William Davis, of Roxbury

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCJ5-6PN

https://archive.org/details/samueldavisofoxf00davi/page/1/mode/1up

William Davis, of Roxbury

• Gender: Male
• Birth: circa April 01, 1617 England (United Kingdom)
• Death: December 09, 1683 (62-70) Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Colonial America
• Place of Burial: Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
• Parents: unknown
• Spouses: 1) Elizabeth 2) Alice Thorpe 3 ) Jane

In New England Marriages Before 1700, William appears 3 times. His first marriage Elizabeth; second to Alice Thorpe and his third was to Jane.

Children

All the children were born at Roxbury and baptized in the church there.

By first wife, Elizabeth___, who was buried May 4, 1658. They had: John, b. Oct 1, 1643; Samuel, b. Feb. 21, 1645; Joseph, b. Oct. 12, 1647;

By second wife (married Oct. 21, 1658), Alice Thorpe who was buried Feb. 24, 1667. They had: William and Elizabeth (twins), bapt. Jun. 14, 1663, buried Dec. 18, 1678; Mathew, bapt. Jan. 24, 1664, and settled at Woodstock, CT; Jonathan, b. Feb. 2, 1665, who also settled at Woodstock;

By third wife, Jane (Adams) who died May 12, 1714, at Watertown, at the residence of Josiah Goddard, who married her daughter Rachel. They had: Mary, b. Mar. 28, 1669; Jane, b. Dec. 24, 1670; Rachel, b. Aug. 26, 1672, married Jan. 28, 1696, Josiah Goddard, of Watertown, and had nine children;

Origins

• Not a child of William Davis, of New Haven
• Was he a brother of Tobias Davis, of Roxbury

The origins of William of Roxbury are unknown. There was a time in which it was in vogue to suppose one's ancestors were from Wales without evidence. More recently we've discovered the origins of many families who immigrated to Roxbury and they are from Essex, Sussex and Kent for the most part. See also:

Chase-Wigglesworth genealogy: the ancestors and descendants of Philip Putnam Chase and his wife Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth / prepared for Barbara Stone Chase ; edited by Alicia Crane Williams (Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1990)

Davis Families of Early Roxbury and Boston" by Samuel Forbes Rockwell. It was published by the Andover Press, Andover, Massachusetts,

“Family tradition has it that he and his brother came from County Somerset, England.”

Biography

Read Jacobus' Families of Ancient New Haven. The New Haven family only had two children and no son William. The origins of William of Roxbury are unknown. William Davis of Roxbury was the immigrant. He was born c1617 and died 9 Dec 1683 in Roxbury. His first wife was Elizabeth (Unknown). His second wife was Alice Thorpe. His third wife Was Jane (Unknown). Please see:

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:William_Davis_%28149%29

Davis families of early Roxbury and Boston, by Samuel Forbes p 11+ https://archive.org/details/davisfamiliesofe00rock/page/11

Children with Elizabeth Unknown: John Samuel Joseph

Children with Alice Thorpe: William, Elizabeth Matthew and Jonatha

Children with Jane Unknown: Mary, Jane, Banjamin, Rachel, Ichadbod, Ebenezer, William, Sarah and Isaac. (?)

He had no children in New Jersey, Virginia or Maryland - so please stop merging these families. Some of his children did go to Woodstock, CT.

Will of William Davis

"The last Will and Testament of William Daves of Roxbury in the County of Suffolk in New England the 6th of December in the year of Our Lord One thousand six hundred Eighty three, now having my perfect memory & understanding by the blessing of my mercifull Father, into whose hands I commit my Soule: Unto my daughter Elizabeth I consigne over a bill of twelve pounds and a trunck that was her mothers together with all the things in it. And unto my son Mathew and Jonathan when they come to age they shall have the two Orchards lying neer my son Joseph's, and if they are not worth Forty pounds then the Overseers of the Estate shall sell some Land for to make it up, their portion twenty pounds apiece. And then for my beloved wife I do make her sole Executrix of all ye rest of my Estate of Lands and movables and give her full power for to dispose of it for her wants as shee see cause, with that full power and Authority over it as I my selfe might have if I had continued For my three eldest son's John and Samuel and Joseph, they have received their portions already, notwith standing I give unto my son John, the eldest of my Children five shilling, and to Samuel and Joseph five and sixpence to buy them some good bookes to remember me with: And Further my desire is that there should bee two Over Seers chose who my wife see good; This is my last will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have set to my hand the day and yeare above written. WILLIAM DAVIS a mark. In presence of us, Jabez Tolman, John Searle At an adjournment of ye County Court in Boston 17th Decembr 1685 pursuant to ye direction of ye Will, Jane Davis Execrx made choice of Edward Morris and Jabez Tolman to be overseers for ye end proposed in ye will, wch. persons ye Court approved of Attest Isa Addington Clke"

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Davis-4883

• Some sources say his birthplace was Wales.. More research needed.