Rev William WORCESTER^[1]

Abt 1602 - Abt 1662  (~ 60 years)

• Name	William WORCESTER
  Prefix	Rev
  Born	Abt 1602	Rugby, Warwickshire, England
  Gender	Male
  Clergy	Y
  Migration	1639
  Immigrant?	Y
  Died	Abt 1662	Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts
  Buried	31 Oct 1662	Salisbury Colonial Burying Ground, Essex, Massachusetts   [2]
  Person ID	I4663	Main
  Last Modified	10 Nov 2023

  
  

  Family	Sarah BROWN,   b. Abt 1600, England ,   d. 23 Feb 1660, Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts  (Age ~ 60 years)
  Married	11 Feb 1627	Olney, Buckinghamshire, England
  Children	+ 1. Moses WORCESTER,   b. 10 Nov 1643, Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts ,   d. 4 Apr 1695, Kittery, York, Maine  (Age 51 years)
  Last Modified	10 Nov 2023
  Family ID	F1746	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Died - Abt 1662 - Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Buried - 31 Oct 1662 - Salisbury Colonial Burying Ground, Essex, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Rev William Worcester Portrait

  
  

  Headstones

  Rev William Worcester Grave marker Here lies the body of Rev. William Worcester, the first minister of Salisbury, who came from England about 1639 and died 1662. This stone was laid on his grave to prevent disinterment by wolves. This tablet erected by descendants, 1913

  
  

• Notes

  s/o Joseph WORCESTER —— He was "a famous hunter of Indians," and was familiarly known by the appellation of "Old Contrary" —— In 1682. Mr. Samuel Hall, some time a resident in Massachusetts, had died at Langford near Malden, Essex county, England. He bequeathed £100 to those, who lost by the great fire in Boston and by Indian wars in this colony. Mr. John Hall of Islington, near London, was his executor, who sent an order to his mother, Mrs. Rebeccah Symonds of Ipswich. to dispose of the bequest. She gave to individuals who had suffered by Indians, as follows: — £8 to Martha Graves; £10 to Moses of Newichiwanack, s/o the Rev. William Worcester; £5 to Frances Graves of Ipswich; £3 to Martha Coy, fled to Boston, widow of John Coy of Brookfield, slain; 33s. to Susannah, widow of Thomas Ayres, also slain. [source: History of Ipswich, Essex and Hamilton published in 1834 p. 62] —— Rev. William Worcester came from England and was settled pastor of the church first gathered in Salisbury, Mass., sometime between 1638 and 1640. Although not conclusive, good and persuasive evidence strongly suggests he was the s/o William Worcester, the vicar of Watford, Buckinghamshire, England, and was born October 5, 1595. He matriculated at St. John's College (Cambridge University) in 1620. He was ordained deacon at Peterborough Cathedral on Dec. 21, 1622. He was made Vicar of Olney July 26, 1624 - which office he retained till 1636, when on account of refusing to comply with the command of his superiors to read to his congregation from the King's book those portions which allowed sports and recreations after service on the Lord's day, he was suspended from his office of Vicar. He came to America a year or two later. He and others petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to establish a new settlement. The settlement was called Colchester and later renamed Salisbury. Here he continued in the ministry till his decease, Oct. 28, 1662. His grave in the old cemetery in Salisbury, is covered by a flat stone upon which a bronze tablet was placed June 21st, 1913, with the following inscription: Here lies buried the body of Rev. William Worcester, the first minister of Salisbury, who came from England about 1639 and died 1662. This stone was laid on his grave to prevent disinterment by wolves. This tablet is affixed by his descendants, 1913.

  
  

• Sources

  [S146] SUTTON Genealogy. [S96] Find a Grave, database and images, 13655851.