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John Ayer Sr. (abt. 1582 - 1657)

Captain John Ayer Sr. aka Air, Aires, Airs, Ares, Ayeres, Ayers, Ayre, Ayres, Eires, Eyer, Eyers, Eyre
Born about in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Englandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1620 in Cockfield, Durham, Englandmap [uncertain]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 74 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
Profile last modified | Created 25 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 15,308 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
John Ayer Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
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Contents

Biography

Disputed Origin

According to The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640 the parents and origins of this person are not known.[1]

Disputed Parents

It has been supposed that John Ayer was the son of Thomas Eyre, esq. of Salisbury, co. Wilts. (d. 1628), MP for Salisbury and Elizabeth Rogers of Poole, co. Dorset. However, their son John, baptized on 20 September 1582 at St. Thomas in Salisbury, co. Wilts,[2] could have been the John Ayer buried there in 1599. This is almost certainly the case, as the 1613 Herald's Visitation includes this family, but does not name John. John is also not mentioned in the wills of his proposed English brothers.[3]

"Eyre," in Vis. of Wilts., 1623.

"There are found two different English ancestry theories of this family. One, in the New England Heritage, that they came from Ayer/Eyer family of Bronham Parish, Wiltshire;[4] the second, in the Descendants of Steven Lincoln, that he came from the Eyer family of Poole. The New England Heritage information is much more detailed and is thus used."[5]

Capt John1 Ayers, son of Thomas Eyre (Ayer) and Elizabeth Rogers, (#6908) was born in Salisbury, Wilt, ENG 2 Sep 1582.(1) could this be 2 Sept 1582 as AIS says or 1587 as Rhonda McClure says ??? [6]

A Robert Ayer and Cicely Ayer had a son John but no sources have been provided to connect the two men. -- disconnected

Immigration and Residences

There is a dispute over when John Ayer came to America, and with how many children.

"The immigrant John Ayer was said to have come from England, arriving on the James in 1635 with his wife Hannah and their first 4 children - Thomas, Rebecca, Robert, and Peter. There is no documentation found for his journey ... Per Willis Brown's research, we place him on the James because of his later close association with other listed passengers on that ship, such as the Pike family, and his kinsman, John Evered alias Webb.[7]

The James itself is a part of history, surviving the Great Hurricane of 1635."[8]

Two lists of early settlers of Colchester, which report the first division of land on 7 Nov 1639 exist. The longer list in the town's earliest book of land records includes John Ayers.[9]

"John Ayer, his wife, Hannah, and eight children came to America in 1637."[5][10]

He received land in Salisbury, MA, in the "first division", in 1640 and in 1643, made Freeman of Salisbury in 1645, sold house and land and moved to Ispwich in 1646."[5] (Janson Ayer argues that John never lived in Ispwich, but was only made a Freeman in the Ipswich court, which traveled.[8]

About 1647 he sold house and land and commonage to John Stevens and removed to Haverhill where he was proprietor and purchaser. In 1648/49 he became Town Officer.[5]

Marriage

Some sources say John married twice: once before 1619, then to Hannah in Cockfield, Durhamshire, ENG, 1620 (Rhonda McClure says 1637). 17 Oct '97 Perhaps the marriage was before 1632 as that was the possible birthdate of first son John, Jr. [6][10] Per another source, John married just once, to Hannah ______.[11]

Disputed info about wife Hannah

Hannah Evered/Webb was born 1598 in Salisbury, Wilt, ENG, daughter of John Webb (Evered) and Mary (Webb). Sources dispute the date of her death: Perley says "his wife Hannah survived him, and died 8 Oct 1688, having remained his widow,"[12] however, she must have died aft 1692 when she, along with some of her ch, deeded land to son Robert[13][14]

Willis Brown in regards to Hannah and her maiden name:

First and possibly foremost, John Ayer was not married to Hannah Evered. He was married to Hannah, who was not an Evered. A very early researcher, perhaps as early as 1860, identified her as Hannah Green(?) with the question mark next to it. He left us no notes, or lists of reference. I have found nothing that would indicate where he developed that theory.
The earliest identification that I have found of the wife of John Ayer as Hannah Evered was a newspaper genealogy column known as "The Boston Transcript." According to that source Hannah was listed in the will of John Evered alias Webb, therefore she must be his sister. She was not listed in that will. In fact, Hannah was still alive when the will was offered for probate, she was not mentioned and did not inherit. John Evered alias Webb did mention his cousins as the children of John Ayer: and not as the children of his sister Hannah. I think John Evered alias Webb knew what he was doing, and I do not try to second guess him. In some so-called family trees, Hannah has been added as a sibling of John Evered alias Webb, but that is not supported by English records.[8]

