Robert
Williams
Born about in West Somerton, Norfolk, England
[uncertain]
[uncertain]Son of John Williams
and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
Descendants 
Father of
Stephen Williams and Bridget (Williams) Russe
Died before
before about age 55
in West Somerton, Norfolk, England
Profile managers:
Lynne Haggerty 
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[send private message], Elizabeth S [send private message], John Putnam [send private message], and Trevor Bauknight [send private message]Profile last modified
| Created 8 Jul 2011
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Biography
Robert's namesake grandson was an emigrant to Roxbury, Massachusetts and, therefore, he has been the subject of a lot of research interest. There does not seem to be any confirmed information as to his origins.
No record has been found of his wife or wives; his will listed only two children (Bridgett and Stephen). Previously he was shown to have a wife Jane Shepherd who seems to be a duplicate of an actual Jane Sheppard of Gloucestershire who married a William Williams. This unsupported wife has been severed.
A baptism for "Brydgett daughter of Alice Wyllams, a bastard" is found at St. Nicholas Great Yarmouth, Norfolk on 30 April 1567. The transcription does not include the "bastard" notation showing that Alice was not married[1] but the original parish record includes this information.[2] St. Nicholas is about 12 miles from St. Mary Somerton where Robert was buried. If this was Robert's daughter that would put his birth estimate at 1542 assuming she was his oldest child. A marriage between Alice Wyllams and William Wapull is found at St. Nicholas in 1571, was it this same woman? Was Alice a sister or cousin of Robert Williams?
A baptism for Jone "Wyllyms" daughter of Robert & Alice is found at St. Nicholas on 4 November 1576 (not indexed, found by manual review).[3] No Jone/Joan appeared in Robert's will so if this was the same family Jone probably died before the 1606 will was written. A visual review of the St. Nicholas parish marriage register showed no marriage for a Robert Williams from April 1558 (beginning of the register) through 1576. Robert & Alice Williams, parents of Jone (and possibly of Stephen & Bridgett?) were not married in that time at St. Nicholas. No other baptisms of children of a Robert Williams were found in a visual review back to January 1568 although children of John and Nicholas and other Williams' were found. A burial record for Jone Wyllyms is found at St. Nicholas on 19 June 1580 but this parish did not generally write supplemental text such as "daughter of" or "husband of" on burial records so it is impossible to say if it was this young girl.
It is worth noting that Robert's son Stephen married Margaret "Coake" in 1605 at St. Nicholas Great Yarmouth.
Robert is reported to have been churchwarden at West Somerton in 1600 and 1602, and that the Bishop's Transcripts from the parish (which are probably held at the Norfolk Record Office) bear his signature.[4]
He made his will on 12 February 1606 and it was proved on 28 March 1609. He names his daughter Bridgett and her husband John Russe, and his son Stephen.[5]
Robert was buried at St. Mary West Somerton, Norfolk on 8 March 1608/09.[6]
Sources
- ↑ Brydgett Wyllams in 1567 England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 Yarmouth, Great, Norfolk, England $subscription required
- ↑ St. Nicholas Great Yarmouth parish register at findmypast.co.uk 1567 baptism of Brydgett Wyllams $subscription required
- ↑ St. Nicholas Great Yarmouth 4 Nov 1576 baptism of Jone Williams at findmypast.co.uk $subscription required
- ↑ Williams, Harrison. Life, Ancestry, and Descendants of Robert Williams of Roxbury 1607-1693. W. F. Roberts Company, Washington, DC: 1934 p. 13
- ↑ Wills and administrations, 1469-1857 Authors: Church of England. Archdeaconry of Norwich. Court image 470 of 612
- ↑ Norfolk : West Somerton : St Mary : Archdeacon's Transcripts : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818ae79e93790ec757f7ecc : viewed 22 Aug 2022) burial Robt Williams 09 Mar 1608/9
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Last name Wyllams Gender Female Birth year - Birth place - Baptism year 1567 Baptism date 30 Apr 1567 Residence Yarmouth, Norfolk, England Place Yarmouth, Great County Norfolk Country England Father's first name(s) - Father's last name - Mother's first name(s) Alyce Mother's last name Wyllams Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Parish Baptisms Collections from England, Great Britain
edited by Brad Stauf
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C398-6S2F-P?cat=504379
It also looks like this Robert Williams profile has an unsourced dup Robert Williams-104934 so these two Roberts should be merged as well.
Ann