Timothy WILLIAMSON

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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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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]