James Sutton was the pioneer head of what became in later years one of the most prominent families in the Wyoming valley, while he himself in Revolutionary times was one of the conspicuous figures in that region. He was born March 7, 1744. Before the war was begun he was a merchant at North Castle, Westchester county, in the province of New York, and when British importations were interdicted by the patriotic Americans he sold his property there and removed with his family and his wife's father to the Wyoming valley and cast his fortunes with the settlers, who were beset on one side by the British and Indians and on the other by the Pennsylvania authorities. Before these troubles began he removed to Exeter, on the west side of the river, about five miles above the head of the valley, and built a saw and grist mill on a small stream which was named in honor of him, Sutton's creek. Here, too, the Sutton family was established, and here for fully fifty years, except for a short period, the pioneer and his good wife furnished entertainment to two generations of itinerant Methodist preachers who traversed the wide circuit in the missionary work of their church.

In the early part of 1778 Mr. Sutton rented his mill property in Exeter and purchased a mill in Kingston, within what now is Luzerne borough. On the day of the massacre he was stationed inside of Forty Fort, where he was charged with the duty of guarding the safety of the women, children and aged men who sought refuge within its walls. He himself was a Quaker, "scrupulous of bearing arms", but on that day he was resolved to lay aside his scruples and use a musket in defense of the settlers, but he was assigned to important duties inside the fort. A few days after the massacre he gathered his family about him and went down the river in a boat he had built and lived about two years in Middletown. On his return he found the mill had been burned and his house had been stripped of its roof, whereupon he set to work and built another house and afterward another mill, the latter being located on the Mill creek, near the river, within reach of the high waters of the "pumpkin flood," which carried away the structure in October, 1786. During the Pennamite-Yankee war the Sutton house was burned, upon which the resolute Quaker patriot built another house at Forty Fort, but soon returned to his old home in Exeter, where his remaining years were spent in safety and in comfort. James Sutton was born of Quaker parents, but early embraced the teachings of Methodism and was leader of the first class formed in the Lackawanna valley. He was appointed July 4, 1808, justice of the peace, and on the same day was appointed sealer of weights and measures for Luzerne county.

James Sutton married, June 2, 1769, Sarah Smith, born January 18, 1747, and their 10 children were :

Children
Mary Polly (Sutton) Catlin (1770 - 1844)
Son Sutton (1772 - 1772)
Deborah (Sutton) Bedford (1773 - 1869)
William Sutton (1775 - 1828)
Sarah C Sutton (1777 - 1778)
James Sutton (1779 - 1827)
Sarah Sally (Sutton) Sterling (1782 - 1812)
Son Sutton (1784 - 1784)
John Sutton (1786 - ?)
Samuel Sutton (1788 - 1842)

James Sutton died at his home in Exeter, July 19, 1824; his widow Sarah (Smith) Sutton passed away August 20, 1834.

- Families of the Wyoming Valley by George B Kulp

Obituary
Died – In Exeter, on Monday the 19th inst., James SUTTON, Esq., aged 80 years. The deceased was among the first settlers of this country, and at the time of the disturbances with the Indians he rendered himself highly useful to his fellow countrymen.
- The Susquehanna Democrat, 30 July 1824