Solomon Kimball House (Wenham, Massachusetts) - William, Esther (Batchelder) and Rebecca (Tarbox) Fairfield

William, Esther (Batchelder) and Rebecca (Tarbox) Fairfield

William Fairfield owned the property from 1701 to 1725. He likely built himself a new house in 1724, having inherited land from his late father Walter the year before, and gave the former Thomas Killam homestead to his son Josiah as a wedding gift. (It's worth noting that the land William inherited from his father included a burial ground that the family had been using since at least 1691.)

A son of Ensign Walter and Sarah (Skipper) Fairfield, William was born October 14, 1662 in Reading, MA, and died on December 18, 1742 in Wenham. He was active in town affairs, and was Town Clerk 1706-1711 and 1724-1729; Moderator of Town Meeting in 1715, 1716, 1733-1736, 1739 and 1741; and was elected deacon of the First Church in 1731. He was a Representative at General Court in 1723, 1728, 1730, and 1732-1742, and “uring the session of 1741, he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, at that time the highest office in the gift of the people, the Governor and Lieut. Governor being appointed by the King.”

He appears to have been one of those shrewd, clear-headed, practical men, whose minds are formed and trained by reflection and experience, rather than by a knowledge of books, or by intercourse with the world. He held, at different times, every office in the gift of the people of his native town and State, and in all, he gained the confidence of those whom he was called to serve. He was also an active member of the church, and for many years one of its deacons.

We regret that so little can now be ascertained concerning Mr. Fairfield. An anecdote is still told of him, which is quite characteristic. The common mode of travelling in those days was on horseback. Setting out to attend a session of the Legislature, he became so absorbed in thinking of the business on which they were to enter, and upon his duties as Speaker, that he is said to have actually reached Boston, bridle in hand, before discovering that he had left his horse at home.

William married twice. His first marriage was to Esther Batchelder about the year 1687. She was born circa 1668 and died on January 21, 1722/3 in Wenham. More research is required to identify her parents and the dates and locations of her birth and marriage. William and Esther (Batchelder) Fairfield had thirteen children, all born in Wenham:

1. Sarah, born July 23, 1688; died February 6, 1705 in Wenham (buried in Fairfield Family Burial Ground)
2. Mary, born December 18, 1689
3. William, Jr., born October 18, 1691; died October 24, 1691 in Wenham (buried in Fairfield Family Burial Ground)
4. William, Jr. (2nd), born November 17, 1692
5. Esther, Jr., born August 12, 1695
6. Tabitha, born May 17, 1696; died October 7, 1717 in Wenham (buried in Fairfield Family Burial Ground)
7. Abigail, born May 9, 1698
8. Elizabeth, born January 9, 1699/1700
9. Josiah, born October 12, 1701
10. Prudence, born July 13, 1704
11. Skipper, born January 2, 1706
12. Benjamin, born October 29, 1708
13. Rev. John, born November 29, 1712

William’s second marriage was to Mrs. Rebecca (Tarbox) Gott on October 14, 1723 in Wenham. Rebecca was born on August 8, 1672 in Lynn, MA, the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Armitage) Tarbox. Her first marriage was to John Gott, whom she married on July 19, 1693 in Salem, MA. (John Gott was the son of Charles and Lydia (Clark) Gott, was born on November 8, 1668 in Wenham, and died on January 25, 1722-3 in Wenham.) She died on July 29, 1765 in Lynn, MA. No children are recorded in Wenham’s vital records for William and Rebecca (Gott) Fairfield.