With that being said...
The exact origin of emigration to the colonies for Robert Williams is a matter of speculation. One of the earliest documented instances of Robert Williams in the colonies is on 24 September 1641 (24th 7th month 1641, MBCR v1 p 341) when he and Edward Goodwin were made lessees of the Winnisimmet Ferry.
A few months later Robert is mentioned in the Boston Town records when he was admitted as a townsman on 28 March 1642 (28th 1st month 1642, Boston Record, v2 p68), to the church on 10 April 1642 and as a freeman to the Colony on 10 May 1643 (10th 3rd month 1643, MBCR v2 p293).
A male residing in the Massachusetts Bay Colony could become a freeman if the following requirements were met:
1) At least 21 years of age,
2) Member of the authorized Church,
3) Formal proposition to the General Court,
4) Acceptance of the proposition by the authorities and
5) Taking of the freeman's oath.(See The Suffrage Franchise in the Thirteen Colonies in America, Albert Edward McKinley, 1905)
Based on these requirements, it would be safe to assume that Robert was born no later than 1621. Since he was in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1640’s, one would assume that Robert was born in England and emigrated to the colonies from there.
One theory on the origin of Robert Williams uses his lease of the ferry as a possible clue. The Winnisimmet Ferry was ordered to be setup between Boston and Charlestown on 9 November 1630. After one unsuccessful attempt, Thomas Williams setup the ferry on 18 May 1631 as the records indicate:
Thom: Willms hath vndertaken to sett vpp a fferry betwixte Winnettsemt & Charlton, for which hee is to haue after 3d a pson, & from Winnettsemt to Boston 4d a pson.
Thomas Williams was admitted to the colony as a freeman on 18 May 1631. He requested to be a freeman on 19 October 1630 as Thomas Williams alias Harris. Thomas arrived with the Winthrop Fleet and appears twice on the ships’ passenger lists as recreated by Charles Edward Banks. He is listed as Thomas Harris with his wife Elizabeth and again as Thomas Williams alias Harris. A Robert Williams is listed with Thomas Williams alias Harris. The manner in which Robert is listed suggests that he was a minor at the time of his voyage.
Through researching various sources, it has been discovered that Thomas Harris alias Williams emigrated from Hatherop, Gloucestershire, England. Based on the passenger list for the Winthrop Fleet, the use of the Williams alias and the leasing of the ferry by Robert Williams, it is assumed that some familial relationship existed between Robert Williams and Thomas Harris. Robert may well have emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from Gloucestershire, England.
An examination of the 17th century use of an alias can help shed light on potential reasons Thomas Harris used the surname Williams. The use of an alias in the 17th century was substantially different than current day use of the term. Most commonly in the 17th century an alias was used to indicate one of two things. First, an alias was used to further specify the individuality of a person. Another way to consider the word “alias” is to think of the words “of” or “from”. If an individual had a common given name and surname, an alias would have been used to further specify the individual in legal documents. In our case, Thomas was a very common given name in the 17th century in England, as well as the Harris (Harrys) surname. The clarifying alias was normally determined by either the home parish of the individual or the first name of the individual’s father. The second common use of an alias was also used to indicate the rightful genealogy of an individual. Usually the alias was the maiden surname of the mother of the person. This alias would be used in legal documents to indicate that the specified individual did indeed have a birthright with relation to their mother’s surname.
There is no known documented reason as to why Thomas Harris used the alias of Williams. It has been suggested that Thomas’s wife, Elizabeth, was a Williams and Thomas accepted that surname as an alias. However, his wife and all of their children used the surname of Harris. It would be expected that if Thomas were to take an alias and a new surname that the rest of his family would do likewise. In addition, other researchers have given Elizabeth the maiden surname of Hills, Cutter and Wade. Other researchers have simply left Elizabeth’s surname as Unknown.
