Biography
B. in England
M. in England
Wife: Mary
D. 10 Dec 1668 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Emigrated: Before March 1635
William Patten was born in England in the early 17th century and migrated to America with his family, but there are no details on his origins. He married a woman named Mary presumably in England, and they had a family of six children, with the youngest born Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1643.
William first turned up in the Cambridge town records on March 13, 1635, when the townsmen voted he should keep a hundred cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the town. He was hired to do this for seven months with a payment of £20, half to be paid in money and the other half in grain. In 1638, he had another agreement to keep the town cows, and in 1646, he was fined for letting one hog roam free. On two or three occasions he was appointed as a "surveyor of fences," and also as "surveyor of highways."
In 1642, William was enrolled as a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. He lived on what is now Massachusetts Avenue, opposite the Common. The proprietors' records show that he had "one house and garden about halfe an Acre upon the Cow Common," and "in the New Lotts next to Manaotmie two Acres of planteing grounde." In 1647, forty-seven lots on the west side of Menotomy River were granted to several inhabitants of the town. In this distribution William had "three acre more or lesse."
On June 9, 1652, an agreement was made regarding the town of Shawshin (later called Billerica). In this William Patten was assigned eighty acres. It isn't known if he if he ever lived there, because he died in Cambridge. In 1655, "The Great Deed from Cambridge Proprietors to the Billerica Proprietors," making Shawshine or Billerica an independent town, was executed and William was one of the signers.
Between 1660 and 1668, William was granted liberty on several occasions to take lumber from the common to "repair fencez," "for a cart," "for a cow house," "to build a lean-to and an end to his farm," and to "repayre his old house at towne." He didn't always ask permission ? in 1662, he was fined 20 shillings for cutting down trees on the common against town orders.
William Patten died December 10, 1668. He left no will, but on April 2, 1669, his widow filed an inventory worth almost £200.
Children:
1. Mary Patten ? B. England; M. John Griggs, 11 Nov 1652, Roxbury, Massachusetts
2. William Patten ? B. England; D. 22 Mar 1646, Cambridge, Massachusetts
3. Thomas Patten ? B. Oct 1636, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. 14 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Paine (?-1680), 1 Apr 1662, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Sarah Kendall (1653-1734), 20 May 1686, Billerica, Massachusetts
4. Sarah Patten ? B. 27 Jan 1638, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. Amos Woodward
5. Nathaniel Patten ? B. 1639, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. Jan 1640, Cambridge, Massachusetts
6. Nathaniel Patten ? B. 29 Jul 1643, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jun 1725, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Adams (?-1677), 24 Nov 1669; (2) Sarah Cooper, 8 Oct 1678; (3) Sarah Hancock (1667-?), 15 Oct 1711
Sources:
Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams, 1910
- Said To Be A Militia General ? William French
B. 25 Jan 1713 in Billerica, Massachusetts M. 22 Apr 1736 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Tabitha Pierce D. 1793 in (probably) Bedford, New Hampshire William French was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on January 25, 1713, the son of William...
- Questioning An Indian On Religion ? William French
B. about 1603 in England M. (1) in England Wife: Elizabeth (last name unknown) M. (2) 2 May 1668 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Mary (Lathrop) Stearns D. 20 Nov 1681 in Billerica, Massachusetts Emigrated: 18 Jul 1635 on the ship Defence Many have done...
- A Poor Wounded Man ? John French
B. 1635 in England M. (1) 21 Jun 1659 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Abigail Coggan M. (2) 3 Jul 1662 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Hannah Burrage M. (3) 14 Jan 1668 Wife: Hannah Rogers M. (4) 16 Jan 1678 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Mary...
- A Family Of Daughters ? Thomas Kendall
B. about 1617 in Norwich, England M. about 1640 in Reading, Massachusetts Wife: Rebecca Paine D. 22 Jul 1681 in Reading, Massachusetts Emigrated: 8 Oct 1635 on the ship Defence A family's legacy gets diluted when there's nobody to carry on the...
- Two Husbands In King Philip's War ? Mary Littlefield
B. 14 Dec 1646 in Woburn, Massachusetts M. (1) 2 Nov 1664 in Wells, Maine Husband: John Kittredge M. (2) 16 Jan 1678 in Billerica, Massachusetts Husband: John French D. 9 Oct 1719 in Billerica, Massachusetts Mary Littlefield was of a family who had much...
