The Brothers Wyman
Map of the location of Westmill, Herstsfordshire, United Kingdom
Sometime after the death of their mother in 1630, Francis and John emigrated to New England, most probably in 1636, with their two maternal uncles, the Richardsons. At the time, they were only teenagers. They initially settled in Charlestown, MA.
In 1640, the brothers, together with their uncles, signed the Woburn town orders when the town of Woburn was established.
They were able to purchase land in Woburn for six pence per acre. They established a tannery there and lived, at first, on what is now Wyman Lane.
Francis had twelve children, nine of whom survived him; John had ten children.
In 1655, for £100 the Wymans purchased 500 acres adjoining their land in Woburn from the Rev. Henry Dunster, the first president of Harvard College. Later in 1665, the Wymans purchased the adjoining Coytemore Grant of 500 acres for £50 sterling.
In addition to their homes in the center of Woburn, Francis and John built farms on the Dunster-Coytemore purchase in the outlying area of Woburn. Their land abutted the boundary with the town of Billerica and lay in what would later become the town of Burlington, MA
In 1666, in a dispute between the town of Woburn and general court, it was decided that the Wymans’ land encompassed the area near their farmhouses and was next to the Billerica-Woburn boundary. This is evidence that dates the age of the Wyman homestead.
Francis and John are the progenitors of thousands of descendants. Their vision and courage in leaving England at such an early age is remarkable and led them to begin life in a strange environment in the New World.
They were industrious and patriotic, serving in many capacities in their communities. They were firm in their religious beliefs and supported the church. They gave two sons to King Philip’s War: Francis Jr. was fatally wounded, and John Jr. was killed outright in the Narragansett Swamp Fight.
The Francis Wyman Association, Inc. was incorporated in 1902 and has held gatherings since 1899, usually at the Wyman Homestead property. The members of the Association are dedicated to supporting and maintaining the homestead and building a genealogical record and database available to all Wymans and interested others.
The Wyman Family Coat-of-Arms (Crest)
A Wyman family member received a painted Wyman crest passed down to her. On the backside of the painting was a small note. The family member sent the note to the Association to share. It’s words are recreated below. Some of the original words of the note did not make sense so the words in parentheses were added to help clarify the note.
“The Wyman arms are Welch (Welsh) and the men of Wales went on the third crusade to Palestine in 1189. A way-man (Weyman/Wyman) was a guide who met new divisions and showed them to the safest way to get to the battlefield. In the crusades all the men under a given commander bore the commander’s crest to distinguish them from those fighters under other leaders. The motto of a coat of arms was then (the) password. Audaxet vigilans (Audax et Vigilans) means bold and watchful. The figure of a cock combed, wattled and spurred maybe (may be) thought of as a warning against Peter’s Sin. It was often seen on churches. On the shield, the silver field means purity of life, the black fensse, mourning for those lost in war, fire balls, self-defense. The helmet and mantle are simply ornamentle (ornamental) as use on a coat of arms but they suggest the warlike spirit of crusades.”
For more information about the homestead go to History of the Homestead.
For more genealogy information contact Pam Meppelink at pam@wymanassociation.org.
History of the Wymans in America and
the Wyman Homestead in Burlington, MA.
56 Francis Wyman Road
Burlington, MA 01803
info@wymanassociation.org