M. 7 Oct 1645 in Concord, Massachusetts2
Wife: Lydia Fairbanks
D. 6 Nov 1677 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts3
Chelmsford, Massachusetts can trace its origins to a small group of 17th-century people. Among them was William Fletcher, who offered up his home for the first ever town meeting.
William was born in 1622 in England, to Robert and Sarah Fletcher, possibly in Yorkshire.1 He was one of five children, and in 1630, the family migrated to America as part of the Winthrop Fleet.4 They settled in Concord, Massachusetts where Robert was said to be a “wealthy and influential man.” On October 7, 1645, William married Lydia Bates, the widow of Edward Bates.2 They had 6 known children together; Lydia also had a son, John, from her first marriage who became a part of the family.
In 1652, William joined with others from Concord and the town of Woburn to start a new settlement on the other side of the Concord River, the town of Chelmsford.5 He was one of 29 men who petitioned the General Court for a grant of land in 1653,5 and also helped in recruiting a minister in 1654.5 William’s most noted involvement in the founding of Chelmsford was that on November 22, 1654, the first town meeting was held in his house. This event was viewed as the “formation of local government in Chelmsford.”5 Although most settlers built their homes of logs, William’s house was said to be the first wood frame structure in the town.1
In 1652, William joined with others from Concord and the town of Woburn to start a new settlement on the other side of the Concord River, the town of Chelmsford.5 He was one of 29 men who petitioned the General Court for a grant of land in 1653,5 and also helped in recruiting a minister in 1654.5 William’s most noted involvement in the founding of Chelmsford was that on November 22, 1654, the first town meeting was held in his house. This event was viewed as the “formation of local government in Chelmsford.”5 Although most settlers built their homes of logs, William’s house was said to be the first wood frame structure in the town.1
William was made selectman in 1654.5 He and his wife Lydia were among the first to join the church in Chelmsford in about 1655.5 He was also named first constable that year.5 In 1669, he built a sawmill with two other town members.5 William died on November 6, 1677,3 and he was buried in the Forefathers’ Burial Ground in Chelmsford. William was the 3G grandfather of Franklin Pierce.6
William's 1677 will.
The property where William had lived stayed in the family for generations, though the original house was demolished sometime during the 19th century.7 After that, the land where the house stood was used for cultivation for another hundred or so years.7
With the story that Chelmsford’s first town meeting was held at William's house, a team of archaeologists set up a dig in 1980 to find remnants of it. The project lasted nine days and the results were not very successful. “In the process of attempting to locate 1 structure, the William Fletcher house, we found traces of at least 2 and perhaps, as many as 5 structures. However, we found very little evidence that the area we investigated was occupied prior to the late 18th or early 19th century. We recovered only 1 item — a piece of kaolin tobacco pipe stem — certain to be of 17th century origin.” The archaeologists felt that they had been searching in the wrong location on the property, but it was impractical to tear up the whole lot and the effort was abandoned.7
Marker of where the archaeological dig took place.
