William Sumner

Biography

William (Somnar) Sumner Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 4, p. 598)

WILLIAM SUMNER, only son and heir of Roger, was baptized at Bicester, 27th January, 1604-5; married Mary Swift, 22d October, 1625; came to Dorchester, Massachusetts, about 1635. He was made a freeman in 1637, after which his name appears on almost every page of the Town Records during the period of his active life. In 1645, he was appointed one of a committee for building a new meeting-house. He was admitted to the church in 1652; was for twelve years a Deputy to the General Court, and a Selectman twenty-three years. He was also a Rater for five years, and one of the three Commissioners (or Magistrates) "to try and issue small causes" for nine years, when the office ceased. His wife died in Dorchester, 7th June, 1676. He died there 9th December. 1688, aged about eighty-three years. He had seven children--William,(*) Roger, George, Samuel, Increase, Joan, and Abigail.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Somnar-1

William was a member of the Puritan church in Dorchester as early as 23 August 1636[citation needed], which was probably less than a year after his arrival. This would lead us to believe that he probably came over as a Puritan rather than being convinced to become one after migrating. He also was made a Freeman of the colony the following spring. Several of William's children migrated to Carolina in 1696 with a group of Puritans as missionaries to the Indians.[citation needed]

The idea that William may have been a gentleman farmer comes from several clues.[citation needed] William was literate, he had money to purchase land in Dorchester and he held property in England until 1650.[citation needed] He had servants. He possessed personal portraits of himself and Mary, and he donated five suits of armor in 1675, shortly before his death. These do not sound like the possessions of an ordinary farmer.[citation needed]

Family

Mary Swift was Mary West when she married William Sumner at Bicester, Oxfordshire on 25 October 1625.

Children of William Sumner and Mary Swift:
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swift-470

1. Joan, baptized at Bicester on December 7, 1626; married Aaron Way, son of Henry by 1648. [2] She died in Dorchester, South Carolina after 1696. [1]
2. William, baptized at Bicester on May 18, 1628; buried on November 17, 1628. [2]
3. William baptized at Bicester on December 6, 1629; died at Boston in February, 1675; married Elizabeth Clement c 1650. [1] [2]
4. Roger, baptized at Bicester on August 26, 1632; died on May 26, 1698 at Milton, Massachusetts [6]; married Mary Joslin c 1656 at Lancaster, Massachusetts. [7]. [1] [2]
5. George, baptized at Bicester on March 1, 1634/5; died on December 11, 1715, at Milton, Massachusetts [6]; married Mary Baker at Northampton on November 7, 1662. [8] [1] [2]
6. Samuel, born at Dorchester, Massachusetts on May 18, 1638; died at Dorchester, South Carolina after 1698; married Rebecca (Unk) on March 7, 1658/9. [1] [2] [5]
7. Increase born at Dorchester, Massachusetts on February 23, 1642/3; died after 1696 in South Carolina; married Sarah Staples on March 26, 1667. [1] [2] [5]

Will

23 June, 1681, prob. 24 March, 1691-2, beq. to the 9 children of his dec. son William; to sons Roger, George, Samuel and Increase, and to dau. Joane Way. Beq. to servants Rebecca Adams and Anthony Hancocke. [8]

Notes

William Sumner came to Dorchester in 1636. He was made a freeman of the Colony on 5/17/1637. He served as selectman of Dorchester in 1637 and repeated this for more than 20 other years.

He continued his civic service as one of the feoffees of the school land and from 1663-1671was one of the commissioners to try and issue small causes.

He was deputy of Dorchester to the General Court in 1658, 1666, 1670, 1672, 1678, 1681, 1683 and 1686.

In 1663, he was chosen clerk of the train band [Colonial and Revolutionary Lineages of America, Vol. 3, p. 264].

Made freeman May 17, 1637; selectman more than 20 years

His third child, a son, Roger, b. 1632, d 1698 m. Mary Josselyn, and Charles Sumner, statesman of Civil War era was their descendant.

"The Sumner family were a notable one, with coat of arms and motto 'In medio tutissimus ibis.' This motto was adopted by Increase (5) Sumner, who was Gov. of Mass. for two consecutive terms. He descended from William (2) Sumner, through Increase (4), Edward (3), and George (2), who had a brother Increase (2)." ~EXCERPTS FROM "THE ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS OF JIREH TUCKER OF ROYALTON, VERMONT 1815-1868" by Eliza A. (Tucker) Bliefling of Watertown Massachusetts

References

1. http://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&p=william&n=sumner&oc=3 has errors
2. [A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England 1620-1675, pp. 278-279]
3. Sources: GL: English Origins of New England Families, Josselyn, by Elizabeth French, p 496; Record of the Descendants nof William Sumner, by William Sumner Appleton, 1879, pp 1-9.
4. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Somnar-1 cites
   1. Citing "TAG 19:16," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 601; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   2. "Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"; digital images, Ancestry (sharing link).
   3. Citing "SLR 13:408-9," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 601; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   4. Citing DVR 121," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 601; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   5. Citing TAG 19:162," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 601; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   6. Citing "DVR 28," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 601; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   7. Citing "DTR 15," Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner) at 598; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
   8. Page 440 [Genealogy in Reg. VIII, 128 a, and IX, 297.] Pioneers of MA by Charles Henry Pope, 1965 Gen Pub Co. link
   9. NEHGR, volume? page 300
   10. "Record of William Sumner of Dorchester, MA. 1636", by William Sumner Appleton; pg. 13 of 258

See also--

1. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009), 598-604 (William Sumner); digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
2. The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) "Three Generations of the Sumner Family" by Mary Lovering Holman. Vol. 19 (1942) p. 156 - 166. see p. 161.for subscribers $
3. Barbara Stone Chase, "Chase Wigglesworth Genealogy", Alicia Crane Williams, ed. (Baltimore : Gateway Press, 1990), 391-395 (Sumner Line); digital images, HathiTrust.
4. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "Genealogy of the Sumner Family" by William B. Trask. 1854. Vol. 8, p. 128d - 128r.subscription needed $
5. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) Vol. 9, pp 297 - 306. "The Sumner Family" 1855.subscription needed
6. Appleton, William Sumner. Record of the Descendants of William Sumner of Dorcester, Massachusetts 1636 David Clapp & Son, Printers. Boston. 1879. p. 1ff.see at archive.org
7. Ferris, Mary Walton. "Dawes Gates Ancestral Lines" Privately Printed. V. 1, p. 572 - 583.see at hathitrust.org
8. Sumner, William H. "Memoir of Increase Sumner Governor of Massachusetts" New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Samuel G. Drake, Publisher, Boston. 1854. p. 41ff.see at hathitrust.org
9. Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
10. Torrey, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.
11. Other-- Find A Grave: Memorial #180589163 NOTE: No headstone https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180589163
12. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9SFH-N2C
13. Extracts from the Register of Bicester, Oxfordshire, England. Marriages. < digital image > 1625, October 25. William Somner & Mary West.
14. “Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York, Volume 2, William Sumner.” Page 234. < digital image >
15. William Sumner Appleton, Record of the Descendants of William Sumner of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1636 (Boston, Massachusetts: David Clapp & Son, 1879), digitized by FamilySearch.org. < Catalog Entry >