W.
Wadsworth, William, one of the earliest inhabitants, and one of the first Board of Townsmen or Selectmen in Feb. 1634-5, res. on the westerly side of Holyoke Street, near Harvard Street. He rem. with Hooker to Hartford, and sold his house to Elder Champney 25 Sept. 1637; he was a distinguished citizen of Connecticut, Selectman, Deputy in the General Court, and useful in other offices. His second wife was Elizabeth, sister of Rev. Samuel Stone, whom he m. 2 July 1644, and by whom he had Elizabeth, b. 17 May 1645, m. John Terry of Windsor 1662; Samuel, bap. 25 Oct. 1646; Sarah, bap. 17 Mar. 1649, m. Jonathan Ashley of Springfield; Joseph, b. 1650, the bold patriot who wrested the Charter from the rapacious grasp of Andros, and secreted it in the memorable oak 31 Oct. 1687; Thomas, b. 1651; Rebecca, m.——Stoughton. William the f. d. 1675, his w. Elizabeth d. 1681-2. Hinman.2. Benjamin, s. of Capt. Samuel Wadsworth of Milton, who was slain in battle, by the Indians, at Sudbury 1676, and grandson of Christopher of Duxbury, was born at Milton 1669, grad. H. C. 1690, was ordained at Boston as [676] pastor of the First Church 8 Sept. 1696, inaugurated President of Harvard College 1725; during his Presidency he resided here. He m. Ruth, dau. of Andrew Bordman, 30 Dec. 1696, who survived him, and d. 17 Feb. 1744-5, a. 72. President Wadsworth d. 16 Mar. 1736-7, ‘in the 68th year of his age, and the 12th of his presidency over Harvard College, leaving behind him a character in which there appears much to love and respect, and, to human eyes, nothing to condemn.’ （Peirce.) He left no posterity. By his will, dated 15 Feb. 1736-7, he distributed his estate, naming as legatees, his w. Ruth; brothers Timothy and Joseph, and Andrew Bordman, who by special direction was to be regarded as one of his natural brethren, sister Ruth, w. of Bryant Parrott, Esq., and the wives of his deceased brothers Ebenezer and John.1 A legacy was also bestowed upon the children of Capt. Higginson by his first wife, Ruth Bordman, dau. of Andrew. For a full account of this Wadsworth family see Winsor's History of Duxbury.
Wakeman, Samuel (otherwise written Wackman), came to New England with w. Elizabeth in Nov. 1631, settled at Roxbury, was Deputy at the May session 1635, in which year he seems to have removed to Camb. and owned about 12 acres on the south side of the river. He rem. to Hartford, of which town he was the first Constable. He is supposed to have been slain in 1641 at Providence in the Bahamas. See Winthrop's New Eng., II. 33.
Wales, John, was a Hog-reeve for the Common, 1696.
Ward, William, freeman 1643, ‘represented Sudbury in the General Court in 1644, and was several years chairman of the Selectmen.’ He removed to Marlborough 1660, where he was a Deacon of the Church, and d. there 10 Aug. 1687, at a very advanced age. His wid. Elizabeth, who was a second w. and supposed to have been the mother of all his children except the first three, d. 9 Dec. 1700, a. 86. His children were John, b. about 1626; Joanna, b. about 1628, m. Abraham Williams, and d. 8 Dec. 1718, a. 90; Obadiah, b. about 1632, m. Mary——, and d. 5 Jan. 1718, a. 86; Richard, b. about 1635, m. Mary Moore, and was drowned in Sudbury River 31 Mar. 1666, a. 31; Deborah, b. about 1637, m. John Johnson, and d. 9 Aug. 1697, a. 60; Hannah, b. about 1639, m. Abraham How, and d. 3 Nov. 1717, a. 78; William, b. 22 Jan. 1640, m. Hannah, wid. of Gershom Eames, and d. 25 Nov. 1697; Samuel, b. 24 Sept. 1641, m. Sarah How, and d. 1729; Elizabeth, b. 14 Ap. 1643; Increase, b. 22 Feb. 1644-5, m. Record , and d. 4 Aug. 1690; Hopestill, b. 24 Feb. 1646, m. James Woods, and d. 23 Dec. 1718; Mary, b. about 1647, m. Daniel Stone, and d. 10 June 1703, a. about 57; Eleazar, b. about 1649, m. Hannah Rice, and was slain by the Indians Ap. 1676, a. about 27; Bethia, b. about 1658, m. Daniel Rice, and d. 8 Dec. 1721, a. 63. See Ward Family, by Andrew H. Ward, Esq. See, also, Thomas Brigham.
2. John, s. of William (1), rem. to that part of Camb. which is now Newton, m. Hannah, dau. of Edward Jackson, and had Hannah, b.——, m. Thomas Greenwood 8 June 1670, and d. before 1687; John, b. 26 Jan. 1653, d. 5 June 1654; Rebecca, b. 15 June 1655; John, b. 8 Mar. 1658; Elizabeth, b. 18 June 1660, m. Joshua Fuller 7 May 1679, and d. 6 Sept. 1691; Deborah, b. 19 Oct. 1662, m. John Wyeth 2 Jan. 1682; William, b. 19 Nov. 1664, m. Abigail——Richard, b. 15 Jan. 1666; Mercy, b. 27 Jan. 1668, d. unm. 4 June 1685; Edward, b. 13 Mar. 1671, m. Grace Lovering, and d. Jan. 1749; Eleazar, b. 26 Feb. 1672, m. Deliverance Trowbridge; Jonathan, b. 22 Ap. 1674, m. Abigail Hall 31 Dec. 1700, and d. at Newton 26 July 1723; Joseph, b. 15 Nov. 1677, m. Esther Kenrick, and d. at Newton 26 Oct. 1742. John the f. was by trade a turner; he was Selectman nine years from 1679, and Representative eight years, being the first sent from Newton; his dwelling-house was used as a garrison house in Philip's War, and remained standing until 1821. He d. 1 July 1708, a. 82; his w. Hannah d. 24 Ap. 1704, a. 73. Some of the foregoing dates vary slightly from those given in the Ward Family, but I know not whether our records, or the dates referred to, are the more correct. See Jackson's Hist. of
