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- Capt John TUTTLE, son of John' and Dorothy Tuttle, was a man of distinction in civil and military life. He filled, successively, every public office within the gift of the citizens of Dover; and was, by appointment in 1695, Judge of Their Majesties' Court of Common Pleas under the administration of Lt. Gov. Usher. He was Selectman of Dover in 1686-87-88: Town Clerk from 1694 to 1717: Town Treasurer in 1705, and other years following: member of the Provincial Assembly in 1698-99, 1705-6-7. He was one of the six Commissioners sent from Dover to the Convention of 1689, to "meet with the Commissioners of ye other towns of ye Province, to confer about and resolve upon a method of Government within this Province." Dover Rec. The Convention met at Portsmouth, and resolved to put the Province, as it had been before, under Massachusetts, and it was done accordingly. In 1705, Col. Richard Waldron and Judge Tuttle were the "two principal men" of Dover, chosen, "to joyn with the Representatives of said Province, and them invested with full power to hear, debate, and determine matters relating to Mr. Allen's Claim." Dover Rec. Besides acting in the public capacities here named, he appears to have been, during all this time, chairman of the board of public surveyors of land. He was one of the leading members of the Church of Dover. While a member of the General Assembly in 1698, he and the other members subscribed a declaration, declaring, "That in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, there is not any transubstantiation of the Elements of Consecration thereof by any person whatsoever. And that the Invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary, or any other Saint, and the Sacrifice of the Masse, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are Superstitious and Idolatrous." The town records show a large number of special public trusts confided to him by his fellow citizens.
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Judge Tuttle died in June, 1720, leaving a large estate which he disposed of by will among his children and grandchildren. His wife Mary survived him, and was Executrix of his will. Her family name is not known. Lieut. Tristram HEARD and Capt. Francis Mathews were named in the will as trustees of his grandchildren. [1]
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