William Colman (ca. 1780-1820) was the son of the enterprising Deacon Benjamin Colman of Byfield Parish in the Essex County town of Newbury. The elder Colman, who was involved in a controversy with the parish pastor over the issue of slavery in 1780 leading to Colman's suspension from the church, was the owner of a store and shoe factory which William Colman helped manage.
From the guide to the William Colman Accounts MS 212., 1802-1822, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries)