Timothy WILLIAMSON

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The first certain information which we have about the early life of Timothy Williamson is contained in a deposition before John Alden, Assistant, in 1668, wherein he, "timothy Williamson, aged 47 years or thereabout testifyeth" that he came "to Marshfield about 26 years ago in the suite of the Reverend Edward Bulkeley of Woodhill (now Odell) Bedfordshire England." This would show that he first appeared in Marshfield about 1642, but whence he came has not been ascertained. The parish registers of Woodhill (Oledd) contain no references to anyone named Williamson, and this patronymic is so frequently encountered throughout Great Britain as to render further search for Timothy's ancestry hopeless without some clue. On 24 June 1643 his name is given among the freemen of Marshfield, and on 24 June 1649 Luke Lillie, at a town meeting held "at Robert Wattermanes acknoledged to hae sould to Tymothie Williamson all his upland formely graunted to him by the freemen of this Township & Also the meddow granted to him ye lieth with that pt graunted to john King & Thomas Chilingeworth for and in consideration of ye sum-----. At the same time William Hales sold to timothy Williamson all his upland meadow formerly granted him by the freemen of this township in consideration of---)". At the meeting of the Court at Plymouth on 6 Feb. 1654 the signature of Timothy Williamson who had served on the jury, is given as "Timothy Williams. His mark." It seems singular that he should have been unable to write his name, as the inventory of his estate shows him to have owned books, a fact from which one would infer that he was not illiterate. On 8 June 1655 Timothy Williamson was appointed surveyor of highways for Marshfield, and 3 June 1656 he was further appointed constable, and also stood propounded to take up his freedom and was admitted. he was sworn at the Court of 3 June 1657.......

...On the outbreak of trouble with the Indians, which culminated in King Philip's War, masters of garrisons were appointed in Marshfield in 1676, "and Mr Nath. Thomas and Timothy Williamson are to deliver the ammunition to the respective masters of garrisons." And thus, when the call came to the men of Marshfield on 20 June 1676 to bear arms against the hostile red men, Timothy Williamson executed his will and made ready to go. It is not known on what day he was killed, but presumably he fell on the last day of july or on one of the first days of Augyst, perhaps in one of the skirmishes at Bridgewater. He was buried 6 Aug 1676, in what is now called the Cedar Grove Cemetery, at Marshfield, but the exact spot is unknown.

Timothy married Mary HOWLAND on 06 Jun 1653 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. Mary (daughter of Arthur HOWLAND and Margaret REED) was born in 1629 in Huntingdon, England; died in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Mary was the daughter of Timothy and Mary (Howland) Williamson.

Mary married Josiah CLOSSON on 10 Mar 1678/9 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. Josiah was born in 1655; died on 13 Feb 1698/9 in Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Timothy Williamson died unmarried in 1682; bur. 18 Sept. 1682. The inventory of his estate was taken 22 Sept. 1682, and showed property amounting to L51. 12s. 4d. It was presented to the Court at Plymouth by Arthur Howland of marshfield, and the following distribution was ordered: "This Court doth order the Estate of Timothy Williamson late deceased that it shall be divided between ye said Williamson brethren and sisters according to ye order of Court in that Case made and provided, That is to say ye Eldest brother of ye said Timothy Williamsone shall have a double portion of ye said estate and all ye rest of his brethren and sisters to have a single part or portion, and that the said Eldest brother shall have all the lands of the said Williams if he desier it, when he shall come of age rendring ye overplus of ye prise of ye said lands to his brethren and sisters if any should hapen toward ye making up of there parts or portions as above said." (Plymouth Colony records. wills, vol. 4, part 2, p. 4, and The Williamson and Cobb Families, p. 11 footnote.)

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On 31 Oct 1682 Arthur Howland was approved by the Court at Plymouth as guardian of Caleb Williamson, and therefore the latter must have been under twenty-one years of age at that date. The inscription on his gravestone stating that he was eighty-seven years old at the time of his death in 1738, thus implying that he was born about 1651, must, therefore, be an error.

On 20 Dec 1687, being at that time a resident of Barnstable, Caleb Williamson sold part of the land in marshfield which he had received from his father's estate and from that of his deceased brother Timothy. Apparently, however, he lived for a year or two in Middleborough, as he bought a house and twenty acres of land in that town on 16 may 1688. But he was of Barnstable 3 Feb. 1690/1, when he sold to his brother Nathan, for L20, all the remainder of his Marshfield real estate.
He was a corporal in Sir William Phipps's expedition to Canada in 1690 and one of the signers of the petition presented in1735 for a grant of land to the heirs of the captain and those who accompanied him. In 1697 John Bickford's account for ferriage bears on the reverse side of the paper the following words: "20 men feryed and pilated to join Sherborn's in ye plains on ye 10th of June b John bickford according to the president's ord," and among the names is that of "Lff caleb williamson." (New Hampshire Rolls). At a meeting of the Council of the Province of Massachusetts Bay held 12 Oct. 1704 there was presented "A muster roll of the foot company under command of Capt Caleb Williamson in the late expedition into the Bay of Fundy, containing an accompt of wages for their service from the 2d of may 1704 to the 14th of Aug following being 15 weeks, &c."

On 30 July 1699 Captain Williamson's wife Mary was admitted to full communion in the Congregational Church of the town, and all his children except his youngest daughter Martha were baptized there together on 13 Aug. 1699. At a meeting held 29 Nov. 1699 he was appointed one of the townsmen, and his youngest child Martha was baptized 14 Apr 1700. He must have been in hartford, Conn., before 7 Dec. 1705, as on that date, being then a resident of Hartford, he took an inventory of the estate of one Abigail Woodbridge of that town.

On 23 Apr 1707 he was commissioned captain of the Eighth Company of forty men, under col. Fra. Wainwright of the First regiment of the intended expedition to Nova Scotia and L'Accadie. On 6 Feb. 1707/8 Caleb Williamson of Barnstable, Gent., bought a house and land situated in the centre of hartford, a lot now bounded on the north by City Hall Square and west by main Street. On 2 Mar. of the same year he was granted a "Lycense" to keep a tavern, and the license was renewed almost every year, the last one bearing te date of Apr. 1738. From the records of the Superior Court for Hartford County it was apparently customary for the meetings to be held at the Williamson Tavern.

Captain Williamson sold his Middleborough property on 5 Apr 1710. He was admitted to full communion in the First Church of Hartford on 1 June 1712, and his wife Mary on 27 Nov. 1712.

He and his wife are buried in the graveyard adjoining the First Congregational Church of Hartford, the inscriptions on their headstones reading as follows:

"Here Lyethe ye body of Cap. Caleb Williamson who Dec'sed December ye 24th 1738, Aged 87 (sic) years Wanting 2 Months and 18 Days."

"Here Lies ye Body of Mrs Mary ye wife of Capt Caleb Williamson whos Holey Sol took its Flight from Hartford To ye Heavenly Mansions on December the 16th 1737 AEtatis Sue 77 wanting eleven Days."

Caleb married Mary COBB on 3 May 1687. Mary (daughter of James COBB and Sarah LEWIS) was born on 26 Nov 1664 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts; died on 16 Dec 1737 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Experience married Joseph TAYLOR on 25 Apr 1684 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. Joseph died on 13 Sep 1727; was buried in Winslow Burying Ground, Marshfield, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary SPRAGUE. Mary (daughter of Samuel SPRAGUE and Sarah CHILLINGWORTH) was born in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died after 1718. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Mary CRISP on 05 Dec 1700 in Marshfield, Mass. Mary (daughter of George CRISP and Hepzibah COLE) was born on 09 Dec 1678 in Eastham, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]