• Born: 25 Jan 1682, Boston MA
• Marriage (1): Elizabeth Kilby on 13 May 1706 in Boston MA
• Died: 3 Aug 1736, Boston MA

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• Alternate Mark.

• Alternate Mark.

• Alternate Mark. Also used by son.

• Apprenticed: Jeremiah Dummer, about 1695-1705, in Boston MA. ¹

• Flynt & Fales: 1707, in Boston MA. His shop was broken into according to Samuel Sewall's diary for June 21st, "and a considerable quantity of Plate stolen," (but later recovered). ³

• Example: Spoon, circa 1709, in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. L: 7 5/8"
  wt: 1 oz, 10 dwt
  Engraved BW on handle back for Bathsheba Walker ¹⁰

• Example: Cup, circa 1710-1720, in Yale University. H: 4 3/16"
  d: 2 11/16" (base)
  wt: 8 oz, 4 dwt
  Engraved HW for Henry Wolcott. ¹³

• Example: Shaker, circa 1720, in Private Collection. H: 3 3/4" (including finial)
  Engraved on bottom A over I M for James and Mary Avery.

• Master: John Potwine, about 1712, in Boston MA. ⁹

• Master: William Simpkins, about 1717, in Boston MA. ⁹

• Example: Communion cup, in 1718, in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. H: 4 1/2"
  d: 2 1/2" (of base)
  wt: 5 oz, 19 dwt
  Made for the Brattle Street Church to match an earlier one by Jeremiah Dummer ¹⁰

• Master: John Cowell, about 1720, in Boston MA. ⁹

• Master: Rufus Greene, in 1721, in Boston MA. ¹

• Master: William Cowell, about 1726, in Boston MA. ³

• Master: Charles Simpson, about 1727-1734, in Boston MA. ⁹

• Flynt & Fales. A holder of public office, he later kept an inn and is believed to have retired from goldsmith's business about 1734 when his son William finished his apprenticeship. Recorded as an "innholder" when he died. The inventory of his estate, appraised by Jacob Hurd among others, included "Sundry tools in the Shop" and "159 oz 14 dwt Silver a [s?] Stock." Apparently both father and son made use of same mark, W. COWELL in cartouche, but William, Sr. alone used the shield-shaped mark of WC with star above and mullet below and pellets at the top, which appears in conjunction with cartouche mark on a tankard given to Church of Christ in Newton, MA by John Staples, May 28, 1727, antedating by several years the completion of the younger Cowell's apprenticeship. ³

William married Elizabeth Kilby on 13 May 1706 in Boston MA. (Elizabeth Kilby was born on 15 Sep 1686 in Boston MA and died on 13 Apr 1745 in Boston MA.)