Samuel Appleton was born in 1625 in Little Waldingfield, Suffolk County, England. In 1635 he emigrated to Massachusetts with his father and the rest of his family.

Samuel was a very prominent citizen of the Massachusetts Colony. He served as a deputy to the General Court. He also owned a saw mill in Ipswich and held an interest in the iron works at Saugus, MA.

It was in the military, however, where Samuel truly distinguished himself. An officer in the British Colonial Army, Samuel rose from the rank of Lieutenant to Major between the years of 1668 and 1675. During King Philip's War Samuel was named commander in chief of the armies protecting all of the towns along the Connecticut River.

Samuel retired from the military in 1675 and served in council. In 1687 Major Samuel Appleton was arrested and jailed by Governor Andros on dubious charges of sedition. Samuel was never prosecuted, however. A tradition maintains that in 1689 Samuel himself placed Andros on the ship that was to take the Governor to England for his own incarceration.

Samuel was married twice. He married his first wife Hannah Paine on April 2, 1651. Hannah bore Samuel three children. After Hannah died, Samuel married Mary Oliver on December 8,1656 when she was only sixteen years old. Hannah gave birth to eight children. She survived her husband and died February 15, 1698.

I am descended from Samuel's fifth child Isaac Appleton who was also a major in the army. Another son, Colonel Samuel Appleton, is believed to have been the last iron master at the Saugus Iron Works.

Major Samuel Appleton died at Ipswich on May 15, 1696.