Ancestry of Richard Williams and Francis Deighton

Previous historians and genealogists have have shown royal descent for the Richard Williams family, either through Richard Williams or his wife Frances Deighton, who is traced to Charlemagne by the medieval historian von Redlich, (NEHG 97:342-343). In his "Descent of General Douglas McArthur." von Redlich produced an ancestry chart leading from Richard and Frances to "Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Emperor of the West, born 2, Apr 747, died 28 Jan. 814; married in 771 the Swabian Princess Hildegard, died 30 Apr. 783."

The line continues with

1. Pepin, King of Italy,
2. Bernard, King of Italy,
3. Pepin, Count of Senlis,
4. Herbert I, Count of Vermandois,
5. Herbert II,
6. Albert 1,
7. Herbert III,
8. Otho,
9. Herbert IV,
10. dau. Adelaide (Adelheid), who m. Hugh, the Great, Duke of France and Burgundy, son of Henry I, King of France, by Anne, dau. of Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Kiev;
11. Isabel de Vermandois who m. 2nd William de Warenne, second Earl of Surrey,
12. Gundred de Warenne w. m. Roger de Newburgh, second Earl of Warwick;
13. Waleran de Newburgh,
14. Alice de Newburgh, w. m. William, Baron Mauduit,
15. Isabel de Mauduit, who m. William, fifth Baron Beauchamp of Elmley Castle;
16. Walter de Beauchamp, Steward of the Household of Edward I, King of England;
17. Giles de Beauchamp,
18. John de Beauchamp,
19. Sir William de Beauchamp,
20. Sir John de Beauchamp, Lord Treasurer of England;
21. Sir Richard de Beauchamp,
22. Anne de Beauchamp.

  * (See family tree for the more recent lines that lead to Richard and Frances Williams). Richard Williams is Charlemagne's 21st grandson.

Born- Glamorganshire, England Married Gloucesterhire,England- , Williams Family

Richard Williams of Taunton, MA, was baptized in the parish of St. Mary the Virgin in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucester, England in 1607 and died in Taunton, Massachusetts August 1693. Married Frances Deighton, sometimes spelled "Dighton". Richard and Frances Williams' descendants are linked in marriage with many well-documented early American families such as those of Captain John Gallup, Governor Thomas Dudley, John Woodbridge VI, Pilgrim Thomas Rogers, Pilgrim John Howland, Pilgrim Samuel Fuller (the son of Pilgrim Edward Fuller), Reverend John Lothrop, and Governor William Leete.

Richard was a tanner by trade. He was a man of good abilities, was deputy to the General Court of Plymouth Colony from 1645 to 1665; selectman in 1666 and 1667. It is not know exactly when Richard Williams came to New England, nor upon which vessel. The biographer Charles Williams believes him to have come about 1636/7, rather than in 1633, as Pope suggests. He came with his wife, Frances and two children, probably her two eldest sisters and their spouses. Richard and Frances settled soon in Taunton. He was among the original purchasers of the Teticut Purchase, The North Purchase and the South Purchase, now comprising collectively the towns of Taunton, Raynham Berkeley, Norton, Mansfield, Easton and Dighton, the last so named for his wife Francis. He was one of the original shareholders in the Iron Works of Taunton and received income from this venture until 1691. In 1693, his son Thomas directed that these moneys go to his Mother, Francis, these sums continuing until 1700. He, himself, was a tanner, as his son Joseph succeeds to this business after his death about 1692/3. He was called by Emery, the "Father of Taunton." He was a member and deacon of the First Church. He died in the year 1693, aged eighty-seven years. The children born to Richard and his wife Frances (Dighton) were: John (died England), Elizabeth (died England), Samuel, Nathaniel, Joseph, Thomas, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Benjamin.

Richard and Frances' children married children of other early settlers, e.g., children of John Rogers and Anna Churchman of Duxbury, Thomas Gilbert and Joan Rossiter of Taunton, George Macey and Susanna Street of Taunton, and Thomas Bird Sr and Ann ? of Dorchester. Samuel married Mary (Jane) Gilbert. Samuel married as his second wife Hannah (Anna) Rogers, daughter of John Rogers (her third marriage) late in life. Nathaniel married Elizabeth Rogers, daughter of John Rogers, granddaughter of Pilgrim Thomas Rogers. Joseph married Elizabeth Watson. Elizabeth married John Bird of Dorchester. Thomas married Mary Macey. Hannah married John Parmenter of Boston. Benjamin married Rebecca Macey, Mary's sister. See the Richard Williams Family project for more details.