The oldest record I have is of Thomas Sawyer born in Lincolnshire England about 1618. He emigrated to America with his two brothers William and Edward in 1636 and settled at Rowey, Massachusetts. His brother William settled in Austerlitz, Connecticut, in 1750. It is not known what became of Edward. In 1647 Thomas moved to Lancaster, Massachusetts, and was one of five settlers that founded the town. The records of 1635 included him as one of the first Prudential men. He held various town offices . In 1676 Lancaster was burned to the ground by Indians and was abandoned by the settlers for three years. The town was raised again by a group including the Prescotts, the Sawyers, the Houghtons, and Wilders.
In 1648 Thomas Sawyer married Mary Prescott, daughter of John Prescott and Mary(Platts)Prescott. John Prescott was a descendant of Colonel William Prescott of Bunker Hill fame and of John Prescott, the noted English historian.
Thomas Sawyer had nine children by Mary Prescott (Thomas, Ephriam , Mary, Elizabeth, Joshua, James, Cabel, John, and Nathaniel)
James, Sawyer sixth son of Thomas married Mary Marble and they had two sons
Jonas and Jacob, Jacob married Prudence Standish the Grand daughter of Miles Standish.
Jonas, Sawyer first son of James, Sawyer married Liddy, Bassett (See Bassett) daughter of Cornelius Bassett. Jonas Sawyer from the town of Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut marched for the relief of Boston in the Lexington Alarm (from the April 1775 Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the War of the Revolution).
Jonas and Liddy had two children Cornelius and Betsey. Betsey married Cornelius Bassett. (See Bassett)
Cornelius Sawyer son of Jonas Sawyer was a Private in Captain Lyon’s company Eleventh Regiment of the Connecticut Militia at New York in 1776
(1775 Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the War of the Revolution page 463) Cornelius Sawyer married Anna Williams daughter of Oliver and Hulda Williams they had three children Oliver W., Thomas Angel, and Prescott.
Thomas Angel Sawyer son of Cornelius Sawyer a great student of the Bible and a surveyor of note (surveyed twelve western counties of Ohio) married Sally Blair daughter of John Blair and Elizabeth ( Halbert) Blair. They had ten children:
Oliver Warren, Orson Valentine ,Anna Williams, William Bassett, Lucy, Hiram, John Blair, Thomas ashley, Cornelius Cuyler, James Prescott.
William Bassett Sawyer son of Thomas Angel Sawyer and Sallie (Blair) Sawyer
was born Feb. 24, 1910 at Middlesex, Ontario County, New York at the age of seven his parents moved to Ohio where he attended Farmington Academy. He was a teacher for many years and taught at the school for advanced students (High School). At 45 years of age he moved his wife and five children to a farm in Manoa, Clayton County, Iowa. There he and five other settlers established the first lending library. He not only enjoyed books but made sure his family read also.
A good student of the Bible he rode horseback nearly thirty miles to the nearest Presbyterian Church where he was a member.
There has always been a William Bassett in every generation as was the custom a family gathering would decide to whom this great honor would go. His father was quite proud to be honored in this way and often told William Bassett Sawyer how much it pleased him.
The spirit of migration soon entered the Sawyers and some of the family went west never to be seen again by the family. William Bassett married Jane Elizabeth Comstock daughter of Thomas Comstock and Sarah (Sliter) Comstock
They had eight children Ann Eliza, Celia Catherine, Warren Erastus, Wallace, Gilbert Agusta, Candace Elah, Watson Augustine, and Gertrude Allie.
Ann Eliza (Sawyer) Dayton daughter of William Bassett Sawyer and Jane Elizabeth (Comstock) Sawyer was born May 18, 1840 in Saint Joseph, Williams County, Ohio. She married George Nelson Dayton who was born December 4,1826 in Syracuse , New York. They married May 15, 1861 at Monona, Clayton County, Iowa. They had six children William, Nelson, Warren Grant, James Watson, Hattie Irinda, Myron Orin, and May who lived one month and 15 days
Ann Eliza died March 20, 1910 and George Nelson died January 17, 1910