Children

  1. John b. abt 1620, England[11] (some sources have him later in the birth order, b. 1647 in Haverhill[8]
  2. Rebecca b abt 1623[11] m John Aslet 8 Oct 1648. she survived her husband who died 6 Jun 1671(Sidney Perley lists Rebecca 2nd, after John, before Robert). [12][13]
  3. Robert b abt 1625[11]
  4. Thomas b abt 1629[11]
  5. Mary b abt 1631[11] (Sidney Perley lists Mary as 6th, between Peter and Obadiah). [12][13]
  6. Peter b agt 1633[11]
  7. Obadiah b abt 1638[11]
  8. Nathaniel b abt 1642[11]
  9. Hannah b 21 Dec 1644 Salisbury;[11] m 24 Mar 1662/3 Stephen Webster

Confusion about son John

"Having spent some time in tracing the early generations of the two distinct families of Ayres and Ayer, I desire to preserve the result...Capt. John Ayres of Ipswich and Brookfield was not the son of John Ayer of Haverhill. I have carefully examined the deeds at Salem, and have careful copies of the town records of Ipswich and Haverhill, and these show that the mistake has been made by confounding two persons of the same name....in 1692 his widow, Hannah, deeds land to son Robert, and was joined by children, John of Ipswich, Peter and Nathaniel of Haverhill. This shows conclusively that John, Sr., had a son John (not the Brookfield Capt. John who was killed in 1675), who was living in 1692. The records show this also by giving his marriages and issue." [13]

Death and Will

John's will of March 12, 1657 [15] was proved 6 October 1657 (Reg. 6, p. 207). His wife, Hannah, survived him, and died Oct. 8, 1688, having remained his widow. John Ayer devised his homestead to his son John Jr.[8] He named his children: sons John, Robert, Thomas, Obediah, Peter and Nathaniel; daughters Hannah, Rebecca, and Mary (note: Hannah seems to have been a very late addition to this family--possibly an illegitamate grandchild?)[5][10]

Two lineage memberships Sons and Dtrs of the Pilgrims say b 1596 John died 31 Mar 1657/8 in Haverhill, Essex, MA, at 75 years of age.[14]

"Estate of John Eyers, Sr. of Haverhill.

The last will and Testament of John Eyers ye Elder of Haverhill made ye twelfe of March one thousand six hundred fifty six: fifty seaven: ist ffirst I giue vnto my Sonne John Eyers my dwelling house and house Lott, butt my wyfe to haue the [my] house and Archyard & the psture of English grass by the barne, and the leantoo att the South end of ye barne and to haue livertie in ye Same Nue barne to lay in such hay or corne as shee shall haue occasion to make vse of duering the tyme of hir Naturall life and att hir death to returne to my Sonne Jno Eyers, and duering the tyme of my wiues life my Sonne is to haue the vse of my house Lott and barne, and to pay vnto my wife tenn shillings an acre for every acre of broken vpp land in this my house Lott, and after the end of my wyues life when this falls into my Sonne John Eyers hand then hee shal pay as followes, fiue pound the first yeare after my wyfes death to my Sonne Nathaniell . . .and that young Sowe, whose eare hangs downe and all my flaggy meadow I giue to my Sonne Peter the other halfe of my decond division of meadow & vpland, & two Oxe comons with all privilidges belonging to two Oxe commons and three acres of land in ye upper playne which hee hath allreadie in his possession: I giue my third division of land which is agreed on by the town to bee lay'd out, I giue vnto my Sonne John Eyers & Peter Eyers to bee equally divided beweene them. . . I giue to my wife my best Cowe, and to my daughter Hannah my second best cowe, & my other Cowe and three yeare old heifer to my daughters rebecka & Mary: And all my other goods and Cattell and Swine and house hold stuff vndisposed of I giue vnto my wyfe Hanah Eyers whom I make my Sold Executrix and whom I appoint to discharge all my debts & to take care for my buriall: [No signature.] Proved in Hampton Court 6:8:1657 by Henry Palmer"[16][10]

John Ayer's Inventory at his Time of Death[8][10]

ItemValue
fower cows, two steers, and a calf20.00.00
twenty swine and fower pigs18.00.00
fower oxen25.00.00
one plough, two pair plough irons, one harrow, one yolke and chayne, and a rope cart4.00.00
two howes, two axes, two shovels, one spade, two wedges, two betell rings, two sickels and a reap hook hangers in the chimneys, tongs and pot hooks13.00.00
two pots, three kettles, one skillet, and frying pan3.03.00
in pewter1.00.00
three flocks, beds, and bed clothes18.00.00
12 yards of cotton cloth and cotton wool and hemp and flax4.00.00
two wheels, three chests, and a cupbboard1.03.00
wooden stuff belonging to the house1.16.00
two muskets and all that belong to y'2.10.00
in books0.15.00
in flesh meat0.15.00
about forie bushells of corne7.00.00
his waring apparill8.00.00
about six or seven acres of graine in and uppon the ground9.00.00
the dwelling house and barne and land broken and unbroken with all appurtaneences120.00.00
forks, rakes, and other small implements about the house and barne1.00.00
in debt owing to him1.00.00
between two or three bushels of sale and so mayle0.10.00
TOTAL248.05.00 pounds

