M. about 1634 in Massachusetts2
Wife: Hannah ________
D. before 24 Jun 1690 in Beverly, Massachusetts3
Before the hundreds of Puritans could arrive in New England, adventurous men had to scout for good places to settle, and William Dixey was one of those men.
It's unknown where William was born in 1607, only that he was from England.1 But it would seem likely that he came from Linconshire because of his association with Isaac Johnson, one of the richest men in that county. In 1629, William was hired by Johnson as one of many laborers to help set up a new settlement in America.1 Isaac Johnson was married to Lady Arabella Clinton-Fiennes, the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Lincoln. He was also the primary financial backer of the Massachusetts Bay Company headed by John Winthrop, and he was to be part of the group that governed the colony.4 The colonists needed to find where they could settle and Johnson sent over two ships the year before the main fleet.
William was one of 140 men in the expedition.5 He later described the 1629 scouting venture, which included meeting with the Indians living along the coast. They sailed into the areas north of where Boston would be, a place known as Saugus (later Lynn, Massachusetts):
"…we went to Saugus, now Lynn, and there we met with Sagamore James and some other Indians, who did give me and the rest leave to dwell there or thereabouts. Whereupon I and the rest of my master's company did cut grass for our cattle, and kept them upon Nahant [peninsula] for some space of time, for the Indian James Sagamore and the rest did give me and the rest in behalf of my master Johnson, what land we would. Whereupon we set down in Saugus, and had quiet possession of it by the abovesaid Indians, and kept our cattle in Nahant the summer following."6
"When we came to dwell here, the Indians bid us welcome, and showed themselves very glad that we came to dwell among them. And I understood they had kindly entertained the English that came hither before we came. The English and the Indians had a field in common fenced in together. The Indians fled to shelter themselves under the English, ofttimes saying they were afraid of their enemy Indians in the country."6
Isaac Johnson migrated to the colony in 1630 on a ship named for his wife Arabella, which was the flagship of the Winthrop fleet; John Winthrop was another passenger on the ship.7 Unfortunately, both Isaac and Arabella died within the first few months of the colony,8 and presumably, this left William on his own.
The Arabella.
William settled in Salem, Massachusetts, eventually in the section called "Cape Ann side," which was later incorporated as Beverly.1 In about 1634, he married a woman named Hannah.2 Between 1634 and 1643, they had six children, five of them girls. William joined the militia and was called sergeant as early as 1636.1 In 1645, when the Salem military company was formed, he was made its ensign,1 holding that rank until 1662 when he was made "Lieutenant of the Foot Company,"1 and some time before 1677, he was made its captain.1 The ferry between Salem and Cape Ann side was put in his charge in 1639;1 he was living on Bass River and keeping the ferry as late as 1674.1
William died in Beverly sometime before June 24, 1690 at the age of 82.3 He left a will naming his five daughters and two granddaughters by his son as his heirs. His estate was valued at over £113.3 His descendants include First Lady Grace Coolidge.9
Inventory of William's estate.
Children:
1. Mary Dixey — B. about 1634, Massachusetts;1 M. Hugh Woodbury (1624-1702), Dec 1650, Salem, Massachusetts10
2. Abigail Dixey — B. before 25 Dec 1636, Salem, Massachusetts;11 M. John Stone (~1622-1691), about 16521
3. Anna Dixey — B. before 17 May 1638, Salem, Massachusetts;12 D. 27 Jan 1706, Gloucester, Massachusetts;13 M. (1) Nehemiah Howard (?-1665), 11 Aug 1657, Salem, Massachusetts;14 (2) Thomas Judkins (~1631-1695), 25 Nov 1665, Gloucester, Massachusetts15
4. John Dixey — B. about 1639, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts;16 D. before 20 May 1674, Massachusetts;17 M. Elizabeth Allen (~1640-?), 6 Nov 1668, Swansea, Massachusetts18
5. Elizabeth Dixey — B. about 1641, Salem, Massachusetts;19 M. Samuel Morgan (~1638-1698), 15 Dec 1658, Salem, Massachusetts20
6. Sarah Dixey — B. before 2 Jul 1643, Salem, Massachusetts;21 M. Edmund Gale (1640-1716)1
Sources:
1 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
2 Estimated birth year based on birth of oldest child
3 Probate record of William Dixey, Massachusetts, Essex County probate records, 1638-1881, FamilySearch.org
4 Isaac Johnson (colonist) (Wikipedia article)
5 History of Lynn, Alonzo Lewis, 1829
6 Deposition of William Dixey in Essex County, Massachusetts Quarterly Court Files, 1 Jul 1657
7 Arabella (Wikipedia article)
8 Arabella Johnson (Wikipedia article)
9 FamousKin listing of Elizabeth Dixey
10 Marriage record of Hugh Woodbury and Mary Dixy, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
11 Christening record of Abigail Dixy, Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
12 Christening record of Abigail Dixy, M.B. & C.
13 Death record of Anna Judkin, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
14 Marriage record of Nehemiah Howard and Anna Dixy, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
15 Marriage record of Thomas Judkins and Ann Howard, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
16 Christening record of John Dixy, M.B. & C.
17 Probate record of John Dixssey, Massachusetts Plymouth County Probate Records, 1633-1967, FamilySearch.org
18 Marriage record of John Dikse and Elizabeth Allen, Massachusetts State and Vital Records, FamilySearch.org
19 Christening record of Elizabeth Dixy, M.B. & C.
20 Marriage record of Samuel Morgan and Eliza Dixy, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
21 Christening record of Sarah Dixy, M.B. & C.
