Farmer, politician, and Continental Army Major General
| When Burke met | 1778 |
| Where Burke met | Boston |
| Occupation | Military |
| Interaction with Burke | Hired Burke to recruit Marines for the Deane |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | Wikitree |
| Memoir Pages | 22 |
Notes
William Heath (March 2, 1737 – January 24, 1814) was a farmer, politician, and Continental Army Major General from Roxbury, Massachusetts. The son of Samuel Heath and Elizabeth Payson, he resided his entire life on his family’s ancestral farm and had three children with his wife, Sarah Lernard (sometimes recorded as Lockwood). Early in his career, he participated in local militias and captained the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. During the American Revolution, Heath commanded troops at the Siege of Boston and early engagements before being censured by George Washington following a failed 1777 attack on Fort Independence. He subsequently served in administrative military posts, notably managing the captive Convention Army and commanding West Point. After the war, Heath became a probate judge, a Massachusetts state senator (1791–1792), and a delegate to the 1788 state constitutional ratifying convention, later declining the 1806 lieutenant governorship due to his advanced age and health.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.