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John Ayer (d. 1657)
John Ayre, Sr. died on 31 March 1657 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. [1]
Hannah is probably the widow Hannah who died on 8 October 1688 in Haverhill. [1]
John's origin is unknown; he was in Salisbury as early as 1640 and moved to Haverhill about 1647. [2]
John Ayer, Sr. was on the grand jury at the 24 (2) [April] 1649 court at Salisbury, the 2 (8) [October] 1649 court at Hampton, and the 13 (2) [April] 1652 court at Salisbury. [3, 1: 164, 176, 251]
John Ayer, Sr. was freed from all military training, presumably because he was over sixty, on 3 (8) [October] 1654. [3, 1: 369]
John Eyer the elder of Haverhill made his will on 12 March 1656/7 and it was attested to by Henry Palmer on 6 (8) [October] 1657 at the court in Hampton. John left his wife Hannah his house, orchard, pasture of English grass by the barn, a lean-to by the barn and the right to store hay and corn in the new barn for life. After her decease, his son John was to have his house and its lot. During her life, he was to have the use of the house lot and barn, but he was to pay Hannah ten shillings an acre for every acre of broken up land in the lot. Son John was also to pay son Nathaniel five pounds the first year after his wife's death; daughter Hannah five pounds the second year; daughter Rebecca four pounds the third year; daughter Mary four pounds the fourth year. If Rebecca or Mary were to die before they were paid, their children were to receive the payment; if Nathaniel or Hannah were to die and leave no children, son Obadiah was to receive the payment.
John left his son Nathaniel the house and its lot that he bought from his son John. Nathaniel was to have this inheritance after finishing his apprenticeship with Master French; in the mean time, his wife Hannah was to have it. He also gave Nathaniel his meadow in Hawks meadow, after Hannah's death. She was to have it until then. He left his land in the lower and upper plains to his sons Robert, Thomas, and Obadiah, but they were to pay his wife ten shillings per broken up acre on which corn would grow per year. His sons John, Nathaniel, Robert, and Thomas were to maintain the fences and pay the taxes.
He left his son Obadiah two ox commons and two cow commons. He left his son Peter the "young Sow whose ear hangs down & all my flaggy meadow," two ox commons, and the three acres of land in the upper plains already in his possession. He split his two divisions of upland and meadow between Obadiah and Peter and his third division of land between John and Peter. He left his wife his best cow and Rebecca and Mary the other cow and three-year-old heifer. The residue was left to Hannah, who was the sole executrix. Inventory was taken by Robert Clements, James Davis, Sr., and Henry Palmer on 10 (2) [April] 1657 and it amounted to £248-05-06. It was presented in court on 6 October 1657 by Hannah. [3, 3:200–2][4, 1: 261–3]
The widow Hannah was charged with selling cider and [her son] Nathaniel was bound for her appearance at the 13 October 1674 court at Hampton. She acknowledged her offense, but did not appear, pleading illness and an inability to travel. Both the bond and her fine were remitted. [3, 5: 409]
In 1692 widow Hannah deeded land to her son Robert and was joined by her children John of Ipswich, Peter, and Nathaniel of Haverhill. [5]
Children of John Ayer and Hannah Unknown: Order uncertain
i. John Ayer was born by 1624, probably in England. He died after 1692. John, Jr. married first Sarah Williams on 5 May 1646 in Haverhill. [1] Sarah, the daughter of John and Jane Williams, was born about 1630, probably in England. [6] Sarah, the wife of John, died on 25 July 1662 in Haverhill. [1] John married second Mary Wooddam on 26 March 1663 in Haverhill. [1] Mary was the daughter of John and Mary Wooddam
John Ayre, Jr. was made a freeman on 4 (9) [November] 1645. [3, 1:86] He was the constable in Haverhill on 12 March 1652. [3, 2: 143] He was on the trial jury at the 12 April 1664 court in Salisbury. [3, 3: 144]
John Ayer, Jr. was freed from all military training for one year on 3 (8) [October] 1654. [3, 1: 369]
John Williams mentions his granddaughter Sarah Eyers, the daughter of his daughter Sarah, in his will of 9 December 1670. [6]
John Wooddam will was produced at the 1 April 1679 court at Ipswich, without proof. The court ordered that his relict Mary should have it for life and after it was to go to her daughter Mary Ayer, who was John's only child. [3, 7: 183]
John, late of Haverhill, was in Ipswich in 1679. [7]
This John should not be confused with the John Ayers who lived in Ipswich in 1648, moved to Quabog in 1671, and was killed by Indians on 3 August 1675 in Brookfield.