The will was attested by Henry Palmer, the father of the wife of John's son Robert, and a fairly equitable division was made among the children of the real estate, which comprised two dwellings and a number of out-laying parcels of land. His wife was given the homestead during her life, and the major portion of his cattle and personal property. The homestead at the death of the widow was to go to the testator's son, John, chargeable with certain case payments to his brother and sister. In the above inventory no mention is made of a second house and house lot, which, by the will, was given to his son, Nathaniel, 'When his apprenticeship is out with his master French.' During Hannah Ayer's widowhood she appears to have been active in affairs, purchased and sold lands, and previous to 1675 built a new house 'on the commons.' [10]

Hannah survived John and died “aged” in Haverhill on 8 Oct 1688. In fact, she became “unreasonable with age” and in 1674 and years following was “dissatisfied” with the way her sons were providing for her.

Research Notes

The following quote was included in merged-in profile of Ayer-1497, but the source does not show John Ayer as part of the ship, James, although it does show him as the father of Thomas Ayer.

On June 3, 1635, John Ayer set sail for the New World with his family, including his two brothers-in-law, John and Stephen, aboard the ship James. As they approached New England, a hurricane struck, and they were forced to ride it out just off the coast of modern-day Hampton, New Hampshire. According to the ship's log and the journal of Increase Mather, whose father Richard Mather and family were passengers, the following was recorded;
"At this moment,... their lives were given up for lost; but then, in an instant of time, God turned the wind about, which carried them from the rocks of death before their eyes. ...her sails rent in sunder, and split in pieces, as if they had been rotten ragges..."
They tried to stand down during the storm just outside the Isles of Shoals, but lost all three anchors, as no canvas or rope would hold, but on Aug 13, 1635, torn to pieces, and not one death, all one hundred plus passengers of the James managed to make it to Boston Harbor.

Source:[17]

Disputed children: Previously attached, without reliable sources, were two children: Susanna (Ayres) Stanhope (1635-1676) and Alexander Ayer (1639-1723). They have been removed, and if records prove the relationship can be reattached. Madison-125 22:14, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Sources

  1. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640 (Boston, Massachusetts. New England Historic and Genealogical Society. 2015)
  2. see Rogers-610#Thomas
  3. Doug Ayer has transcribed one of these wills here (Christopher Ayers, 1619)
  4. see also: Category: Bromham, Wiltshire, Eyre Name Study
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 email removed for privacy
  6. 6.0 6.1 From the World Connect Project
  7. see Category: James, first passage of 1635 ... John Pike, is found among the list of passengers:
    "Pike, John, laborer, of Langford, Oxon #35 (From Whiteparish, Wiltshire, bound for Newbury & Ipswitch. Ref: NEGR 22/260. 36 pg 182)"
    This is intriguing because Giles Eyre of Brickworth (1572-1655), baptized many of his children at Whiteparish, co. Wilts. (see: Category: Whiteparish, Wiltshire, Eyre Name Study.
    Also of interest ... another unverified entry in the same category page states, "Ayers, John, from Osbourne, St George, Wiltshire, bound for Salisbury & Haverhill. Ref: Banks Mss. 36 pg 180."
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 The Story of John Ayer of Haverhill Massachusetts by Janson Ayer ( email removed for privacy) https://web.archive.org/web/20150919115908/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ayergenealogy/story.htm
  9. "Early Settlers." Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS, (Vol 8, Page 28).
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Ayers, Charles. “Ancestors of Silas Ayers and Mary Byram Ayers : including the Alden, Ayers, and Byram families”. Forgotten Books. 2016 Reprint. (Pages not numbered)
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 Holman, Mary (Lovering), Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury, published 1938. Reference Volume 2, page 1085
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ayer Genealogy - The Descendents of John Ayer of Salisbury 1640; Haverhill 1647 by Sidney Perley, first published in The Essex Antiquarian, Vol. IV, No. 10, October 1900, Salem, MA. https://archive.org/stream/essexantiquarian03perluoft#page/146/mode/1up
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Whitmore, W.H., "The ayres and Ayer Families," NEHGR Vol. 17(1863):307-310. Archive.org
  14. 14.0 14.1 some information received from Thomas Ayer's Descendants by Rhonda R. McClure (email removed for privacy).
  15. "Probate Records of Essex county, MA" vol 1 publ 1916, p 260-263 https://archive.org/stream/probaterecordsof01dowg#page/260/mode/1up
  16. Essex County Probate- Docket No. 1088, unfortunately, the will is now missing
  17. Descendants of John Hutchins of Newbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts,by Edwin Colby Byam, Published 1975 by Hutchins in Rockville, Md.Page 7

