William Barsham (abt. 1610 - 1684)

Born about 1610 in England

Husband of Annabel (Smith) Barsham — married about 1634 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 13 May 1684 at about age 74 in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jeffrey Martin [send private message], Jen Hutton [send private message], Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], Elizabeth Kane [send private message], and Hayward Houghton [send private message]

William Barsham migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 108) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

William Barsham's origins are unknown. His date of birth is estimated at 1610, based upon an approximate date of his marriage (in 1634/5).^[1][2][3]

The first known mention of Barsham in Massachusetts was on 28 September 1630, when he appeared as a witness to the death of Austen Bratcher. ^[4] Almost seven years later, on 9 March 1637, he was made a freeman, ^[5] and served on a petty jury in September of that same year. ^[6]

It seems likely that Barsham worked as a carpenter, as he was instrumental in assessing work on building the meetinghouse in Watertown in 1652/3^[7] and on 19 Jan. 1662/3 he helped determine what repairs were necessary to the town's Mill Bridge.^[8] The fact that he eventually left to his son Nathaniel all his tools and his furnace kettle (used to melt metals) suggests he may have also worked as a glazier.^[1]

William Barsham probably had some education as he signed his will and codicil, and owned a Bible and “four old small old books.”^[1] He was elected selectman on 22 Dec. 1652, clerk of weights and measures on 26 Feb. 1655/6 and served on the committee for the proprietors of the farms beginning 6 Oct. 1662.^[1][2][3]

He was granted thirty acres in the Watertown Great Dividend on 25 July 1636, three acres in Beaverbrook Plowlands on 28 Feb. 1636/7, three acres in the Remote Meadows on 26 June 1637 and a farm of eighty-eight acres on 10 May 1642. In the 1644 inventory of grants he also seems to have had six acres of upland in the town plot.^[9]

Marriage and Children

William was married by 1634/5 to Anabel Smith, alias Bland, daughter of John Smith, alias Bland.^[10][11] She was probably born in about 1615, and had died by August 23, 1683, as she was not mentioned in his will of that date. They had nine children, all born in Watertown.^[1][2][3]

1. John Barsham, b. 8 Dec 1635;^[12] m. bef. 1670 Mehitable ________^[1]
2. Anna/Hannah Barsham, b. 7 Nov 1637;^[13] m. 10 Dec 1656 John Spring;^[14] d. 18 Aug 1710^[15]
3. Joshua, b. 15 Mar 1640^[16]
4. Susannah Barsham, b. 28 Jan 1641;^[17] m. 19 Nov 1663 John Capen^[1]
5. Nathaniel Barsham, b. c1644; m. 13 Mar 1678 Elizabeth Bond;^[18] d. 2 Aug 1716^[19]
6. Sarah Barsham, b. c1646; m(1) 3 Mar 1674 Samuel Mansfield;^[20] m(2) 14 Nov 1681 John Browne^[21]
7. Mary Barsham, b. 23 Apr 1648^[22]
8. Rebecca Barsham, b. 12 Oct 1657;^[23] m. 14 May 1683 Edward Winship^[24]
9. Elizabeth Barsham, b. 29 Jul 1658;^[25] m. 5 Jul 1694 Adam Eve^[1]

Death

William Barsham died at Watertown on 13 May 1684.^[26] His will, dated 23 August 1683, made no mention of his wife (who is presumed to have predeceased her husband) but included bequests to each of the above named children. His will was probated August 29, 1684.^[1][2][3]

Last Will & Testament

"I William Barsham of Watertowne… doe declare this to be my last will and testament…

