England, it is reasonable to assume that William is the fifth and oldest child–Margaret’s stepson.
William was the first to leave Margaret and may not have even traveled to Connecticut with her, and the Huntington/Stoughton family. By the early 1640s, he was first found in Exeter, New Hampshire. A few years later, he moved to Salisbury, MA on the Merrimack River.
William married Joanna Bailey before 1643. Their first, and only surviving son, John, was born in late August 1643. They had two more children including a daughter, Mary.
Joanna Bayley was a daughter of John Bayley who came from Chippendale, England, in the ship "Angel Gabriel" and which was wrecked in the terrible storm off the coast of Pemaquid, Aug. 15, 1635. Bayley was a great grandson of George Bayley (or Bailey). He went from Salisbury to Newbury, in 1650, and died there in 1651. This relationship is fully shown by the recorded names, and the will of John Bayley, Sr; in which he provides that his son John shall pay certain legacies. In compliance with this provision, in 1652, John Bayley, Jr., of Newbury, drafted a deed, in which land abutting the Merrimack River was given to Joanna, and her two children.
At a general meeting of the Salisbury freemen, on October 26, 1642, it was ordered that thirty families should remove to the west side of the Powow R
William, and his small family, crossed the Powow and became a first proprietor family of Amesbury, then called "Salisbury New Towne." He, however, retained possession of his share in Salisbury because he was recorded as "townsman and commoner," there, December 3, 1650. He also paid the tax for the support of the Reverend William Worcester, who was pastor of the First Church in Salisbury, until his death, in 1662.
The residence of William Huntington, by 1685-6, was noted as being next to Thomas Hoyt. This was in “Pleasant Valley,” on the banks of the mighty Merrimack, where the river is a half mile wide.
The following minutes were copied from the Salisbury Town Records, and help to indicate the character and position of William Huntington.
1653-4, 1st month. One acre and ninety-two rods, his share of the Beach Common. Being one of the sixty-two persons of the division of the meadow toward Merrimac river, and the great Creek toward Merrimac river's mouth and the Barberry Meadow, he drew lot No. 55.
1654, 1st month. He is enrolled as one of the present inhabitants and commoners of the New Town.
1658, Oct. 29. He is recorded as drawing land by lot, and he was one of the thirteen to whose children 500 acres of land were given. His son John is mentioned as the child to inherit his share.
1660, 10th month. "A towns shiep is grantied to Willi Howntinton for his son."
1661. He was one of the twenty-five to whom lots were laid out at the Lion's mouth.
1662, April 1. He drew 120 acres of land; and in March, 1662-3, thirty acres, "West of pond near Children's Land."
“New Town” (Amesbury) November 18, 1663. William drew lots, "between Hamptonshire and Powow river," and in December 1667, he drew lots in four places.
In 1664 William Huntington bought of John Hoyt Sr., a lot of land adjoining his own on the Merrimac river.
William died in 1688/89. No gravestone remains.
CHILDREN
JOHN, born on Sabbath, the last week in Aug. 1643.
JAMES, born December 5, 1646. He was probably the second son, and died in infancy.
MARY, born May 8, 1648, in Amesbury. She married on June 14, 1667, Joshua Goldsmith. A bond from Jeremiah Davis, son of Mary, dated Dec. 3, 1720, and acknowledged May 22, 1723, formerly in possession of Enoch Huntington, of Amesbury, says: "Am holden and firmly bound unto my honored grandfather, John Huntington, and my Aunt Mary Gouldsmith, widow;" the bond pledging her maintenance during her natural life.
Joshua Goldsmith and his wife Mary, sold "for and in consideration of valuable satisfaction in hand, already received in land and other good pay, of John Huntington, and for other good and lawful motives us thereunto inducing, do sell, &c., unto the abovesaid John Huntington, one-third part of the housing and lands, being the contents of, specified in a deed or gift, under the hand and seal of Jno. Bailey, of Newbury, in the County of Essex, formerly given and granted by the said Bayley unto our mother, Johannah Huntington, and to John and Mary, her two children, bearing date the 4th of the eleventh month, 1652; as also all right, &c., to all lands, goods, &c., belonging to our father, William Huntington, now deceased; this dated 24 day March one thousand six hundred eighty-nine or ninety, re-affirmed or acknowledged and yielded up the right of dower, March 1, 1692-93."
Last Updated: December 2025
Sources: David Hoyt Webster: The Old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, with some related families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich and Hampton; David Hoyt Webster Hoyt Family (1857) accessed via HathiTrust; Salisbury Town Records from archive.org.