William Sawyer

1656 - 1718  (62 years)

• Name	William Sawyer
  Birth	1 Feb 1655/56	Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19]
  Living	1671 (14 years)	Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony   [10]
  In 1671, he was living in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
  Military	6 Aug 1675 (19 years)  [1, 2, 9, 13, 16, 19]
  He was impressed into service in the expedition against the Narragansett Indians on 6 August 1675. He was under the command of Major Samuel Appleton. He was still on duty in December. His son Francis, received a grant of land in Narraganset Township, now Buxton, Maine, for his father's service.
  Offices Held	1685 (28 years)	Wells, York County, Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Maine)   [20]
  He was the Surveyor of Highways for Wells, Maine in 1685.
  Petition	1688 (31 years)	Wells, York County, Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Maine)   [19]
  He petitioned Governor Andros in 1688 for permission to put up a fulling-mill on Little River. The revolution against Andros, in the next year, may, however, have precluded any attempt to build it
  History	17 Oct 1691 (35 years)	Plymouth Colony merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony forming the Province of Massachusetts Bay
  Offices Held	1706 (49 years)	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [20]
  In 1706 he was elected a Selectman of Wells.
  Religion	1706 (49 years)	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [16]
  He helped organize the First Church of Wells in 1706.
  Offices Held	1707 (50 years)  [1, 2, 9, 16]
  In 1707 he was a Representative to the Massachusetts General Court for Wells. He served again in 1716 and 1717.
  Will	4 Jun 1718 (62 years)	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [5, 9, 13, 17, 19]
  He made his will 4 June 1718 in Wells.
  Death	7 Jun 1718	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [1, 2, 7, 9, 16, 17, 19]
  Burial	Aft 7 Jun 1718	Ocean View Cemetery, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. Ocean View Cemetery, Wells, Maine   [7]
  	Gravestone of William Sayer Here lies ye body of Mr William Sawyer aged abot 62 years Died June ye 7th 1718
  Probate/Proved	1 Jul 1719 (63 years)	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [5, 9, 17, 19]
  His will was proved 1 July 1719.
  Siblings	4 brothers and 8 sisters
  1. John Sawyer,   b. 24 Aug 1645, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 18 Mar 1688/89, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 43 years) + 2. Lt. Samuel Sawyer,   b. 22 Nov 1646, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 11 Feb 1717/18, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 71 years) ▻ Mary Emery,  m. 13 Mar 1670/71   3. Ruth Sawyer,   b. 16 Sep 1648, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. Abt 1715  (Age 66 years)   4. Mary Sawyer,   b. 7 Feb 1649/50, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 24 Jun 1659, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 9 years)   5. Sarah Sawyer,   b. 20 Nov 1651, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 2 Aug 1732, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 80 years)   6. Hannah Sawyer,   b. 23 Feb 1654, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 25 Jan 1659/60, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 5 years) + 7. William Sawyer,   b. 1 Feb 1655/56, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony d. 7 Jun 1718, Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)  (Age 62 years) ▻ Sarah Littlefield,  m. 2 Nov 1677   8. Frances Sawyer,   b. 24 Mar 1658, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 7 Feb 1660, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 1 year)   9. Mary Sawyer,   b. 29 Jul 1660, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 3 Nov 1699, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 39 years)   10. Stephen Sawyer,   b. 25 Apr 1663, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 8 Jun 1753, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 90 years)   11. Hannah Sawyer,   b. 11 Jan 1664, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 28 Aug 1683, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 19 years) > 12. Frances Sawyer,   b. 3 Nov 1670, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. Oct 1744, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.  (Age 73 years) ▻ Thomas Treadwell,  m. Before 19 May 1693   13. Bitfield Sawyer,   b. Abt 1672, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. d. 1769  (Age 97 years)
  Patriarch & Matriarch	Edmund Sawyer,   b. Abt 1540, Norfolk, England   (2 x Great Grandfather)  Elizabeth  (Grandmother)
  Person ID, Branch	I858	Roy Line
  Last Modified	28 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Lt. William Sawyer,   b. Abt 1613, Lincolnshire, England d. 1702 to 1703, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (Age 89 years)
  Mother	Ruth Bitfield,   b. Abt 1623, England d. Abt May 1693, Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F99	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner	Sarah Littlefield,   b. 15 Nov 1649, Wells, York County, Province of Maine d. Jan 1734/35, Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) (Age 85 years)  Other Partners: John Wells  m. 1664/65
  Marriage	2 Nov 1677	Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)   [1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19]
  Age at Marriage	He : 21 years and 9 months - She : 28 years.
  Children	3 sons and 2 daughters
  1. Joseph Sawyer,   b. 14 Aug 1678, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. d. 10 Aug 1703, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. (Age 24 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]     2. Francis Sawyer,   b. 6 Mar 1681, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. d. 31 Aug 1756, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, U.S.A. (Age 75 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] +   3. Daniel Sawyer,   b. 26 May 1683, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. d. 1717, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. (Age 33 years)  [Father: Birth] ▻ Sarah Bolles  m. say 1703     4. Hannah Sawyer,   b. 9 Apr 1685, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A.  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]     5. Ruth Sawyer,   b. 26 May 1687, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A.  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]
  Family ID	F452	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2025

