William ASPINWALL

                   William came with Winthrop to Massachusetts Bay in 1630.  TheArabella,the vessell in which they crossed the Atlantick, anchored inMass. Bay on17 June, 1630 after exploring the Mystick River, they cameashore atCharlestown on the first of July. He came with his wifeElizabeth.  Thesociety soon removed across the river to Boston, ButWilliam was 2nd onthe list of 13 who remained inhabitants of Charlestown. He took the oathof freeman April 3, 1632.  In 1633, he also removed toBoston, where heappears to have been one of the leading men of the newsettlement at thatplace and was elected a selectman in 1636 and 1637.  Hewas in the centerof religious excitement caused by Mrs. Ann Hutchinsonand her brotherRev. Mr. Wheelwright who were accused of sedition andcontempt. Apetition was drawn by William and signed by sixty of theprincipal men inBoston in behalf of Mrs. Hutchinson led to William beingcharged with thesame offence and being found guilt was sentenced to bedisfranchised as adeacon and banished from the Colony.  He was allowed toremain until thenext Spring.  William then followed Roger Williams toRhode Island andwas one of the 19 Aquidneck settlers who signed the civilcompact formedat Providence on March 7, 1638 and was chosen the firstSecretary of thenew Colony.  He was proceeded against as a suspectedperson for seditionagainst the state and so left Rhode Island soon afterFeb 1639.  Norecord of him is found for 3 years until he is a witness ina case beforeGeneral Court at New Haven, Conn on March 2,1642. Early in 1642, his sentence of banishment was revoked and he again tookuphis residence in Boston.  He was reconciled to the Church of Bostonandmade a very free and full acknowledgement of hiserror. He was a man of superior education for those times and was soonappointedto several important offices.In 1643, he was appointed clerk ofthe writsfor Boston and joined the Ancient and Honorable ArtilleryCompany ofBoston and in 1644 was chosen Recorder and in the same year wasappointeda Notary Public.  He held these offices for some eight years anda largeportion of the deeds and other legal papers in and about Bostonduringthat time were drawn executed or witnessed by him. Other troubleensuedand William was suspended from the office of recorder and was madeto paythirty shillings to the jury. In 1651, he returned to England, where he lived the remainder of hislife. The date and place of his death have not been ascertained, but onApril13, 1662, he was living at Chester, England as a letter written byhimfrom there on that date referred to land in Boston which he gave tohisson, is in the Massachusetts archives. A journal kept by him while recorder at Boston was published by theRecordCommissioners of Boston.  He is pulished in London in 1653, acuriousreligious work entitled, "A Brief Description of the FifthMonarchy orKingdom That shortly is to come into the World."  In thiswork hepredicted the arrival of the millenium not later than theyear1673. In 1654, he published "An explication and Application of the 7th ChapofDaniel, etc.  He also pulised in 1655 at London "The Work of the Ageorthe Sealed prophecies of Daniel" and in 1656 "The Legislative PowerisChrist's peculiar Prerogative proved from the 9th of Isaiah:6,7." William probably came from Lancasdter, England.  He left nodescendantsbearing his name in this country unless Peter Aspinwall washis son.  Histwo eldest daughters, however, married and remained here.His wife andfour youngest children no doubt returned to England with himas nofurther record has been found of them in this country.  All ofhischildren except Mary were born after the arrival of their parentsin1630.

Another source says Elizabeth Goodyear was wife