Born before 28 Dec 1617 in Crewkerne, Somersetshire, England

Husband of Anna (Porter) Gaylord — married 24 Feb 1641 in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut

Husband of Elizabeth (Drake) Elderkin — married 9 Feb 1653 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 14 Dec 1656 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

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William Gaylord Jr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1620-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

William Gaylord Jr. was born in Somerset, England.

William Gaylord, son of William Gaylord and his wife (name unknown), was baptized 28 Dec 1617 at Crewkerne, Somersetshire, England.^[1][2]

Immigrated on the Mary and John in 1630

William Gaylord Jr. was about twelve years old in 1630 when he sailed from England to Dorchester on the "Mary and John" with his parents, sister Elizabeth, aged 15, and brothers Samuel 10, John 8 and probably Walter, aged about 4.^[2]

The Mary and John was the first ship with settlers coming into Massachusetts Bay. Later ships of the Winthrop Fleet dropped settlers all around the bay, including the location that became Boston, Massachusetts.

New England

William and his family were among the 130 people who were planted at what became Dorchester, Massachusetts. The sufferings they experienced that first year, of which exposure to the elements, hunger, disease and malnutrition were but a part, are unfamiliar to us today.

Dorchester prospered so rapidly, that by 1636 there was a dearth of available pasture for their cattle and horses. A group from the town ventured across the wilderness to a location scouted for them earlier, and established Windsor, Connecticut, on the great Connecticut River. The Gaylord family was in that group of intrepid farmers.

Having relocated to Windsor in 1638, William Gaylord (Jr.) had an original grant of a home-lot there, 18 rods wide.^[2] His name is found, along with his father's name, on the Founders Monument in Windsor. On 25 Dec 1654, it is noted that William Gaylord, the younger, was a joint purchaser with his father and brother, John, in a parcel that was John Warham's, on the East side of the Great River.^[2]

Marriages and Children

William married first at Windsor, Connecticut on 24 Feb 1641/2 to Ann Porter^[1][3] (1621-1653), eldest child of John and Anne (White) Porter.^[2] Anne died 21 Jul 1653, leaving William with five small children, born at Windsor, including:^[2]

1. Ann, b. 1645, d. 1690, m. 1662/3 Isaac Phelps;
2. Hannah, b. 1646, d. 1678, m. aft. Aug 1670 John Crandall;
3. John, b. 1648, d. 1699, m. 1683 Mary Clarke;
4. William, b. 1650/1, d. 1680, m. 1671 Ruth Crowe;
5. Hezekiah, b. 1652, d. 1677 unm.

William married second at Windsor on 9 Feb 1653/4 to Elizabeth Drake^[1] (1621-1716), daughter of John Drake, with whom he had the following two children, both born at Windsor:^[2]

1. Josiah, b. 1654, d. 1726/7 unm.;
2. Nathaniel, b. 1656, d. 1720, m. 1678 Abigail Bissell.

Death and Probate

William died in Windsor on 14 Dec 1656^[1][2] at the young age of 38 leaving his relatively new bride with seven children ranging in age from 11 years to fifteen weeks. William may have been buried at Palisado Cemetery in Windsor, Connecticut.^{[citation needed]}

The inventory of William's estate was taken 30 Dec 1656 and totaled £423-00-09 and his heirs were listed as: Elizabeth (widow) and children Ann 11, Hannah 10, John 8, William 6, Hezekiah 4, Josiah 2, and Nathaniel 15 weeks.^[2]

On 1 Mar 1660, his widow married John Elderkin and they had five children: Anne, b. 1661; John, b. 1664; Bashua, b. 1665; James, b. 1670/1; and Joseph, b. 1672.^[2]

The remainder of William's estate, £383-06-06 after all debts were paid, was distributed to the widow and children on 2 Mar 1673/4,^[2] 17 years after his death.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vol. II G-O, Boston MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Online at AmericanAncestors.org: profile of William Gaylord (Sr.), pages 739-743, William Jr. at page 742.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} Williams, Alicia Crane. Early New England Families, 1641-1700. (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, NEHGS, 2013): William Gaylord (1621-1653), pages 1-3.
3. ↑ Sylvester Judd and Lucius Manlius Boltwood "History of Hadley, Including the Early History of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby, Massachusetts" p 497

See also:

• Welles, Edwin. Births, Marriages, and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor, and Fairfield (Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford, Conn., 1898)

• Page 41: "William Gaylor and Elisabeth Drake both of Wyndfor weare married ffebr 9th 1653"
• Page 43: "William Gaylor the younger of Windzor died, decem 14th 1656"

• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985)

• Vol. I, p. 606. GAYLORD, William Jr. (1616-1656) & 1 /wf ?Ann/?Anna/Anne PORTER (1621-1653); 1641, 24 Feb 1644, 1641/2, 1641?; Windsor, CT
• Vol. I, p. 606. GAYLORD, William Jr. (1616-1656) & 2/wf Elizabeth DRAKE (1621-1716), w/2 John ELDERKIN 1660; 9 Feb 1653; Windsor, CT

• Thistlethwaite, Frank, Dorset Pilgrims: The story of West country Pilgrims who went to New England in the 17th Century, (London, Barrie & Jenkins, 1989). NOTE: a scholarly work with 12 pages of sources, detailing the lives of the founders of Dorchester, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut, particularly in their interrelationships.

• History of the Town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society (Ebenezer Clapp. Jr., Boston, 1859) Page ?

• Descendants of John Porter of Windsor, Conn... Authors: Henry Porter Andrews, Peter Porter Wiggins Original Publisher: G. W. Ball Sarasota Springs, NY Publisher: Archive.org

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