1640 to 1751
Four Generations in Massachusetts
First Generation
Thomas Wilder our founding father married Anna or "Hannah” her last name is still not confirmed. At one point it was thought her last name was Eames, but the note below disproves this. Strike 1 for another Wilder mystery. What is Anna/Hannah’s last name?
They married very soon after Thomas became a “Freeman” of the Church. This was at the most 3 years after arriving in the Colony. Puritans who left England would seek a church to join, as for Puritans, all community decisions were being made through the church and the sooner you joined one, the sooner you could be aligned with your brethren.
According to Clemens, Marriage Records before 1699, 1926 and Genealogy Magazine, July 1930. “However, she (Anna wife of Thomas Wilder) was not the daughter of Anthony and Margery Eames, as that Anna Eames married William Ford and lived with him to an old age. Some say Thomas married Anna Johnson of Boston, a sister to Elizabeth who’s husband Robert Mears, in his will, called Thomas Wilder of Lancaster his brother.
You can follow our branch of the Thomas Wilder tree by noting the children’s names in bold letters.
Thomas Wilder and Anna (or Hannah) had 6 children.
Mary Wilder born June 30, 1642
Thomas Wilder born Sept. 14, 1644
John Wilder born 1646
Elizabeth Wilder born 1648
Ebenezer Wilder born about 1651/D. Oct. 23, 1667 - He is named in the will.
Nathaniel Wilder born Nov. 3, 1655
Second Generation
Nathaniel Wilder, Son of Thomas
We now follow Thomas' youngest son Nathaniel Wilder. He was born November 3, 1655 and died July 31, 1704 at Lancaster, Mass at the age of 54. Nathaniel Wilder married Mary Sawyer, daughter of Thomas Sawyer and Mary Prescott. They were married on November 24, 1673. Mary Sawyer was born January 2, 1652. Her father Thomas Sawyer was born August 16, 1616 in Lincolnshire, England and died September 12, 1706 in Lancaster. Her mother Mary Prescott was born February 24, 1630 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England and died on May 16, 1716 in Mass. You can learn more about the Prescott family tree here. Mary's birth date and her wedding date and the dates given for her parents birth's and deaths have been sourced from Ancestry.com.
Nathaniel Wilder like several of his brothers and Wilder cousins were engaged in the militia. The following is quoted from Moses H. Wilders' "Book of Wilders". At the time of the Indian attacks upon their settlement, an Indian who had surrendered to the people was treacherously murdered by this young Nathaniel Wilder and Daniel Hoar, who were tried, condemned and sentenced to be hung. In October 1676 they presented a memorial to the General Court, acknowledging the justice of their condemnation and asking for pardon. Their request was granted on condition that they should pay ten pounds each, one half to be given to the Indian who had prosecuted them, and also that they should pay the expenses of their imprisonment and trial. This was done and they were set at liberty. Nathaniel was a brave man, and active, useful citizen, and a Captain in the militia. This "Lieut. Nathaniel Wilder, youngest son of the first Thomas, was killed by the Indians near the gate of his garrison on the 10th day of August, 1704, early in the morning of the first onset. He was shot in the thigh, of which he died the same day. The Indians killed off his cattle, six oxen, five cows, three calves, sixteen sheep, twelve swine, and burnt his barn and twelve loads of good English hay." This would have been a devastating event for Nathaniel's family, destroying much of their livelihood. He would have died leaving Mary with four of their children to care for. Records of Middlesex Court of Sessions say, " Nathaniel Wilder (1685 - 1704) and widow, Mary Wilder (1705 - 1707) are licensed Inn holders and retailers of Liquors." This showing that Mary and her son Nathaniel would join forces to support the family as in keepers.
Nathaniel and Mary had 9 children.
Nathaniel Wilder born 1675, Lancaster, Mass. Died May 19, 1679 in Sudbury, Mass.
Ephraim Wilder born Apr. 16, 1677, Sudbury, Mass.
Mary Wilder born May 12 1679, Sudbury, Mass. Died 1728 in Sudbury, Mass.
