William Webster. Jr. was born on 3 August 1703 in Hartford, Hartford, CT, the son of Ens. William and Sarah (Nichols) Webster, Sr. of Hartford [Hartford VRs]. He reportedly was baptized on 5 August 1703 in the Hartford 2nd Congregational Church. He married 1) Mary Watson on 3 June 1731 either in Windsor or Hartford, CT. She was born on 29 August 1710 in Hartford, the daughter of John Watson and Sarah Steele.
Stiles's Ancient History of Windsor identifies William Jr. as Sgt. William Webster, although the writer cannot confirm the genesis of the military title. He is called Sgt. at the baptism of his last child in 1769, which predates the Revolutionary War.
Sgt. William Webster Jr. was the great grandson of John Webster and Agnes Smith, early pioneer settlers of Hartford, both born in England. John Webster was the 5th governor of the Connecticut Colony from 1656 to 1659. In the latter year, he and 30 other residents removed from Hartford to settle Hadley, now in Hampshire Co, MA obstensibly in protest of religious issues. Gov. John Webster the immigrant died in Hadley on 4 April 1661 at age 70.
Sgt. Webster's grandmother, Susanna Treat, was the sister of Gov. Robert Treat of the Province of Connecticut, they being the children of Richard Treat. Esq., one of the principal founders of Wethersfield. Prior to becoming governor, Robert Treat was Capt. Treat, the principal sponsor of the 66 original proprietary founders of the present City of Newark, NJ. One of Robert's Newark co-founders was Sgt. Edward Riggs originally of Roxbury, Suffolk, MA and later Milford, New Haven, CT. The writer's wife is an 8th great granddaughter of Sgt. Edward Riggs of Newark.
Mary Watson was the great granddaughter of John Watson and Margaret Smith, early Hartford settlers born in England. Mary (Watson) Webster "the Wife of William Webster" died in Wintonbury at age 44 on 6 May 1754 [1]. On 21 March 1779, "died William Webster aged about 76 years" [2]. Although there is no second marriage of record for a William Webster in the Wintonbury record, William married 2) Anne Case of Simsbury on 26 September 1759 at Simsbury. She was born in Simsbury on 28 January 1727/8, the daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Humphrey) Case. Anne's father was the great grandson of John and Sarah (Spencer) Case of Windsor, one of the primary founders of Simsbury and the patriarchs of the Windsor-Simsbury Case family.
In Stiles's Ancient History of Windsor, Stiles's speculated that Sgt. William Webster and son William Jr. were one and the same person in the Wintonbury records. This despite 14 years between baptism dates of the elder William's last named child (Mary in 1746) and William junior's first child Anna in 1760. On its face the reasoning Stiles gave was dubious. A close cocmcparison of all the children mentioned as born and baptized in the Wintonbury Church whose father was William Webster clearly defines the difference between children of the father and of the son.
Further, the William Webster Jr., called William Sr. in the Wintonbury record, and Sgt. only once, had two distinct sets of children. That Anne Case was the mother of Anna Webster, wife of Capt. Hezekiah Parsons of Wintonbury, appears confirmed by the naming pattern of some of Anna (Webster) Parson's nine children:
3) Anna Parsons, for her mother,
4) Hezekiah Parsons, for his father,
5) William Webster Parsons, for his maternal grandfather,
7) Daniel Latimer Parsons, for his paternal grandmother's family, and
8) Bishop Case Parsons, for his maternal grandmother's family.
In addition, Anna (Webster) Parson's younger brother Joseph had a son named Joseph Case Webster.
Who William and Mary (Watson) Webster Jr.'s son William married, who was actually William, 3rd but called Jr. in the Wintonbury record, is not shown in the church record. He likely married Elizabeth "Edee" or Edee Elizabeth Drake. An Elizabeth Webster is shown as the head of a household with three sons age 16 or older in the 1790 census of Windsor [3] living "next" door to the households of her brother-in-laws, the half brothers James [4] and Joseph Webster [5].
Followng the death of Sgt. William Webster in Wintonbury on 21 March 1779, his widow Anne apparently married after 23 March 1790 her cousin, Amos Case of Simsbury, as his 2nd wife [Webmaster note: The Case gedcom states Abraham Case, not Amos (a brother)]. Amos was the son of Bartholomew and Mary (Humphrey) Case of Simsbury, b. at Simsbury on 20 August 1720 and died there on 13 March 1800. When Anne (Case) Webster Case died is presently unknown to this writer.
[1] NEHGR 71:298, line 101.
[2] NEHGR 71:307, line 395.
[3] 1790 US Census of Windsor, Hartford Co, CT, pg. 517, line 4: 3-0-1.
[4] Ibid., pg. 517, line 2: 3-1-4.
