THE FIRST GENERATION.

No. I-1
    WILLIAM WORCESTER - Rev. William Worcester came from England and was settled pastor of the church first gathered in Salisbury, Mass., sometime between the years 1638 and 1639. Although not conclusive, good and persuasive evidence exists to strongly suggest that he was the son of Joseph Worcester of Rugby, Warwickshire, England, and was born abt. 1602, probably at Rugby, Warwickshire or West Haddon, Northamptonshire. (See Introduction) He matriculated at St. John's College (Cambridge University) in 1620. He was ordained deacon at Peterborough Cathedral on Dec. 21, 1622. He was made Vicar of Olney July 26, 1624 - which office he retained till 1636, when on account of refusing to comply with the command of his superiors to read to his congregation from the King's book those portions which allowed sports and recreations after service on the Lord's day, he was suspended from his office of Vicar. He came to America a year or two later. He and others petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to establish a new settlement. The settlement was called Colchester and later renamed Salisbury. Here he continued in the ministry till his decease, Oct. 28, 1662. His grave in the old cemetery in Salisbury, is covered by a flat stone upon which a bronze tablet was placed June 21st, 1913, with the following inscription, -

Here lies buried the body of Rev. William Worcester, the first minister of Salisbury, who came from England about 1639 and died 1662. This stone was laid on his grave to prevent disinterment by wolves. This tablet is affixed by his descendants, 1913.

 

No production of his pen has been transmitted to posterity to indicate his intellectual character or attainments. Cotton Mather, in the Magnalia, enrolls his name in the list of the "reverend, learned and holy divines, arriving such from Europe to America, by whose evangelical ministry the churches in America have been illuminated." Johnson, in his "Wonder Working Providence," mistaking the name, speaks of the first minister of Salisbury, as, the "reverend and graciously godly M. Thomas Woster." And the General Court says in an Order in reference to the payment of his support, that "they of New Town (now Amesbury) should forebear to content themselves with private help, whilst the Lord pleases to continue so bright a star in their candlestick."

We may easily believe him to have been a man of exalted piety, of strong intellectual fibre, of staunch devotion to the dictates of conscience, of loyalty to his friends, and interested in the affairs of state as well as of the church.

William Worcester Vicar of Olney

These traits are not lacking in his descendants. It is worthy of note that as the generations of the family succeed each other, the clerical mantle of their worthy progenitor seems to descend as a direct heritage.

He married 1st, Sarah _____, b in England, d in Salisbury, Apr. 23, 1650; m 2d July 23, 1650, Mrs Rebecca Hall, d in Ipswich, Mass., Feb. 21, 1695, ag. 78. (Rebecca had been twice married before she became the consort of Wm. Worcester: 1st to Henry Bylie; 2d, Apr. 3, 1641, to John Hall. She married for a fourth husband, Samuel Symonds, Deputy Governor of the Colony.)

See Rev. William Worcester's Will

Children of William Worcester

II-1 Mary, b in England, bur. abt. 1630, Olney.
II-2 Patience, b in England, bur. Nov. 19, 1630.
II-3 Samuel.
II-4 Susannah;  bap. Olney, England, May 5, 1634; m Oct. 4, 1653 Thomas Stacy, b 1620-22, England, d July 23, 1690, Ipswich, Mass..

Children of Susannah Stacy

(a) Thomas Jr., b July 6, 1654, m June 20, 1683, Hannah dau Zechariah and Elizabeth (Sill) Hicks, Cambridge, Mass., b May 4, 1666. Residence Cambridge.

Children of Thomas Stacy, Jr.

(1) Rev. Joseph, b 1694, d Apr. 25,1741, m Apr. 11, 1721, Patience Warren, b Jan. 13, 1697 (or 1698), d Jan. 31, 1729 (or 1730). She was dau of Capt. James and Sarah (Doten) Warren of Plymouth, and was great-grand-daughter of two Mayflower passengers, Richard Warren and Edward Doten. Residence Kingston, Mass.

Children of Rev. Joseph Stacy

a - Hannah, b Jan. 21, 1722 (or 1723), d Sept. 22, 1788, m Sept. 24, 1744, James Reed, b Jan. 1723, d July 31, 1770. He was son of James and Mary (Oldham) Read of Cambridge. Residence Cambridge, Mass.

