Individual Details

William was a son of the Rev. Richard Edwards, by his wife Anne, daughter of Mrs. Julian Munter.

Original Distribution of Lands In Hartford Among the Settlers, 1639, Hartford, 1912
p.353 1646
Land in Harford upon Connecticut River belonging to William Edwordes.
One parcel on which his dwelling house now stands with yards and gardens, two roods. Abuts on the meeting house lot on the South, the prisonhouse yard on the East, Thomas Burnams land on the West, Rich: Goodmans land on the North
One part of which he bought of John Morres.
One parcel which he had in exchange of Mr. John Pantrey in the North meadow, four acres. Eight rod wide, abuts the highway East, John Marsh on the North, John Pantrys land on the South and the Neck of land on the West.
p.354
22 Oct 1663
Wm Edwards hath granted & confirmed to Agnes Edwards his wife and to her heirs his dwelling house and shop together with his home lot, it now stands upon. Also a parcel in the North meadow, four acres. Also all the movables, household stuff, goods & apparel whatsoever which are in the dwelling house at present (his own and servants clothes & working tools only excepted). Also one cow and all his swine to be her & her heirs for ever. Under his hand and seal. Witnessed by John Tallcott & John Allyn.
Recorded 2 Feb 1663.

Posted on FindAGrave.com"
William Edwards, son of Richard Edwards and Ann Munter, purportedly bapt. Nov. 1, 1618 at the parish of St. Botolph's without Aldgate, at east London, England. He emigrated to New England on an unknown date with the family of his mother and stepfather, James Cole.

William is called the son of Richard Edwards in the English will of his maternal grandfather, Henry Munter, dated at East Smithfield, London on Oct. 23, 1638, and as the son of Richard Edwards, deceased, in the English will of his maternal grandmother Julian Munter, dated Jan. 3, 1646/7. Thereafter on Dec. 11, 1647:

• Agnes the wife of Wm Edwardes of Hartford uppon Connecticot by vertue of a procuration from her said husband dated 4 (9)[Nov.] 1647 signed Wm Edwards & sealed, witnessed John Talcott & John Steele, ordained Timothie Prout of Boston mariner her lawfull Atturney, granting him power in her & her husbands name to aske &c: all such money plate househould goods or chattells of & from the Executors of the last will of Jeelian [Julian] late wife of Henry Mumter [Munter] of Buttalls Algate [St. Botolph without Aldgate] parish in London deceased, & to acquitt, sue &c: arrest: & power to substitute one Attur. or more...[Aspinwall Notarial Records, 1644-1651, p. 113-14.]

On Mar. 4, 1656/7 William was fined at Hartford for smoking in the street, but was otherwise free of civil complications at Hartford. He was admitted a freeman of Hartford and of the Conn. Colony on May 20, 1658.

James Cole, William's stepfather, died testate at Hartford with his estate inventory taken in Nov. 1652. The widow Ann was named sole executrix and Cole's will includes "I give all my Coopers tooles equally to be divided between my well beloved sonne William Edwards and my Loving Coussin Henry Coale." (Manwaring: Hartford Prob. Dist., Vol. I:108-9).

William Edward's mother Ann (Munter)(Edwards) Cole died at Hartford Feb. 20, 1679/80. Before her death she made a verbal disposition of her estate:

• Mrs. Cole declaring that it was her minde, that after her decease, her home and lande should be to her son William Edwards, he only, to have the use & Improvement for himselfe & wife during their natural life, & then it should return to her grandson Richard Edwards & to his heires forever, and the like dispose she made of the other part of her estate, as appeares by the testimony of Mr. Samuel Willys, Mr. Jonathan Gilbert, and Wm. Edwards, which the Court approves of & confirmes, & this Court grants administration upon the estate to Richard Edwards, who accepted the same in Court. (Hartford Prob. Dist., vol. IV, Court Record, p. 23, Mar. 4, 1679/80.)

On Dec. 11, 1645 at Hartford, Conn., William m. Agnes Harris, the widow of William Spencer of Hartford, Conn. William was a cooper, his occupation mentioned as such in the records of the Town of Hartford (Hartford Town Votes). He was living on May 4, 1668 when he, "in behalf of his wife Agnis," sued Nathaniel Bearding regarding an illegal trespass of land on the east side of the Connecticut River. (Manwaring: Hartford Prob. Dist., Vol. I:194.) William was still residing at Hartford on Mar. 4, 1679/80 when he testified regarding his mother's verbal will that left her house to William and his wife Agnes to reside in for the remainder of their lives.

A DIGEST OF THE EARLY CONNECTICUT PROBATE RECORDS, 1663 to 1677. (Ancestry.com)
Court Record, Page 77--7 May, 1668:
William Edwards, in behalf of his wife, Agnis, Plaintiff; Contra Nath: Bearding, Dfnt.,
in an Action of the Case for Illegall possession of Land belonging to the sd. Edwards, lying on the east side of the Great River, for a Surrender of the sd. Land.

William Edwards and Agnes Harris had only one known child:

• i. Richard Edwards, Esq., b. at Hartford May 1, 1647; d. testate at Hartford Apr. 20, 1718, Æ 71. He m. 1) Elizabeth Tuttle by whom he had six children, and 2) Mary Talcott by whom he had an additional six children.

A DIGEST OF THE EARLY CONNECTICUT PROBATE RECORDS, 1663 to 1677. (Ancestry.com)
Page 129--6 March, 1672-3:
Richard Edwards, as Atty. to his Mother Agnis Edwards, plft.; contra Daniel Arnold,
in an Action of Debt due upon balance of Accot., with Damage to the value of £6.

There is no record of the exact date of William Edwards' death. He was most likely interred at Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground, the only cemetery that existed at Hartford at the time of his death. But, by 1853 he did not have a discernable gravestone, if he had one to begin with.

Christen	1 Nov 1618	St. Botolph's without Aldgate, Middlesex, England
Marriage	11 Dec 1645	Hartford, Hartford/Middlesex County, Connecticut - AGNES HARRIS
Death	Aft 1680

Spouse	AGNES HARRIS ( - 1680)
Child	Richard Edwards (1647 - 1718)