  
  

• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1William Sawyer(1 Feb 1655/56 – 1718) 2Lt. William Sawyer(Abt 1613 – 1703) 4John Sawyer(1582 – 15 Jul) 8Thomas Sawyer(Abt 1556 – ) 16Edmund Sawyer(Abt 1540 – ) 17unknown wife 9unknown wife 18 19 5 10 20 21 11 22 23 3Ruth Bitfield(Abt 1623 – Abt 1693) 6William Bitfield(Abt 1599 – ) 12 24 25 13 26 27 7Elizabeth 14 28 29 15 30 31

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 1 Feb 1655/56 - Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony Living - 1671 - Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony Marriage - 2 Nov 1677 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) Offices Held - 1685 - Wells, York County, Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Maine) Petition - 1688 - Wells, York County, Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Maine) Offices Held - 1706 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) Religion - 1706 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) Will - 4 Jun 1718 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) Death - 7 Jun 1718 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine) Burial - Aft 7 Jun 1718 - Ocean View Cemetery, Wells, York County, Maine, U.S.A. Probate/Proved - 1 Jul 1719 - Wells, York County, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now Maine)  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S811] Appleton, William S. "Family of William Sawyer of Newbury", (Boston: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume XXVIII, 1874). [S812] Appleton, William S. Some Descendants of William Sawyer of Newbury, Mass., (Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1891). [S638] Coffin, Joshua, A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport and West Newbury, (Boston: Samuel G. Drake, 1845). [S813] Currier, Richard Sawyer. Genealogical History of the Currier Family , (Montpelier, Vermont: Capital City Press, 1935). [S2145] Eaton, Pricilla. The Littlefield Genealogy: Descendants of Edmund Littlefield of Wells, Maine Through Six Generations, (Waterville, Maine: Maine Genealogical Society, 2020). [S640] Essex Institute, Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849 volume I, (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1911). [S14] Ancestry.com, Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current® http://findagrave.com, (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Memorial ID 21014126 William Sayer. [S621] Hoyt, David W., The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, with some Related Families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich, and Hampton volume I, (Providence, Rhode Island: Snow & Farnham, 1897). [S645] Hoyt, David W., The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, with some Related Families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich, and Hampton volume II, Reprint 1902, (Providence, Rhode Island: Snow & Farnham, 1902). [S646] Hoyt, David W., The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, with some Related Families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich, and Hampton volume III, Reprint 1916, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982). [S2124] Martin, Cassius C. Generations of Littlefield Tracks Across America: A Family History, (Albuquerque, New Mexico: Cassius C. Martin, 1990). [S793] Norris, D. W. and H.A. Feldman. The Wells Family , (Milwaukee: Cramer-Krasselt Company, 1942). [S643] Noyes, Sybil, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin Davis. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1972). [S956] Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May 1692 on the Basis of Farmer's Register, volume IV, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1862). [S830] Sawyier, Nathaniel. A Genealogy of Some of the Descendants of William Sawyer of Newbury, Mass, (Manchester, New Hampshire: William E. Moore, 1889). [S814] Sawyer, Eleanor Grace. Sawyer Families of New England 1636-1900 , (Camden, Maine: Penobscot Press, 1995). [S815] Sawyer, Fred E. Genealogical Index of the Sawyer Families of New England Prior to 1900, (Blackfoot, Idaho: Neves Printing Co., 1983). [S91] Torrey, Clarence Almon, New England Marriage Prior to 1700, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). [S829] Underhill, Lora Altine Woodbury. Descendants of Edward Small of New England. Volume 1 , (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1934). [S1629] Wells, Charles K. Genealogy of the Wells Family, of Wells, Maine, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Burdick & Armitage, 1874).