William Phelps, (c. 1593—July 14, 1672) was a Puritan who emigrated from Crewkerne, England in 1630, one of the founders of both Dorchester, Boston Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut, and one of eight selected to lead the first democratic town government in the American colonies in 1637.

William Phelps was a Puritan Englishman who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1630 aboard the ship Mary and John with his wife Ann and four children.

[3] Phelps was married twice: (1) Mary (surname unknown), buried in England in 1626, and (2) Anne Dover, who accompanied him and children from both marriages to Dorchester, Massachusetts, a town later annexed by the city of Boston.

Researchers can not find further records of Cornelius or either of the twin girls named Mary, and presume they all died young.

Records in the Colonies have been found for the children born in England named Joseph, Sarah, Timothy and the last Mary.

At his urging, nearly 150 individuals gathered from the English West Country counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

[10] While many historians assumed that the emigrants were motivated by religious persecution like others in the Winthrop Fleet, the West Country was free from it.

They were not leaving England for economic reasons or for religious freedom, per se, because they believed their faith to be the only true religion.

[10] White has been called "the father of the Massachusetts Colony," despite remaining in England his entire life, because of his influence in establishing this settlement.

White preached sermons in the morning and afternoon; then, with his blessing, the group departed on March 20 for the New World aboard the Mary and John.

Under the oversight of the Massachusetts Bay Colony headed by Governor John Winthrop, the village became the first permanent settlement in present-day Suffolk County.

Along with William Phelps was Roger Ludlowe, John Mason, Samuel Maverick, Nicholas Upsall, Henry Wolcott and other men who would become prominent in the founding of a new nation.

The Mary and John immigrants organized the town of Dorchester upon their arrival[15] at what is now the intersection of Columbia Road and Massachusetts Avenue in South Boston.

He was made constable, assigned to serve on committees given authority to settle land and boundary disputes, and given other key responsibilities in administering the affairs of the new town, including serving on the General Court, or general meeting, at which individuals were tried for offenses including absence from church, forgery, fornication, and "bastardy."

Nov. 9th, 1630, he was one of a jury of twelve, empanneled for the trial of Walter Palmer, concerning the death of Austin Brotcher, found not guilty of manslaughter.

[20]Phelps remained in Dorchester until 1635 when he and a large number of other families relocated to a new site inland which they named Windsor.

In 1635, Puritan and Congregationalist members of Reverends Warham's and Maverick's congregation, including William Phelps, John Mason, Roger Ludlow, Henry Wolcott, and others, all prominent settlers, were dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reforms.

[13] They sought permission from the Massachusetts General Court to establish a new ecclesiastical society in the Connecticut Valley subject to their own rules and regulations.

A few struggled back to Dorchester and the rest survived the winter with help from the original Plymouth settlers and the Native Americans.

When spring arrived, the transplanted settlers moved to higher ground in the meadow north of the river and were finally able to receive their provisions.

It set out how differences were to be resolved, fines and imprisonment imposed, trading, planting, building, lots, military discipline, defense in war, and the people to be self-governed in their new town.

A Commission granted to seuall Persons to govern the people att Conecticott, for the space of a year, now next coming, an Exemplificacon whereof ensueth: ... wee, in this present Court assembled, on the behalfe of o' said Members & John Winthrop, Jun', Esq.

Goner appoynted by certain noble personages & men of qualitie, interested in the said ryvr web ... wee therefore thinke mee[te] & soe order that Roger Ludlowe, Esqr., William Pinchon, Esq., John Steele, William Swaine, Henry Smythe, William Phelpes, William Westwood & Andrew Warde, or the greater pte of them, shall have full power and aucthoritie to hear and determine in a judicial way, ... to make & decree such orders, for the present, that may be for the peaceable & quiett ordering the affaires of the said plantacon, bothe in tradeing, planting, building, lotts, militarie dissipline, defensiue in warr [if neede so require], as shall best conduce to the publique good of the same, & that the said Rodger Ludlow, William Pinchon, John Steele, Will- Swaine, Henry Smyth, Will- Phelpes, William Westwood, and Andrew Warner, or the greatr pte of them shall have power ... in a leagall and open manner, by way of Court to pleede in execute[ing] the power and authoritu ... and if soe be ther may be a mutuall, and settled govunt- condecended unto, by and with the good likeing and consent of the said noble psonages, or their agent, the inhabitants and the commomwealth ...[1]: 75–76  (Original spelling and punctuation preserved.)

Roger Ludlow later wrote a book on the democratic procedures of Connecticut which furnished the outline for the Constitution of the United States.

[24]: 11 The militia, commanded by Captain John Mason, surrounded the palisaded village at dawn and set it to fire, striving to kill any who escaped the flames.

Aaron Starks, to stand upon the pillory and be whipped as Williams, and to have the letter R burnt upon his cheek, and in regard to the wrong done to Mary Holt, to pay her parents £10 and in defect of such to the commonwealth; and it is the will of the Court that Mr. Ludlow, and Mr. Phelps see some punishment inflicted upon the girl for concealing it so long.

)[5]: 75 [20]His home in Windsor was "a short distance north of the Mill River Valley", and after the Connecticut River flooded during the breaking up of ice in the spring of 1639, he moved his home further north, "about three-quarters of a mile northwest of Broad Street on the road to Poquonock, the place owned, in 1859, by Deacon Roger Phelps.

In a deed dated March 31, 1665, Phelps recorded that he had purchased a parcel of land about 30 years previously from Sehat, a Paquanick sachem.

He paid to Sehat's descendant "Nassahegan, an Indian sachem" and his kinsmen "four trucking coats"[notes 2] and wampum.

A Settlement Deed for his son Timothy's marriage to Mary, daughter of Edward Griswold, another pioneer founder of Windsor, was dated April 22, 1660.