James Williams (1562 - aft. 1620)

Born 1562 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Pemberton) Williams — married 2 Jan 1597 (to 7 Sep 1620) in Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Descendants

Died after 7 Sep 1620 after age 58 in London, Middlesex, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Nathan Pyles [send private message], Roger Williams [send private message], and Kathy Fetters [send private message]

James Williams was born in Hertfordshire, England.

Biography

James Williams

Birth

Date: 1562

Place: St Albans, Hertfordshire, England<

Date: Between 1562 and 1576

Place: St. Albans, Hertsfordshire, England

Date: 1578

Place: Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Family

Father: Mark Williams

Mother: Agnes Audley

Marriage

Husband: James Williams

Wife: Alice Pemberton

Date: January 2, 1597

Place: Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Occupation

Occupation: Merchant Tailor (an importer and trader)

Place: England

Death

Date: September 7, 1620

Place: London, Middlesex, England<

Will

Will Date: 7 Sep 1620

Will names wife Alice, son Sydrack, daughter Catharine, wife of Ralph Wightman, sons Roger and Robert. ” Brother in law Roger Pemberton, son in law Ralph Wightman.

Proved Date: November 19, 1621 ^[1]

Research Notes

• I am writing this in an attempt to get us all on the "same track" and to try to eradicate any areas of disagreement. I find that some of the published Williams materials are in error. I will welcome any comments/disagreements/data or sources concerning this.
• Most of this comes from my publication: "Pemberton And Williams Families, England, Rhode Island and Virginia," published in 1992. I sent a copy of this to the Roger Williams Family Association, Rhode Island and they consider it to be the most inclusive publication that they have.

Williams Line Number 1

1st Generation

• James Williams married Alice Pemberton, daughter of Robert and Katherine (Stokes) Pemberton. Alice was baptized 18 Feb 1564/5, St. Albans Abbey, Hertsfordshire, England and died 1 Aug (or May?) 1634/5, London; buried St. Sepulchre church. Will: 1 Aug 1634 -26 Jan 1634/5, P.C.C. Vol. 27, page 12 James Williams, was born @1562/66, probably at St. Albans, lived at Cow Lane, St. Sepulchres-Without-Newgate parish, London and died @1621, London. His will: 7 Sep 1620 -19 Nov 1621, P.C.C. Vol. 24, page 50. (printed in NEHGR 43: 291-92).

