Samuel Eaton was born about 1596 in the hamlet of Crowley in that parish. He was the third son of the Rev. Richard Eaton, vicar of Great Budworth, Cheshire. The father became minister of the church at Coventry and it was there that Samuel’s eldest brother, Theophilus, later governor of New Haven, became acquainted with John Davenport.
It is not known where Samuel went to school but he attended Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he received the degree of B. A. in 1624-25 and M. A. in 1628.
Samuel entered the church and took orders, but found himself unable to conform under Archbishop Laud, and in 1637 emigrated with his brother to New Haven, where he became the colleague of John Davenport.
He seems to have been more liberal-minded than either Davenport or his brother, the chief leaders of the colony, for at a meeting held in June 1639 he objected to the article in the New Haven laws which prohibited all except church members from either voting or holding offices. The other two refused to consider any change, so he withdrew his objections.
In 1640 he received from the colony a grant of the territory known as Totoket, now Branford, where he proposed to establish a new settlement under the jurisdiction of New Haven.
He determined to go back to England to raise a new company of settlers of his own. On the way he stopped for some time in Boston where he declined an offer to remain permanently. When he reached England he found conditions improved and decided to give up all idea of returning to America.
His subsequent life belongs to English biography. He continued as a clergyman and wrote a halfdozen small books on religious topics.
During his brief sojourn in America he left no permanent mark, save, perhaps, his protest against the strictness of the theocratic government, and his work in establishing the church with Davenport.
He died January 9, 1664/5 without issue.
In his funeral sermon he is stated to have suffered not only from the persecution which raged against the silenced ministers, being ‘several times brought into trouble and imprisoned, ’ but from grievous bodily affliction; he had ‘been dying many years. ’
He left no children.
