William Wardwell was born about 1606/7. He was baptized on 4 Jan 1606/7 in Alford Parish, Well, co. Lincs, England. He moved from Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts in 1638 to Exeter, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire. He took the oath of freeman on 5 Jul 1653. He signed the following will on 18 Apr 1670.

I William Wardell of Boston: being by the dispe??tion of God it this tyme sick and weake: yet through mercy of Competent understanding and memory doe by this my last will and Testament order and dispose of the Temporall Estate the which the Lord bath bene pleased to Leave unto me as followeth: first that all my Just Debtes and funerall charges being paide, then I doe give and bequeath unto my Deare wife Elizabeth Wardell the one halfe of my now Dwelling bouse in Boston Dureing the naturall life of my sd wife and no longer and of that sayde halfe my sd wife to take her choise whether end to accept: and in any case of difference betwene my sd wife and my Sonn Uzall concerning the sd howae or apurtenances hereafter expressed I refer the same to my overseers hereafter named also I give and bequeath unto my sd wife all my movables in my now Dwelling howae out of which she shall pay unto my Daughter Racbell Wardell twenty and five poundes to be payed in one feather bed and furniture with other nesisaryes at the ordering and disposing of my overseers the which twenty-five poundes I doe give & bequeath unto my sd Daughter as a legacye and to be payde within six monthes after my Decease also I Doe give and bequeath unto my wives Daughter Hannah Gillett the summe of twenty one poundes to be payde by my sd wife out of the howsehold stuff as my Daughter Rachels referred also to my overseeres and to be payde at her Day of mariage or when shee shall attaine to the age of eighteen yeares: my will and Desire also to my wife is that my wives Daughter Debora may have twenty poundes out of the household stuff or goodes before mencioned except her owne nesessity shall require for her nesesary use left also to my overseeres to order ffurther I Doe hereby give and bequeath unto my Eldest Sonn Uzall Wardell the other halfe of my now Dwelling house together with the one halfe of the out howse and howseing to him his heires and assignes forever with halfe the Garden and the use of the yeardes well and oven in common betwene my loving wife and my sayde Sonn after my sd wife hath made choise of her halfe of the Dwelling howse and whenever there may fall out any Difference in the devideinges my overseeres to Determine: also the halfe disposed of to my wife dureing her natural Life my meaning is the halfe of my Dwelling howse so Disposed to her as above written I doe also give and bequeath to my sd Sonn uzall he paying the summe of fourty powndes in Silver or equivalent to my Sonn Elihue wardell or to his Executores administratores or assignes within Six monthes after the decease of my sd wife Elizabeth moreover whereas there is given and bequeathed to Hannah Gillett my wives Daughter the summe of twenty one powndes the same is to be taken notice of to be so given bequeathed or be payde in consideration of and answer of the order of the County Court at Boston concerning the sd, Hannah Gillett: moreover I Doe give to my Daughter Leah wife of william Tower tenn shillings in money: also to my Daughter Meribah wife to ffrancis Litlfeild of welles tenn shillinges also to my Daughter Mary wife to Nathaniell Rust tenn ahillinges in Silver all which last three Legacyes I apoint to be paide by my Sonn Usall wardell to whom I give and bequeath all the rest of my Estate reall and personall whom I make and ordaine my Sole Executor of this my Last will and Testament he upon all ocasiones of Differences or Difficulty betwene himselfe and any relationes or others to take the advise and councell of my Loving friendes James Everill and william Bartbolmew whom I constitute and apoint overseers of this my Last will and Testament a line being omitted above be caused this to be written that after his wives decease be giveth that part of his Dwelling howse outhowsing and garden he do??th give and bequeath the sd halfe of the Dwelling howse out howseing guarden and yeardes to his wife disposed of During her natural life as above written: after her Decease to his Sonn Uzall being Executor of this his Last will & Testament to him his heires and assignes forever also my will is that the sd halfe shall be kept in good repaire Dureing the tyme of my wives surviveing the wordes he paying betwene therty two and the therty therd Line were aded before signing hereof.

the marke of
william W W wardell.


This will of william wardell was reade unto him who attended and gave rational answers to all questiones asked him and two dayes before Declared the same for substance himselfe and subecribed this copie this 18?? day of april 1670 before us.


AMBROS DAWES
JOSEPH WHEELER
WILLIAM BARTHOLMEW
JAMES EVERELL


His estate was probated on 25 Apr 1670. He died between 18 Aug 1670 and 25 Aug 1670 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. He was a servant to Edmund Quincy and a tavern keeper. He was also known as William Wardhall.

William was the servant of Edmund Quinsey. He was admitted to the church in Boston on 9 Feb 1633/4. He was dismissed to Exeter NH on 6 Jan 1638/9 and signed the Exeter combination on 5 Jun 1639.

William then removed to Rhode Island where he was brought to trial in 1643 with Samuel Gorton and others on the charge of heresy; he was confined to Watertown. He removed to Wells, Maine by 1649.

When the commissioners of Massachusetts were summoning townspeople to take the oath of allegiance, he was charged with contempt of court for dissuading his neighbors from taking the oath. However, he maintained that he was absent from the meeting because he was trying to get his neighbors to join with Massachusetts. He took the oath on 5 Jul 1653, and subsequently returned to Boston.

In his will William bequeathed one half of his house in Boston to his wife Elizabeth for her life; he also mentioned his daughter Meribah, wife to Francis Littlefield of Wells Me, leaving her 10 shillings (NEHGR 48:458). The inventory of his estate was done 30 Apr 1670.

He was married to Alice Pyce in 1636.

Alice Pyce was born in England. She died before 1657 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She was a maid/servant. Children were:

i. Meribah Wardwell.
ii. Uzal Wardwell was born on 7 Apr 1639 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. He died on 25 Oct 1732 in Bristol, Bristol Co., Rhode Island. He was a carpenter.
iii. Elihu Wardwell was baptized on 5 Oct 1641 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. He died young.
iv. Elihu Wardwell was born in Sep 1642 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. "... Clark and Worth" has Nov. 1642 as does Anderson.
v. Mary Wardwell was born in Feb 1644 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts or on 5 Apr 1644. She was baptized on 14 Apr 1644 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She died on 16 Jan 1720.
vi. Leah Wardwell was born on 7 Oct 1646 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. "...Clark and Worth" has 7 Dec. 1646 as does Anderson. She died after 1690.
vii. Rachel Wardwell was born about 1650 in Exeter, Massachusetts. She died after 1670.

William Wardwell married second, Elizabeth Crowell (daughter of John Crowe and Elishua Yelverton) on 5 Dec 1657 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She was the widow of both Arthur Perry and John Gillet.