Although my Cotton line migrated to the Ohio Territory soon after the American Revolution in 1778, Plymouth is the one place John Cotton’s decedents have lived the longest (1668 to 1870). I have fifty-eight (58) ancestors interred on Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts (shown above center).
- Josiah Cotton, son of Rev. John Cotton
- Colonel Theophilus Cotton, son of Josiah Cotton
- Lieutenant John Cotton, son of Col. Theophilus Cotton
In 1668, Rev. John Cotton’s son, John Cotton Jr., was asked to head the Plymouth Church and for the next 250 years, someone from the Cotton Line has lived in Plymouth. The most significant Plymouth inhabitants in my Cotton line were:
COTTON FAMILY GRAVES ON BURIAL HILL:
- AREA 1: 3 individuals – 3 graves – numbers 1 to 3
- 1 John Sturtevant (b 1658 d 1752) father of Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton
- 2 Hannah (Winslow-Crowe) Sturtevant (b 1644 d 1708) mother of Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton
- 3 William Crowe (b 1628 d 1683) first husband of Hannah Sturtevant
- AREA 2: 19 individuals – 9 graves – numbers 4 to 12
- 4 Memorial to the sons of Rev. John Cotton Jr. & Josiah Cotton
- 5 Josiah Cotton (b 1679 d 1756) son of Rev. John Cotton Jr., grandson of Rev. John Cotton of Boston
- 6 Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton (b 1687 d 1756) wife of Josiah Cotton, daughter of John & Hannah Sturtevant
- 7 Hannah (Cotton) Dyre (b 1709 d 1731) daughter of Josiah & Hannah Cotton, wife of Thomson Phillips & William Dyre
- 8 Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer (b 1714 d 1735) daughter of Josiah & Hannah Cotton, wife of Abel Pulsifer
- 9 Joseph Pulsifer (b 1733 d 1733) son of Abiel Pulsifer & Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer
- 10 Abiel Pulsifer (b c1730 d 1736) son of Abiel Pulsifer & Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer
- 11 Ward Cotton (b 1711 d 1768) son of Rowland Cotton who was the brother of Josiah Cotton
- 12 Memorial to Rev. John Cotton Jr., three of his sons and seven sons of Josiah Cotton who died in infancy
- AREA 3: 24 individuals – 20 graves – numbers 13 to 32
- 13 Ephraim Little (b 1676 d 1723) Cotton cousin by marriage of Lt. John Cotton to Lucy Little in 1780
- 14 Charles Jackson (b 1770 d 1818) husband of Lucy Cotton, daughter of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
- 15 Lucy (Cotton) Jackson (b 1768 d 1818) daughter of Rev.John Cotton & granddaughter of Josiah Cotton
- 16 Margaret ‘Peggy’ (Dyer) Holbrook (b 1784 d 1811) daughter of Bethia Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
- 17 Mary Dyer (b 1781 d 1805) daughter of Bethia Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
- 18 Martha (Sanders) Cotton (b 1717 d 1796) wife of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
- 19 Col. Theophilus Cotton (b 1716 d 1782) son of Josiah Cotton
- 20 Capt. Charles Dyer (b 1740 d 1786) husband of Bethia Cotton, the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- 20 Bethia (Cotton) Dyer (b 1749 d 1837) wife of Capt. Charles Dyer & daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- 21 Joanna Cotton (b 1760 d 1822) daughter of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
- 22 Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton (b 1727 d 1800) wife of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
- 23 Rev. John Cotton (b 1712 d 1789) son of Josiah Cotton
- 24 Pricila (Watson) Cotton (b 1760 d 1859) 3rd wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 25 David Barnes Cotton (b 1794 d 1795) son of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 26 Thomas Smith-Cotton (b 1787 d 1787) son of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton by his 1st wife, Lydia Parker
- 27 Josiah Cotton (b 1747 d 1819) son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 28 Rachel (Barnes) Cotton (b 1758 d 1808) 2nd wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 29 Lydia (Parker) Cotton (b 1752 d 1787) 1st wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 30 Mary Cotton (b 1790 d 1791) daughter of Dr. Rossiter Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 31 Rossiter Cotton (b 1794 d 1796) son of Dr. Rossiter Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 32 Memorial to three sons of Dr. Rossiter Cotton and his wife, Priscilla (Jackson) Cotton
- AREA 4: 1 individual – 1 grave – number 32
- 33 Sarah (Cotton) Harlow (b 1763 d 1828) daughter of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- AREA 5: 1 individual – 1 grave – number 34
- 34 Thomas Little (b 1674 d 1712) Cotton cousin by marriage of Lt. John Cotton to Lucy Little in 1780
- AREA 6: 5 individuals – 5 graves – numbers 35 to 39
- 35 William Sargent Holmes (b1802 d1802) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethia Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethia Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- 36 Martha Cotton (Dyer) Holmes (b1777 d1830) daughter of Bethia Cotton (daughter of Theophilus Cotton) Married to Captain Charles Dyer son of Lucy Cotton (daughter of Josiah Cotton)
- 37 Mary Dyer (Holmes) Graton (b1798 d1840) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- 38 Ester Phillips Holmes (b1808 d1830) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- 39 Charles Alwyn Graton (b1824 d1843) son of Mary Dyer Holmes and Alwyn Graton. Mary Dyer Holmes was the child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
- AREA 7: 7 individuals – 5 graves – numbers 40 to 44
- 40 Capt. Josiah Cotton (b 1753 d 1829) son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 41 Lydia (Jackson) Cotton (b 1780 d 1843) 2nd wife of Capt. Josiah Cotton, son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 42 Temperance (Otis) Cotton (b 1767 d 1816) 1st wife of Capt. Josiah Cotton, son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
- 43 Bethiah (Dyer) Holbrook (b1787 d1855) daughter of Bethiah Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
- 44 Lucy Holbrook (b1816 d1817) and her father, Jeremiah Holbrook. Lucy’s mother was Bethiah (Dyer) Holbrook, the daughter of Theophilus Cotton.
- AREA 8: 1 individual – 1 grave – number 45
- 45 Lucy (Dyer) Bartlett (b1778 d1853) daughter of Bethiah Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)

I am not likely to be anywhere near being first, even 400 – I am very familiar with Fidell House from the days of Pilgrim Collaga where I taught Music Appreciation until I was 70, arranging some courses and talks for the public that were held in the Green Room.When the University gave up I continued them at the Music Centre across the road and for the WEA. I met a present day Cotton. The Green Room, named for the visit of a US ambassador to the house. The house has grade 2 Heritage status and described as one of… Read more »