William Worth (1642 - 1724)

Born 25 Feb 1642 in Plymouth, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Macy) Worth — married 11 Apr 1665 in Nantucket, Nantucket, Ma

Husband of Damaris (Sibley) Worth — married 3 Sep 1703 in Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 1 Dec 1724 at age 82 in Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts Bay

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William Worth migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

William was a Friend (Quaker)

William was baptized on 25 Feb 1642 at St. Andrew's, Plymouth, Devonshire, England.

He immigrated to New England with his older half-brother Lionel and his older brother Richard sometime before 1647.

He moved to Nantucket as a sailor and received a half share of land as a tradesman in 1662. He had a fair education, appearing from the early records of Nantucket, many of which are in his writing. He served as Justice and Clerk of the Court in 1678. Was a blacksmith and a mariner. He was quite active in Nantucket affairs, chosen as a selectman five times, an Assistant Magistrate three times, Assessor four times, and Clerk of the Court for many years. The earliest Nantucket vital records are in his handwriting. There were no clergymen at Nantucket during the first half century after it was settled; marriages were solemnized by Justices of the Peace (the marriage service for many years being a civil and not a religious contract). William is reported to have been the magistrate at most of the marriages for many years before his death.

He was assigned with Edward Starbuck to build a pair of millstones, testified for the Indians in a suit concerning a drift whale (the treaty gave the Indians the rights to the whales that washed ashore). The Island also suffered constant political turmoil, and William was always in the thick of it. Besides his maritime and civic duties, he was a blacksmith.

Thomas Macy sold him 1/4 of 1/2 a share of land in 1676. His house lot was on the east end of the island in the No Bottom Pond section, and bounded north by the Old Road and west by Crooked Lane. It appears to have included a fishing house on Aquinet point. This lot extended from the Old Road south to the Main Street extension. Grove Lane was cut through later.

William served on the English man-of-war in his younger days, and learned the trade of blacksmith. He came to America in 1665, and was known in Nantucket where he settled as an experienced navigator, excellent blacksmith, man of education and ability. He was clerk of the courts in 1678, and the first justice of the island, performing all the marriages there until 1724. He married (first), April 11, 1665, Sarah Macy, born August 1, 1648, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Hopcott) Macy, who was of the Macy family referred to by Whittier in his "Exiles." He married (second) on September 3, 1703, Damaris Sibley, who died June 2, 1745. He died January 10, 1723-4 (another source shows 1 Oct 1724). His only child was by the first wife: John, born in Nantucket, May 19. 1666.

William made his will in 1719 in Sherbourne, Nantucket. William Worth, Quaker, of Sherborne on the Island of Nantucket in the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England, Esq. being sickly and weak of body but of sound mind and memory do make and ordain my last Will and Testament in manner and form following: First I give unto my beloved wife Damaris Worth the third part of my estate in the same manner as the law would have given it unto her if I had died interstate; besides which I give her my dwelling house and hog pasture and garden during her natural life. I do also give her the furniture standing in and belonging to the lower west room of my dwelling house, and the great iron pot and middle brass kettle, the bed-pan, and close stool, and the time yet unexpired and to come that I have in my servant, William Piercy; and twenty Pounds in money or bills of credit to be paid within two years after my decease by my Executor hereinafter named. I do likewise give her all the debts due unto me by any ways or means whatsoever. Item, I give a silver cup unto my wife. All the residue of my Estate I give and devise unto my son John Worth and after his mother's term therein is expired the whole of what kind or nature so ever to him and heirs forever and my will and mind is that my son John Worth shall faithfully divide, set out and deliver unto mother in law her part of my Estate to her given in the best and most convenient manner he may or can. I make my son John sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament. Will probated on 11 Nov 1724 on testimony of witnesses Nathan Folger, George, Deborah and Priscilla Bunker.

Sources

• Wentworth, Edward Norris , Jr; The Genealogy of Edward Norris Wentworth Junior; Chicago, Cook, Illinois’ June 1928; (Special Project Submitted in Courses in Community Life and Advance Biology at the University High School, University of Chicago); Footnote Abbreviation: Wentworth

• Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts by William Richard Cutter, publ. 1908 by Lewis Historical Publishing Co.

• http://longislandsurnames.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I01419&tree=Wood - accessed 6 Jan 2014

• History of Nantucket ... by Alexander Starbuck F72.N257

• www.quakersurnames.net/worth.html

• Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts by William Richard Cutter, publ. 1908 by Lewis Historical Publishing Co.

• http://history.vineyard.net/worthw1.htm