See also:





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Comments: 26

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"Great Migration 1634-1635, C-F" discusses John Evered alias Webb. In the Associations section it mentions 1960 work by Rosalie Fellows Bailey which 'argued that the mother of John Evered alias Webb was sister of John Ayers'. Bailey's book is downloadable online at

https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/261230/?offset=0#page=99&viewer=picture&o=download&n=0&q=

The book is "New England Heritage of Rousmaniere, Ayer, Farwell and Bourne Families"; the relevant section starts p63. In my opinion, Bailey provides a very strong case through indirect evidence that a sister of our John Ayer, Rebecca, was mother of immigrant John Evered alias Webb. Bailey's work is ingenious, especially using Evered's hasty sale at time of emigration of a property in Devizes which Rebecca Ayer (Eyre) had inherited from an uncle. Best genealogical sleuthing I've read in a year or two.

posted by Daryl Schmitt
edited by Daryl Schmitt
Thanks, Daryl. I've added a citation for the source under See also.
posted by M Cole
Is there a reason for keeping the following undocumented "children" attached to this couple?

Susanna (Ayres) Stanhope (1635-1676)

Alexander Ayer (1639-1723)

John Ayer (1633-)

posted by V Pounders
Susanna has a lot of other connections that would be affected, and I suggest posting in g2g proposing her detachment.

For the other two: -I've proposed a merge for John (that profile is a conflation of John's bio with Peter's birth date) -Alexander has no sources, marriages or children, and probably should be uncertain existence and detached. I posted a comment to alert the profile manager.

Note to Project Leaders, this profile is PP so your assistance will be needed to make changes.

posted by M Cole
Do not click source 3 “John AYER and Hannah Everett alias Webb webpage.”
posted by M Smith
Why? Please provide additional information - is the link broken? SPAM? or ??
posted by Lydia Vierson
I removed the misdirected or broken link that sent readers to various unrelated business websites.
posted by Sandy Culver
Now the PM could archieve this conversation. Thanks for fixing problem.
posted by Richard Barton
Ayres-367 and Ayer-35 appear to represent the same person because: Clean up orphaned profile created long ago when I imported my family tree.
posted by Rob Stafford Jr
John is mention to be on the Jame. It states he was from Osborne,St.George,Wiltshire.Bound for Salisbury & Haverhill,Mass.No other family is mentioned.

https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/unsolved.htm

posted by Teresa Davis
edited by Teresa Davis
He appears to have been listed by Banks in his Topographical Dictionary on page 180, but his name was not found on the James' ship list. Thomas Goddard, from the same page, also from the same parish as John, curiously, was shown on the James passenger list per Drake's research on the Founders of New England; John was not shown in this source. Both these sources were written before Anderson's Great Migration, so Anderson likely found the information on John's immigration inconclusive.
posted by S (Hill) Willson
If anyone on John's trusted list would like to weigh in on whether John's "daughter", Joanna, is really his daughter, please see this G2G thread: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/904677/was-joanna-barker-an-ayer
posted by S (Hill) Willson
Ayer-1497 and Ayer-35 appear to represent the same person because: Not sure why these were set to Unmerged Match; and there are plenty of sources on the original (Ayer-35). Please merge these duplicates. Thanks.
posted by Jillaine Smith
It seems unlikely this couple married in Cockfield, Durham, in the north of England, when they both appear to have grown up in Wiltshire, in the south. What it the source for this info? OK to add [uncertain] next to marriage info?
posted by Peter Roebber
I have begun the process of changing Hannah's last name to Unknown and removing her parents by adding a Disputed Origins section containing links to her disputed parents. I also posted a note on her profile informing the PMs of the impending change of her LNAB, and removal of her parents.
posted by S (Hill) Willson
Jillaine,

I agree with you. Wikipedia has him married to Hannah Evered, but you know how wrong wikipedia can be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ayer

posted by Keith Mann Spencer
I see we still have him married to Hannah Evered. Based on the narrative shouldn't she be Hannah Unknown?
posted by Jillaine Smith
I ask you please look over this John Ayer before adding any new sources, and make sure he is the correct John Ayer, because this Profile was not easy putting together. Everyone who participated in working as a team knows how difficult it was separating this John Ayer from the numerous other John Ayers on wikitree.
posted by Keith Mann Spencer
Someone has just added info about Maryland Ayers to the top of the narrative. This needs moving to the appropriate profile as this profile is about the Massachusetts family.
posted by Jillaine Smith
See Ayer-35 which disputes his parentage, with many quality sources cites, including Anderson's Great Migration series
posted by S (Hill) Willson
Ayer-1317 and Ayer-35 appear to represent the same person because: Other than date of birth everything else matches.
posted by Jack Wise