The original ancestor of the New England Warriner’s joined the settlers of Springfield, Mass., in 1638. His birthplace and ancestry are unknown. That England was the land of his nativity is probable beyond all doubt. He seems to have been one of the earliest of that name of whom history or tradition gives us any account. Tradition says that William Warriner. about the year 1600, eloped from Lincolnshire, England, with Lady Clifford (?), daughter of Lord Howe, or Howard, an English admiral, and made his escape — with other members of the family, who naturally would want to get out of the way of the offended and insulted nobleman — into Yorkshire. While crossing a river one or two of the Warriners were drowned. William and another were saved, also the lady. And the tradition further states that William settled in Yorkshire.

The English parish records of that period mention several Warriner’s. one of whom in particular bears the name William. The parish records, copied in the foot-note, establish a strong probability that the William Warriner mentioned many times in the Canterbury Cathedral register, who had children christened in that church from 1601 to 1614, who buried several children in the Canterbury churchyard, whose wife. Alice, was buried there in 1619, and of whom all records in tlie books of Canterbury Cathedral cease at that time, is the same William Warriner who eloped from Lincolnshire about 1600 with Lady (Alice) Clifford (?), and that he is the identical William Warriner who appeared among the pioneers of Springfield, Mass., in 1638. If this be the case, he was probably a widower, at least fifty-seven years of age when he married Joanna Scant in 1639, and about ninety- four when he died in 1676. And this is altogether credible, for some of his descendants have lived beyond that age.* There is here no discrepancy as to dates. The principal objection that might be named to identifying- the William Warriner of the Cathedral record with our William Warriner of New England, is the long distance of Canterbury Cathedral in the county of Kent from Yorkshire, the traditional home of William Warriner. But this fact presents no difficulty if we locate his home in both places at different periods. The Cathedral records show that for about twenty years there were two Warriners, presumably brothers, William and Matthew, living in or near Canterbury; and William is conspicuous by his absence after 1619, while Matthew remains until his death in 1643. The most natural supposition is that, after his wife’s death, William Warriner left the county of Kent, and, after residing nearly a score of years in Yorkshire, emigrated to New England in 1638.

If there were any records or traditions concerning the religious tenets or church connections of William Warriner while he resided in Springfield, it would be easier to determine his identity and his antecedents. On the theory that he was the William Warriner of Canterbury Cathedral record, the baptism of his children may have been chiefly out of deference to his wife’s attachment to the Church of England, or he may have been a strong churchman at that time and a dissenter afterwards. He had no prominence in church affairs in Springfield.

Several persons have alluded to traditions of the Welsh origin of the name and family, but in this connection no authority seems to have been found for anything definite as to localities or dates.*

The foregoing observations are not claimed to be conclusive. Until further facts are brought to light it will be impossible to positively know the antecedents of William Warriner. The name seems to have been spelled Warrener and Warriner interchangeably from the first. The word ” Warrener ” means the owner of a warren — a warren being a rabbit park, and sometimes a hunting reserve of large extent. It is said to have been applied by way of distinction, sometimes, to the owner of such lands. The first Warrener, therefore, may have been a person of privilege; that is, one who was entitled to convert his lands into a game preserve, and given the exclusive privilege of hunting on them.

There is little in the history of the British people to distinguish the family name. One man at least (of the name of Warrener was celebrated as a warrior among the cavaliers. In a poetic volume written about 1600, called ” Songs of the Cavaliers and Roundheads,” is a poem entitled ‘ Wigan’s Retreat,” the first stanza of which is

“Hurrah! for the trumpeter blowing his best, Blood on his feather and blood on his crest; Here was old Warrener, trusty as steel, Fitting a crimson spur fast to his heel.”

William Warriner, the New England ancestor, was made a freeman, or voter, in 1638. Under the first charter of the Massachusetts Colony none were regarded as freemen, or members of the body politic, except such as were admitted by the General Court and took the oath of allegiance to the government here established. This custom continued in existence until by the second charter the colony was transferred into a province.*

We learn from the Springfield records that William Warriner was married to Joanna Scant in 1639. The town clerk made the following record of her death: “Johanna, wife of Wm. Warriner, dyed ye 7th of ye 12th mon. 1660.” On October 2, 1661, he married Elizabeth, widow of Luke Hitchcock, of Wethersfield, Conn.t She was the mother of Hannah, John and Luke Hitchcock. She survived Mr. Warriner and became the third wife of Joseph Baldwin, of Hadley.

This Warriner seems to have been, previous to his marriage in 1639, the only person of the name residing in New England.

In violation of a law made in 1640, William Warriner sold his canoe to some party outside the “plantation,” and was fined therefor. In 1642 a second division of the plantation was made, and “Will: Warriner,” as one of the ” maryed psons,” :had ” 10 rod bredth.” Those having the ” biggest familys ” had “12 rod to begin upward at ye edge of ye liill ” (Chestnut street). In casting lots for land he obtained several acres.

In 1664 Wm. Pynchon was taxed for purchase money to pay the Indians for land, 10 shillings. Another similar tax on 40^- acres, owned by “Will: Warrener,” was 11 shillings 2 pence. ” Wm. Warrinar ” had one acre in lot 17, as part of the land ” on ye Mile River, beginning lowermost on ye southeast branch, and so going up to ye little brooke, and then upward to ye 16 acres, and so on to ye north branch of ye upper end, and then come downward, and lastly to ye lake or pond.”

He owned a considerable part of what is now the heart of Springfield. His house stood near the spot where the old court-house now stands, on the north side of First Congregational church, in front of Court Square.

THis venerable ancestor of all the New England Warriners died in Springfield, Mass.. June 2. 1676, age not known. He was among the original white settlers of that part of Massachusetts, and had been thirty-eight years a resident of the place. There is no record of his obsequies, and no memorial marks the place of his burial.

Children of William Warriner

• James, born Nov. 21, 1640
• Hanna, born June 17, 1643; married, Nov. 1 1660, Thomas Noble, of Springfield, formerly of Boston. He removed to Westville in 169, where he was made a freeman in 1681. Before going thither they had children born to them, namely, Joh, Hannah and Thomas. Surviving Mr. Noble, who died Jan. 20, 1704, she was married Jan. 24, 1705, to Dea. Medad Pomeroy, and died prior to May 12, 1721.
• Joseph, born Feb. 6, 1645.

If there were more than three children, there is no record of the fact. One person bearing the name has puzzled the genealogists. There is mention of the marriage of Elizabeth Warrinor to John Strong in 1664. She was his second wife. She died June 7, 1686, ten years after the death of William Warriner. and is not mentioned in the administration of hi.s estate. She was baptized and admitted into Westficld Church in August, 1666. The children of John and Elizabeth (Warrinor) Strong were John, born 1665; Jacob, born 1673; Joseph, born 1678.

This Elizabeth Warriner might have been a daughter of William by a second marriage in England, but in that case she would have appeared as one of his heirs after his death. It has been presumed that she was his sister; but she was evidently too young at the time of her marriage to have a brother 84 years of age, as our reckoning makes him to have been at that time. Savage suggests that the name should have been written ” Warner.” Some cases have occurred of the confounding of these two names in the early records.