William Walcott, I

• Marriage to Mary Felt: (6 Aug 1712 — Age: 21) Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
• Burial: Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA
  • Updated from Ancestry Genealogy via son William Walcott Jr by SmartCopy: Jul 14 2015, 4:29:29 UTC

Inscription: Spelled: "Walcut"

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial by SmartCopy: Jul 14 2015, 4:35:30 UTC

William Walcott was born in 1691 or 1692 in Salem Village, Massachusetts at about the time the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria began. He is the son of Captain Jonathan Walcott and his 2nd wife, Deliverance Putnum. William Walcott is the half brother of Mary Walcott, one of the accusers in the Salem Witch trials, and the first cousin of Ann Putnum, Jr., another accuser.

Both of William’s parents died in the year 1699.

William Walcott married his first wife, May Felt of Casco Bay, now North Yarmouth, Maine on August 6th, 1712.

William and Mary had the following children while they lived in Salem; Anna was born August 14th 1713 and died December 24th, 1727. Elizabeth was born June 27th, 1715, married Ebenezer Emerson of Wrentham, and died about 1747. William was born October 23rd, 1717, married Esther Foster, and died September 24th, 1799. Mary was born January 19th, 1720, married Eleazer Rhoades, and died March 12th, 1809. Moses was born February 17th, 1722, married Mary Blackinton, and died November of 1813.

Twenty-three years after the death of his father, William received his portion of the estate under an agreement in 1722. He then immediately disposed of it, selling it off piece by piece.

He removed to Attleboro with his family where he purchased land including fifty acres on either side of Abbott’s Run. They were dismissed from the church at Salem Village, and joined the First Church of Attleboro on April 7th, 1723.

William and Mary had four additional children after moving to Attleboro; Deliverance was born November 15th, 1724, married Stephen Rhoads, and died January 23rd, 1792. Lydia was born September 24th, 1727, and married Ichabod Peck. Her date of death is unknown. Benjamin was born October 16th, 1729, married Mary Foster, and died July 20th, 1781.

In 1734 William Walcott and two others purchased water privileges at Arnold’s Mills and built a saw mill which remained in operation until 1862.

In 1746 the area of Attleboro where William and his family lived was set off and became the town of Cumberland, Rhode Island. William is listed as having served as one of the first six town council members of Cumberland in 1746 and served for a period of three years.

His first wife, Mary Felt, died sometime before 1763. He married a second time to Ruth Perkins, a widow from Cumberland, Rhode Island on December 5th, 1763.

William Walcott was an elderly man in his eighties when the American Revolutionary War began, yet the records list him as serving and say that he was excused from active duty by General Spencer to haul wood for the troops in Providence.

William Walcott died at home on November 13th, 1777 when he was approximately eighty-five years of age. He is buried in Peck Cemetery also known as Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Cumberland #19. His headstone has his last name spelled Wallcut, and it says he died in the 88th year of his age which is likely incorrect.