I give unto my son John Barsham a hifer of two years old and the vantage and fowre ewe sheep and five pounds in silver : I give unto William Barsham the son of my said son John twente shillings in silver : I give unto my son Joshuah Barsham : twentie shillings in silver and my good musket : I give unto my son Nathaniell Barsham all my working tools and my furnes kettle : I give unto my daughter Hanna Spring a cow and fowre ewe sheepe and three pounds in silver and my bible: I give unto my Daughter: Susanna Capen one cow and fowre ewe sheepe and three pounds in mony and my joined chaire : I give unto my daughter Sarah Browne one cow and fowre ewe sheep and three pounds in silver and my great armed chaire : I give unto my daughter Rebecka Winship my farme of seventee two Acres : Bonded norwest and by west with Mr Carter, East and by East with [ ] noreast and by north with John Sherman : Sow west and by south with Mr Wollcot : I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Barsham my farme of sixtee fowre Acres : bounded norwest and by west with Mr. Samuell southage and by east with widdow Bartlet : noreast and by north with Henry Kimball : south west and by south with Capten Jenison : I give fowre Acres of meadow in the meadow called Thatchers meadow : unto my two daughters last named : to be eaqually devided between them: also I give unto my two daughters named namly Rebecka Winship and Elizabeth Barsham all my houshould stuff : excepting what is before mentioned : to be eaqually devided between them:

I nominate and apoynt my well beloved childrin Nathaniell Barsham Rebecka Winship and Elizabeth Barsham to be executors of this my last will and testament and I desire my loving friends Thomas Hanning and John Stone to be overseers of this my will… this 28th August : 1683 :
William Barsham
In the presence of
Thomas Hanning
John Stone

As an addition to this my last will and testament… I doe give and bequeath unto my childrin… in addition to what I have all redie given them… namely to my daughters Hannah Spring : Susanna Capen Sarah Browne Mary Bright and my son John Barsham to each of them twente shillings apiece to be paid them in mony… this 15th of Aprill : 1684
William Barsham
In the presence of
William Bond Senior
Thomas Hanning
John Stone

Estate Inventory

This is an inventory of the Estate of William Barsham who deceased ye 3d of July 1684…

In cash………………………………….………........026 – 04 – 06
Two oxen……………………………………….......005 – 00 – 00
Three cows…………………………………..........009 – 00 – 00
Twentie sheepe……………………………........005 – 00 – 00
All his working tools…………………..…........008 – 00 – 00
A furnis kitle…….…………………………….......001 – 10 – 00
A hifer of two yeers and ye vantage.......002 – 10 – 00
A fether bed a fether boltster two fether pillows
curtains two blankets a blue rug A straw bed a bed
stead all together as it stands……………..007 – 00 – 00
Eleven paire of sheets and one odd sheet.006 – 10 – 00
Twelve pillow beers………………………….....001 – 00 – 00
Nine towels seventeen napkens………….001 – 10 – 00
Five Table cloaths………………………………..000 – 15 – 00
Joined chest…………………………………………000 – 06 – 00
Eight chairs………………………………………….000 – 18 – 00
Seven cushons…………………………………….000 – 15 – 00
Five pewter platters one bason and chamber pot a
quart pot……………………….........................000 – 15 – 00
A hive or honey combe………………………..000 – 08 – 00
Fowre old small old books…………………..000 – 05 – 00
A warming pan a frieing pan a paire of tongs a fier
shovel [ ] a paire of bellows [ ] a paire of cobirons
a driping pan a trammell……………………..001 – 00 – 00
A bedstead curtains and [ ] two blankets.001 – 15 – 00
Two chests a litle table………………………..000 – 18 – 00
Fowre old coats a cloake three westcoats three paire
of breeches two old hats six shifts Two [ ] five caps
ten bands fowre handkercheefs five paire of
stockings all…….........................................006 – 00 – 00
Fifteen yards of homemade woollin cloath.003–00–00
A trundle bed stead a flock bed a flock bolster a
fether pillow and old rug………….............001 – 00 – 00
A kneeding trough a forme fowre barrels three
cheese vats a trunnell and old churne...000 – 14 – 00
A fier lock musket………………………………..000 – 15 – 00
Seventee two acres of land called farm
land…………………………………......................010 – 00 – 00
Sixtee fowre acres of land called farme
land……………………………………………...........010 – 00 – 00
Fowre acres of meaddow in Thatchers
meaddow ………………………………………......004 – 00 – 00