• The antecedant background for James Williams is still very vague and unproven. Some researchers maintain that this line, originally, came from Wales and not from the Hertsfordshire area of England. My primary data is obtained from the records of G. Andrews Moriarty, a famous genealogist in England, published in the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," Vol. 47 and from Henry Fitzgerald Waters; "Genealogical Gleanings in England" published in the Register, Vol. 43 etc. Waters was a very famous genealogical researcher and was a Williams Descendant, also.
• Moriarty: "It will thus be seen that a good deal is known about the maternal ancestry of Roger Williams (of Rhode Island--brother of our Shadrack Williams). But, up to date, nothing has been learned concerning the parentage of his father: James Williams (I). The latter, (James) was admitted free of the Merchant Taylor's Company, by servitude on 7 Apr 1587, a date when he must have been about 21 years of age. (MPM: ages accepted by the Guild of Merchant Taylors was 7-21 years.) He lived in Cow Lane within the parish of St. Sepulchres Without Newgate in London. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that he had a connection with St.Albans, where he had found his wife.
• Moriarty: James Williams may have come from the west in Gloucestshire, near the Welsh border. (MPM: The St. Albans Pemberton families supposedly came from Cheshire area, England.)
• Moriarty: "the following items, taken from the Hertsfordshire records, were printed in the "Herts. Genealogist and Antiquary." They seem suggestive, although they do not prove anything regarding the parentage of James Williams. They are, however, useful as a basis for further research in the paternal ancestry of Roger Williams, of Rhode Island. (MPM: also for Shadrach/Sidrach Williams). "Subsidy for Herts. 37 Henry VIII (1545) Tring Magna, James Williams, Gent...taxed 4s...(Herts. Gen. and Ant., Vol. II, p. 27) (MPM: Tring was small town few miles NorthWest of St. Albans, Hertsfordshire, England)
• Will of Joan Audley, of Hitchin, co. Herts, widow, dated 14 Mar 1580 & proved on 6 Feb 1583/4. To be buried in Hitchin. To daughter: Joan Audley. To sons: William and John Audley. To daughter: Agnes Williams and to her children, James and Joan. To daughter: Agnes Coop and her children. To son: Robert Papwort and his children and his son: Williams. This will mentions William Audley, my last husband. James Tyde, of Dunstable, executor; son: William Audley. Overseers: Son- Robert Papworth and friend Mr. Thomas Parrys. (Herts, Gen. and Ant. Vol. II, p. 229)
• "Subsidy for Herts, 37 Jenry VIII (1545) Hitchin, viii." William Audley, taxed 40s (ibid, Vol. I, p. 329) Herts-Feet of Fines: Hilary Term 25 Elizabeth (1582/3) John Bowyer, Esq. querant and William Audley and Mark Williams and Agnes, his wife, deforciants. A message in Hitchen alias Hutchyn. (ibid. Vol. II, p. 307)
• From Moriarty: "It may be suggested that James Williams, of Tryng Magna in 1545, was the father of Mark Williams, who married Agnes Audley, daughter of William and Joan Audley of Hitchin and had issue James and Joan Williams, who were evidently young in 1581. This James Williams may be identical with James Williams, who was admitted to the Merchant Taylor Company in 1587 and is the known father of the founder of Providence, R.I"
• Another interesting will, of Margery Pate, dated 22 Sep 1617 of St. Pulkers (St. Sepulchers Parish, London) confirms the children of James and Alice (Pemberton) Williams. I have been unable to find any definite connection of the Williams Family to the other individuals named in her will with the exception of the Lide (pronounced Lloyd) family members. The widow of Roger Williams, son of Shadrack and grandson of James/Alice Williams, late intermarried with a Lloyd family in Virginia. Since Margery ( ) Quille/Pate leaves legacies to James and Alice Williams and to three of their children (she does not mention Sidrach/Shadrack), I would assume a close relationship and perhaps even a sister (???) of James Williams.
• Will: Weldon 100 (P.C.C. = Perogative court) "Margery Pate, of the parish of St. Pulkers, London, widow, 22 September 1617, and proved 2 Oct 1617. My body to be buried within the church of St. Pulckers, near unto my former husband Richard Quille. To my godson: John Miller, to Hudson Miller, to Anne Miller wife of Thomas Miller, to my cousin Thomas Miller and to his daughter...to Judith Claxton and to her daughter Ann Nicholes...to Elsieh Pynnocke and to Robert Lide...to James Williams, twenty shillings to Alice Williams, wife unto James Williams, twenty shillings. To Alice Quille (Certain household goods and wearing apparel) To Elizabeth Albrocke...to Elizabeth Lide wife unto Henry Lide and to Henry, James, Maurice and Cassandra Lide, children unto Henry Lide....to Roger Williams, son of the said James Williams, twenty shillings to Robert Williams, son of the said James Williams, twenty shillings and to Katherine Williams, daughter of the said James Williams, twenty shillings. To Elizabeth and Sarah Webster, daughters of John Webster and John Webster, his son and the rest of Webster's children...to Edward Goodcoole, Richard Bradley, Elizabeth Younge, widow and Michael Bolton. Henry Lide, of Westminster, Esq, to be sole executor and James Williams of St. Pulkers, Merchant Taylor, Overseer."

