William Shattuck was the third child and second son of John Shattuck, who was drowned at the age of 28 when crossing on the Charlestown to Boston Ferry when William was still a child. According to Lemuel Shattuck’s Memorials194, William’s “residence was a little southerly of the house built by his grandson Job Shattuck, near Wattle’s Pond. The following facts concerning him are derived from authentic and positive evidence, partly from the records of Watertown and Groton, and partly from papers on file, but not recorded, in the Middlesex Probate Office. He lived in Groton with his mother and step-father, Enoch Lawrence, from 1678 until about the time of his marriage in 1688, when he returned to Watertown, where he resided the principal part of the subsequent fourteen years. In 1691 he was impressed into the public military service of the Colony; and on the 4th Dec., 1691, the selectmen of Watertown

“‘Agreed that Mr. William Shattuck should take care to provide for the reliefe of the wife and two children of his cosen [nephew] William Shattuck, during the time of his beeing out in the country service from the 18th November, 1691, till he coms home, or the town taks furder order; and that the sd William shall be paid for his pains the one part out of the county assessments, as by order of the General Court is allowable, and the other part out of the town rate.’

“This was undoubtedly the William Shattuck, the subject of this notice; and his two children then born, were William and Hannah hereafter mentioned. After his return from the military [p. 82] campaign, as a consideration for his services, the selectmen voted to give him a lot of land for a dwelling-house, near ‘Patch Meadow;’ and to allow him to cut timber owned by the town, to build it. He probably availed himself of this grant, in part at least; for we find the following entry upon the Watertown records, Nov 16, 1702. At a public town meeting --

“‘Voted that if William Shattuck, junior, doth deliver the house & lands & fences to Manings Sawin, Town Treasurer, that he did hold of the town, within eight days next coming, then the sd Town Treasurer is to deliver the sd four pounds, that he acquired of John Green, to the sd William Shattuck, as a gratuity from the town to help him in his removing to Groton.’

“In 1702 he bought lands in and removed to Groton. In 1707 he was one of those already mentioned in our notice of his brother John, (p. 79,) who ‘were considering of removing’ from Groton on account of the Indian troubles; and his wife Hannah, and probably her children, did actually return to Watertown in 1707, and resided a short time in the family of John Barnard, Jr. They were afterwards, however, permanent inhabitants of Groton. On the 21st Sept., 1716, William Shattuck deeded to his son ‘in consideration of the paternal love and affection I bear to my son William Shattuck, junior,’ -- ‘that he may be settled for the support of his family, and that he and his heirs may be forever debarred of making any further claim or demand of any farther portion out of my estate that I shall die seized of, either personal or real, except what I may hereafter give him,’ &c. This deed is signed by Wm. Shattuck, the father, and Anna or Hannah Shattuck, the mother. (Midd. Deeds, Vol. XXXVIII., pp. 33, 34.) His son John Shattuck administered on his estate; and in the petition for his appointment the widow Deliverance Shattuck calls him ‘her son-in-law,’ step-son, or son of her husband by a former wife. William is called ‘the eldest son of the diseased,’ and the others, children and heirs. The inventory of his property was presented June 1, 1744; and Wm. Shattuck’s portion of the real estate which he had received from his father was apprised as land ‘in his hands.’ The remainder was divided by commissioners appointed for the purpose in 1747; and the different heirs, and the portions assigned to each, are described in the deed of partition on the files of the court. ‘1. To Deliverance, the widow of the diseased,’ &c. ‘2. To John Shattuck, one of the diseased [p. 83] sons.’ &c. ‘3. To Daniel Shattuck, another of the diseased sons,’ &c. ‘4. To Hannah Blood, eldest daughter of the diseased, wife to Nathaniel Blood,’ &c. ‘5. To Ruth Nutting, youngest daughter of the diseased, wife to Ebenezer Nutting,’ &c.

“William Shattuck m. 1, in Watertown, March 19, 1688, HANNAH UNDERWOOD. He is described in the record as then of Groton, she of Watertown. There was no other William Shattuck then in Groton, or Watertown, excepting his uncle (p. 74.) This wife was the mother of his children, and died about 1717.

“He m. 2, in Groton, March 24, 1719, DELIVERANCE PEASE, who survived him. His wives were members of the church, and his children were baptized. These facts, and others hereafter to be stated, unquestionably prove a genealogical succession and descent from the first William Shattuck of Watertown to the recent families of the name in Groton. Each consecutive link in the chain is unbroken, and without irregularity.”