Major Simon WILLARD ¹

   Other names for Simon were Major, Representative and Assistant.

   Ancestral File Number: 35TX-PH. User ID: 4816/4830.

   General Notes:

Major WILLARD, Commander of Forces in Ninigret's & Phillip's Wars, Representative General Court of Massachusetts 1635-1657, Assistant Governor 1654-1676

BOOKS
A Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England, John Farmer, Genealogical Publishing Co, Lancaster MA 1829, p318:
WILLARD Simon, came from the county of Kent, and resided in Cambridge in 1634, from thence to Concord in 1635, to Lancaster as early as 1660, was of Groton in 1672, and, on the breaking up of that town in 1676, went to Salem, but d at Charlestown, 24 Apr 1676. He was early a military officer, and attained the rank of major, and commanded the forces in Ninigret's and Phillip's wars. He represented Concord 14 years, commencing with 1636, and was elected assistant 22 years from 1654 to his death. He m (1) Mary Sharp, (2) Elizabeth Dunster, sister of President Dunster, (3) Mary Dunster and had 9 sons: Josiah, who settled in Weathersfield; Samuel, minister of Groton and Boston; Simon b 23 Nov 1649, a deacon of Salem; Henry b 4 Jun 1655, who lived in Lancaster; John b 15 Jan 1657 who lived in Concord; Daniel b 9 Dec 1650 of Boston; Joseph b 4 Jan 1660 who went to England; Benjamin of Grafton; Jonathan born 14 Dec 1669 who settled in Sudbury. His daughters were two Elizabeths, the last the wife of Robert Blood; Mary, who m Cyprian Stevens; Sarah who m Nathaniel Howard; Hannah who m Capt Thomas Brintnall; Mercy who m Joshua Edmunds; Abovehope and Dorothy who d unmarried. In speaking of the loss of Major Willard and Richard Russell, Dr Increase Mather [Indian Wars, 32] says 'the death of a few such is as much as if thousands had fallen.' Hubbard calls him that 'worthy and experienced soldier,' and Rev Mr Pemberton calls him 'a sage patriot in our Israel, whose wisdom assigned him a seat at the council board, and his military skill and martial spirit entitled him to the chief place in the field.' A leter from him to the commissioners of the United Colonies, 1654, is presented in Hutch. Coll. 263-268.

ANCESTRY.COM 13 Aug 2000
Database: THE PIONEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS,
Simon, Cambridge, propr. 1634. Rem. to Concord. Sergeant; appointed to exercise the military company ]3 (S) 1636. [W.] "A Kentish soldier;" [J.] Was either deputy or Assistant for about 40 years. Major. Had a patent, with associates, in 1641, for trading with the Indians and collecting tribute from them. [L.] Rem. to Lancaster. Signature in inv. of Thomas Atkinson in 1646. A man of unusual energy, sagacity and character. He m. Mary, sister of Rev. Henry Dunster, q.v. Ch. [Mary, (m. Joshua Edmunds,) Elizabeth, (m. Robert Blood,) Josiah, Samuel,] Simon b. 31 (11) 1639, Sarah b. 24 (5) or 27 (4) 1642, [m. Nathaniel Howard,] Above-hope b. 30 (S) 1646, d. at Lanc. Dec. 23, 1663, Simon b. 23 (9) 1649, Mary b. 7 (7) 1653, [m. Cyprian Stevens,] Henry b. 4 June, 1655, John b. 30 June, 1657, Daniel b. 26 Dec. 1658, Joseph b. at Lanc. 4 (11) 1660, Benjamin, Hannah b. 6 (8) 1666, (m. Capt. Thomas Brintnall,) Jonathan b. Dec. 14, 1669. He was bur. 27 (2) 1676. [S.] Inv. of his est. filed 6 (1) 1676-7, by Mrs. Willard. She petitioned the Court in 1681, (having meantime married Joseph Noyes,) for further settlement of the estate, especially as to lands due him from the Indians, for the benefit of the six younger children, some of whom were "very young." The Willard Memoir states that at Horse-monden, Kent, Eng., there lived a Richard Willard, who had son Simon bapt. 8 April, 1605, and George bapt. 4 Dec. 1614, to whom he made beq. in his will, dated 12 Feb. 1616, prob. 9 March folg. It is believed that these are the above-mentioned pioneers.

FAMILY SEARCH ANCESTRAL FILE
Ancestral File v4.19 35TX-PH.

   Marriage Information:

Simon married Mary SHARP.

   Marriage Information:

Simon also married Elizabeth DUNSTER, daughter of Henry DUNSTER, Sr and Isabel KAYE. (Elizabeth DUNSTER was born in 1632 in Bury, Lancashire, England, christened on 15 Jul 1632 in Bury, Lancashire, England and died in 1693 in Bury, Lancashire, England.)

   Marriage Information:

Simon also married Mary DUNSTER, daughter of Henry DUNSTER, Sr and Isabel KAYE, in 1652 in Lancaster, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. (Mary DUNSTER was born on 15 Dec 1630 in Bury, Lancashire, England, christened on 25 Oct 1629 in Bury, Lancashire, England and died on 28 Dec 1715 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA.)