Baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church.
PLACE: Schraalenburgh, NJ is now Bergenfield.
Was commissioned Lieutenant, Associated Loyalists, and he and Margaret accompanied his brother Captain Peter Rutan to Canada after the war with the Van Alstine band of Loyalists on board the ship HOPE from New York to Quebec where they arrived after a rough 9 week voyage on 14 Aug 1783. They continued on to Sorel, arriving in Sept. They apparently had a child who was under 6 at the time, but died by the next year. He drew lot 18, Concession 1, in Adolfustown, Canada by a Crown deed dated 22 Feb 1805. They lived there from then on. He was active in the Hay Bay Church, and later in St. Paul's (Church of England).

The story is told of William Ruttan that he was very fond of music and dearly loved, after a hard day's work, to take down his old violin and entertain the family with a few selections.
This same instrument had helped to shorten many a tiresome day in the voyage around the Gulf and during the winter's sojourn of the Loyalists at Sorel. He was a follower of Rev. William Lose, in fact one of the largest contributors to the building fund of the old Methodist chapel on Hay Bay. Losee could not tolerate a violin, and remonstrated with Brother William upon his worldliness in being so familiar with one of Satan's contrivances for luring the faithful from the fold. Ruttan could not see eye to eye with his spiritual adviser upon this point; but the preacher was firm, so he finally yielded, and proposed to give it away to a negro who had long desired to possess one. This was also objected to upon high moral grounds, so to appease the missionary the dear old fiddle was thrust into the fireplace and consumed to ashes.