William Nickerson (1698 - 1761)

Born 24 Dec 1698 in Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Bethia (Harding) Nickerson — married about 1721 in Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Sarah (Bassett) Nickerson — married 1739 in Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut

Descendants

Died Apr 1761 at age 62 in Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

Birth and Family

William Nickerson was born on 24 Dec 1698, in Monomoit, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was the son of Thomas Nickerson and Mary (Bangs) Nickerson.

Marriage

William was married three times. His first wife was Tabitha (unknown), m. abt. 1718-1719. His second marriage was to 'Bethia Harding, daughter of Joseph and Dinah (Hedges) Harding. This marriage took place about 1721. Together William and Bethia had a total of five children. William's third marriage was to Sarah Bassett, resulting in the birth of an additional four children.

Marriage #1- Tabitha (unknown) - m. abt. 1718-1719

Marriage #2- Bethia Harding - d. Bef Sep 1738

Marriage #3- Sarah Bassett

Children

Born to William and Tabitha (Unknown)"'

1. Nickerson, Tabitha, b. Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts; d. 9 Jan 1753, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts.

2. Nickerson, Hatsel, b. 1722, Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts; d. 11 Mar 1793, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA. (Age 71 years)

3. Nickerson, Nehemiah Dea., b. 1725, Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts; d. 31 Jan 1804, Provincetown, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA. (Age 79 years).

4. Nickerson, Bethia, b. Abt 1726, Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts; d. Bef Feb 1757 (Age ~ 31 years).

5. Nickerson, Enos, b. Abt 1730, Chatham, Barnstable, Massachusetts; d. 1782, Harwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts. (Age ~ 52 years).

Born to William and Sarah Bassett:

1. Nickerson, Iranah, b. Abt 1738, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut; d. Jul 1818, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. (Age ~ 80 years)

2. Nickerson, William, b. Abt 1750, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut; d.

3. Nickerson, Barack, b. Abt 1750, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut; d. 12 May 1823, Ridgebury, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. (Age ~ 73 years)

4. Nickerson, Jonathan, b. Aft Feb 1759, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut; d. 4 Apr 1832, Byron, Genesee, New York, USA. (Age ~ 73 years)

Death and Burial

William passed away about Apr 1761, in Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony. Connecticut

Probate

His will is dated 27 February 1757 in Ridgefield and proved on 11 May 1761 in Danbury. He mentions the children he had with his first wife (not named), viz., Hatsel Nickerson, Namiah Nickerson, Enos Nickerson, Tabertha's children (John and Abijah), Bethiah's children, Dinah Nickerson and Sarah, and his wife Sarah, and her children with him, William, Iranah, and Baruck. His inventory was completed on 25 May 1761 in Ridgefield and recorded in Danbury.^[1]

Research Notes

The first European settlers of Fairfield County were Puritans and Congregationalists from England. Roger Ludlow (1590–1664), was a founder of the Colony of Connecticut.

Connecticut emerged as a separate colony from Massachusetts Bay in 1662. In a reverse process, the original settlement of Plymouth becomes absorbed within Massachusetts in 1691 to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay (Plymouth Colony existed without a formal charter since its founding). Vermont and Maine remained part of Massachusetts until 1791 and 1820 respectively.

On May 10, 1666, Fairfield County' was established by an act of the Connecticut General Court in Hartford (by Royal Decree), and was one of the first four Connecticut counties.

From the late 17th to early 18th centuries, several new towns were incorporated in western Connecticut and added to Fairfield County, namely Danbury (1687), Ridgefield (1709), et al.

Sources

1. ↑ “Probate records v. 1-3 1744-1782”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892K-TN49 : 16 February 2023), FHL microfilm 007627321, image 115-116, Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 1, 1739-1767, Pages 210-212.

• "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," for William C Nickerson, Nichols, Wilbur-Noble, Geo. W.