William Adams of Ipswich

William Adams was one of the original settlers of the Massachusettes Bay Colony.

William is purported to have been married about 1619, but the name of his wife is unknown at this time. He came to America about 1628, with the first immigrants of the Massachusetts Colony, settled first at Cambridge, then at Newton, Mass. where he was made a freeman in 1639. Prior to 1642 he removed to Ipswich, where he took up a large tract of land on the Ipswich River, which is now the town of Hamilton, Maine. It was here that he died and is buried. The farm which he cultivated, was handed down through will or inheritance for over 250 years. On 28 Oct 1647, he was discharged from compulsory military service of the colony, because of his age. Records state that he was a juryman and that he served in that capacity, with little interruption until 1659. On 27 Feb 1644 he was granted twelve acres"beyond Mr Appleton's and near the land of the widow Stacey."

On 19 July 1654, William Payne, merchant of Ipswich, sold to William Adams, Miller, of the same place, six and three fourths of marsh for nine pounds.The deed was not recorded until 1707.William died in Ipswich, Mass 2 Jan 1659. Inventory of estate, Jan 24, 1658/9. William Adams' will was proven on 26 March 1662. His sons, Nathaniel and Samuel signed an agreement, 24 Apr 1668, dividing the property. There is reason to believe that he may have been married more than once, but the identity of his wife or wives is not known. A wife survived him and was still living in 1681.

Possible Parents of Hannah:
Daughter of William Adams and Frances (Waldron) Adams [?]

Children:

• William b. ___; married Elizabeth, daughter of Simon Stacy of Ipswich; died at Ipswich 18 January, 1659; she died in 1655.
• John, b. about 1631; married Rebecca ___ who died with her child 31 December, 1666; he married secondly Sarah ___ who died 31 May, 1676, and he married thirdly, 8 May, 1677, Dorothy/ Dorcas (Watson) Dewitt (wid. of Timothy Dwight) dau. of John Watson; was Lieutenant; died at Ipswich in 1703; she died 9 November, 1707, aged 68.
• Samuel b. ___; married 20 December 1664, Mehitable, probably daughter of George Norton of Ipswich.
• Hannah, b___ ; m. 6 December, 1659, Francis Muncy of Ipswich, and probably secondly John Kimball.
• Mary, b. ; m. 29 February, 1660, Thomas French of Ipswich.
• Nathaniel, born about 1641; married 30 June, 1668, Mercy, daughter of Thomas Dickinson of Rowley; he died at Ipswich 11 April, 1715; she died 12(?) December, 1735.

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William Adams, at Cambridge 1635, or earlier, Freeman 22 May 1639: rem. prob. bef. 1642, to Ipswich, but at Cambridge had William, Nathaniel, and Samuel; prob. b. in Eng. and he d. 1661.' The first certain knowledge we have of William Adams is as a commoner of Ipswich, where he is found 31 January, 1642; but he was very probably made Freeman of Mass. 22 May, 1639. He was a Selectman 1646, and died in 1658; his widow was living in 1681. He probably lived in or near what is now Hamilton.(p. 1)

Children:

• I. WILLIAM ADAMS, born abt. 1625, Eng. married Elizabeth, daughter of Simon Stacy of Ipswich; died at Ipswich 18 January, 1659; she died in 1655.
• II. Sarah Adams, born 1627, Eng.; died Dec. 3, 1643, aged 16.
• III. Thomas Adams, born 1629, Eng.; died July 10, 1649, aged 20.
• IV. Lt. John Adams, born abt. 1631/2, Eng.; died 1703, Ipswich, Mass. Married first -, 1666, Rebecca --, born ; who died with her child 31 December, 1666 at Ipswich; Married second 1667, Sarah born -; died May 31, 1676, Ipswich, Mass. Married third, May 8, 1677, Doritha or Dorcas Dewitt, born --—; of Timothy Dwight) dau. of John Watson; was Lieutenant; died at Ipswich in 1703; she died 9 November, 1707, aged 68. died Nov. 9, 1707, Ipswich, Mass., aged 68.
• V. Patience Adams, born 1633; died Nov. 6, 1648, aged 15.
• VI. Samuel Adams, born -, 1635, Cambridge, Mass.; living, 1707. Married Dec. 20, 1664, Mehitable, daughter of George Norton, of Ipswich, Mass., born -; living, 1690.
• VII. Elizabeth Adams, born --, 1637, Cambridge, Mass.; died July 1, 1651, aged 14.
• VIII. Hannah Adams, born 1639, Cambridge, Mass.; died Married first, Dec. 6, 1659, Francis Muncey, of Ipswich, Mass., born -- 1675, Brookhaven, L. I. Married second, -, 1675, John Ramsden, of Newtown, L. I., born —; died -
• IX. Mary Adams, born --, 1642, Cambridge, Mass.; died - Married Feb. 29, 1659/0, Thomas French, of Ipswich, Mass., son of Thomas and Mary French, born-; died -; d.
• X. Nathaniel Adams, born ---, 1641/44, Cambridge, Mass.; died April 11, 1715, Ipswich, Mass. Married June 30, 1668, Mercy, daughter of Thomas Dickenson, of Rowley, Mass., born ---; died Dec. 12, 1735, Ipswich, Mass.

