Mary Wetherell

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LR5N-81Y
• Initiatory (LDS): 13 Feb 1929, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L85L-5P9
• Initiatory (LDS): 6 Mar 1941, SLAKE

Notes:

The following excerpt is courtesy of Tom Wetherell. Most of his exten s i v e citations have been edited out for use here. Our thanks to Tom f o r His efforts and permission to post this.

Descendants of William Wetherell

Generation No. 1

1. William1 Wetherell was born Abt. 1600 in England, and died Apri l 9 , 1 6 84 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. He married Mary Fisher March 2 6, 1 62 7 i n St. Mildred's, Canterbury, Kent, England, daughter of Thoma s Fis he r an d Joan Lake. She was born April 17, 1604 in Boughton, Monch elsea , Ke nt, E ngland, and died in Scituate, Plymouth Colony.

Notes for William Wetherell:

There is an extensive biography of this man in the book THE HISTOR Y A N D G ENEALOGY OF THE WITHERELL/ WETHERELL/ WITHERILL FAMILY OF NEW E NGLA ND, b y Witherell & Witherell, Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1976

Further research in the area of religious beliefs, by myself, reveal s t h a t the Reverend William Wetherell was a Puritan in England adherin g t o b el iefs not supported by the Church of England and Archbishop Lau d, w ho h a d been appointed by Charles I. William Wetherell had been edu cate d at C am bridge, Corpus Christi College, attaining a BA (1626) an d a M A (1627) an d was listed as from York. He was licensed as a Cure o f Souls , and t eache r (March 2, 1625) at Boughton, Monchelsea, county K ent, Eng land, bu t no t given a church, so he used his education to teac h schoo l at Maidst one, County Kent. In 1633/34 Wetherell was cited by A rchbisho p Laud wit h a c ease order to stop teaching the catechisms of W illiam Pe rkins (a we ll kno wn Puritan theologian who catechisms were us ed by th e early Pilgri m Churc h of Plymouth) and following the order o f the Sabb atarian Thoma s Wilson, who was too Presbyterian in polity. We therell wa s told to adhe re to th e official church religious creed. I f he were t o persist in cont inuing hi s present path he would have foun d himself i n the Star Chambe r as happene d to Charles Chauncey who wa s to be his ri val in Scituate. (English Prove ncial Society from the Ref ormation to th e Revolution: Relig ion, Politic s and Society in Kent 150 0-1640. Peter C lark, Harvester Pres s, London, pa ges 199 & 372.)

Shortly after being cited, we find Wetherell, his wife, three son s , a n d a servant, Anne Richards, aboard the ship Hercules, Captain Jo h n With er ly, bound for the new world with several other men from Kent , f rom th e sa me community, possibly even of the same church. He arrive d i n Marc h 163 5 having been licensed to leave from Maidstone, althoug h th e ship w as o f Sandwich.

He settled briefly first at Charlestown and established the first gra m m a r school there, and was considered part of the Oligarchy (gentry cl as s) t hen moved to Newtowne (Cambridge) before moving on to Duxbury i n Ply m out h Colony where the churches expressed beliefs closer to thos e he h a d embr aced in England. He was there by 1638 when he became a pr opriet o r in 1640.

He next moved to Scituate. They had been struggling within their chu r c h a nd had looked for a new minister upon the departure of Rev Lothru p . S om e Church members voted to invite Charles Chauncy who was at th e ce nte r o f a controversy at Plymouth to fill that position, but sever al di sagr ee d with that decision and Preceded to form a 2nd Church of S cituat e, t he n they invited William Wetherell to be their minister. Thi s creat e d a ani mosity between the two churches that was to continue un til Chan ce y accept ed a position in Boston to act as head of the new Ha rvard Uni ver sity. H e remained in that position until his death. The pr oblem betw ee n the tw o churches continued in 1671/2 when a Josiah Palme r was fine d fo r speakin g "opprobriously" of William's church.

Wetherell was ordained the Pastor of the 2nd Church September 2, 164 5 a f t er writing numerous letters defending his position to many of th e oth e r m inisters and churches of New England. He was to hold this pos itio n th e re st of his life, some of these letters are extant in the re cord s of t he se cond Church of Scituate.

Several other "men of Kent" had also settled in the area and so we f i n d h im located in the new land, with a group of others of similar bel ie fs, fr om a similar area of England. Some of the "men of Kent" may wel l h av e bee n acquainted with him in England as this was a common patter n o f im migrat ion to the new world during these early times, and severa l ha d cam e on th e same ship.

