From findagrave.com Salisbury,
William
and
Salisbury,
Susannah Cotton
William and John Salisbury have the sad honor of being the men that started
the King Phillips War 1675-1676. William Salisbury, was the first of his lineage
that had come to America from England 1648. He was born in Denbighshire, Wales
on May 12, 1622. The son of John Salisbury of Llanrhaidr 14th Generation. He was
the town herdsman for awhile taking care of cattle. (From AncestryFile dated
Jan.2,1996-Feb.1,1997). He settled in Milton, part of Dorchester and signed an
agreement for the parsonage of land May 18,1664. He moved to Swansea,
Massachusetts as early as 1671, being the first of the name in the town. A list
of the men of Swansea, eight soldiers recorded at Plymouth, includes the names
of William and John Salisbury. They were the first victims of the King Phillip's
War. Both were buried June 24, 1675. The other men that had fallen at Swansea,
slain by the Indians were as follows: Nehemiah Allin, William Hammond, William
Cahoone, John Jones, Gershom Cobb, Robert Jones, John Druce, Joseph Lewis,and
John Fall. William Hammond was ambushed and killed, he was buried on June 29.
His ancestors have a site www.arq.net/~ljacobs/wmmem.htm. The memorial site for
the men is located in Massachusetts very near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island
border near the place in Massachusetts called North Swansea and the Rhode Island
towns of Barrington and Warren. Location as follows:Near US 6 going East, before
the junction of RI Route 136, there is a large yellow auto body building on the
right. Just before it is a road at about a 30 degree angle off US 6 with a sign:
Bridge Out. This was the bridge where William Hammond was ambushed and killed.
At an intersection before the bridge, across from a big white house on the
corner, is the historic plaque on a large boulder. Inscription as follows: Myles
Garrison House Site near this spot stood the John Myles Garrison House. The
place of meetings of the troops of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies
commanded by Majors Thomas Savage and James Cudworth, who marched to the relief
of Swansea at the opening of King Phillips War A.D. 1675. There fell in Swansea,
Slain by the Indians: Nehemiah Allin, William Hammond, William Cahoone,John
Jones, Gershom Cobb, Robert Jones, John Druce, Joseph Lewis, John Fall, John
Salisbury and William Salisbury. To mark this historic site, the monument was
erected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts A.D. 1912.
The following is a passage from "Plymouth Colony, its History & People
1620-1691", describing the events of June 23 & 24, 1675: The Indians
were looting various deserted houses when two white men, and old man and his
son, appeared on the scene. Seeing three Indians run out of the house, the old
man told his son to shoot, which he did. One Indian was hit, but got away. Later
some Indians came to the Garrison and asked why they shot the Indian, letting
them know that he had died. The son said it was no matter. Some of the others
tried to let the Indians know that they did not feel so callous about the death,
but the Indians went away in haste. Benjamin Church later recalled that on a
march, in June past the burned out houses South of Swansea, the English troops
witnessed this gruesome sight:"And soon after,eight more at
Mattapoiset,upon whose bodies they (the Indians) exercised more brutish
barbarities, beheading, dismembering and mangling them and exposing them in a
most inhuman manner. Which gashed and ghostly objects struck a damp on all
beholders... They marched until they came to the narrow neck, at a place called
Keekkauit, where they took down the heads of eight Englishmen that were killed
at the head of Metapoiset Neck and set upon poles, after the barbarous manner of
the savages." Vital records sent to Plymouth by Nicholas Tanner, Swansea
Town Clerk, showed that nine males were buried at Swansea on 24 (sic)June:Gershom
Cobb, Joseph Lewis, John Salisbury,John Jones, John Fall,Nehemiah Allin, Robert
Jones, William Cahoone and William Salisbury (a tenth, William Hammond, was
killed later and buried 29 June). King Philip's War came to an end on August 12,
1676 when one of Col. Benjamin Church's Indian Rangers (John Alderman) killed
King Phillip. Upon inspection of Phillip's body, Church is quoted as saying,
"a doleful, great, naked, dirty beast"!! Phillip was shot, drawn and
quartered and beheaded. His severed head was reportedly displayed at Plymouth
for twenty years.
William Salisbury is a proven descendant of the royal Salisbury family of
Lleweni Hall, Denbigshire, Wales whose Salisbury lineage extends back to Henry
Guelph, Duke of Bavaria. This relationship includes the royal Tudor (direct) and
Plantagenet (indirect)families of England and Wales (Sir John Salisbury married
Katherine "of Berain" Tudor as relatives through marriage. However,
according to other genealogical sources, including Geni.com, William Salisbury
is listed as a direct descendant of Sir John Salisbury (son of Sir John
Salisbury and Katherine Tudor). It is said that the Salisbury family of
Denbigshire, Wales were given special appointments due to their good standing
with the Tudor Monarchs.
Inscription:
Near this spot stood the John Myles Garrison House
The place of meetings of the troops of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies
commanded by Majors Thomas Savage and James Cudworth who marched to the relief
of Swansea at the opening of King Philips War A.D. 1675.
There Fell in Swansea, slain by the indians:
Nehemiah Allin, William Hammond, William Cahoone, John Jones, Gershom Cobb,
Robert Jones, John Druce, Joseph Lewis, John Fall,
John Salisbury, and William Salisbury.
To mark this historic site, the Monument was erected by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts A.D. 1912.
Note: William and John were laid to rest in an unmarked gravesite.
Susannah Salisbury married William Salisbury 1650/1655 in Boston, Suffolk, Mass. Susannah was born 1624 in Boston, Suffolk, Mass. She died Sept. 16, 1684 in Swansea, Bristol, Mass. Susannah who was admitted to full communion at the Dorchester church, May 7, 1677, and was dismissed to the Milton church Sept. 18, 1681. Another marriage year was listed as 1658, (Robert Grover). Source, Steven G. Salisbury/ Descendants of Henry Guelph. William and Susannah had the following children:: John Salisbury born about 1655/1657, he died June 24, 1675, William Salisbury born: Aug, 1659, and died April 3, 1726, Abigail Salisbury was born about 1660, Abigail married John Williston, Elizabeth Salisbury was born 1661, Susannah Salisbury was born April 27, 1662 in Boston, Mass, Hannah Salisbury was born May 18, 1665 in Milton, Dorchester, Mass. She died June 19, 1665, Samuel Salisbury was born May 17,1666 and died Aug. 26, 1757, Cornelius Salisbury was born Oct. 7, 1668, Hannah Salisbury was born April 20, 1671, in Milton. and Joseph Salisbury was born May 5, 1675 and died June 22, 1714. Other source EarlSalisbury.com.