Elizabeth Wilder born Feb. 14, 1680 or 81, Sudbury, Mass.
Jonathan Wilder born Apr. 20, 1682
Nathaniel Wilder born 1685, Sudbury
Dorothy Wilder born 1686, Sudbury, Mass.
Eunice Wilder born 1690, Lancaster, Mass. Died May 15, 1778
Oliver Wilder born 1694, Sudbury, Mass.
Third Generation
Nathaniel Wilder, Son of Nathaniel and Grandson of Thomas
Nathaniel Wilder, the son of the above mentioned Nathaniel was born in 1688 in Sudbury, Mass. and died June 9, 1775 at Petersham, Mass. when he was 88 years old. He married Damaris Whitcomb, daughter of Josiah Whitcomb and Rebecca Waters, on December 26th, 1707 at Marlboro, Mass. (V.S.). Damaris was born in 1686 and died on December 3, 1772 at Petersham Mass., when she was 86 years old, 6 months and 6 days.
Nathaniel and Damaris had 12 children.
Nathaniel Wilder (twin) born Nov. 26, 1708, Lancaster, Mass. This is the first time we see twins born into the family and it looks like we have many more twin moments as the generations grow.
Jonathan Wilder (twin) born Nov. 26, 1708, Lancaster, Mass.
Charles Wilder born Sept. 15, 1710
Joshua Wilder born Sept. 20, 1712, Lancaster, Mass.
Bezaleel Wilder born Nov. 24, 1714, Lancaster, Mass.
Aholiab Wilder born Feb. 5, 1717
Damaris Wilder born Jan. 1, 1720. Died 1747
Jerahmeel Wilder born May 8, 1721 at Leominster, Mass.
Prudence Wilder born June 24, 1722, West Lancaster, Mass.
Aaron Wilder born Aug. 25, 1723, Lancaster, Mass.
Samuel Wilder born Jan. 19, 1725, D. May 9, 1725
Elias Wilder born Jan 17, 1727, Lancaster, Mass.
According to the "Book of Wilders", Nathaniel was one of the first signers of the Petersham Church roll in 1738. In 1743, he was a farmer of the west part of Lancaster, now Sterling, where he bought a large tract of land.
Note: That this is not the oldest son of Nathaniel Wilder and Mary Sawyer. The oldest Nathaniel died at the age of four. This Nathaniel is his younger brother, who is not in the old edition of the Book of Wilders. This Nathaniel married the same woman, fathered the twelve children and did all the other things attributed to his older brother. He is listed accurately in the most recent update and published version of "The Book of Wilders".
Fourth Generation
Elias Wilder, Youngest Son of Nathaniel, Grandson of Nathaniel and Great Grandson of Thomas
Elias Wilder was born on January 17, 1727 in the west part of Lancaster, Mass. (Lancaster later became Sterling) He moved with his father Nathaniel to Petersham, Mass. in 1743. His farm was near the boundary and they went to church in Templeton. They lived at Dummerston, Vt. and bought land there in 1770. This is the first generation of our family line to move to Vermont, along with several other families from Lancaster like the Rices'. They will spend many years traveling back and forth from Lancaster to Dummerston and Brattleboro Vermont extending family ties.
Elias Wilder married Abigail Rice, daughter of Ephriam Rice and Sarah Whitney. She was born on March 28, 1732 at Sudbury, Mass and Died June 20, 1793 in Dummerston, Vt. at the age of 60 years and 3 months. She is buried in Locust Ridge Cemetery, Brattleboro, Vt.
Elias and Abigail had 6 children.
Elias Wilder born 1751 most likely in Petersham, Mass.
Abigail Wilder born Nov. 28, 1755, Petersham, Mass.
Charles Wilder born June 14, 1757, Petersham Mass.
Charles Wilder born 1766
Joshua Wilder
Aaron Wilder
In 1875 Mrs. Olive (Wilder) Waterman wrote the author of the old Wilder book, that "her father's name was Charles and that he had brothers, Charles, Joshua and Aaron, and that her brother Charles lived in Brattleboro. Vt."