Children:
1. Joshua Fletcher — B. 20 Mar 1644, Concord, Massachusetts;8 D. 21 Nov 1713, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;8 M. (1) Grissel Jewell (1652-1682), 4 May 1668;9 (2) Sarah Wiley (1658-1761), 18 Jul 1682, Chelmsford, Massachusetts10
2. Lydia Fletcher — B. 30 Jan 1647, Concord, Massachusetts;11 D. 13 Jan 1730, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;12 M. (1) John Fiske (1638-1687), 27 Mar 1666, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;13 (2) Nathaniel Hill (1642-1706), about 1700, (probably) Chelmsford, Massachusetts14
3. Paul Fletcher — B. before 1 Feb 1656, (probably) Chelmsford, Massachusetts;15 D. 9 Aug 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts16
4. William Fletcher — B. 21 Feb 1657, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;17 D. 23 May 1712, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;18 M. Sarah Richardson (1660-1748), 6 Sep 1677, Massachusetts19
5. Mary Fletcher — B. 4 Oct 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;20 D. 14 Jan 1714, Malden, Massachusetts;21 M. Thomas Parker (1656-1698), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts22
6. Esther Fletcher — B. 12 Apr 1664, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;23 D. 6 Dec 1693, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;24 M. (1) Isaac Parker (1660-1689), 11 Apr 1681, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;25 (2) James Proctor (1658-1709), 3 Dec 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts26
Sources:
1 The Richardson Memorial, John Adams Vinton, 1876, p. 41
2 Marriage record of William Fletcher and Lydia Bates, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3 Death record of William Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4 Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908
5 History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters and Henry Spaulding Perham, 1917
6 FamousKin.com listing for William Fletcher
7 Archaeological Survey of the First Town Meeting Site Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Chelmsford Historical Commission, Jul 1980
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Joshua Fletcher
9 Marriage record of Joshua Fletcher and Grisoll Jewell, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
10 Marriage record of Joshua Fletcher and Sarah Wiley, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Birth record of Lidia Fletcher, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
12 Death record of Lydia Hill, Massachusetts, U.S., Town Death Records, 1620-1850, Ancestry.com
13 Marriage record of John Fiske and Lydia Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 WikiTree listing of Lydia (Fletcher) Hill
15 Christening record of Paul Fletcher, M., B. & C.
16 Death record of Paul Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Birth record of William Fletcher (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Find-a-Grave listing of William Fletcher (younger)
19 Marriage record of William Fletcher and Sarah Richardson, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20 Birth record of Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21 WikiTree listing of Mary (Fletcher) Parker
22 Marriage record of Thomas Parker and Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23 Birth record of Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24 Death record of Esther Proctor, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25 Marriage record of Isaac Parker and Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26 Marriage record of James Proctor and Esther Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3. Paul Fletcher — B. before 1 Feb 1656, (probably) Chelmsford, Massachusetts;15 D. 9 Aug 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts16
4. William Fletcher — B. 21 Feb 1657, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;17 D. 23 May 1712, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;18 M. Sarah Richardson (1660-1748), 6 Sep 1677, Massachusetts19
5. Mary Fletcher — B. 4 Oct 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;20 D. 14 Jan 1714, Malden, Massachusetts;21 M. Thomas Parker (1656-1698), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts22
6. Esther Fletcher — B. 12 Apr 1664, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;23 D. 6 Dec 1693, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;24 M. (1) Isaac Parker (1660-1689), 11 Apr 1681, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;25 (2) James Proctor (1658-1709), 3 Dec 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts26
Sources:
1 The Richardson Memorial, John Adams Vinton, 1876, p. 41
2 Marriage record of William Fletcher and Lydia Bates, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3 Death record of William Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4 Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908
5 History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters and Henry Spaulding Perham, 1917
6 FamousKin.com listing for William Fletcher
7 Archaeological Survey of the First Town Meeting Site Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Chelmsford Historical Commission, Jul 1980
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Joshua Fletcher
9 Marriage record of Joshua Fletcher and Grisoll Jewell, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
10 Marriage record of Joshua Fletcher and Sarah Wiley, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Birth record of Lidia Fletcher, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
12 Death record of Lydia Hill, Massachusetts, U.S., Town Death Records, 1620-1850, Ancestry.com
13 Marriage record of John Fiske and Lydia Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 WikiTree listing of Lydia (Fletcher) Hill
15 Christening record of Paul Fletcher, M., B. & C.
16 Death record of Paul Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Birth record of William Fletcher (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Find-a-Grave listing of William Fletcher (younger)
19 Marriage record of William Fletcher and Sarah Richardson, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20 Birth record of Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21 WikiTree listing of Mary (Fletcher) Parker
22 Marriage record of Thomas Parker and Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23 Birth record of Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24 Death record of Esther Proctor, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25 Marriage record of Isaac Parker and Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26 Marriage record of James Proctor and Esther Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
