Abraham Williams (1628 - 1712)

Born 1628 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Joanna (Ward) Williams — married 1650 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 29 Dec 1712 at about age 84 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts

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Biography

Abraham was born in 1628. Abraham Williams ... He passed away in 1712.

Son of William Williams of Watertown.^[1]

ABRAHAM WILLIAMS, freeman, 1652, m. Joanna Ward, [3.2] and settled at Marlboro', near "Belcher's Pond" — where has long been a public house, and,many years ago, known as the " William's Tavern " — her father in his will and certain deeds speaks of Abraham Williams as his son-in law, and calls the pond, lying near his house,Belcher’s Pond. Abraham Williams represented Marlboro' in the General Court, and d. there Dec. 29, 1712, and his wid., Joanna, Dec. 8, 1718, aged 90. T. Rec. Marlboro' records are very imperfect with respect to their child. — the names of no other than Lydia and John are found there ; and the birth of the latter is not on rec- ord. They had at least four children., viz :

1. Elizabeth, who m. Thomas Beman before 1679, and resided at Marlboro'.

2. William, who m. Elizabeth before 1692, and d. at Marlboro', Aug. 30, 1702, leaving an only son, Abra- ham, b. 1695, m. Prudence How in 1715, and Eliz- abeth Breck in 1729. His 3d wife was Elizabeth ; she d. at Marlboro' in 1775. He attained to the rank of Colonel ; and in 1755 commanded the 3d Regiment of Militia in the counties of Middlesex and Worcester. He d. at Marlboro', July 10, 1781, aged 86.

3. Lydia, 1669.

4. John. The first and last of the above named children. were living, Dec. 18, 1711, as appears by their father's deed of gift, recorded with Middlesex deeds, at Cambridge. Abraham Williams disposed of his estate by deed of gift, dated Dec. 28, 1712, — recorded with Middlesex deeds, Book 16, page 82, from which the following are extracts:

To all people &c : — Know ye that I, Abraham Wil- liams, sen. of the town of ^Marlboro' &c., being stricken in years, and not knowing how soon my Lord will call, upon good considerations me moving, do give and grant as fol- loweth : after my decease and the decease of my beloved consort, Joanna Williams, there shall be paid out of my estate, to my daughter, Elizabeth Beman, besides what she hath already had, three score pounds in New England money — unclipt money — it shall be for her and her chil- dren forever ; also I give to her and hers half my stock that shall then be found, except one yoak of oxen and feed- ing cattle, and one horse. The one-half of all the rest shall be theirs free forever. I also give to my daughter, Elizabeth Beraan, and to hers half of ray household goods, and to my sonin-law, Thomas Beman, thirty pounds passable money, and forty acres of land I bought of my brother, John Ward, [lie was of Newton] and twenty six acres that lies adjoining it — in all three score and six acres: it shall be his forever after our decease, to stand good in fee simple. And because God hath taken away my eldest son and proper heir, and who never had any possession of my housing or lands, but as we traded together with corn and cattle, and so he had his part of all our income, and having left with me one only son, I reckon him my proper heir in his father's room ; and ac- cordingly do give and grant to him, as first born, viz : Abraham Williams, together with his uncle, John Wil- liams, all the rest of my estate undisposed of, viz': all my housing, with the land they stand upon and is about them on every side bounded and fenced, and all my lands and meadows abroad ; all ray husbandry furniture, car- pentering tools, and the rest of my stock — they shall be Abraham Williams his and John Williams his together, not to be parted, but improved for their subsistence to- gether, unless extremity enforces a sale of a small piece thereof — all these gifts and grants shall be to them and their heirs forever. And further, concerning William Ripley, whom we have brought up from a child ; his time is not long to stay on strict terms — then nine pounds will be due liim, one he hath had already — let his due be paid out of the whole estate — if he will stay Avith Abraham and John for reasonable wages by the year, three or four years, then I give to him, for his own forever, to settle on, twenty acres of land at Rock patch, with the meadow to it, next to my son Beman's. If he like not that, he shall have twenty acres at the west end of Crane hill, and three acres of meadow at Cedar meadow above the Island next to Barns. And if not that, he must go.

I desire and pray my three beloved friends, my son-in- law, Thomas Beraau, my brother, Samuel Ward, and my cousin, Joseph Stratton, to be overseers and fees in trust, to see to the fulfilling of these gifts and improve- ment of the other according to the premises for my wife, John and Abraham. And when God shall take either of us away, to allow a decent and Christian burial, without weeds or flourishes, for our fathers and mothers had none.

Signed with my own hand and sealed with my own seal, &c. Dec. 18, 1711. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862. p. 558
2. ↑ Ward family; descendants of William Ward, who settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1639 BY ANDREW HENSHAW WARD, A.M., [1]

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