William Eddye was born in Bristol, England around 1560. He married Mary Fosten on Nov 20, 1587, and after she died he married Sarah Tayler in February 1613/14. They lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558–1603) and the same time as William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
William was Vicar of St. Dunstan’s Church in Cranbrook in the County of Kent from 1591 to 1616. He is the ancestor of the overwhelming majority of English Eddys in North America through his two sons, Samuel and John, who sailed to Plymouth, Massachusetts, and through his daughters, Abigail (Eddy) Benjamin and Anna (Eddy) Wines. The lines descending from the two brothers, Samuel and John, are very well documented. The lines from the two sisters, Abigail and Anna, not so much; however we intend to compile as much information on their descendants as possible.
Many of the unconnected branches in our earlier publications eventually found themselves attached to the Vicar's line.
The genealogist and compiler of the monumental 1930 Eddy Family in America genealogy was Ruth Story Devereux Eddy. Although genealogists had published earlier manuscripts of the Vicar's line, none included 'references to authorities for the statements printed'. Ruth Story Devereux Eddy's work took six years to complete and stands as a masterful addition to the field of genealogy and forms the backbone of the EFA. We are fortunate to have had her expertise.