William Davis (1688-1757) and Keziah Cudworth of Freetown, Massachusetts

William Davis was born 11 June 1688 at Freetown, Bristol County, Massachusetts to William and Mary (Makepeace) Davis. [Freetown Vital Records on Ancestry] 

On 24 July 1712 William married Keziah Cudworth. [Taunton Vital Records p 137] Keziah was born Scituate about 1694, the daughter of James and Elizabeth “Betty”  (Hatch) Cudworth. I have not found Keziah’s birth record but she did, as Kathiah Davis, receive a 25 pound bequest, in addition to what she had already been given, in her father James Cudworth of Freetown’s 11 March 1729 will. [Bristol County Probate Probates, Vol 5-7, 1724-1733, available on Ancestry] Keziah is the great-granddaughter of James 1 Cudworth, an influential man in the colony, a General in the military, and a believer in religious tolerance. William and Keziah are my 8th great-grandparents on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

Births of the ten children of William and Keziah Davis are recorded in Freetown Vital Records [Ancestry, “Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records 1620-1988]: 

1. William born 21 Feb 1712/3; m. Elizabeth Paine

2. Mary born 25 February 1714/5; m. Benjamin Hathaway

3. James born 13 Sept 1716; m. Susanna Gage

4. Lydia born 25 March 1719; m. Nathan Simmons

5. David born 9 January 1720/21;  m. Remember Terry

6. Hezekiah born 25 Feb 1722/23; m. Margaret Parker

7. Keziah born 9 March 1724/5; m. Ignatius Perkins

8. Elizabeth born 27 May 1727

9. Abiel born 21 Oct 1729; m. Susannah Gage

10. Ichabod born 1 April 1732;  m. Sylvia Chase

I descend from daughter Keziah. I wrote about her and husband Ignatius Perkins here.

William was active in Freetown town affairs. He was constable in 1724, grand juryman in 1726 and tithingman in 1721 and 1726. [Ebenezer Peirce; see Sources]

Some researchers have William marrying, second, Zerviah Hatch of Scituate, intentions 8 February 1753. He is called “Junior” in the record, so I don’t believe it is this William. And although Zerviah and Keziah are similar it does look like Keziah is the wife named in William’s will.

William Davis died in 1757, sometime between 6 July, when he wrote his will, and 1 November, when he will was proven. He was 69 years old. Keziah survived her husband, but I have not found her death record. 

William’s will was written 6 July 1757 at Freetown. He mentions wife Keziah; sons Ichabod, James, William, Heze[k]iah, Abiel; daughter Mary Hathaway; son-in-law Nathan Simmons; unnamed children of daughter Lidiah; unnamed children of son David; daughter Keziah Perkins. Son Ichabod and second son William received his land, with wife Keziah having use of half of the northerly end of the Freetown house and one cow and its calf during her lifetime. Ichabod and James were to pay their father’s funeral expenses and other debts and pay bequests to their siblings/nieces/nephews in specific amounts from $1 to $2 within 6 to 12 months of their father’s death. Ichabod is named executor. Proved 1 November 1757.

William’s inventory was taken 25 Jan 1758[?/9] by Philip Hathaway, George Winslow, and

Ambrose Barnaby; presented 1 May 1759. It does not contain real estate and totaled 28  pounds 9 shillings 3 pence. It contained household items, books, farming supplies, and eight head of livestock. It also contained a button mould, spoon mould and shot mould valued at 9 shillings, things I haven’t seen in any other ancestor’s inventories. 

Sources Not Mentioned Above:

Gen. Ebenezer W. Peirce (communicated by), NEHGS Register,"The Posterity of William Davis of Freetown," 20: 212-217 (July 1866)

NEHGS Register, “The Settlers of the Beekman Patent,” Vol 4:38

NEHGS/American Ancestors website, “Bristol County, MA: Probate File Papers 1686-1880,” case no. 7837, pages 1-12 [William’s probate record]

Ethel (Aldrich) Gallotta/indexer, Freetown, Massachusetts Vital Records: Births, Marriage Intentions, and Deaths 1686-1793, (Providence RI) 1969 Copied from City Clerk’s office records in Fall River, Mass.