English origins

"William was allegedly the son of Thomas Adams and his wife, Margaret Erpe. Thomas Adams was the son of Randall Adams, of Norwood, a small village in the town of Wem, Shropshire, England. ...."

Seversmith says of William: "It is alleged that he was born at Wem , Shropshire, 3 February, 1593/4, and baptised in the parish church at that place, 10 February 1593/4. The proof of the identify is not found."

"William Adams was a descendant of one of the old Saxon families that settled in central England far back in the earl y history of that country. He was born in England Feb. 159 4 , the youngest son of Thomas and Margaret (Erpe) Adams o f Wem, Shropshire, England. He married in 1619, name unknown , and had four sons and probably more children. He came to America, with four sons, in the Spring of 1628 and firs t settled in Cambridge, MA where he resided until 1642, the n he took up land on the Ipswich river, in what is now Hami lton, MA He was recorded as a freeman in Cambridge in 1639 . Reference has been found to a son John and also a son Willliam, but no further information. In 1900 much of his land was still owned and occupied by Adams descendants. "

It was said this branch of the Adams family was tall and muscular with large features, hazel eyes, and black hair

The Essex Antiquarian gives an alternate ancestry, saying that William Adams of Cambridge is supposed to have been thr son of Henry Adams of that place. It places William at cambridge in 1635, residing in the part of the town which was in 1898 Hamilton, on the Ipswich River, the farm being that of the late Silsbee Adams. The Browne/Foster genealogy says that farm remained in the family for 250 years. Th e frontispiece shows the old homestead as it then appeared . The date of its construction was unknown.

DNA test results as of Jan 2014: William Adams, b. 1594 and d. 1661 Origin: England "Group: Unrelated R1b" R1b1a2

Richard Adams could not have been born in Pennsylvania in 1590 as the first European settlement in Pennsylvania was not settled until 1643-1647 (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/vc/visitor_info/pa_history/pa_his...)

GEDCOM Note

William Adams came to Cambridge, MA, USA in the spring of 1628, moved to what is now Hamilton, MA in 1642.

Genealogy Dictionary by Savage says: "William, Cambridge 1635, or earlier, freeman 22 May 1639, removed probably by 1642 to Ipswich, but at Cambridge had William, Nathaniel and Samuel, probably born in Eng. and he died 1661

William came to New England in May 1635 aboard the Elizabeth and Ann, he was 15 years old at the time. Settled at Cambridge, MA, removed to Ipswich, MA before 1641. Was a selectman of Ipswich in 1646. In 1654 he was called a miller

Born in Shropshire, England, and came to New England in the Spring of 1628, and settled in Newtown, which later became Cambridge.

He left at least one son, William, in England, who followed in 1635, a lad of 15 who came sailed on board the Elizabeth and Ann.

He removed to Ipswich which later became Hamilton, where he is found as a commoner on 31 January 1642. He was one of the first settlers there, as can be seen in land grant records.

He was probably one of the first 100 or so persons to first settle in New England.

He was a selectman of Ipswich in 1646.

"The will of William Addams proved Mar. 25, 1662, and inventory received."

"An agreement made Apr. 24, 1668, between Nathaniell Addams" of Ipswich and Samuell Addams his brother; that all the lands and" goods which William Addams their father had bequeathed should be equally divided between them according to the true, meaning of the will, allowing convenient maintenance unto his wife,, during her life, and paying such portions as their father had bequeathed unto his daughters.

The house and barn and the land about the house wherein the said Nathaniell now dwelleth containing about 16 acres, also another division of land lying between the land of Samuell Addams, brother to Nathaniell and the land of Thomas Stace, bounded by a long hill running down from the thick woods to a piece of meadow appertaining to John Addams, our brother, that he bought of Anthony Potter, also another peice of meadow being upon the Black brooke, bounded northwest by a point of upland running down to the borrk & southeast by the land of Symon Stacy, shall belong unto Nathaniell and his heirs forever.

All the land that is now in the occupation Samuell Adams, being an entire parcell of land joining to Mr. Saltonstall's farm shall belong to him and his heirs forever. And all the goods and chattells that are at present in the possession of either of them shall so continue to them and their heirs.

Signed and sealed Apr. 24, 1668 by Samuell Addams. Wineess: William White, Thomas Waite.

