Richard Nason (1609 - 1696) is the first Nason forefather to come to America. He reached the shores of Massachusetts in 1627 via "religious ship" the Warwick (presumably). He may have sailed from England, from Rainsford Island, this at the age of 20 or 21. Richard had built a tavern on his farm in Kittery, Maine by 1629 and began raising his 10 children.

Richard's will was dated July 14, 1694 , it was probated in March 15, 1696 . In his old age he lived with his son Benjamin. He lived in Kittery or Newichawannock, as called by some. His will was peculiar and stated that he is "penitent from the bottom of his hart for my sins past"; and wishes his debts "well and truly contented and paid". It bequeathed to his wife, Abigail, "one of my best beds and furniture belonging unto it an two chests and eight pounds in silver curant money of new england" and "one third of all the Indian Corn that shall be left after my decease" and "the least iron pot which is to say the midling pot and the least brass cittell, the bruing vessels and cople of washing tubs and spoons and chars." He mentions Children, John, Joseph, Benjamin, Baker, Sarah and Mary, stepson Nicholas Follet, and stepson-in-law John Meader.

Frances Nason of Hamden, Maine quotes Kenneth Roberts in "Northwest Passage" and believes Richard Nason came from Stratford-Upon-Avon, where the Nason name came to be found in the parish records as early as 1577 in England. He built his house at Pipe Stave Landing, Kittery, Maine in 1631 on 200 acres of land just north of Nathan Lord's place on the Newichanwannoch River in that part of Old Kittery which is now South Berwick. On Feb 4, 1664 Richard sold to Nathan Lord, 13 acres of his original land grant from the Town of Kittey. Pipe Stave landing is one of the oldest landmarks in the town of Kittery and Richard was living comfortably there in 1639. It awakens one's curiosity to find Richard here in 1639 or earlier, in peaceful possession of a large tract of land adjoining to Mason's Grant (he was never mentioned as one of the company of men sent over by Mason). The place is often mentioned as the lower landing or Pipe Stave landing. Richard may have had charge of the landing, then much in use. It was the head of navigation at low tide and when Pipe Staves were the most common form of currency. It must have been a very busy place. (Source: "Old Kittery and Her Families" by Robert Stackpole) He signed submission to the government of Massachusetts Bay in 1652. He was a selectman at Kittery, and held other town offices, and in 1653 was ensign in Captain Shapleigh's company. (index of ancestors, Sons of colonial Wars, 1922, p.342)

In 1639 Richard Nason was living at Stove Pipe Landing. In 1645 he and his wife had a dispute with her father, John Baker, who was tried in New Hampshire and fined 5 shillings "for beating Richard Nason that he was black and blue and for throwing a fire shovel at his wife." In 1649 Nason served as a juryman. In 1653 he was an Ensign, later Selectman, and held other town offices in Kittery. In 1655 he was charged at York with not attending church meetings and in 1659 was fined £5 and disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers. In 1665 he was accused of blasphemy. Philip Chesley of Oyster River was witness against him. The General Court did "not judge him so guilty of that fact as that by our lawe he ought to die," but he had to post a £40 bond for good behavior. The inhabitants of Kittery elected him Deputy to the General Court the following year, but the court refused to seat him and called the people of Kittery to account for electing him. He owned 200 acres, and in his old age lived with his son Benjamin in York County, Maine. His will is dated 14 July 1694, proved 22 December 1696 at Kittery, and probated 15 March 1697. It names his own children, his wife Abigail, Abigail's children by a previous marriage, Nicholas Follett and Sarah Meader, and Abigail's granddaughter by her previous marriage, Sarah, daughter of Mary Witham.

Kenneth Roberts states, in "Trending into Maine", that Richard Nason originally settled in Dover, New Hampshire.

In the "genealogylibrary.com" of Family Tree Maker Online, in the, Abridged Compendium, by Frederick Virkus, the following information is found:
9-Ens. Richard Nason (1606-97), from Eng. to S. Berwick, Me., 1627, m Sarah, dau. St John Baker, of Dover, NH
8-Charles(b 1636), m Abigail Willoughby (niece of Dep. Gov. Willoughby, of Mass.)

Baptism: August 03, 1606, Baptized at Stratford-on-Avon, Londonberry, England.