| Battle: | Battle of Dunbar at Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland on 03 September 1650 |
| Ship/Arrival: | The ketch, Unity; Dec 1650 at Massachusetts Bay |
| Prisoner and List: | William Paul, #85 on George Stewart’s Captured at Dunbar list |
| Name Variations: | Paul, Paule, Paull |
| Residences: | Taunton, Bristol County (was Plymouth Colony), Massachusetts |
| Other SPOW Associations: | Alexander Ennis/Innes |
Published: 23 Jan 2015, Updated: 18 Sep 2020
Researchers: Dr. Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust
Editor: Teresa Rust
First Generation in the New World
1. WILLIAM¹ PAUL, “a certaine Scote” was born about 1624 in Scotland and died in 1704 at the age of 80. He married, at Taunton, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, after 03 Feb 1656/7, MARY RICHMOND, of Newport, Rhode Island.
Biographical Notes:
1. According to Saxbe, William B., Jr., CG, FASG. “Who Was the Mother of James2 Paule (1657-1724) of Taunton, Massachusetts?” The American Genealogist 73 (October 1998): 312-315, suggests that William Paul may have had an affair with the wife of Alexander Innes (a SPOW), KATHEREN (_____) INNES, which resulted in the birth of James Paule, his firstborn son. Another researcher, Charles Oliver, strongly disputes this, see his explanation HERE!
2. “My ancestor William Paul (1624-1704) was a survivor of the Battle of Dunbar, the forced march, Durham Cathedral, and 6 years of indentured servitude in Taunton Massachusetts.” ~ William Paul
3. According to, Christopher Gerrard, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell, Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018), on page 251, William is categorized as: Probable [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity] Paul, William. Residences: Taunton MA. Appears: 1657. B.c.1624. D.1704. Linked with Alexander Ennis. [Exiles; DR; SPOWS; Ch.8] For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.
Child of William Paul and ?:
2. i. JAMES² PAULE, “son of William,” (William¹), was b. at Taunton on 11 Apr 1657; died at Dighton*, Bristol (was Plymouth Colony), Massachusetts on 18 Feb 1724/5*. Illegitimate. He married*, at Taunton* by 1685*, MARY (_____)*.
Children of James and Mary (_____) Paul:
3. LYDIA PAULL*, b. at Dighton* on 11 Feb 1722/3*.
3. JAMES PAULL*, b. at Dighton* on 20 May 1725*.
Child of Mrs. Mary (Richmond) Paule by Richard Canterbury:
2. HANNAH² PAULE, b. at Taunton on 4 Oct 1657 (In 1658 Mary confessed that she was with child by Richard Canterbury before she married William Paul.)
Children of William and Mary (Richmond) Paull: Seven children, 1660 to 1681.
2. ii. JOHN PAULE, (William¹), born at Taunton* on 10 Jul 1660*.
2. iii. (_____) PAULE, (William¹),
2. iv. (_____) PAULE, (William¹), Could be SARAH, see paragraph below.
2. v. MARY PAULE*, (William¹*), born at Taunton* on 8 Feb 1667*.
2. vi. (_____) PAULE, (William¹*),
2. vii. (_____) PAULE, (William¹*),
2. viii. (_____) PAULE, (William¹*),
“In 1684, Sarah Paul, the daughter of Scottish ironworker John [should be William], was presented for fornication with John Darling, son of George; Priscilla Downing and Nathaniel Carrell were also charged with the same offense.”
From: Social and Economic Networks in Early Massachusetts: Atlantic Connections
By Marsha L. Hamilton, page 49.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Regarding William PAUL and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander INNES from Miner Descent: “Life in Taunton – The Irish Catherine and Scottish Alexander clashed with the Puritans of Taunton on at least one occasion. Saxbe writes, “‘an Irish woman named Katheren Aines’ was brought before the court at Plymouth in February, 1656/57, ‘vpon suspision of comiting adultery.’ The trial was the following month, and justice was swift and harsh:
“Att this Court, William Paule, Scotchman, for his vnclean and filthy behauiour with the wife of Alexander Aines, is centanced by the Court to bee forthwith publickly whipt…which accordingly was p(er)formed…Katheren Aines, for her vnclean and laciuiouse behauior with the abouesaid William Paule, and for the blasphemos words that shee hath spoken, is centanced by the Court to bee forthwith publickly whipt heer att Plymouth, and afterwards att Taunton, on a publicke training day, and to were a Roman B cutt out of ridd cloth and sowed to her vper garment on her right arme [for blaspheme]; and if shee shalbee euer found without it soe worne whil shee is in the gou(vern)ment, to bee forthwith publickly whipt…Alexander Anis, for his leauing his family, and exposing his wife to such temptations, and being as baud to her therin, is centanced by the Court for the p(re)sent to sitt in the stockes the time the said Paule and Katheren Ainis are whipt, which was p(er)formed…’”
‘Understandably, the Innes family moved sometime within the next few years. In 1659, Alexander is found in the records buying land in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, fifteen miles south of Taunton (Clarence S. Brigham, Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth (Providence: E.L. Freeman &Sons, 1901), pg. 379). In 1664, Block Island became part of Rhode Island and a group of Scots settled there.”
110. John Paul, #84 on “The Dunbar Prisoners” list (Not sure if John is related to William or not.)
Saxbe, William B., Jr., CG, FASG. “Who Was the Mother of James2 Paule (1657-1724) of Taunton, Massachusetts?” The American Genealogist 73 (October 1998): 312-315.
