Birth: ABT 1628 England
Note: ABT 1647
Details: His name appears in Stamford, Connecticut court records.
Note: He certainly settled in the Plymouth colony soon
afterward, and in 1650 was a member of the grand inquest at Plymouth.
1st Marriage: to ?
Occupation: Tailor
Birth of Son: John Gifford
Birth of Son: Hananiah
Gifford
Birth of Son: William
Gifford
Note: 01 JUN 1658
Details: Prence Gou'r - "Att this Court, Robert Harper, Ralph
Allin,Seni'r, John Allin, Tho Greenfield, Ed Perry, Richard Kerby, Junir, William Allin,
Tho Vre, William Gifford, Gorge Allin, ab, Mathew Allin, Daniell Wing, John Jenkens, ab,
and George Webb, all of Sandwich, being summoned, appeered to giue a reason for theire
refusing to take the oath of fidelitie to this goument and vnto the state of England,
which againe being tendered them in oppen Court, they refused, saying they held it
vnlawfull to take any oath att all. John Newland was likewise summoned, and Thomas
Johnson, but being lame, appeered not. George Webb engaged to depart the goument in a
short time; the other liable to pay the fine in that case amerced."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. III 1651-1661 p. 138
Birth of Son: JUL 1658
Name: Christopher Gifford
Note: 02 OCT 1658
Details: Prence, Gou'r - "October the 2econd, 1658. Att this Court,
Robert Harper, Ralph Allin, Seni'r, John Allin, Edward Perrey, Richard Kerbey, Juni'r,
William Allin, Thomas Ewer, William Gifford, Mathew Allin, Daniell Winge, and John
Jenkens, of Sandwich, for refusing to take the oath of fidelitie, were fined each of them
fiue pounds to the collonies vse."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. III 1651-1661 p. 154
Note: 06 OCT 1659
Details: Prence, Gou'r - "William Gifford, being complained by Marshall
Barlow, for affronting him in the hieway neare a bridge, ouer which hee should haue driuen
some cattle of the countreyes, yett forasmuch as William Gifford affeirneth that hee was
not directly in his way, but in an old path leading to his house, the Court suspends their
judgment for the psent, untill the place bee viewed, and soe the matter bee made more
euident."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. III 1651-1661 p. 173
Note: 13 JUN 1660
Details: Prence, Gou'r - "Josepth Allin, for being att a Quakers meeting,
fined ten shilli(ngs); and for making disturbance in the meeting on the Lords day att
Scittuate, fined forty shillings. Att this Court, Edward Perrey, John Newland, Ralph
Allin, William Gifford, William Allin, Mathew Allin, Gorg Allin, Josepth Allin, Daniel
Wing, Thomas Ewer, Richard Kerbey, Junier, Robert Harper, being summoned, appeered, and
were seuerally demaunded whether they would take the oath of fidelitie and this psent
goument, which they all of them refused to doe."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. III 1651-1661 p. 191
Birth of Son: JUL 1660
Name: Robert Gifford
Note: 02 OCT 1660
Details: Prence, Gou'r - "Fines. Diuers psons fined for being att
Quakers meeting. Robert Harper & his wife, Josepth Allin, Benjamine Allin, John
Newlandand his wife, William Allin, Willam Gifford, Mathew Allin, The wife of Henery
Dillingham, Willam Newland and his wife, John Soule, of Duxburrow, Rodulphus Elmes, of
Scittuate, Peter Guant, Dorithy Butler, Obadiah Butler, John Jenkens, Richard Kerbey,
Seni'r, Richard Kerbey, Juni'r, John Swife, John Smith, of Plymouth, Juni'r, and Deborah,
his wife, Lydia Hickes, of Plymouth,
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. III 1651-1661 p. 100
Birth of Daughter: Patience Gifford
Land Rec: 24 JUL 1673
Details: His Massachusetts possessions consisted of lands in Sandwich,
Falmouth and Dartmouth. The facsimilie of deed accompanying this volume represents a
40-acre parcel purchased of a Suckanessett (Falmouth) Indian named Job Attukkoo.
Note: 06 MAR 1676/77
Details: Winslow, Gou'r - "Willam Gifford and his wife, for comitting
fornication before marriage or contract, fined each fiue pounds to the vse of the
collonie."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. V., pg 221
Land Rec: 14 APR 1681
Details: Deed. William Gifford of Sandwhich, Government of New plymouth,
New England, tailor, to John Jenkis of the same place, for one share of land in East
Jersey, to wit three necks, called Neweson, Patapees, and Navanison.
Note: 05 MAR 1683/84
Details: "William Gifford, for takeing his wife without orderly marriage,
forasmuch as there were many cercomstances in the action that did alleuiate the fault, is
onely fined fifty shillings, the Court abateing the fine in the extent of it respecting
the pmises."
- Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Vol. VI. pg. 125
2nd Marriage: 16 JUL 1683
to Mary Mills
Details: "The Sandwich Friends Monthly Meeting, held at William Allen's
4:3mo.: 1683 records on page 33, the intention of marriage of William Gifford to Mary
Mills, "both of Sandwich". At the same meeting, Gifford contributed 50 shillings
to the meeting for the purchase of a cow. The marriage took place at the Meeting of 16 day
5mo.: 1683, the couple "having expressed their intentions at two meetings".
Both, again, are called "of Sandwich", and both signed the certificate (not by
mark). It is interesting to note that there were thirty witnesses..." And then it
lists all 30 witnesses. Continuing on: "The next record is unexpected: 'William
Gifford, for taking his wife without orderly marriage, forasmuch as there were many
circumstances in the action that did alleviate the fault, is only fined fifty shillings,
the Court abateing the fine in extent of it respecting the premises -5 March 1683/4"-
Gov. Hinckley."
Birth of Daughter: Mary Gifford
Birth of Son: 14 MAY 1684
Name: Jonathan Gifford
Birth of Son: 10 MAR 1685/86
Name: James Gifford
Note: He continued to reside in
Sandwich, Massachusetts, until his death, with the exception of five years between 1665
and 1670 when he with George Allen and the sons of Peter Gaunt, all of Sandwich, together
with others, were first proprietors and settlers of Monmouth. New Jersey, having purchased
the land of the Indians, and to whom the Monmouth Patent was granted April 8, 1665.
Religion: They were adherents of the Quaker faith, and
suffered severely from persecution and vexatious arrests and suits in Massachusetts and
New Jersey.
Land Rec: Gifford owned land
in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. His Massachusetts possessions consisted of
land in Sandwich, Falmouth and Dartmouth.
Will: He gave by will to his sons Jonathan and James land at
Falmouth, and deeded to sons Robert and Christopher lands at Dartmouth, Massachusetts,
both of whom built houses on their property. William probably deeded his Connecticut
lands to his son John, who gave by will 100 acres in Connecticut to his son Samuel, and
200 acres to his grandsons.
Death: 09 APR 1687
Will Proved: His estate was probated on 9 March 1688 at
Sandwich, Barnstable, MA
Click to see parents: