Richard Pettengill came to America from Shotesham, Norfolk, England, according to Burke, American Families with British Ancestry, but we do not know when. He must have been among the many immigrants who came around the year 1635. He is listed as a resident of Salem, MA, before 1641 when, on June 2nd of that year, he was made "freeman."

In 1642, he was granted a 10 acre lot of land in a district called Enon, now Wenham, on the boundary between Salem and Ipswich, MA.

In 1650, he sold all of his real estate in Wenham to Samuel Forster. On 8 April 1651, he bought a tract of land in Newbury, MA, to which he moved making his home near what is known as "The Upper Green."

On 15 July 1695, Richard conveyed certain houses and farms in Newbury, MA to his sons, Samuel, Matthew, and Nathaniel, and it is assumed that he died shortly thereafter.

Richard and his wife Joanna (Ingersoll) Pettengill had six children:

• Samuel, bpt. in Salem, MA 9 (12) 1644 (9 February 1644/5); m. Sarah Poore.
• Matthew, b. in Enon, MA, ca. 1648; m. Sarah Noyes.
• Mary, b. in Newbury, MA 6 July 1652; m. Abraham Adams.
• Nathaniel, b. in Newbury, MA 21 Sept. 1654; m. perhaps as his second wife, Hannah Goodridge.
• unnamed son, b. in Newbury, MA 15 Nov. 1657; died two days later.
• Henry, b. in Newbury, MA 16 Jan. 1659; died four days later.

Samuel lived in Newbury, MA where he took the oath of allegiance in 1678, was paid by the town a bounty of a shilling for killing a fox in 1667, and was recorded as one of those who were raising sheep in 1687.

Samuel and his wife Sarah (Poore) Pettengill had twelve children, all born in Newbury, MA:

• unnamed daughter, b. 13 March 1674/5; d. young.
• Samuel, b. 3 Feb. 1675/6; m. (1) Ann Lunt; m. (2) Elizabeth Noyes.
• Richard, b. 26 Aug. 1677; d. young.
• Richard (again), b. 24 Jan. 1678/9; m. Jemima Cheney.
• Daniel, b. 16 Feb. 1679/80; m. (1) Mary Stickney; m. (2) Esther French.
• John, b. 20 Sept. 1680; m. Priscilla Robbins.
• Thomas, b. 12 Nov. 1682; m. Hannah Gooding.
• Joseph, b. 27 Nov. 1684.
• Twins:
  • Mary, b. 20 Jan. 1685/6; m. Jacob Pillsbury, son of Abel and Mary Pillsbury.
  • Sarah, b. 20 Jan. 1685/6; m. as his second wife, John Weed, Jr.
• Joanna, b. 10 Feb. 1688/9; m. as his second wife, Samuel Wooster, son of Timothy and Huldah (Cheney) Wooster.
• Benjamin, b. 18 Dec. 1692.

Daniel, who wrote his name "Pettingale," was a cooper by trade. In 1715, he bought 60 acres of land in Abington and Bridgewater, MA, adjoining that of his brother, John. He moved his family there where he was chosen constable in 1723.

Daniel and his first wife, Mary (Stickney) Pettengill, had four children, all born in Newbury, MA:

• Akerman, b. 30 June 1700.
• Daniel, Jr., b. 5 Jan. 1705/6; bpt. 18 March 1704/5; m. 29 Jan. 1727/8 Abigail Leonard.
• Mehitable, date of birth not on record, m. in Bridgewater, MA 18 Oct. 1733 Jonathan Pitcher of Norwich, CT.
• Mary, b. 4 March 1707; bpt. 6 April 1707; m. in Newbury, MA 8 April 1727 John Sampson.

Daniel and his second wife Esther (French) Pettengill had nine children:

• unnamed son, b. in Newbury, MA 6 March 1708/9; died young.
• Obadiah, b. in Newbury, MA ca. 1710; may have been a twin to Samuel.
• Samuel, b. in Newbury, MA, ca. 1710.
• Esther, b. in Newbury, MA 24 Oct. 1712; d. unmarried in Abington, MA 19 July 1735.
• John, b. in Newbury, MA 4 Feb. 1714; bpt. 6 Feb. 1714.
• Joseph, b. in Abington, MA 28 May 1717.
• Benjamin, b. in Abington, MA 16 Feb. 1719/20.
• Joanna, b. in Abington, MA 10 Nov. 1722; d. unmarried in Abington, MA 18 Feb. 1810.
• Sarah, b. in Abington, MA 23 Feb. 1724; m. in Abington 9 Jan. 1746 Joseph Bates of Abington, MA.

Daniel, Jr. settled in Stoughton, MA where he was taxed in 1727, was a cordwainer by trade, and bought and sold considerable land at various times.

Daniel, Jr., and his wife Abigail (Leonard) Pettengill had seven children, all born in Stoughton, MA:

• Lemuel, b. 16 Nov. 1729.
• Solomon, b. 31 May 1735.
• Abigail, b. 26 July 1737; m. (1) David Wentworth of Stoughton, MA; m. (2) Mr. Andros. Abigail was living on 27 July 1770.
• Nathaniel, b. about 1740.
• Elkanah.
• John.
• Hannah, date of birth unknown; d. 29 Jan. 1780; m. probably in Stoughton, MA (1) Sion Wentworth; m. (2) 27 July 1779 Joshua Whittemore of Sharon, MA.
• Lydia, d. 26 Aug. 1775.