William Adams was a descendant of one of the old Saxon families that settled in central England far back in the early history of that country. He was born in England Feb. 1594 , the youngest son of Thomas and Margaret (Erpe) Adams of Wem, Shropshire, England. He married in 1619, name unknown , and had four sons and probably more children. He came to America, with four sons, in the Spring of 1628 and first settled in Cambridge, MA where he resided until 1642, then he took up land on the Ipswich river, in what is now Hamilton, MA He was recorded as a freeman in Cambridge in 163 9. Reference has been found to a son John and also a son W illiam, but no further information. In 1900 much of his land was still owned and occupied by Adams descendants. It was said this branch of the Adams family was tall and muscular with large features, hazel eyes, and black hair

References

• Some descendants of William Adams of Ipswich, Mass. by W.S. Appleton
• William Adams, 1594-1661, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Some of His Descendants: A History of the Ancestral Adams Lineage of Madeline (Adams) Whitehead and Descendants of John Quincy Adams of Mound City, Kansas with Details of Related Families, Including : Dickinson, Knowlton, Leach, Locke, Burnap, Eliot, Wilson, Mapes, Cochran, Whitehead, and Eaton. Kenneth Lloyd Bosworth. Heritage Books, 1996 - Reference - 208 pages
• Great Migration Newsletter Vol 18, April-June 2009, No 2
• http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-3503
• http://www.skives.net/genealogy/tng/getperson.php?personID=I5462&tr...
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=norvan&id...
• Tingley, Raymon. Some Ancestral Lines, Being a Record of Some of the Ancestors of Guilford Solon Tingley and His Wife, Martha Pamelia Meyers (The Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, 1935) Page 7: Hathitrust This source says that the wife of William Adams was "living 1681", but says nothing else about her.
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-908

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Elizabeth and Ann Ship Passenger list - This is the ship William came on to New England. The ship roll is shown at this url http://www.winthropsociety.com/ships/elizandann.htm William Adams is listed and is 15 years old.

LifeSketch
Early settler of Ipswich, Massachusetts. https://archive.org/stream/ipswichinmassach00water#page/n587/mode/2...

The deed was witnessed by William Goodhue and recorded in 1701.
William Adams senior died shortly before 26 March, 1662, on which date his will was proved; an agreement was signed between the sons Nathaniel and Samuel, 24 April, 1668, dividing the property.
He probably died at Ipswich, and probably was buried there.
There is some reason to believe that he married more than once, but the identify of the wife or wives has not been found.

A wife survived him; the widow was living in 1668.

"Seversmith gives an account of the "alleged English ancestry of William Adams", based upon Americana, vol. 22 (1928), p. 432. He acknowledges the ancestry as indeterminate, but argues it is possible. Americana says William was son of Thomas Adams and Margaret Erpe; Thomas Adams was a tanner, presumably son of Randall Adams. If the family constructed here is correct, Thomas Adams, knight and staunch Royalist is in marked contrast to the Puritan loyalties of the rest of the family, and his wealth in contrast to their poverty.
Early settler of Ipswich, Massachusetts. https://archive.org/stream/ipswichinmassach00water#page/n587/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/earlyinhabitants13hamm/page/6/mode/2up

Beran provides the following observations and excerpts from articles dealing with William Adams:
Seversmith says of William: "It is alleged that he was born at Wem, Shropshire, 3 February, 1593/4, and baptised in the parish church at that place, 10 February 1593/4. Proof of the identity not found.

He was undoubtedly the William Adams of Cambridge in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who was made freeman, 22 May 1639. He was a commoner of Ipswich, 31 January, 1642, which shows that he had removed to that town sometime before.

Adams is most frequently noted or recorded as a juryman, serving continuously in that capacity with little interruption until 1659.

On the 28th day of 10th month, 1647 he was discharged from the compulsory military service of the Colony because of his age;
this maturity, however, was useful in rendering wise decisions on the grand jury.

William Adams was granted twelve acres of land 27 February, 1644, 'beyond Mr. Appletons his farme near to the Land of the Widdow Stacye as may be convenient to be laide out by Mr. Appleton, John Whipple, and the lott layers.'

On 19 July, 1654 William Payne of Ipswich, merchant, sold to William Adams of the same place, miller, six and three quarter acres of marsh for nine pounds.

The Essex Antiquarian gives an alternate ancestry, saying that William Adams of Cambridge is supposed to have been son of Henry Adams of that place.
It places William at Cambridge Mass. in 1635, residing in the part of the town which was in 1898 Hamilton, on the Ipswich River, the farm being that of the late Silsbee Adams.

The Browne/Foster genealogy says that farm remained in the family for 250 years. The frontispiece shows the old homestead as it then appeared. The date of its construction was unknown.
William Adams was one of the selectmen of Ipswich in 1646,
in 1647 discharged from militia training on account of his age.
He was called a miller in 1654.
The Old Burying Ground was established in Ipswich in 1634 and probably William was buried here, but the early grave markers were of wood and did not survive. There are no Adams family markers from this era remaining.