53 ANCESTORS #6:WILLIAM HASKELL SR. OF GLOUCESTER, MA.

My 5x great grandparents were 3rd cousins, both descendants of my immigrant ancestor William Haskell Sr. of Gloucester, Ma. I found this article by Ulysses G. Haskell about William an dhis family  on Google Books:

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS
William Haskell," the first of the name to settle in Gloucester, then called Cape Ann, was born in England in 1617, came to New England about 1637 with his brothers Roger and Mark with whom he at first settled in the part of Salem, now Beverly, then known as Cape Ann Side, and subsequently became a permanent resident of Gloucester, where he died August 20, 1693, leaving an estate valued at £548, 12s.

He first appears in Gloucester in 1643 and in 1645 mention is made of his land at Planters Neck where he probably resided for a few years following the latter date, but the information obtained from the recorded births of his children affords grounds for the conjecture that he was not a permanent resident from that time.

 If, however, he left town for a season he had returned in 1656 and settled on the westerly side of Annisquam river where he had several pieces of land, among which was a lot of ten acres with a house and barn thereon bought of Richard Window, situated on the westerly side of Walker's creek. His two sons took up land on both sides of this creek which is still occupied by his descendants.

 He was a mariner, and was engaged in the fishing business, and was known as captain and lieutenant. 

The public offices to which he was chosen afford sufficient proof that he was a prominent and useful citizen. He was selectman several years, and a representative to the general court six times in the course of twenty years. In 1661 he was appointed by the general court lieutenant of the “trayned band ” of which he was afterwards captain. 

It is stated that in 1688 “some feeble but magnanimous efforts of expiring freedom” were exhibited in the refusal of several towns to assess the taxes which the Governor, Sir Edmund Andros, and Council of New England had levied upon them. One of these towns was Gloucester, seven of whose citizens, namely: William Haskell, Sen., James Stevens, Thomas Riggs, Sen., Thomas Millett, Jeffrey Parsons, Timothy Somers and William Sargent, Sen., were fined at the Superior Court at Salem for the non-compliance of the town with a warrant for the assessment of those “ odious taxes '' in 1688. The first five were selectmen and Somers a constable. All but Somers were fined forty shillings with three pounds and a shilling added for fees. Somers was let off on payment of fees only. 

In 1681 he was one of the petitioners to the King praying for the crown's interposition to prevent the disturbance of titles to real estate at Gloucester by Robert Mason who had made claims thereto.
At the General Court in 1685 one Grace Dutch was appointed administrator of her husband Osmond Dutch “with the advice and assistance of Lieutenant William Haskell.”

 He was also one of the first of two of whom we have any knowledge who were deacons of the first church at Gloucester. 

He married November 16, 1643, Mary, daughter of Walter Tybbot, who died four days before her husband, by whom he had the following children:
1 William, b. Aug. 26, 1644.

ii Joseph, b. June 2, 1646.

iii Benjamin, b. , 1648.

iv John, b. , 1649.

v. Ruth, b. 1654; m. Nehemiah Grover, of Beverly, Dec. 2, 1673–4.

vi Mark, b. April 8, 1658.

vii Sarah, b. June 28, 1660.

viii Elinor, b. May 28, 1663; m. Jacob Grigs, of Beverly, Nov. 12, 1692.

10 ix Mary, b. —— ; m._____Dodge,
-pp135-137
Essex Institute Historical Collections, Volumes 32-33 ".A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS"  Essex Institute Press, 1896 - Essex County (Mass.)


I'm descended from both William Haskell, Jr. and Mark Haskell.