Page 7 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 54 Late Spring 2025

He knew Sarah was no angel. Six years
earlier, Sarah brought shame upon
the family when she was prosecuted
for an illicit dalliance with Jacobeth
Murline, a Dutch sailor. Though the
“uncivil and wanton relationship” may
have simply been a couple kisses, she
was labeled “a bold virgin”, and sub-
jected to the taunting and ridicule of
Puritanical New Haven. Perhaps this
is why she relocated to Stamford after
her marriage. (Her sister Elizabeth was
forced out of town for a more serious
moral lapse nine years earlier which
will be discussed later.) A record of
this offense still exists in the Connecti-
cut State Archives. Early Wallingford by John Barber

Sarah’s husband John Slauson was the nearby woods but was promptly in support of his daughter during the
away visiting a friend. Soon after Ben- apprehended. Much of this testimo- court hearing.
jamin arrived that evening, he and ny was provided by Sarah’s young son
Sarah became enmeshed in a violent and daughter who witnessed the ter- Three years later on May 2, 1667, Mer-
argument. Though Colonial court re- rible occurrence. cy, now 17, married Samuel Brown,
cords do exist describing many details the son of a prominent New Haven
of this event, it is unknown exactly Benjamin struggled with mental ill- family. My research reveals that Mer-
what caused the uproar. The fami- ness. Though little is known about cy was married on the same day as
ly had been involved in contentious him, the fact that he was single at a her brother Joseph. It was probably a
dealings over their father William’s es- time when marriage was generally double ceremony, followed by a joint
tate; and this could perhaps have led a requirement for success in society wedding feast at which friends and
to the argument between these sib- and life, indicates a possible personal- neighbors celebrated this milestone
lings. What we do know based on the ity issue. And, as we shall see in these occasion.
record of the jury’s inquest is that Ben- pages, mental illness definitely ran in
jamin rushed out of the house, soon this generation of the family. A trial SETTLEMENT OF
returning, axe in hand, shouting “I will was held in Stamford and Benjamin WALLINGFORD: 1670
take you to God”, and fatally bashing Tuttle was found guilty of fratricide We next hear of Mercy three years
Sarah on the head, leaving “the skull and hanged in New Haven on June 13, later in 1670 when she and Samuel
and jaw, extremely broken, from the 1677. It will become evident that this joined the group of families planning
jaw to her neck, and so to the crown act of extreme violence dealt a fatal to head north to settle the new town
of the head, with part of her brains blow to the wellbeing of the Tuttle of Wallingford. Was it a sense of ad-
out, which ran out into a pool. She fell family, several of whom descended venture, a guarantee of free proper-
and never spoke nor groaned more.” into madness in the ensuing years. ty, or something else that propelled
Dropping the axe, Benjamin ran into them to risk security and throw their
THE SECOND MURDER: lot in with those pioneers?
MERCY TUTTLE BROWN
Benjamin’s younger sister, Mercy Tut- Accompanying the Browns were two
tle, the 11th of William and Elizabeth’s of Mercy’s brothers, Simon Tuttle (23)
children, was born on April 27, 1650. and David Tuttle (31). Simon Tuttle
Growing up in her large prosperous and Samuel Brown became founders
family in the bustling town of New of Wallingford with their names in-
Haven, she probably had a comfort- scribed on the memorial in front of
able childhood. At 14, while working our Congregational Church. They each
as a domestic servant in a neighbor’s received six acre land allotments: the
household (a common occupation for Browns #7 west, Simon Tuttle #13
girls at the time) she was implicated west, David Tuttle #16 east–all located
in a petty theft by her cousin who on present day North Main Street. For
claimed Mercy had helped her steal, reasons as yet unknown, it is likely that
and later consume, a bottle of liquor. none of these settlers remained on
Since there were no other witnesses, their allotments at this time. Perhaps
Mercy was found not guilty of this an aging and soon-to-be widowed
crime by a local court, but it proved mother, Elizabeth Tuttle, required
to be an embarrassment for the fam- their proximity in New Haven. Anoth-
The Trial of Mercy Tuttle Brown ily. Mercy’s father William spoke out er compelling reason for delaying their

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