William Sawyer came from England and is first found in Salem, MAin 1640; afterwards in Wenham, MA in 1643 and the next year inNewberry, MA where he settled and raised his family. He was oneof the founders of the Baptist Church at Newberry in 1682. Helived in or near what is now West Newberry, MA.!Birth: "Gen. Index of the Sawyer Fam. of N.E. Prior to 1900";by Fred Sawyer "Some Desc. of Wm. Sawyer of Newbury, Mass"; byW.S. Appleton, 1891 "Gen. & Fam. History of N.H., Vol. 1"; byEzra S. Stearns, 1908 "Gen. of Edward Small"; by "Old Fam. ofSalisbury & Amesbury"; by D. W. Hoyt!Marriage: "Gen. Index of the Sawyer Fam. of N.E. Prior to1900"; by F. Sawyer!Death: "Some Desc. of Wm. Sawyer of Newbury, Mass"; by W.S.Appleton "Old Fam. of Salisbury & Amesbury"; by D.W. Hoyt. (saysb/f 1 Mar. 1702) "Gen. of Edward Small"; bySome records give this William as born at Leighton BuzzardParish, Bedfordshire, England the son of Francis Sawyer andElizabeth Atkins. These sources list Williams wife as RuthMonsall. There seems to be no evidence to either prove ordisprove this information. The most generaly accepted data isthat given above.William received a grant of land in Salem,Mass. in 1642. Thisproperty was known as "Sawyer's Playne". He is also believed tohave resided at Wenham, Mass., before finally settling atNewbury, Mass.In Newbury town records, William is found listed as thefollowing: Fence Viewer 1666-1671 Surveyor 1676-1677Tithingman 1678-1685William became a member of the First Baptist Church of Boston,Mass. in 1681. His wife also joined at this time. In 1682 abranch of this church was formed in Newbury, and John andWilliam Sawyer were listed as members.
William Sawyer, born about 1613, was of Salem, now Wenham, in1642, where he received a grant of land. Three years later, heappeared in Newbury, Massachusetts, and settled beside theMerrimac River, near the meeting-house, in that part of townafterward called the West Parish. In 1652, as a townsman ofNewbury, he was entitled to "purchase the privilege ofCommonage." He was elected to the following offices in the townfor the term of one year: fence viewer, April 2, 1666, and April3, 1671; surveyor of highways, March 5, 1676-77; tithing-man,March 24, 1679-80, and March 22, 1685-86. On May 14, 1654, withmany others, he signed a petition from Newbury to the GeneralCourt in behalf of "our loving friend, Lieutenant Robert Pike,of Salisbury;" and on May 21, 1663, as "Willi : Sayor," hejoined in a petition to the same court against the fine imposedupon Dr. Greenland, of Newbury, who had practised as a physicianwithout a "License under the hand of a magistrate." In 1678,William Sawyer took the oath of allegiance.The name of his wife was Ruth. With the spread of Baptistteachings, he and his wife and son John became members of theFirst Baptist Church at Boston in 1681. The following year, heand his eldest son founded a church of that faith in Newbury;but it did not flourish, and soon became extinct.By grant and by purchase he became the possessor of a number ofacres, upon which was built the house that he occupied, near themain road in the West Parish. When "An Invoys"