[5] Ibid., pg. 517, line 3: 2-2-2.
The "History and genealogy of the Gov. John Webster family of Connecticut" (William Holcomb Webster and Reverend Melville Reuben Webster, 1915) adds additional details [in the following, where applicable, the author consistently converted all dates to new style calendar only, dropping the lower of the double year dates for those spanning 1 January to 24 March prior to the year 1752]:
Sergeant William Webster, b. 3 Sep. 1703, and bap. 5 Sep., of Wintonbury in Windsor, Ct., m. (1) 3 June 1731, Mary Watson, who d. 6 May 1754, in her 44th year, and (2) 26 Sep. 1759, Anna Case, dau. of Josiah [sic, Joseph] Case of Simsbury, Ct. He was a member of the Church in West Hartford, 1732.
The following real estate notes show something of his history. Always of Windsor unless otherwise stated.
On 5 May 1730, Wm. Webster bought of Thomas Clapp land in Farmington.
On 22 June 1741, Wm. and Samuel Webster bought of Matthew Allen.
On 28 Feb. 1755, Sergeant Wm. Webster bought of David Brown, witnessed by Pelatiah Mills and Beriah Tree.
On 4 May 1757, Wm. Webster of Farmington bought of Zebuloh Shepard of New Hartford, land in N.H., "laid out to John Keeney."
On 23 March 1759, Wm. Webster bought of Gideon Burr.
On 23 Jan. 1760, Wm. Webster sold to Ebenezer Doolittle of Wallingford, land in New Hartford.
On 22 Oct. 1765, William Webster gave to his son, James Webster, land in Wintonbury.
On 2 Jan. 1771, ditto "near my dwelling house." Wit., Matthew Cadwell, Jr. Jan. 2, 1772, "to my son, James Webster of Windsor."
By his Will dated 27 March 1777, William Webster, of Windsor, gave to his wife, Anne; their sons, Joseph, Hezekiah, and Daniel; to his eldest son, William, besides what he had already given him by deed or gift; to eldest daughter, Sarah Lawrence; to daughter, Susannah Gillet; daughters, Anne and Welthean, and to his grandson, Roger Mills. This Will was exhibited in Court, 3 May 1779.
On 4 Jan. 1790, distribution of estate ordered.
On 7 Jan. 1790, Hezekiah Parsons [Sgt. William Webster's son-in-law] was appointed to administer and divide the estate of the youngest son of Sergt. Wm. Webster, as follows:
Whereas Daniel Webster, late of Windsor, lately died leaving estate both real and personal to which [sic, to-wit] Wm. Webster, late of Windsor, but now of some part of the State of New York; Sarah, the wife of Amos Lawrence of Hartford; James Webster, of Windsor; Susannah, the wife of Capt. Amos Gillet; Roger Mills, Junr., of Windsor; Anna, the wife of Hezekiah Parsons, Junr., of Farmington; Joseph Webster, Hezekiah Webster, and Welthean Webster, all of Windsor, are heirs.
On 23 March 1790, Matthew and James Cadwell were appointed to distribute the estate of Wm. Webster, late of Windsor, dec'd. To Mrs. Ann Webster, the widow; 2. Joseph Webster, 3. Hezekiah Webster, 4. the legal representatives of Daniel Webster, deceased. Pelatiah Cadwell is mentioned.
On 5 April 1790, the distribution of the estate of Daniel Webster, late of Windsor, was ordered, to the following: Wm. Webster, Joseph Webster, Hezekiah Webster, James Webster, Sarah Lawrence, Susannah Gillet, Ann Webster and Welthean Webster, brothers and sisters of the said deceased, and to the heirs of Mary Mills, an equal single share.
Sergeant Wm. Webster died 21 March 1779, aged 75 years, 6 mos., 18 days.
Children of Sergeant William (Ensign William, Robert, Gov. John) and (1) Mary (Watson) Webster of Wintonbury in Windsor, Ct. [annotations in brackets "{...}"]
Children of Sergeant William (Ensign William, Robert, Gov. John) and (2) Anna (Case) Webster of Wintonbury in Windsor, Ct.
*Capt. Hezekiah and Anna (Webster) Parsons, Jr. had nine children, including son Daniel Latimer Parsons, bp. at Wintonbury on 13 August 1792. Daniel m. Sarah Wheeler of Massachusetts and had five children at Wintonbury, including Anna Webster Parsons, b. 26 September 1822 at Wintonbury and bp. in the Wintonbury Church on 25 May 1823. On 14 September 1846 in the Wintonbury Church, Anna m. James Caswell Robinson of Morrisville, VT, b. at Underhill, VT in 1821, son of Rev. Septimius Robinson of Morrisville, VT. As a visiting pastor, James's father officiated James and Anna's marriage.
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