M. 14 Jan 1630 in Earls Colne, Essex, England2
Wife: Mary Digbie
D. 10 Dec 1668 in Cambridge, Massachusetts3
Everyone in a colonial New England town was expected to perform civic duties, and for William Patten, that meant herding the cows and the pigs. He was born in England in the early 17th century and migrated to America with his family, but it's unknown exactly when he was born. On January 14, 1630, William married a woman named Mary Digbie in Earls Colne, England,2 which is located in Essex, so this was likely where he was from. William and Mary had a family of six children, with the youngest born Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1643.4
William first turned up in the Cambridge town records on March 13, 1636, when the townsmen voted he should keep a hundred cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the town.1 He was hired to do this for seven months with a payment of £20, half to be paid in money and the other half in grain. In 1638, he had another agreement to keep the town cows, and in 1646, he was fined for letting one hog roam free.5 On two or three occasions he was appointed as a "surveyor of fences," and also as "surveyor of highways."1
Looking after the livestock in colonial Cambridge.
In 1642, William was enrolled as a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston.1 He lived on what is now Massachusetts Avenue, opposite the Common.5 The proprietors' records show that he had "one house and garden about halfe an Acre upon the Cow Common," and "in the New Lotts next to Manaotmie two Acres of planteing grounde." In 1645, forty-seven lots on the west side of Menotomy River were granted to several inhabitants of the town. In this distribution William had "three acre more or lesse."5
On June 9, 1652, an agreement was made regarding the town of Shawshin (later called Billerica). In this William Patten was assigned ninety acres.5 It isn't known if he if he ever lived there, because he died in Cambridge. In 1655, "The Great Deed from Cambridge Proprietors to the Billerica Proprietors," making Shawshine or Billerica an independent town, was executed, and William was one of the signers.5
Between 1660 and 1668, William was granted liberty on several occasions to take lumber from the common to "repair fencez," "for a cart," "for a cow house," "to build a lean-to and an end to his farm," and to "repayre his old house at towne."5 He didn't always ask permission — in 1662, he was fined 20 shillings for cutting down trees on the common against town orders.5
William Patten died December 10, 1668.3 He left no will, but on April 2, 1669, his widow filed an inventory worth almost £200.5 She passed away on September 20, 1674.6
Children:
1. Mary Patten — B. before 2 May 1632, Earls Colne, Essex, England;7 D. 23 Jan 1692, Roxbury, Massachusetts;8 M. John Griggs, 11 Nov 1652, Roxbury, Massachusetts9
2. William Patten — B. before 14 Mar 1634, Earls Colne, England;10 D. 22 Mar 1646, Cambridge, Massachusetts11
3. Thomas Patten — B. Oct 1636, Cambridge, Massachusetts;12 D. 14 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts;13 M. (1) Rebecca Paine (?-1680), 1 Apr 1662, Billerica, Massachusetts;14 (2) Sarah Kendall (1653-1734), 20 May 1686, Billerica, Massachusetts15
4. Sarah Patten — B. 27 Jan 1638, Cambridge, Massachusetts;16 M. Amos Woodward1
5. Nathaniel Patten — B. 1639, Cambridge, Massachusetts;5 D. Jan 1640, Cambridge, Massachusetts5
6. Nathaniel Patten — B. 29 Jul 1643, Cambridge, Massachusetts;4 D. 12 Jun 1725, Cambridge, Massachusetts;4 M. (1) Rebecca Adams (?-1677), 24 Nov 1669, Cambridge, Massachusetts;17 (2) Sarah Cooper, 8 Oct 1678, Cambridge, Massachusetts;18 (3) Sarah Hancock (1667-?), 15 Oct 1711, Cambridge, Massachusetts19
Sources:
1 The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, Vol. II, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 2001
2 Marriage record of William Patten and Mary Digbie, England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1997, FamilySearch.org
3 Find-a-Grave listing of William Patten
4 Find-a-Grave listing of Nathaniel Patten
5 Patten genealogy: William Patten of Cambridge, 1635 and his descendants, Thomas W. Baldwin, 1908
6 Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Digbie) Patten
7 Christening record of Mary Patten, E., E. P. R.
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Patten) Griggs
9 Marriage record of John Griggs and Mary Patten, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10 Christening record of William Patten (younger), England Births and Christenings, 1538-1988, FamilySearch.org
11 Death record of William Patten (younger), Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, Ancestry.com
12 Birth record of Thomas Patten, M., T. & V. R.
13 Death record of Thomas Patten, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
14 Marriage record of Thomas Patten and Rebecca Payne, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
15 Marriage record of Thomas Patten and Sarah Dunton, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
16 Birth record of Sarah Patten, Massachusetts Births and Christenings, FamilySearch.org
17 Marriage record of Nathaniel Patten and Rebecca Adams, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
18 Marriage record of Nathaniel Patten and Sarah Cooper, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
19 Marriage record of Nathaniel Patten and Sarah Hancock, Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925, FamilySearch.org
