Source Text:
Birth: Mar. 2, 1614, England
Death: 1690
Rhode Island, USA
George Way was born in Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England, the son of Thomas Way. Siblings were Johan born 5 May 1609, John and Thomas, born or christened 25 Dec 1611, all born in Ottery St. Mary, Devon; then Thomas of Powerstock, Dorset had children Joane born 16 Jan 1616, and Ann and Christopher born or christened 27 Nov 1618.
Thomas Way was born 10 March 1583 at Powerstock, Dorset, son of George and Agnes Symes Way.
George Way, according to Winthrop's journal..."a Mr. Way with five sons were passengers on the ship Lyon, Captain Pierce master, for the Massachusetts Bay Colony." The ship arrived at Boston on 8 February 1631. During the voyage one son was lost overboard from the rigging during a hurricane. Roger Williams was also a passenger on the Lyon.
George Way married Elizabeth Smith in 1650. She was the daughter of Joanna Smith and the stepdaughter of John Smith. Elizabeth was born about 1630 and died 20 April 1713 at New London, Connecticut.
George died between 1684 and 1689 at Providence, Rhode Island. It is not known exactly where he is buried.
Children included Elizabeth, born 18 March 1651 in Boston, Massachusetts, Joanna 1653, George 1655, Alice 1658, Agnes 1660, Thomas 1666 and Mehitable born 1679, the later all born in Rhode Island. Mehitable died in 1670.
George was a fisherman along the coast of Maine for many years, moving eastward as the Mass. Bay Colony came into control. He was at the Isle of Shoals in 1649, moving to Cape Neddock and Winter Harbor in 1560 and then to Pemaquid in 1653 with a Thomas Way. A William Way was buried at Pemaquid.
George moved from Pemaquid to Providence.
On 19 Feb 1645, George Way, Thomas Wallen, John Steere, and John Browne were among twenty seven men given "a free Grante of twenty five akers of land a peece with Right of Commoning." They did not have the right to vote in town affairs until they were "received, as Free-Men of the Towne of Providence".
In February 1654 at Providence, George Way asked the town meeting "to grant me comodation to bee a inhabytant with you". At a town meeting 18 February 1661, "It hath this day been declared by sufficient witnesses in this court that John Steere and George Way were received into the town after the manner that John Browne was; town hath manifested themselves satisfied therewith".
References were made to his "home share" as early as 1658. His house was at the north end of Main Street, just north of the present Olney Street close to the junction of the West and Moshosick River. In 1663, he was allowed a small parcel between the two rivers.
George was in Providence about 30 years. He was Town Sergant for twelve years. He also did a lot of land trading.
King Phillip and his warriers attached Providence on March 29 and 30 in 1676, burning about 100 buildings at the north of town, probably including George's house.
In a deposition of one of John Smith's wills, mention was made that his wife (Elizabeth Way's mother) had been very ernest with him to make one of her daughter's children his heir, but he declined because his wife's daughter was a Quaker and he could not abide the Quakers.
Elizabeth Smith Way and some of her children moved to New London to care for her mother who was blind. In 1682, George obtained a court order to have his wife return to live with him.
Family links:
Parents:
Thomas Way (1583 - ____)
Spouse:
Elizabeth Smith Way (1630 - 1713)
Children:
Thomas Way (1666 - 1726)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Unknown
Created by: Barbara Ferdinand
Record added: Jul 21, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 39714684