Biography
Keeping the Town Livestock ? William Patten
B. in England
M. in England
Wife: Mary
D. 10 Dec 1668 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Emigrated: Before March 1635
William Patten was born in England in the early 17th century and migrated to America with his family, but there are no details on his origins. He married a woman named Mary presumably in England, and they had a family of six children, with the youngest born Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1643.
William first turned up in the Cambridge town records on March 13, 1635, when the townsmen voted he should keep a hundred cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the town. He was hired to do this for seven months with a payment of £20, half to be paid in money and the other half in grain. In 1638, he had another agreement to keep the town cows, and in 1646, he was fined for letting one hog roam free. On two or three occasions he was appointed as a "surveyor of fences," and also as "surveyor of highways."
In 1642, William was enrolled as a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. He lived on what is now Massachusetts Avenue, opposite the Common. The proprietors' records show that he had "one house and garden about halfe an Acre upon the Cow Common," and "in the New Lotts next to Manaotmie two Acres of planteing grounde." In 1647, forty-seven lots on the west side of Menotomy River were granted to several inhabitants of the town. In this distribution William had "three acre more or lesse."
On June 9, 1652, an agreement was made regarding the town of Shawshin (later called Billerica). In this William Patten was assigned eighty acres. It isn't known if he if he ever lived there, because he died in Cambridge. In 1655, "The Great Deed from Cambridge Proprietors to the Billerica Proprietors," making Shawshine or Billerica an independent town, was executed and William was one of the signers.
Between 1660 and 1668, William was granted liberty on several occasions to take lumber from the common to "repair fencez," "for a cart," "for a cow house," "to build a lean-to and an end to his farm," and to "repayre his old house at towne." He didn't always ask permission ? in 1662, he was fined 20 shillings for cutting down trees on the common against town orders.
William Patten died December 10, 1668. He left no will, but on April 2, 1669, his widow filed an inventory worth almost £200.
Children:
1. Mary Patten ? B. England; M. John Griggs, 11 Nov 1652, Roxbury, Massachusetts
2. William Patten ? B. England; D. 22 Mar 1646, Cambridge, Massachusetts
3. Thomas Patten ? B. Oct 1636, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. 14 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Paine (?-1680), 1 Apr 1662, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Sarah Kendall (1653-1734), 20 May 1686, Billerica, Massachusetts
4. Sarah Patten ? B. 27 Jan 1638, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. Amos Woodward
5. Nathaniel Patten ? B. 1639, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. Jan 1640, Cambridge, Massachusetts
6. Nathaniel Patten ? B. 29 Jul 1643, Cambridge, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jun 1725, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Adams (?-1677), 24 Nov 1669; (2) Sarah Cooper, 8 Oct 1678; (3) Sarah Hancock (1667-?), 15 Oct 1711
Sources:
Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams, 1910
- Said To Be A Militia General ? William French
B. 25 Jan 1713 in Billerica, Massachusetts M. 22 Apr 1736 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Tabitha Pierce D. 1793 in (probably) Bedford, New Hampshire William French was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on January 25, 1713, the son of William...
- Questioning An Indian On Religion ? William French
B. about 1603 in England M. (1) in England Wife: Elizabeth (last name unknown) M. (2) 2 May 1668 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Mary (Lathrop) Stearns D. 20 Nov 1681 in Billerica, Massachusetts Emigrated: 18 Jul 1635 on the ship Defence Many have done...
- A Poor Wounded Man ? John French
B. 1635 in England M. (1) 21 Jun 1659 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Abigail Coggan M. (2) 3 Jul 1662 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Hannah Burrage M. (3) 14 Jan 1668 Wife: Hannah Rogers M. (4) 16 Jan 1678 in Billerica, Massachusetts Wife: Mary...
- A Family Of Daughters ? Thomas Kendall
B. about 1617 in Norwich, England M. about 1640 in Reading, Massachusetts Wife: Rebecca Paine D. 22 Jul 1681 in Reading, Massachusetts Emigrated: 8 Oct 1635 on the ship Defence A family's legacy gets diluted when there's nobody to carry on the...
- Two Husbands In King Philip's War ? Mary Littlefield
B. 14 Dec 1646 in Woburn, Massachusetts M. (1) 2 Nov 1664 in Wells, Maine Husband: John Kittredge M. (2) 16 Jan 1678 in Billerica, Massachusetts Husband: John French D. 9 Oct 1719 in Billerica, Massachusetts Mary Littlefield was of a family who had much...