The surname Doty was variously spelled Dotey, Doten, Doton, Dolton, Dowty and the similar surname Doughty is found at an early date in Plymouth colony, where Francis Doughty from Bristol, England, settled at Taunton as early as 1639, and James Doughty settled at Scituate before 1649. The origin of the name has not been satisfactorily settled, but there is reason to believe that the family had been in England several generations before the sailing of the "Mayflower."

(I) Edward Doty, immigrant, was one of the Pilgrim fathers. He came in the "Mayflower" in the employ of Stephen Hopkins. He had been apprenticed to a London tanner and was called servant, meaning apprentice, in the Plymouth records. Hopkins was a tanner. Doty was among the signers of the famous Compact drawn and executed on board the "Mayflower" at Plymouth. He was of the party that set forth to explore the country, Dec. 6, 1620. That Doty and his fellow-apprentice were not at that time thoroughly Puritanic in their views may be judged from the fact that they fought a duel. But a small part of the English people had come to disapprove of the duel, but the Pilgrim fathers saw fit to punish the combatants. They fought with swords and daggers and one was wounded in the hand, the other in the thigh. They were adjudged by the whole company "to have their head and feet tied together, and so to be for twenty-four hours, without meat and drink, which was begun to be inflicted, but within an hour, because of their great pains, at their own and their master's humble request, upon promise of better carriage, they are released by the governor."
His later disputes he took to court, and we find his name appearing often as plaintiff or defendant in the civil court. In 1624 he was granted land on Watson Hill, Plymouth, for a home lot. He had joined the church and was admitted a freeman before March 7, 1636-37. One of the first deeds at Plymouth on records is dated July 12, 1637, Edward Doty to Richard Derby, signs with a mark. He had many real estate transactions, and his rates show that he was in late life a man of property.
His occupation is given as planter, indicating he did not find much opportunity to follow his trade. In 1652 he was one of the purchasers of the Dartmouth tract. The name of his first wife is unknown.
Governor Bradford tells us that Faith Clark, daughter of Thurston Clarke, was his second wife. They were married at Plymouth, Jan. 6, 1634-35. He died at Plymouth Aug. 23, 1655. His will was dated May 20, 1655, and proved Nov. 21, 1655, bequeathing to his wife and children, mentioning Edward only by name.
His wife, Faith, married (second), March 14, 1666, John Phillips, of Plymouth.
The oldest house in Plymouth is the Doten house; the oldest wharf was named for Doty-Doten.
Faith Clarke was born in 1619, daughter of Thurston and Faith Clarke. They came from Ipswich, Suffolk, England, in the ship "Francis" in 1634. His name is also spelled Tristram Clarke.
Children of second wife:
Edward, mentioned below.
John, 1639-40.
Thomas.
Samuel.
Desire, 1645.
Elizabeth.
Isaac, Feb. 8, 1648-49.
Joseph, April 30, 1641.
Mary.

(II) Edward (2), son of Edward (1) Doty, was born at Plymouth in 1637. He was a seaman. He had various grants of land at Plymouth and at Halifax, Mass. He served on various juries; was admitted a freeman in June, 1689. He was a man of high character, intelligence and thrift. He was drowned Feb. 8, 1689-90, with his son John and Elkanah Watson, while trying to enter Plymouth harbor.
He married, Feb. 25, 1662-63, Sarah, born at Plymouth in 1645, daughter of John and Patience and sister of Elder Thomas Faunce.
She married (second) April 26, 1693, John Buck, of Scituate, whither she went to live.
The Doty estate was distributed by agreement, Dec. 3, 1696.
Children:
Edward, May 20, 1664.
Sarah, June 9, 1666.
John, Aug. 4, 1668.
Mary (twin), July 9, 1671.
Martha (twin), July 9, 1671.
Elizabeth, Dec. 22, 1673.
Patience, July 7, 1676.
Mercy, Feb. 6, 1678.
Samuel, May 17, 1681, mentioned below.
Mercy, Sept. 23, 1684.
Benjamin, May 30, 1689.

