Gregory Dexter (abt. 1610 - 1700)

Born about 1610 in Old, Northamptonshire, England

Descendants

Died 1700 at about age 90 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

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Gregory Dexter migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Rev. Gregory Dexter, the American ancestor of the branch of the family, was born in Old, Northamptonshire, England, in 1610. He was the son of Gregory and Isabel Dexter. See Research Notes

In early life, he took up his residence in London, England, and there learned the trade of printer, which he followed, and in addition, conducted a stationery store. He was also connected with the Baptist ministry in that city and was the friend and transatlantic correspondent of Roger Williams, who was the founder of the Providence (Rhode Island) Colony. In 1643, when Roger Williams went to England to procure the first charter for the infant colony, he took with him the manuscript of his dictionary of the Indian language, and on the voyage arranged it for being printed, and Mr. Dexter printed the first edition of it in London, a reprint of which now constitutes the first volume of the publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society. ^[1]

On the return of Roger Williams with the charter, in 1644, Mr. Dexter accompanied him, having disposed of his printing establishment. Mr. Dexter was received into the First Baptist Church in Providence, of which he subsequently became pastor. ^[1]

Mr. Dexter died in the year 1700, lamented throughout the Colony, and was interred in his private burying ground, where he had desired, — a short distance easterly from the present junction of North Main and Benefit streets, [Constitution Hill,] and in a lot now [1857] belonging to the heirs of the late Ezekiel Burr. ^[1]

The Edward Dexter Family Vault monument at North Burial Ground in Providence has his name as a tribute to Gregory Dexter and Abigail Fullerton.^[2]

He became a distinguished character in the colony.

• Mr. Dexter was one of the parties named in the charter in I663.
• For a number of years was one of the town clerks of Providence and was useful on account of his excellent education.
• He was the fourth pastor of the First Baptist Church in Providence having been called to succeed Rev. Mr. Wickenden about 1650. ^[3]

• 1638: +/1: Had a lot assigned to him. ^[4]
• 1640: July 27: Signed an agreement for a form of government with 38 others. ^[4]
• 1643: His business in London printed Roger Williams 'A Key to the Indian Language'; returned to Providence in 1644. ^[4]
• 1644: Joined the Baptist Church at Providence. ^[4]
• 1646: Sent to Boston to set-in-order a printing business there. ^[4]
• 1651:52:53:54: Commissioner ^[4]
• 1653:54: Town Clerk ^[4]
• 1653:54: President of Providence and Warwick ^[4]
• 1654: Ordained as minister of the First Baptist Church. ^[4]
• 1655: Freeman ^[4]
• 1664-66: Deputy ^[4]
• 1676: April 4: Voted by the Assembly that sixteen persons including Gregory Dexter, in these troublesome times and straits, provide advice and concurrence to the assembly. ^[4]
• He was absent at Long Island during part of King Phillip's War. ^[4]

Mr. Dexter married Abigail Fullerton^[5] (aka Abigail Fuller),^[6] and their children, all born at Providence, were:

1. Stephen, born November 1, 1647 ^[7]; married first Mary Arnold ^[1]; married second Abigail Whipple. ^[4]
2. James, born May 6, 1650 ^{[7] [1]}; married Esther Arnold about 1671; died about 1675/6, his father made provisions for his 2 children, Isabel and Peleg. ^{[1] [4]}
3. John, born November 6, 1652 ^{[7] [1]}; died on April 23, 1706; married Alice Smith on February 16, 1688. ^[4]
4. Abigail, born September 24, 1655 ^[7] ; married James Angell, son of Thomas, on September 3, 1678. ^{[1] [4]}
5. Peleg, born in 1658 ^[1]

Research Notes

Origins: Gregory Dexter's were previously believed to be in Olney. His parentage is proven in his apprenticeship record. NEHGR 155:132 citing ]. Rhode Island History 20 (1961):125-6 FamilySearch Book: 145185 See original apprenticeship record.

