William (Williams),3 one of the outstanding ministers of colonial New England, was born on the 2nd February, 1665. He graduated at Harvard College in 1683 at the early age of 18, being one of a class of three of whom the others were his first cousin, John3 Williams, afterwards famous as one of the captives in the Deerfield Massacre, and the Rev. Samuel Danforth, Jr., also of Roxbury. … "settled over the church in Hatfield, Mass., in 1685 before he had reached the age of 21 years. 'There he continued labouring with great zeal and exerting a wide influence until death put a period to both his ministry and his life.' " He married first, on the 8th July, 1686, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Seaborn Cotton and Dorothy (Bradstreet) Cotton of Hampton, N. H. … Mr. Williams married, second, on the 9th August, 1699, Christian, third daughter of Rev. Solomon Stoddard and Esther [Warham (Mather)] Stoddard, his wife, of Northhampton, Mass. … The Rev. William3 Williams published many sermons, after the custom of the time. Some were upon the occasion of ordinations to the ministry, others funeral sermons. Not, one would think, light reading even for a race which took life as seriously as did the Puritans. Perhaps in more popular vein were his "Election Sermon" of 1719 and a "Convention Sermon" of 1726. … Mr. Williams died on the 29th August, 1741, and, in turn, his funeral sermon was preached by his wife's nephew, the famous Jonathan Edwards, afterwards president of Princeton College. … This inscription is on his tombstone in the Hatfield burying-ground:— "The tomb of the Rev. William Williams, the evangelical Pastor of Hatfield, who died 29th August 1741 in the 76th year of his age, and 56th of his ministry. 'My flesh shall rest in hope, for Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.' "