• James Williams was called by titles of Citizen, Merchant Taylor and Turkey Merchant in various documents. The following information is pertinent to this discussion. Henry F. Waters --"Genealogical Gleanings....p. 427, dated 1889... "On the above named pages, the Rev. Roger Williams (of St .Albans)...George Fxo dig'd out of his Burrowes" (Published Nar. Club, vo. v, p. 146) is quoted to show that Roger Williams had a brother, who was a Turkey Merchant...On page 299, Henry F. Waters furnished reasons for thinking that this Turkey Merchant may have been Sidrack, son of James Williams of London. The editor of the "Register" sent a copy of the July number containing this matter to the clerk of the Merchant Taylor[s Company, of London, asking for entries in the Company's books about Sidrack Williams and his father: James Williams, both Freeman of that Company and asking also if there was any evidence on the books that Sidrack Williams was a Turkey Merchant" He receive the following reply: "Merchant Taylor's Hall, London, E.C. 31 Aug 1889 (MPM: I visited this Hall in London a few years ago...still an active Guild...I was not able to obtain any records there since they were getting ready for a banquet that night and I was very short of time.)
• James Williams married Alice Pemberton, d/o Robert, January 2, 1597 St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Their children: Sydrach Williams (1599 - 1647) ^[2]
• Roger Williams (1602 - 1683) ^[3]
• Robert
• Catherine
• Father of Roger Williams: champion of religious freedom in America. Founder of the first Baptist church in America. Founder of Rhode Island.
• His will, proven 19 November 1621, left, in addition to bequests to his "loving wife, Alice," to his sons, Sydrach, Roger and Robert, and to his daughter Catherine, money and bread to the poor in various sections of London.

Research Notes

Birth year: This profile, which had been attached as son of Mark and Agnes (Audley) Williams, had a birth year of 1582. Although this profile had the same death date as James Williams-1399, also attached as their son, this profile was set adrift. Although it's possible this was a son of Williams-1399 who is not noted in his biography, it is more likely that 1582 was a typo (or an incorrect guess). Based on the following (from Williams-1399) and to facilitate the merge with Williams-1399, the birth year for this profile (Williams-61832) was changed from 1582 to 1562. ~ Noland-165 14:26, 20 September 2018 (UTC)

"Will of Joan Audley, of Hitchin, co. Herts, widow, dated 14 Mar 1580 & proved on 6 Feb 1583/4. To be buried in Hitchin. To daughter: Joan Audley. To sons: William and John Audley. To daughter: Agnes Williams and to her children, James and Joan. To daughter: Agnes Coop and her children. To son: Robert Papwort and his children and his son: Williams. This will mentions William Audley, my last husband. James Tyde, of Dunstable, executor; son: William Audley. Overseers: Son- Robert Papworth and friend Mr. Thomas Parrys. (Herts, Gen. and Ant. Vol. II, p. 229) "

Sources

1. ↑ Com. Court of London, Vol. 24, fol. 50 (printed in NEHGR 43: 291-92).
2. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=217209533 Updated 26 August 2021.
3. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1110

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=12577766&pid=-227375680
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=grantpinnix&id=I002026; Name: James Williams; Sex: M; Birth: 1562 in St. Alban's, Hertfordshire, England; Death: 7 SEP 1620 in London, England; Burial: St. Sepulchre, London, England on 19 NOV 1620; Note: Williams Family Outline - Line 1; Updated December 14, 1999; Extracted from a series of email by Dr. Melton Meek, MD
• https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=217209533 Updated 26 August 2021.

Acknowledgements

• WIkiTree profile created through the import of greenwald-millerGEDCOM.ged on September 27, 2010.
• WIkiTree profile Williams-4924 created through the import of McDonald Family Tree_Wiki_2011-05-28.ged on May 29, 2011 by HB McDonald.
• WikiTree profile Williams-6984 created through the import of HUNTER FAMILY TREE (3).ged on August 27, 2011 by Restricted Hunter.
• WikiTree profile Williams-25494 was created by Roger Williams through the import of Roger C Williams 8th Gen.ged on August 4, 2014.
• Profile created by Nathan Pyles through the import of 2018Jan27-Pyles-Gardiner-Allie.ged on Mar 6, 2018.