Biography
William Nickerson II was born 16 October 1604 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom to William Nickerson (1571-1623) and Alice Cole (1575-1606) and died 8 August 1690 Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States of unspecified causes. He married Anne Busby (1607-1686) 24 June 1627 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: William Nickerson was born in about 1604 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, probably to William and Alice Nickerson. It is believed that he was apprenticed to his father as a tailor. He belonged to the Weaver's Guild of Norwich, having been admitted as a worsted weaver and freeman in Norwich, England on 18 May 1632. William Nickerson married Anne, daughter of Nicholas and Bridget (Cocke) Busby, in about 1630 in Norwich. She was baptized/christened in St. Mary Coslany Parish chuch in Norwich on 2 Feb 1607/8. On 6 Apr 1637 a party was examined who "expressing a desire to go to Boston in New England and set sail for the great adventure on the ship 'John and Dorothy' of Ipswich, William Andrews, master." Among the party were William Nickerson, age 33; his wife Ann, 28; and four children: Nicholas, Robert, Ann and Elizabeth. They sailed from Yarmouth and arrived in Boston or Salem, Massachusetts on 20 June 1637. William Nickerson's father and mother-in-law, Nicholas and Bridget (Cocke) Busby, came over at the same time. Likely the Busby and Nickerson families resided at first in Newbury and then in Charleston, in t he Massachusetts Bay Colonty. In 1638 William took the freeman's oath in Boston, In about 1640, William Nickerson moved with his family to Yarmouth, on Cape Cod in the Plymouth Colony. He took the oath of allegiance there on 1 June 1641, the same date that he was on a grand jury. He was declared a freeman at the next court, being described as of Yarmouth. William had a tendency to go against the grain. On 1 March 1641, there was a complaint against him that he was a "scoffer and jeerer of religion." Trouble with the local minister in Yarmouth, however, did not seem to affect his standing as a citizen. He was on the list to bear arms at Yarmouth; served on a committee headed by Capt. Standish to settle boundary disputes; and received 16 acres at Little Bass Pond in Yarmouth (now in Dennis).
Around 1656 he bought a large amount of land from Indian Chief Mattaquason and son John Quason in Monomoy without consent of the colony’s authorities, contradicting a 1643 law. He then moved to Boston to care for in-laws. That same year William was at court for "buying lands of the Indians and for selling them a boat" and was disenfranchised. In 1661-2 he was back in Yarmouth with his family. On 4 July 1663 he presented a petition to settle a township at Monomoyick. In 1664 William, at age 60, left Yarmouth with his wife and all of his children, except Nicholas, for Monomoy. He must have been confident the dispute would be settled as his children all cleared land and built farms. At this age, he cleared land for his new home. In 1665, he was charged with "illegally purchasing lands of the Indians," but was allowed 100 acres near his house, with the rest granted in equal portions among eight men. In 1674 the Indian title to land was extinguished and a title from British Crown legally established title of 50 acres to each of William’s children. In 1678/9 and 1680, William purchased more land from the Indians, totaling 4,000 acres. Few, if any, colonists owned as much land.
William had a tendency to go against the grain. On 1 March 1641, there was a complaint against him that he was a "scoffer and jeerer of religion." Trouble with local minister in Yarmouth did not seem to affect his standing as a citizen. He was on the list to bear arms at Yarmouth; served on a committee headed by Capt. Standish to settle boundary disputes; received 16 acres at Little Bass Pond in Yarmouth (now in Dennis).
When constable Thomas Howes of Yarmouth came to Monomoit to collect tax rates in 1667, he was met with a hostile reception. That same year William and some of his sons were set in stocks for resisting the constable in performing his duty. William was committed to prison and remained there for three days.
The family had to travel 7-8 miles for public worship, so instead William read scriptures to his family on the Sabbath. He became the spiritual leader of the village. He wanted to build a meeting house when he bristled at being taxed to build one in Eastham. In 1679 he received approval to be an independent constablewick, but not a town because they could not support own minister. His wife Anne died in about 1886 and William died between 30 Aug 1689 and 8 Sept 1690, at about 86 years of age. No will for him is found. He was buried with his wife on a little hill south of his house. Sarah later deeded the burial plot to the town. A memorial tablet was placed there in 1915 to honor William. It is called Burial Hill or Pleasant Hill.
Children
Siblings
Residences
See Also
- William Nickerson
- Nickerson Family
- Nickerson in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
- Nickerson in Norfolk
Sources:
SOURCES INCLUDE::
- "The Nickerson Family: The Descendants of William Nickerson, 1604 - 1689, First Settler of Chatham, Massachusetts, Parts I, II, & III," pages 23/4. compiled by Pauline Wixon Derick et al (The Nickerson Family Assn., Inc., Cape Code, MA, 1997), FHL #929.273 N534
- "The Nickerson family and the history of William Nickerson, the immigrant, founder of Chatham, Mass.," compiled by Burton N. Derrick, (The Nickerson Family Assn., Inc., Cape Code, MA, 1998), FHL #929.273 N534
- "From pilgrims and Indians to kings and indentured servants," compiled by Vernon R. Nickerson, (Privately published: Taunton, MA, 1970) FHL #929.273 N534
- "MASSACHUSETTS AND MORE GENEALOGY BLOG," by Chris, http://massandmoregenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/02/nicholas-nickerson-1628-1682-yarmouth.html
- Submission to Ancestry.com contributed by "1_angela13"
- "The Nickerson family and the history of William Nickerson, the immigrant, founder of Chatham, Mass.," compiled by Burton N. Derrick, (The Nickerson Family Assn., Inc., Cape Code, MA, 1998) FHL #929.273 N534