Apprized the day and yeere above writene by us:
John Sherman
William Bond
Simon Stone ^[27]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society (1995), vol. 1, pp. 108-111. AmericanAncestors (subscription)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Pope, Charles H. The Pioneers of Massachusetts. Boston, MA: publ. by author (1900), p. 35.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Bond, Henry. Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. (1855) p. 677.
4. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. (ed.) Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: 1628–1686. Boston: W.White (1853), [https://archive.org/details/recordsofgoverno01mass/page/78/mode/1up vol. 1, p. 78}.
5. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. (ed.) Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: 1628–1686. Boston: W.White (1853), vol. I, p. 372
6. ↑ Shurtleffhaniel B. (ed.) Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: 1628–1686- Nathaniel B. (ed.) Boston: W. White (1853) vol. I, p. 203.
7. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, pp. 29, 31, 38.
8. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, p. 75.
9. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, section 2, pp. 4-5,10,12, 26, 83, 118.
10. ↑ Jacobus, D.L. The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT, vol. 61 (1985), pp. 20-21, available here by subscription.
11. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD: New England Historic Genealogical Society online database (2015), vol. 1, p. 98 available here by subscription.
12. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, birth section, p. 4.
13. ↑ Name Anna Barsham Event Type Birth Event Date 07 Nov 1637 Event Place Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States Gender Female Father's Name Willyam Barsham Mother's Name Anibell Citing this Record - "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F465-Y92 : 13 July 2016), Willyam Barsham in entry for Anna Barsham, 07 Nov 1637; citing Birth, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 745,869.
14. ↑ U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Name John Spring Gender Male Birth Year 1630 Marriage Date 10 Dec 1656 Marriage Place New England, USA Death Year 1717 Spouse Hannah Spring
15. ↑ Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 Name Hannah Spring Event Type Death Birth Date abt 1637 Death Date 18 Aug 1710 Death Place Newton, Massachusetts Death Age 73 Spouse Name John Spring
16. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, birth section, p. 8.
17. ↑ Watertown Records Comprising the First and Second Books of Town Proceedings. Watertown, MA: Fred G. Parker, Pub. (1894), vol. I, birth section, p. 9.
18. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH9J-J9W : 10 November 2020), Nathanell Barsham, 13 Mar 1678; citing Marriage, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514.
19. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHCG-DXF : 10 November 2020), Captain Nathaniel Barsham, 2 Aug 1716; citing Death, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514.
20. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP8D-1B75 : 31 October 2019), Samuell Mansfield and Sarah Barsham, 3 Mar 1673; citing Marriage, Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009707.
21. ↑ Massachusetts, Compiled BMD Records, 1700-1850; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018, Lehi, UT., USA. Online access 3 Feb 2020.
22. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F465-BQL : 10 November 2020), Willyam Barsham in entry for Mary Barsham, 23 Apr 1648; citing Birth, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514.
23. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F465-1RM : 10 November 2020), Willyam Barsham in entry for Rebeckah Barsham, 12 Oct 1657; citing Birth, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514
24. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPZV-3FNK : 31 October 2019), Edward Winship and Rebecca Barsham, 14 Mar 1683; citing Marriage, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009675.
25. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F465-1Y9 : 10 November 2020), Willyam Barsham in entry for Elizabeth Barsham, 29 Jul 1658; citing Birth, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514.
26. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC9J-95W : 10 November 2020), William Barsham, 13 May 1684; citing Death, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
27. ↑ Middlesex Probate Court- docket no. 1329

See Also:

• England, Essex Parish Registers, 1503-1997, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XK8T-1C3 : 12 December 2014), William Barsham, 29 Oct 1616, Christening; citing Castle-Hedingham, Essex, England, Record Office, Chelmsford; FHL microfilm 1,472,365. [Of interest, but as yet there is no way to link this William Barsham with the subject of this profile.]

• Find A Grave memorial #35977533: Burial Unknown

• Harris, William. Epitaphs From the Old Burying Ground in Watertown. Boston (1869), p. 3.