Claimed baptism date: FindAGrave reports a baptism of 2 Feb 1610 to be found in the parish register of Old, Northamptonshire. However, Remington, Gordon L., “Thomas Clemence of Providence, Rhode Island and Four Generations of His Descendants,” NEHGR vol. 155 (Apr. 2001):132, 133 n.8 American Ancestors (subscription) states that the only baptism to be found in the Old parish register is for a daughter Isabel in 1623. Examination of the parish register on Ancestry.com does not show such a record.^[8]

Vital Record transcriptions Providence Births

Dexter, Stephen, of Gregory and Abigail, 1: 9m: 1647

Dexter, John, , 6: 9m:1650

Dexter, James " , 6: 3m: 1652

Dexter, Abigail " , 24: 7m: 1655 (p. 220) ^[7]

Pastors succeeding Roger Williams Until 1771

Name: Gregory Dexter

When and How Received: 1643

When and How Connection Ceased: 1700 D

Remarks: Called the fourth pastor Printer of Williams Key in London

Remarks: Called the fifth pastor ^[9]

Apparent duplicate biography. A prior version of this profile included the following bullet points in a section "Biography" appearing below the sources section.

• He was in New England as early as 1638 when he had a five-acre lot assigned to him in Providence.
• He had been in the printing business in London, and still operated that business in 1643 when his establishment printed Roger Williams' translation of the native languages.
• As an experienced stationer, he offered his expertise to the printing operation in Boston in 1646, asking for no compensation other than an annual almanac.
• Dexter became active in colonial affairs in 1647, as the four towns of the colony were consolidating into a unified government.
• He later became a commissioner from Providence during the early 1650s, after William Coddington had received a commission to remove the two island towns of Portsmouth and Newport from the unified government.
• Dexter became the President of the combined towns of Providence and Warwick, during the final year of the split government, and the towns were re-united with his successor.
• Dexter was a Baptist, and following his presidency he renewed his association with the Baptist church in Providence, becoming the pastor of the congregation in 1669.
• Buried in the North Burial Ground, Providence, RI

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Newman, Sylvanus Chace. Dexter genealogy: being a record of the families descending from Rev. Gregory Dexter; with notes and biographical sketches of each parent, Printed by A.C. Greene, Providence, Rhode Island, 1859, p. 7-8, 12. Internet Archive
2. ↑ Sterling, John E. North Burial Ground Providence, Rhode Island, Old Section 1700-1748, Special Publication No. 5, Rhode Island Genealogical, Society, Greenville, Rhode Island, 2000, p. 51. Find in a library: WorldCat
3. ↑ Commemorative biographical record of Tolland and Windham counties, Connecticut: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families, Volume 1 J.H. Beers & Co. 1903. p 70. Internet Archive.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16} Austin, John Osborne. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising Three Generations of Settlers who Came Before 1690, (with Many Families Carried to the Fourth Generation), Genealogical Publishing Co., 1887, p. 4: 288 Internet Archive.
5. ↑ Gregory-Fuller?-Fullerton 1647 marriage, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015), 1:448 (Dexeter); database and digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
6. ↑ Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties, Connecticut, multiple vols. (Chicago : Beers, 1903), 1:70 (Edward Dexter); digital images, Hathi Trust, for "Abigail Fuller."
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Arnold, James N., compiler. Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850 Births, Marriages & Deaths, Volume 2: Providence County, Narragansett Historical Publishing Co. Providence 1892
8. ↑ "Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1532-1812"
   Old > Parish Registers > 1559-1694
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 9 August 2023)
9. ↑ Historical catalogue of the members of the First Baptist Church in Providence Rhode Island edited by Henry Melville King, Charles Field Wilcox, p. 23

See also:

• The Early Records of the Town of Providence, 1636-1750 (1892-) Vol. I, p. 7. List of the children of Gregory and Abigail Dexter, with their birth dates.
• The Early Records of the Town of Providence, 1636-1750 (1892-) Vol. II, p. 9. Gregory Dexter purchases land from Joshua Windsor. 1648.
• The Early Records of the Town of Providence, 1636-1750 (1892-) Vol. II, p. 11. Gregory Dexter sells land to John Smith, 1651.
• The Early Records of the Town of Providence, 1636-1750 (1892-) Vol. II, pp. 15-16. Gregory Dexter and Thomas "Robbards" purchase 60 acres from John Smith, 1657.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #215006758