I believe there are three possible reasons Thomas would have used the alias of Williams. One obvious reason was that Thomas’s father was William Harris. To use the alias of Williams would have followed the common practice of the alias being used to specify the individual with the use of that individual’s father’s given name. However, Thomas and Elizabeth Harris are the only known Harris passengers with the Winthrop Fleet. A second possible reason for the use of the Williams alias may have been necessitated due to the bringing of the minor Robert Williams along with the Harris family. Adding an alias of Williams may have indicated a familial relationship between Thomas Harris and Robert Williams. If a familial relationship is implied with the alias, then there are a couple of ways that Thomas and Robert were probably related. If Elizabeth Harris had the surname of Williams prior to her marriage to Thomas, Robert could have been Elizabeth’s nephew. He also could have been a son of a previous marriage for Elizabeth. Another possible relationship would be that Robert is a nephew of Thomas. Thomas had four brothers; Edmund, Daniel, William and Robert. It is plausible that Robert Williams was the son of William Harris, thus actually being named at birth Robert Harris. In order to avoid confusion as to being one of Thomas’s sons, Robert may have taken the surname of Williams instead. Thomas Harris died in 1632 and no will or probate records belonging to him or his estate have been located.
This is one theory which admittedly has been constructed through circumstantial evidence and speculations. What is clear is that Robert Williams first appears in the MCR's in 1641. He very well may have immigrated as an adult and just prior to his lease of the ferry.
Robert’s lease of the Winnisimmet Ferry is recorded in the Massachusetts Colonial Records.
Whereas wee, whose names are underwritten, were ordered to settle the ferry between Boston & Winnetsemet, wee do therefore hearby certify, that wee have (according to or best care & judgment) done hearin, viz: Wee have let it unto Edward Goodwin & Robert Williams, to bee carefully & diligently attended to the content of the country, & that the said pties abovesaid shall alow unto the treasury six pounds p annu, & hould it for the space of one whole yeare from the 25th of this psent 7th mo, 1641; and for two years more in case they give content unto the country, & they themselues desire to hould it.WILLI: TYNGE,THOM: COYTEMORE,ROBERT SEDGWICK,ROBERT WILLIAMS,EDWARD GOODWIN
It appears that the enterprise wasn’t entirely profitable. One year later the colony records record the following:
The tenants of the ferry from Boston to Winnestsemet are remitted all the former rent, & 40 shs p @ is remitted for time to come, onely they are to passé the matrats & deputies freely, in the countryes service.
Robert continued to lease the ferry until his death on 18 Nov 1677. Samuel Sewall writes in his diary, "Nov. 18 Sabbathday one Williams, an old Man, the Winisimet Ferry man cut his own throat." One month previous, Robert had written his will on 12 October 1677. His will was proved 30 January 1677/78 and can be found in the Suffolk Probate Records.
Robert Williams: Ex.: Joseph Williams, son. Legatees: Joseph Williams, eldest son land on which his house stands & the right to a passageway between house which I now live in & his brother Benjamin's house also I give him a six foot way in front of his door also I give him 1/3 of my beach below the way which is below my house & his part to be the middle part of said beach of wharf. To son Benjamin Williams all the land below his house down to the highway with 1/3 of the beach or wharfs. To my daughter Phoebe Eglow & her children my house with 1/3 part of the beach or wharfe which belongs to me which part is next to Mr. Rucks wharfe & fourteen feet of ground from the higher end of my house. To my son Joseph's eldest son & to my son Benjamin's eldest son all my right to that land which is above the land given to my son Joseph. To my granddaughter Mary Eglow all my land above the well not before granted. If any remains after all my are paid I give 1/2 to my daughter Pheobe & the other 1/2 to my two sons Joseph & Benjamin.
A description of his land can be found in Suffolk Deeds when Phoebe sold her land in 1706.
October 8, 1706 Estate of Robert Williams: Phebe Eglin, widow of John (tailor), and Abraham Pullen (hatter) and wife Mary, and Margaret Martyn, widow, and Phebe Eglin, maiden, deed to James Freeman (brewer) land formerly Robert Williams', North End; land Mr. Ruck S.E., Benjamin Williams and heirs of Capt. Thomas Berry N.W., highway N.E., heirs of Capt. Berry S.W. Commercial
Robert's land was a portion of land which was originally owned by Nicholas Parker. There are deeds recorded for the transfer of Parker's land to other owners, except for the lot eventually owned by Robert Williams.
The name of Robert’s wife is not known. It appears once in the Boston birth records for Joseph’s birth, but it was illegible to the transcriber. Robert and his wife had the following children:
Joseph (July 1641, baptized on 17 April 1642), Boston, Suffolk, MA
Phoebe (27 August 1643), Boston, Suffolk, MA; married William Eglin
Benjamin (June 1645), Boston, Suffolk, MA
