Mary (Dyer) Williams (abt. 1701 - 1740)

Born about 1701 in Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Wife of Christopher Helms — married 1723 in Rhode Island

Descendants

Died 20 Dec 1740 at about age 39 in Stonington, Connecticut

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robin Wedertz [send private message], Richard Batchelder [send private message], and Keir Skinner [send private message]

Biography

When Mary Dyer was born in 1701/2 in Scituate, Rhode Island, her father, Edward, was 32, and her mother, Mary, was 25.

MARY DYER DID NOT MARRY EZEKIAL WESTCOTT -- SEE Documents and comments on the side bar

See Research Notes Below

Mary Dyer was born about 1701 @ Kingston, Rhode Island.

She married her first husband, Christopher Helms (or Helme) in Rhode Island in 1723. He died in 1732.

On 7 Mar 1737/38 she became the second wife of John Williams. They had at least one child, born at Stonington, Connecticut:

1. Edward Williams, b. 27 Jul 1740; d. 04 Aug 1777

Note: Per Wheeler (1900) there was another child of this marriage, Mary, who was "bapt. after her mother's death, Jan. 25, 1741", however the existence of such person must be questioned in view of the marriage (1738) vs. death (1740) dates of Mary (Dyer/Helme) Williams, and of the birth date (1740) of Edward. If there was a Mary Williams as a child of this marriage, she must have been born early during that timeframe so as not to be gestationally crowded vs. the birth of Edward.

Mary (Dyer/Helms) Williams passed away 20 Dec 1740, age 39, ^[1] at Stonington, Connecticut.

She is buried in White Hall Graveyard, Mystic, New London County, Connecticut ^[1].

Research Notes

Moving all information about Ezekiel Westcott out of Biography above

NOTE: Mary Dyer did not marry Ezekiel Westcott. He may have married a "Mary Dare" on August 17, 1718 (RI Vital Records at page. 18)

• She married Ezekiel Westcott about 1711 and they had five children together. She married John Williams after Ezekiel passed and had five sons and three daughters with him. She died on December 17, 1760.

• Children of Ezekiel and Mary [DIFFERENT MARY! MARY DARE NOT DYER]

1. Elizpha (Zilpha) Westcott, 1729–1795
2. Sara Westcott, 1735–1770
3. James Westcott, 1739–1804
4. Zilpha Westcott, 1740–
5. Ezekiel Westcott, 1743–

• Find A Grave for Ezekial Westcott; Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 14 November 2019), memorial page for Ezekiel Westcott (1702–unknown), Find A Grave: Memorial #155657665, ; Maintained by loveourgsps@yahoo.com (contributor 48013646) Cremated, Other, who reports a Place of Rest Unknown.

Not sure what to do here. I haven't been able to locate a good source for her birth yet. A citation (scr-grab, & the only info for source!!), is for marriage and ch. was added to both (?) of her memorials that I found. FaG Bio on Mary Williams mentions 2 children which are on Mary Williams profile except that the first born, (Mary, b. 1720) was before John's first wife died. The second, (Edward, b.1740) would have been born between the 2nd wife's death and Mary's death in Dec of 1740. John's memorial shows Mary as his 2nd wife. There is a 2nd Mary Dyer profile that this should possibly be merged with, (Dyer-1630) but I'm reluctant to initiate because both are gedcom imports w/no sources that I can verify the info. And then there is the question "where is Ezekiel"? He didn't pass until many years after Mary's death, not to mention that the children on this profile don't match those mentioned on the Mary William's memorial's profile. (Note by Bill Cole, (Oct, 2017)

James most likely is Ezikiel's son and John William's memorial is not wrong. He must have married Mary after Desires death. (Note by Bill Cole, (Mar, 2019)

Of note, Stukley Wescott's geneology specifically shows James as the fourth son of Ezekiel who was born 1739 in Rutland County, VT. I also suggested a merge on FAG of Marys memorial's and to also change the death date on the merged memorial.

For comparison purposes, these were the children of John Williams and Desire (Denison), his 1st wife, who died 13 Aug 1737:

1. Desire Williams, 1712– after 29 May 1787
2. John Williams, 1714 - 1799
3. William Williams, 1716–1801
4. Thankful Williams, 1718–1767
5. Mercy Williams, 1719–1801
6. Thomas Williams, 1721–1781
7. Robert Williams, 1723–1761
8. Prudence Williams, b. 17 Jan 1726; d. 25 Jan 1726
9. George Williams, 1726–1775

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 November 2019), memorial page for Mary Helms Williams (1701–20 Dec 1740), Find A Grave: Memorial #64683377, citing White Hall Graveyard, Mystic, New London County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Jeff Zinsli (contributor 46827392) Gravestone picture

• Find A Grave memorial for husband Col John Williams Jr: Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 14 November 2019), memorial page for Col John Williams, Jr (31 Oct 1692–30 Dec 1761), Find A Grave: Memorial #34157508, citing White Hall Graveyard, Mystic, New London County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by David S. Williams (contributor 47201065) .

• "History and Genealogy of the Ancestors and Some Descendants of Stukely Westcott" (Volume I). Decorah, IA: The Anundsen Publishing Co., Reprinted 1932 and 1939 By Roscoe L. Whitman. Page 217.

• The Westcott Family Tree. Rutland, VT: Shart Offset Printing, Inc., Printed 2000 by Edna Jay Lewis. Page 18.

• Descendants of Abraham Salisbury, Capt.: [1]

• "U.S. and UK, Quaker Published Memorials, 1818-1919 for Mary Dyer, Great Britain and Ireland Piety Promoted", Volume 01, pp.17

• Wheeler, Richard. History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, p. 669, no. 156: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n690/mode/1up