Children of Hannah (Stacy) Reed

1 - Joseph Stacy, b Oct. 3, 1754, d Oct. 1836, m Sept. 25, 1783, Esther Goodwin, bap Apr. 28, 1765, d Sept. 1843. She was dau of John and Esther (Bradish) Goodwin of Cambridge, Mass.

Children of Joseph Stacy Reed

a. Esther, b Oct. 17, 1785, d Dec. 29, 1863, m Mar. 27, 1814, Col. Asa Wyman, b Aug. 1 1788, d Jan 28, 1875, son of Nathaniel and Sarah (Wood) Wyman of Bedford. Residence Boston, Mass.

Children of Esther Wyman.

i. Asa Wyman, b Dec. 25, 1822, d Sept. 24, 1886, m Aug. 2, 1847, Louise Adelaide Ryerson, b June 16, 1829, d Nov. 15, 1893, dau Ebenezer and Mary (Barrows) Ryerson of Boston, Mass. Louisa Adelaide Ryerson was descended from Miles Standish, John Alden, Wm. Mullins, George Soule, and in two lines from Richard Warren - all passengers on the Mayflower; also from Roger Conant and Gov. Thomas Mayhew. Residence Boston, Mass.

Children of Asa Wyman.

A. Frederick Austin Wyman, b Jan. 24, 1851, m May 3, 1874, Abigail Frances Bennett, a descendant of George Soule and Francis Eaton of the Mayflower; b Apr. 28, 1856, dau of Freedom Ramsdell and Sarah Goodrich (Lane) Bennett of Lunenburg, Mass. Residence Shirley, Mass.

Children of Frederick Austin Wyman.

I. Wesley, b Boston, Mass., July 6, 1877, fitted for Harvard at Roxbury Latin School, Harvard, AB, 1899. For three years a member of the Faculty of the Institute of Musical Art, New York City, 1905-8. Since that time has lived abroad, making concert tours in the large European cities. He spends his summers in Shirley Mass., where he conducts classes of pianists. He is interested in the great reforms of the day. He spells his name Weyman. Pianist by profession.

(b) William, b Apr. 21, 1656, d 1705; m Mehitable Weymouth.
(c) Rebecca, b Dec. 7, 1657, d Oct. 21, 1686; m James Bylie.
(d) Elizabeth, b Apr. 16, 1659.
(e) Joseph, b June 27, 1660.
(f) Mary, b Nov. 7, 1661.
(g) Simon, b Dec. 25, 1664.
(h) John, b Mar. 16, 1666, d Feb. 22, 1732; m Mary Clark.
(i) Susannah, b Jan. 16, 1668.
(j) Sarah, b Ipswich, Mass., Dec. 6, 1670.

II-5 John, bap Olney, March 26, 1636, bur. Olney, March 26, 1637
II-6  William.
II-7 Sarah, b England, d Salisbury, Mass., Apr. 1, 1641.
II-8 Sarah, b Salisbury, Apr. 4, 1641.
II-9  Timothy.
II-10  Moses.
II-11 Sarah, b Salisbury, Apr. 22, 1646, d Jan. 9, 1649/50.
II-12 Elizabeth, b Salisbury, Apr. 9, 1648, d 1649.
II-13 Elizabeth, b Salisbury, Nov. 9, 1649; d prob before 1662.

Salisbury Rec. Essex Probate. Ipswich, Salem, and Norfolk Rec. Suffolk Prob. Boston, Rowley and Kittery Rec. York Co. Prob. and Deeds. "Life and Labors of Rev. Samuel Worcester, DD."

Old Norfolk County Records:
- Mr William Worcester and his wife Rebecka of Salisbury, for 30 pds, conveyed to Mr. Henry Sewall Nuberie 20 acres of meadows and marsh in Salisbury - May 1, 1662.

- For 50 pds. conveyed to Edward Gow of Salisbury 120 acres of upland in Salisbury. May 5, 1662.

- Ms Rebecka Worcester of Salisbury, widow, for 12 pds conveyed to Capt. Robert Pike of Salisbury, planter, 3 acres of fresh marsh, being part of a 6 acre lot given to my former husband Mr. Henry Bylie by Salisbury.

The Worcester Family    Last modified: May 24, 2021

  
        
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