In March 1635 he sold a house and 12 acres on the south side of the r i v e r to John Benjamin, and about 1638 he sold a house and four acre s o n t h e southwesterly side of Garden street to Thomas Parish (both o f the se s it es were in Cambridge). "

His death is recorded in church records supposedly by Samuel Deane "Ab i g a il the Daughter of Isreal Hobird March 16th baptized by our late pa st o r M. William Wetherell (added in Modern hand) "he died Apr 9, 1684 S .D . " NEH GR 57:320 "Records of Second Church of Scituate" this was hi s gra nd daught er he was baptizing.

d. recorded Scituate VR page 467 M. William "our late pastor" CR2

From The Genealogical Advertiser, Quarterly Magazine of Family Histor y , e dited by Lucy Hall Greenlaw, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Balt i m or e 1974 reprint, page 21 Vol 1, 1901,

Rev. William Witherell, M.A.

communicated by Virginia Hall, of Cambridge

In a list of "emigrants in the Hercules of Sandwich bound for the Plan t a t ion called New England in America," is the following record

"Will. Witherell, of Maidstone, schoolmaster, Mary, his wife, three ch i l d ren, and one servant. Certificates from Sam. Marshal mayor of Maids to n e, Tho. Swinnuck, Edw. Duke and Rob Barrel, cl. 14 Mar 1634." Drake' s F o un ders of new England page 82

With this clue the marriage licence of William Witherell was found i n C a n terbury Marriage Licences, Second Series, page 1087.

"Witherill, William, M.A. of Maidstone, ba., about 25, and Mary Fishe r , o f Boughton, Monchelsea, maiden, about 22, who is now under govt . , o f he r mother, Joan Martin, alias Fisher, now wife of John Martin , s. p. y eom., who consents. At S. Mildred's Cant. March 26, 1627."

children of William Wetherell and Mary Fisher are:

Samuel2 Wetherell, born Bef. December 7, 1628 in Maidstone, Kent, Engl a n d; died 1683 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. He married Isabel(le) ?? ? 1 6 7 7 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony; died March 31, 1689 in Scituate , Plym ou th, Massachusetts.
Daniel Wetherell, born November 29, 1630 in @ Free Schoolhouse of Maid s t o ne, Kent, England; died April 14, 1719 in New London, Connecticut . H e m ar ried Grace Brewster August 4, 1659 in New London, Fairfield Co unty , Co nne cticut; born November 1, 1639 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony ; die d Apri l 22, 1684 in New London, Connecticut.
Thomas Wetherell, born Bef. August 28, 1633 in Maidstone, Kent, Engla n d ; died Bef. 1684 in Plymouth Colony.
Mary Wetherell, born Abt. 1635 in New England; died December 12, 1 7 1 0 i n Scituate, Plymouth Colony. She married Thomas Oldham November 2 0 , 1 65 6 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony; born Abt. August 23, 1624 in Al l S aint s, Derby, Derbyshire, England; died March 7, 1710/11 in Scituate , Pl ymou t h Colony.
Elizabeth Wetherell, born Abt. 1637 in New England; died January 166 0 / 6 1 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony. She married John Bryant December 2 2 , 16 5 7 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony; born Abt. 1620 in England; die d No vemb e r 20, 1684 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony.
SGT Theopolis Wetherell, born Abt. 1636 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony ; d i e d Bef. January 6, 1701/02 in Scituate, Massachusetts. He marrie d Lyd i a Pa rker November 9, 1675 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony; born Ma y 9, 16 5 3 in S cituate, Plymouth Colony; died September 7, 1719 in Scit uate, Ma ss achuset ts.
Lieut John Wetherell, born Abt. 1640 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony; d i e d 1 690 in Quebec, Canada. He married Hannah Pincen 1673 in Scituate , P ly mout h Colony; born December 4, 1642 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony ; die d A ft. M ay 12, 1720 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Sarah Wetherell, born February 10, 1644/45 in Scituate, Plymouth Colo n y ; died 1731. She married Isreal Hobart December 30, 1668 in Hingham , Ma s s achusetts Bay Colony; born June 29, 1642 in Hingham, Massachuset ts B a y Co lony; died April 14, 1731 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusets .
Hannah Wetherell, born February 20, 1646/47 in Scituate, Plymouth Colony.

William married Mary Fisher on 26 Mar 1627 in Church of Saint Mildred, Canterbury, Kent, England. Mary was christened on 17 Jun 1614 in Boughton under Blean, Kent, England; died on 29 Mar 1684 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LZ63-D3H
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Sep 2005, PROVO