Transcript:Savage, James. Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England/v3p421

"at a despicable planta. on the riv. Kennebeck," wh. is by Folsom,
a soberer writer, said to be on the W. side, now Phipsburg, m. Mary,
wid. of john Hull (not the mint-master), d. of Roger Spencer of
Saco, but had no ch. was driv. by Ind. hostil. to Boston 1676, and I discov.
him there in command of a trading vessel, 1677; he prevail. by his
earnest desire to hunt up a Spanish wreck, in getting, 1683, a king's
ship, the Algier Rose, and in a contempo. Memoir of Sir John Brampston
(s. of the old judge, who sat in the immortal cause of John Hampden
for the ship money), I find this condensed descript. of him, as "a sea capt. who
was will skill, in mathemat. and had acquaint. hims. in India with
some that had the art of diving; having some guess where the ship perished,
apprehend. he could recov. the treas." Good luck attend. his undertak.
but a mod. Eng. author of distinct. wh. ascrib. to him the invent.
of a diving-bell for his purpose, ought to know that Edward Bendall had
used his diving-bell successful. in Boston harbor, near eight yrs. bef.
Sir William was b. and may read in Winthrop Hist. of N. E. that the noble
machine was next yr. employed at St. Kitts. For his success he was
knight. by James II. 28 June 1687, and after his return here, was made,
by Andros, Sheriff of N. E. Happi, he join. the ch. of Cotton Mather
8 Mar. 1690, was freem. a fortnight later, and, as his spiritual guide exulting.
tells, was bapt. 23d of that mo. this being almost a yr. after the
revo. against that power that made him sheriff, and in May 1690 he conducted
the little attack, by only seven hundred men, on the French of
Nova Scotia, with success, and was chos. an Assit. at the ensuing elect.
The great expedit. that sail. in Aug. foll. against Quebec, was project. by
him, "as well formed an enterprise," says Mather, "as perhaps was ever
made by the N. E." tho. in this, the world's opinion has not concur. He
was not content to have the nautical control merely, in wh. his experience
could have been useful, but, with greater generosity than skill or
propriety, assum. the direction of the land forces, thereby saving the
reputa. of Walley, our ch. milit. officer, to the injury of his own. on the
failure of this Quixotic campaign, he went to London, 1691, with intent.
to seek aid from the new king in ano. attempt upon the bulwark of French
empire in the world; but was most lucki. divert. from that pursuit,
by the appointm. as Gov. in the new chart. on the recommend. of
Increase Mather to the king. With Mather and the chart. he arr. at Boston
14 May 1692, but his incapac. was soon discern. and in two yrs. for indecent
or boisterous conduct he was recall. from the prov. to London,
and there d. 18 Feb. 1695. A monum. to his mem. stands in the ch. of
St. Mary Woolnoth. In Mass. the history of his admin. is the melancholy
monum. for his public breach of the peace was a scandal that
never before any other ch. magistr. and the horrible delusion of the witch-