Final Tuttle/Carrington Post for the Time Being

These past few blogs have been about the interesting Tuttle family. It was Hannah Tuttle, my sixth great grandmother who married Timothy Carrington. Hannah's grandfather, John Tuttle, had 12 siblings, many with strange stories connected with them. I've written about a few and want to write about Mercy Tuttle, my 8th great aunt, sister of John, and the eleventh child of William and Elizabeth Tuttle. Then I'll pursue other family branches for the rest of the mnth.

Please keep in mind the society of Puritans in which these people lived in New Haven. Mercy Tuttle was born in 1650. When she was just 14 years old she was accused, probably unjustly, of stealing and drinking liquor. She married Samuel Brown in 1667. When she was 41 years of age, Mercy "killed her seventeen-year-old son, Samuel, Jr. with an axe in the town of Wallingford. Samuel was wounded and died six days later."

His father, Samuel Brown, Sr. said that "he heard heavy blows, started from his bed, and went to the chamber, finding Mercy by the bedside, striking with an axe in her hand. He stopped her and threw away the axe and went to the bed. She again got hold of the axe, and he seized it."

Mercy's husband said that she appeared as rational as ever before this and hid the axe at night under her apron. Later he added "his poor wife said the day before, she would have the children buried in the barn." He replied, "They are well. Why talk so foolishly?" She replied, "Dreadful times are coming." Mercy had "slept but little for two or three nights before."

Joesph Brown, aged 24, lived in the house with his father, and testified that "she threw scalding water at him...he thinks her much out of her head." Other family testamonies are on public record that concur with this asumption. I have a document mentioning many of them.

It was testified that "at times in prison Mercy appeared distracted. About once a week she would exclaim against some person. She was tried for murder before the Grand Jury in Oct. of 1691. The Jury of Inquest on the body of Samuel Brown, Jr. found three wounds in his head which caused his death. The defense attorney told the jury that Mercy could have no knowledge of her action, and reminded its members that an asylum was provided for the distracted. The jury's verdict was, however, "She wilfully killed her son Samuel." Many in the town spoke in favor of Mercy being exonerated, albeit by virtue of insanity. "It is fair to say that Mercy was delusional and psychotic.

There followed a time of confusion in the colonies concerning a deposed governor of the Dominion of New England. As a consequence, Mercy escaped execution. She was still living in 1695.

Interesting family at an interesting time. The life in New England was so different from what we experience in our daily lives. Definitely a topic that merits more study and research.

I just found out that Mercy and her brother, Joseph were married the same day...double wedding. Joseph married Hannah Munson. There's quite a bit out there on the internet about this Tuttle family...of course much is redundant.