Person:William Waters (15)

Waters, William, son of Edward Waters, of Elizabeth City county, was high sheriff of Northampton county in 1652, major of militia in March, 1652, and a justice of the quorum; burgess for Northampton in 1654 and 1659-1660. He married the widow of George Clarke, and his will probated in 1685 names sons William, Richard, Thomas, John, Obedience and Edward.

Col William Waters
Birth 1623, Elizabeth City Beach, Camden County, North Carolina, USA
Death 29 Jul 1689 (aged 65–66), Accomac, Accomack County, Virginia, USA
Burial Unknown
[No sources]

Parents, Edward Waters, 1589–1630; Grace O'Neil Waters Robins, 1603–1681
Siblings, Mary Waters Tull, 1624 – unknown
Spouse Margaret Robins Waters, 1630–1665
Children Thomas Waters, 1657–1695

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William Waters was born abt 1623 in Blount Point, Elizabeth City, Accomack County in the colony of Virginia. William was the son of Capt. Edward Waters (1589-1630) and Lady Grace (O'Neil) Waters (1603-1681). William married Dorothy Marriott (1622-1650) in 1642 [sic -- and wrong].

Col. William Waters married Margaret Robins in 1652 in Blount Point, Elizabeth City, Accomack County, Virginia Colony. Margaret was the daughter of Col. Obedience Robins (1600-1662) and Margaret Robins(maiden name unknown). Col. William and Margaret Waters were the parents of the following known children: William, Richard, John, Thomas, Edward and Obedience Waters. Margaret died at the age of 40 in 1665.

William Waters became the first elected sheriff in America. The Northampton County record of 1651 reads: "That this day Leift. Wm. Waters a gent. Accordige to the Instruccons directed to ye Comissions & Inhabitants of this County By Pluralitye of voyces was nominated & made choyce of to be high sherr of Northampton Counties from this present daye dureinge ye accustomed tyme".

William Waters was member of the assembly in Northampton County, Virginia 1654-1660; Burgess 1666-1676; Officer, Colonial Army, Major, 1659; Colonel, 1676; Vestryman Hungar's Parish, Northampton County, 1676.

Col. William Waters died on 29 Jul 1689 in Accomac, Accomack, Virginia, United States. He was 66 years old.


Will of William Waters:
In the name of God, Amen. I, William Waters of Northampton County in Virginia, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in writing in manner and forme as followeth: .....

Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son William Waters and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever all my plantation I now dwell upon lying in the aforesaid county with all the housings orchards and ____ thereon and to belonging forever: and if my said son William Waters shall depart this life and leave no heirs of his body lawfully begotten then my will & desire is that my well beloved sons Obedience Waters and Thomas Waters shall have hold and enjoy my above said plantation with all what thereabouts belongeth asaforesaid to them and their heirs forever..

Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Edward Waters part of my devident of land that I have at Animess in Somerset County in the Province of Maryland all that part of my said devident that I have settled and built upon and cleared and fenced upon it lying and bordering on ye north side of Animess River beginning at and bight or branch all along the river side unto the land of Thomas Tull which was formerly given to ditto Tull by me: and so alongst by the said Thomas Tull unto my head line and from the said Thomas Tull alongst my headline as far as against the head of the bight or branch aforesaid that parts the low neck and my calfs pasture this part of my devident I say I do hereby give and bequeath unto my son Edward Waters and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, forever, and for want of such heirs my will and desire is that my well beloved sons Obedience & Thomas Waters shall hold and enjoy my above said plantacon according to ye bounds aforesaid to them & their heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Richard Waters and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever the other half of my neck of land called ye Low Neck. It being part of my devident of land I have at Somerset County in the Province of Maryland aforesaid. I say part of this land called the Low Neck that lyeth and adjoyneth unto the land I have given aforesaid unto my son Edward Waters: and the other half of the said land called Low Neck I do hereby give, will and bequeath unto my well beloved son John Waters and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever and if my son Richard Waters shall depart this life and leave no heirs of his body lawfully begotten, then my will and desire is that my well beloved son John Waters shall have hold and enjoy all that part of the land abovesaid hereby given to my son Richard Waters to him the said John Waters and his heirs forever: and if my said son John Waters shall depart this life and leave no heirs of his body lawfully begotten then my will and desire is that my well beloved son Richard Waters shall have & enjoy all that part of the land above I hereby give unto my son John Waters and to his heirs forever..

Item. I will & desire that all my just debts bee justly paid. A list whereof I doe intend to draw out & leave with my son William Waters, but if I doe not I think my books will show them all..

Item. I will & bequeath all the rest of my estate whatsoever I have in Virginia or in Maryland or in Europe or in any other place in this world I do hereby give & bequeath it all unto my six sons William Waters and Edward Waters and Richard Waters and John Waters and Obedience Waters and Thomas Waters and they all to live apart and not to be divided until my son Edward Waters attain the age of twenty one years and then a just decision to God made and my three eldest sons William Waters and Edward Waters and Richard Waters to have their due share of all my personal estate and my three youngest sons (John Waters, Obediennce Waters & Thomas Waters) share and share, to be and remain in the custody of my executor who hereafter I shall nominate and through it to maintain them in case my advisors shall advise my executor to the contrary which I leave wholly to their decision..

Item. I do hereby constitute my well beloved son William Waters executor of this my last will and testament and I do hereby earnestly intrust my well beloved friends Thomas Ebernden and George Johnson and Timothy Coe and Thomas Brown and Daniel Eyre and my dearly beloved brother John Robins to be advising and assisting my executor and all my sons in whatsoever they may see them stand in need of. And I do intreat my cozon (cousin) Charles Hall and Cozon Thomas Tull to take care of my plantation and my stock there now upon until my children come to enjoy it to whom I have bequeathed it and to help my executor therein what they can. I do hereby authorize my executor that when my son Edward Waters attains lawful age and that my estate be equally shared amongst all my children then I desire Thomas Brown, Benjamin Stratton and Charles Hall to take into their care and custody my three sons John Waters and Obedience Waters and Thomas Waters and part or all their estate if they should think it fit for I would not have my friends decide my children kindness and loose by it and if they do so think it fit I desire and intreat my couzin Charles & Thomas Browne to take Obedience Waters and Benjamin Stratton to take Thomas Waters until my said three sons can shift for themselves or as my executor and they shall agree for what time they shall keep them. In testimony and confirmation of the contents hereof as being my LW&T I have herunto set my hand and seal this 8th day of ye 10th in 1685..

Signed: William Waters