(III) Captain Samuel, son of Edward (2) Doty, was born at Plymouth, May 17, 1681, died Jan. 26, 1750. His father was drowned when he was a young lad and Thomas Faunce and John Doty were appointed his guardians. He was a mariner. He sold his property at Plymouth in 1705 to his brother-in-law, Captain James Warren. He removed to Saybrook, Connecticut in 1703. In 1708 he bought a home lot at Saybrook Point for sixty pounds and afterward acquired much land in that town. He traded with the Barbadoes and West Indies and was a prominent merchant. His new sloop, "Six Friends," was impressed for naval purposes by the government in 1710. In Oct. 1727, he was chosen captain of the trainband; he was a member of the Connecticut general assembly in 1732-37.
An oil painting of Captain Samuel and anather of his daughter have been preserved and are now (1910) owned by Rev. William D. Doty, a descendant.
He had a cooper shop at Saybrook Point.
He married at Saybrook, Dec. 3, 1706, Anne, born at Saybrook, Aug. 2, 1687, daughter of Rev. Thomas and Esther (Hosmer) Buckingham, the latter a daughter of Thomas Hosmer. Anne Doty died at Saybrook, Dec. 16, 1745. Rev. Thomas Buckingham, of Welsh parents, was minister at Saybrook from 1670 to April 1, 1709, nearly sixty-three years [transcriber's note: my math says 37 years]; one of the founders of Yale College and a fellow from 1700 to 1709; a leader of the Puritans for many years.
Captain Doty and his wife are buried side by side at Saybrook and their gravestones of red sandstone are still standing (1910).
Children:
Sarah, born Nov. 18, 1708.
Samuel, mentioned below.

(IV) Samuel (2), son of Captain Samuel (1) Doty, was born at Saybrook, June 17, 1712, died at Deep River, Middlesex county, Conn. Dec. 16, 1751. He is buried in the old Saybrook burying ground near his father. He graduated at Yale University in the class of 1733. In 1738 he received from his father at Deep River, and the house he built upon this land is still standing (1910) and was lately occupied by lineal descendants.
He married, April 3, 1733, Margeria, born at Saybrook, July 14, 1708, daughter of John Jr. and Mary (Jones) Parker, the latter a daughter of Lieutenant Samuel Jones.
She died in 1785 at Deep River. A string of gold beads and an old portrait of Margeria are now in possession of Mrs. Julia N.D. Harvey of Saybrook. This portrait is almost a duplicate of that owned by Rev. William D. Doty, of Rocheser, N.Y. Margeria joined the church Nov. 27, 1774; her estate was administered by her son Samuel.
Children:
Sarah, born at Saybrook, Dec. 20, 1733.
Samuel, mentioned below.
Ann, born 1738, died Aug. 28, 1758.
John, baptized March 7, 1742; soldier in the revolution; confined in the British prison ships, New York.

(V) Samuel (3), son of Samuel (2) Doty, was born at Saybrook in 1736 in the part now called Deep River. He lived on the homestead with his mother after his father died, and followed the trade of carpenter and millwright. He was a soldier in the revolution, a sergeant in Captain John Ely's company, Colonel Samuel Holden's regiment (Sixth) at the seige of Boston until December, 1775; also in Captain Lathrop Allen's company, Colonel Samuel Elmore's regiment, in 1776, and was stationed in Tryon county, N.Y., at Fort Dayton, German Flats; in 1780 he was ensign of the Seventh Connecticut Regiment, Colonel Jacob Whitmore's company, Lieutenant Colonel Barzillai Beebe's regiment, and continued in the service until Oct. 17, 1780; also ensign in Captain James Smith's company, Colonel William Mead's regiment.
He returned to Deep River after the war, and soon afterward removed to Stephentown, Rensselaer county, New York, whither several sons and relatives had already located. He had a grist mill there. He also lived at Nassau and Brainard in the same county, and later in Albany county in the towns of Westerlo and Berne. In 1810 with his son Ethan he was living at Rensselaerville, Albany county, and both died there.
He was a tall and powerful man, a skilled craftsman, kind neighbor, and greately beloved by his family.
He married in 1758, Mercy Doty, of Saybrook, daughter of Benjamin and Hester (Bemer) Doty, a distant relative. She was an exceedingly active and energetic woman of great intelligence, probity and strength of character, a worthy wife and devoted mother.
Children born at Saybrook:
Samuel, 1759; took part in the battles of Germantown and Monmouth and wintered at Valley Forge; a pensioner.
John, Oct. 26, 1761.
Anna, 1763.
Danforth, March 24, 1767.
Warren, April 23, 1768.
Sarah, 1771.
William, July 18, 1774.
Ethan Allen, Aug. 18, 1776.
George Washington, July 4, 1782.
Mercy, died aged eighteen years.

(VI) Warren, son of Samuel (3) Doty, was born at Saybrook, April 23, 1768. He was a farmer, an early settler at Martinsburg, Lewis county, N.Y., and he died there in 1807, but was buried at Lowville.
He married at Stephentown, N.Y., Sarah Woods, born at Cherry Valley, N.Y. May 13, 1772, died at Spafford, Onondaga county, N.Y. July 31, 1862.
Children, born at Lowville:
Reuben, Nov. 5, 1792.
Diana, Sept. 3, 1794, married Abel Rice (see Rice VIII).
Silas, Sept. 13, 1796, died 1807.
Willard, July 4, 1798.
Mercy, born at Richfield, Otsego county, Nov. 8, 1806.

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