Book excerpt: Nicholas Byram landed in Virginia in 1637. He went to Wessagusset, now Weymouth, Massachusetts, where he was made a Freeman by the Court, May, 1638. He married Susanna Shaw. They moved to Bridgewater in 1662 and were the second settlers of that area. By the time of his death in 1688, Nicholas had acquired almost 500 acres of land. Susanna's will of September 7, 1698 was probated December 18, 1699. It provided for son, Nicholas, his wife, Mary, and children Nicholas and Mehitable; daughters Abigail Whitman, Deliverance Porter, Experience Willis, and Susan Edson; grandchildren Ebenezer Whitman, Mary Leach, and Mary Willis. Descendants lived in New England, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, California and elsewhere.