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Thomas Ayer (say 1628–1686), son of John Ayer and Hannah Unknown

Elizabeth Hutchins (b. say 1633), daughter of John Hutchins and Frances Unknown


Thomas, the son of John and Hannah Ayer, was born say 1628. Thomas, the husband of Elizabeth, died on 9 November 1686 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. [1] He married Elizabeth Hutchins on 1 April 1656 in Haverhill. [1]

Elizabeth Hutchins was born say 1633, probably in England.

Elizabeth's father refers to her as Elizabeth Ayre ("Eyres") in his will of 24 June 1674.

Thomas of Haverhill took the oath of fidelity at the April 1649 court in Salisbury. [2, 1: 167] Thomas and Robert took the freeman's oath at the October 1667 court in Hampton. [2, 3: 451] Thomas took the freeman's oath at the April 1669 court in Salisbury. [2, 4: 131]

Thomas, along with [his brothers] Peter and Robert, is on a 23 May 1666 list of freemen in Haverhill. [3]

Thomas was on the grand jury at the April 1662 quarterly court at Salisbury. [2, 2: 376] He was on the grand jury at the October 1678 quarterly court at Hampton. [2, 7: 102]

Thomas was a constable in Haverhill in March 1684. [2, 9: 218]

Inventory was taken on Thomas's estate on 18 November 1686. His son John took oath to it on [?] November [?] 1686. [4]

Children of Thomas Ayer and Elizabeth Hutchins: Recorded in Haverhill as the children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hutchins) [1]

i. John Ayer was born on 14 May 1657. He married Hannah Travers of Boston on 13 or 18 September 1683 in Haverhill. [1]

ii. Elizabeth Ayer was born on 23 December 1659. Elizabeth, the wife of Samuel Watts, died on 26 October 1695 in Haverhill. [1] Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas, married Samuel Watts on 1 October 1684 in Haverhill. [1] Samuel married second [Elizabeth's first cousin] the widow Elizabeth Clement on 8 March 1696/7 in Haverhill. [1] Elizabeth, the daughter of Robert Ayer and Elizabeth Palmer, was born on 10 November 1652 in Haverhill. [1] She married first John Clement on 22 February 1676 in Haverhill. [1] John, the husband of Elizabeth Ayer, died on 16 May 1692 in Haverhill. [1]

Henry Palmer of Haverhill left a bequest to his granddaughter Elizabeth, the wife of John Clements, in his will of 11 July 1680. [5, 3: 382–3]

iii. Mary Ayer was born on 22 March 1660/1. She died on 5 May 1739. [6] She married Samuel Colcord, the son of Edward Colcord and Anne Warde in 1680. [6]

iv. Love Ayer was born on 15 April 1663 in Haverhill. She died on 24 April 1735, probably in Franklin, Connecticut. She married Lieutenant Joseph Kingsbury.

v. Unnamed twin sons were born on 16 January 1664. They died on 20 January 1664 in Haverhill. [1]

vi. Thomas Ayer was born on 9 June 1666. He married first Ruth Wilford on 12 June 1694 in Haverhill. [1] Ruth and Thomas and Ruth's daughter Ruth were killed in the 29 August 1708 Indian massacre in Haverhill. [1] Thomas married second the widow Dorothy Blaisdell before 1711. [1] Dorothy was the widow of Henry Blaisdell.

Thomas is probably the cousin Thomas Ayer named in his uncle Samuel Hutchin's will of 26 October 1711.

vii. Samuel Ayer was born on 11 July 1671. Samuel, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hutchins), died on 9 November 1686 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: 15–22 (Ayer, births); vol. 2, 15–22 (Ayer, marriages), 319 (Watts, marriages), 347–52 (Ayer, deaths), 374–5 (Clement, deaths), 483 (Watts, deaths).

2. 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).

3. Lucius R. Paige, "List of Freemen," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 3 (1849): 239.

5. George Francis Dow, The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusettsvol. 1vol. 2vol. 3 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1916, 1917, 1920).

4. "Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638–1881," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, case 1139.

6. Doane B. Colcord, Colcord Genealogy: Descendants of Edward Colcord of New Hampshire, 1630 to 1908, Coudersport, Pa., Mahlon J. Colcord, 1908.


26-Apr-2023