Thomas Williams (abt. 1645 - bef. 1706)

Born about 1645 in Taunton, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Macey) Keith — married about 1679 in Taunton, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 12 Jun 1706 before about age 61 in Taunton, Bristol County, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

Thomas Williams was the son of immigrants Richard Williams and Frances (Deighton) Williams (a Magna Carta Gateway Ancestor).^[1][2] His parentage is established in part by the fact that Richard's and Frances's wills mention their son Thomas.^[3][4]

Thomas's date of birth is uncertain. In his father's will, Thomas is mentioned after Richard Williams "eldest son" Samuel, son Nathaniel, and son Joseph. Since children were usually listed in birth order (at least among children of the same sex) and Joseph was supposedly born in February 1641,^[1] it is likely that Thomas was born sometime in or after 1643. Based on the fact that he was included in a list of men participating in the purchase of the Taunton "North Purchase" in June 1668,^[5] he was probably at least 21 at that time and thus born prior to June 1647. Both the "Silver Books"^[1] and the 1933 TAG article on Richard Williams and his wife Francis^[2] state that he was born about 1645, which seems a reasonable mid-range estimate.

Since Thomas's parents were living in Taunton, Plymouth Colony during the estimated period of his birth, he was most probably born there.

Marriage

Thomas married Mary Macy.^[6][7] Their marriage is established by a bequest in the will of George Macy to his daughter Mary Williams.^[7] Based on the estimated date of birth of their first-born child (1680), they were probably married about 1679. Since both Thomas and Mary Macy's parents were residents of Taunton, they were probably married there.

Children

According to Mitchell's History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater,Thomas and Mary had the children listed below.^[8] No birth records have been found for any of them, perhaps because the Taunton fire of 1838 destroyed all the existing records.^[9] Thomas's parentage of all the children except Macey are established by a record referenced below relating to the distribution of his estate. Their dates of birth are those given by Mitchell and may be his estimates. All of the children were very probably born in Taunton.

1. Maria/Mary, b. 1680,^[8] m. February 13, 1705/6 Ebenezer Robinson at Taunton^[10] (supported by the fact that she is referred to as Mary Robinson in the division of Thomas's land estate)
2. Jonathan, b. 1683,^[8] m. April 3, 1707 Elizabeth Leonard at Taunton^[11]
3. Sarah, b. 1685,^[8] m. May 14, 1712 James Hall at Taunton^[12]
4. Macey, b. 1687,^[8] probably died young (based on the fact that not mentioned in the division of her father's estate)
5. Hannah, b. 1689,^[8] m. December 3, 1712 Joseph Snell at Bridgewater^[8][13]
6. Bethiah, b. 1692,^[8] m. March 11, 1712/3 Joseph Hodges at Taunton^[14]
7. Mehitabel, b. 1695, ^[8] m. October 20, 1720 Benjamin Webb at Bridgewater^[8][13]
8. Damaris, b. 1698,^[8] m. January 16, 1723/4 Daniel Howard at Bridgewater^[8][13]

Occupation

In the 1693 record that approved Thomas and his brothers as executors of their father's Last Will & Testament, there were all described as being of Taunton and husbandmen.^[4]

Death

Thomas died sometime before June 12, 1706, as on that date, his widow Mary and son Jonathan signed a bond as co-executors of the Last Will & Testament of Thomas Williams, late of Taunton.^[15][16]

Thomas had apparently bequeathed some of his lands to his daughters but without specifying which daughter should get what land. The lands were divided by order of the Probate Court on February 28, 1710/1 among his daughters Mary Robinson, Sarah Williams, Hannah Williams, Bethiah, Mehitabel, and Damaris.^[17][16]

^{[16] [7] [14] [12] [11] [10] [13] [9] [3] [4] [2] [1] [6] [15] [17] [8] [5]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} "Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass. December 1620." (New England - United States: General Society of Mayflower Descendants., Various), 19:15,18.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT, Vol 10 (1933), p 29: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT, Vol 10 (1933), p 27: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT, Vol 10 (1933), p 28: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Quarter Millennial Celebration of the City of Taunton, Massachusetts, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4 and 5, 1889," City Government of Taunton, 1889, p 284
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Emery, Samuel Hopkins. "History of Taunton Massachusetts", Syracuse, NY, D. Mason & Co., 1893, p 62
8. ↑ ^{8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12} Nahum Mitchell, "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater," 1840, p 362
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Vital Records of Taunton, MA to the end of the year 1849 - Explanations
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Vital Records of Taunton, MA to the end of the year 1849 - Marriages, p 531
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Vital Records of Taunton, MA to the end of the year 1849 - Marriages, p 530
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Vital Records of Taunton, MA to the end of the year 1849 - Marriages, p 534
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3} "Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume II - Marriages and Deaths," New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1916, p 408
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} "Genealogical record of the Hodges family of New England, ending December 31, 1894," p 85
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Bristol County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1880. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org)
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} Bristol County Probate Records, 1690-1881. FHL Film #007702893, images 710-714 of 1502. Link to probate file at familysearch.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Bristol County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1880. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org)