ii. Rebecca Ayer died between 20 May 1687 and 2 November 1702. She married first John Aslebee. She married second George Keyser.
iii. Robert Ayer was born about 1625, probably in England. He died after 1692. He married Elizabeth Palmer on 27 February 1650 in Haverhill. [1] Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry Palmer of Haverhill. Elizabeth, the widow of Robert, died on 24 April 1705 in Haverhill. [1]
Robert of Haverhill was age 86 in 1711. [7]
Elizabeth is buried in the Pentucket Cemetery in Haverhill. Her gravestone says, "Here lyes ye body of Elizabeth wife of Robert Ares desesed April ye 24 1705 & in ye 72 year of her age." [8]
Robert and his brother Thomas took the freeman's oath on 8 (8) [October] 1667 at the court in Hampton and Robert was approved corporal of the Haverhill military company. [3, 3: 451–2] He was the constable in Haverhill on 9 April 1674. [3, 5: 325]
Henry Palmer left bequests to his son Robert Ayer and his daughter Elizabeth, his wife, in his will of 10 July 1680. [4, 3: 882–3]
iv. Thomas Ayer was born say 1628. He died on 9 November 1686 in Haverhill. He married Elizabeth Hutchins.
v. Cornet Peter Ayer was born about 1633. He died on 2 January 1698/9 in Boston. He married Hannah Allen.
vi. Mary Ayer may be the Mary Ayer who married Nathan Parker. [9] This Mary was hanged for witchcraft in Salem in 1692. [9] Nathan married first Susanna Short on 20 November 1648. [9] She died on 26 August 1651 and Nathan and Mary's first son was born in 1653. [9]
Mary's father's will suggests that she was married and had children by 12 March 1656/7.
See Kelly [9] for an interesting account of Mary's life.
vii. Obadiah Ayer died on 14 November 1694. [2][10] He married Hannah Pike on 19 March 1660/1 in Haverhill. [1] Hannah was the daughter of Captain John Pike of Newbury and New Jersey. [10] She died on 31 May 1689. [2][10]
Obadiah sold his property in Haverhill in 1669 and moved to Woodbridge, New Jersey. [2]
viii. Nathaniel Ayer (as the husband of Tamesin) died on 17 November 1717 in Haverhill. [1] He married Tamesin Turloar on 10 May 1670 in Haverhill. [1] Tamesin, the wife of Nathaniel, died on 13 December 1700 in Haverhill [1]
ix. Hannah Ayer was born on 21 December 1644 in Salisbury. [2] She married Stephen Webster on 24 March 1662/3 in Haverhill. [1]
References:
1. Vital Records of Haverhill, Massachusetts: To the End of the Year 1849, 2 vols. (Topsfield: Topsfield Historical Society, 1910, 1911), vol. 1, 15–23 (Ayer births); vol. 2: 15–20 (Ayer marriages), 347–352 (Ayer deaths).
2. "Ayer Genealogy," Essex Antiquarian 4 (1900): 145–150.
3. George Francis Dow, ed., and Harriet S. Tapley, trans., Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, 9 vols., digitized books, Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project (http://salem.lib.virginia.edu).
4. George Francis Dow, The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1916, 1917, 1920).
5. W.H. Whitmore, "The Ayres and Ayre Families," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 17 (1863): 307–10.
6. Cornelia Bartow Williams, "The Family of John Williams of Newbury and Haverhill, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 62 (1908): 184.
7. Joshua Coffin, "Early Settlers of Essex and Old Norfolk," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6 (1852): 207.
8. "Haverhill Inscriptions: Pentucket Cemetery," Essex Antiquarian 12 (1908): 2.
9. Jacqueline Kelly, "The Untold Story of Mary Ayer Parker: Gossip and Confusion in 1692," paper written for History 209, An Undergraduate Course, Cornell University Spring Semester, 2003, Revised for presentation at the Berkshire Conference, June 2005. Scroll down to Mary Parker and click on "full essay." Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project (http://salem.lib.virginia.edu).
10. W.A. Whitehead, "Extracts from the Records at Woodbridge, New Jersey," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 19 (1865): 28–29.
16-Nov-2023