Lieut. William Backus, son of William Backus, was born about 1638, and died in 1721. He was an early settler and enterprising citizen of Norwich, CT, and later became one of the proprietors of Windham and one of the legatees of Joshua Uncas, from whose estate he received three shares of a thousand share each.

The will of Lieut. William Backus, dated February 8, 1693-4, proved April 17, 1721 (Files, New London District No. 228), mentions his (second) wife, Elizabeth, sons Joseph and Nathaniel, son John and grandson William, and daughters Sara, Elizabeth, Hanna, and Mary; and referred to what son William had received by deed or gift. Finally, he wrote, concerning his sons William and John and daughter Sarah, "what I have given them formerly with that which I doe give them in this my will shall be the whole of their portions of my estate, anything that I received of their grandfather Charle's estate notwithstanding". Since Sarah Charles was born in October 1637 she was about the age of Lieut. William Backus, and could not possibly have been his mother, and thus the will proves she was his first wife.