Samuel Appleton

Samuel Appleton (1625 – May 15, 1696) was a military and government leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay. He was a commander of the Massachusetts militia during King Philip's War who led troops during the Attack on Hatfield, Massachusetts and the Great Swamp Fight. When he was eleven years old he moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts with his father.

Through his mother Judith Everard a number of historians have traced his ancestry to William D'Aubigny, a signer of Magna Carta, and to King Henry I of England.

Personal life In 1651 he married Hannah Paine of Ipswich.

In 1664, Appleton sued the Saugus Iron Works, which had been owned by his father-in-law, William Paine, in order to secure an inheritance of £1,500 left by Paine to Appleton's three children with Hannah Paine. Samuel Appleton Jr. would eventually take control of the Ironmaster's House as part of the settlement.

Military career In 1668, Appleton was chosen to serve as a deputy to the Massachusetts General Court and received the title of Lieutenant. He served in the company of his brother, Captain John Appleton, from 1669 to 1671. He then served by himself from 1673 to 1675. In 1675, King Philip's War broke out and Appleton was promoted to captain.

Attack on Hatfield At noon on October 19, several fires were spotted north of Hadley. Captain Moseley sent out a scouting party of ten men who were ambushed two miles outside of the garrison. Six of the men were killed and three were captured. Moseley sent to Hadley and Northampton for reinforcements. Appleton and most of his men crossed the river and joined Moseley. Around 4 pm, a large band of Native American warriors charged the settlement. Appleton defended one side of the town, Captain Poole defended the other, and Captain Moseley defended the middle. Appleton's sergeant was killed by his side and Appleton just missed getting shot as a bullet went through his hat. On December 8, 527 members of the Massachusetts militia, led by Appleton, gathered in Dedham, Massachusetts. On September 19, 1687, a warrant was issued for Appleton's arrest for being "factiously and seditiously inclined, and disaffected to his Majesty's government".

Appleton was arrested on September 20 and brought before the Council on October 5. He remained in prison until March 7, 1688, when he was released by the Superior Court in exchange for a £1,000 bond for his future appearance. He served as justice of the Quarterly and General Sessions Court. He was also a member of the Governor's Council in Salem on April 11, 1692, which interrogated Elizabeth Proctor and Sarah Cloyce on charges of witchcraft brought against them. Both, plus Elizabeth's husband, John Proctor, were bound over for trial once a Superior Court could be convened to hear the cases. Appleton died on May 15, 1696. First Lady Jane Pierce, Bowdoin College president Jesse Appleton, entomologist Alpheus Spring Packard, professor William Alfred Packard, Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice John Appleton, Union Army Colonel John F. Appleton, Congressmen William Appleton and Nathan Appleton, merchant and philanthropist Samuel Appleton, author Thomas Gold Appleton, publishers Daniel Appleton, William Henry Appleton, and George Swett Appleton, Major General Francis Henry Appleton, artist Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow, philanthropist and preservationist Alice Mary Longfellow, and poet Robert Frost.