Surname Saturday ~ WYMAN of Woburn, Massachusetts

2015 Wyman Family Reunion
at the Francis Wyman Homestead
circa 1666, Burlington, Massachusetts

Francis Wyman (1617 – 1699), my 9^th great grandfather, is the immigrant ancestor of a large number of descendants.  He came over with his brother, John Wyman, along with his uncles, Samuel and Thomas Richardson in 1636.  The first record of all four of these kinsmen was in 1640 when they signed the town order for Charlestown Village – now known as Woburn, Massachusetts.  Francis was made a freeman in 1657. The two brothers became tanners in Woburn.

In 1658 his father, Francis Wyman, Senior, wrote in his will “I do give and bequeath unto my two sons Francis Wyman and John Wyman which are beyond sea ten pounds a piece of Lawful English money to be paid unto them by mine executor if they be in want and come over to demand the same.”

There is a Wyman Street in Woburn where John had a house.  And in 1666 Francis Wyman built his homestead that still stands on Francis Wyman Road in what is now the town of Burlington, Massachusetts.  It is now owned by the Francis Wyman Association.

Francis Wyman had several Scots prisoners of war as indentured servants in his tannery.  He also had a slave.  In his will he left “a Negro girl named Jebyna” to his wife.  100 years later four WYMAN households in Woburn still had one slave each.  [“Slavery was part of Winchester History” by Ellen Knight, Daily Times Chronicle, Winchester Edition, Feb. 24, 2000]   He is often confused with Frances WICOM/WICOMB, who testified against Margaret Scott of Rowley during the 1692 Salem witch trials.  Many books state that it was Francis Wyman, but they are different people, a woman from Rowley versus a man from Woburn.

Francis Wyman is buried in Woburn at the Old Burial Ground, and his epitaph reads:

"Here lyes ye body of Francis Wyman, aged about 82 years, died November 28th, 1699"  "Memento Mori-Fugit Hora."  "ye memory of ye just is blessed"

2012 Wyman Family Reunion

For more information:

The Francis Wyman Association     http://wymanassociation.org/

Wyman Genealogy  https://www.wyman.org/

The History of Woburn, Massachusetts by Samuel Sewall,  1869

The Richardson Memorial: Comprising a Full History and Genealogy of the three brothers Ezekiel, Samuel and Thomas Richardson,  by John Adams Vinton,  1876.

Some Descendants of Francis Wyman of Woburn, Massachusetts, by Mrs. Bernard Woodke, 1990 [manuscript at NEHGS Mss C 3920]

My WYMAN genealogy:

Generation 1:  Francis Wyman, son of Francis Wyman and Elizabeth Richardson, born 2 May 1617 in Westmill, Herfordshire, England, died 28 November 1699 in Woburn, Massachusetts; married second on 2 October 1650 in Woburn to Abigail Reed, daughter of William Reed and Mabel Kendall and mother of his children.  She was born 30 December 1634 in Dorchester, Massachusetts and died before 1699. He was previously married on 30 January 1644 in Woburn to Judith Pierce, daughter of John Pierce and Elizabeth Hart.  She was born about 1623 in Norwich, Norfolk, England and died in 1644, the year they were married.  Twelve children with his second wife, Abigail.

Generation 2: Nathaniel Wyman, born 25 November 1655 in Woburn, died 8 December 1717 in Woburn; married on 28 June 1692 in Woburn to Mary Winn, daughter of Increase Winn and Hannah Satell.  She was born 1 May 1670 in Woburn, and died 7 June 1743 in Woburn.  Twelve children.

Generation 3: Increase Wyman, born 1 March 1707 in Woburn, died 5 September 1739 in Woburn; married on 11 March 1730 in Woburn to Deborah Pierce, the daughter of Ebenezer Pierce and Mary Wilson.  She was born 17-9 in Woburn, and died in 1739.  Five children.

Generation 4:  Increase Wyman,  born 4 June 1732 in Burlington, Massachusetts, and died before 1776; married before 1755 to Catherine Unknown. Ten children.

Generation 5:  Jemima Wyman, born 10 February 1757 in Billerica, Massachusetts, died 6 September 1843 in South Boston, Massachusetts; married on 21 January 1779 to Colonel Joshua Burnham, son of Stephen Burnham and Mary Andrews.  He was born 26 January 1754 in Gloucester, Massachusetts and died 7 June 1835 in Milford, New Hampshire.  Eleven children.

Generation 6: Jemima Burnham m. Romanus Emerson

Generation 7:  George Emerson m. Mary Esther Younger

Generation 8: Mary Katharine Emerson m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 9: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 10: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ WYMAN of Woburn, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 6, 20116,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/08/surname-saturday-wyman-of-woburn.html: accessed [access date]).