Thomas Ayers (1746 - 1820)

Born 6 Dec 1746 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Esther Witham — married 29 Nov 1768 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts

Died 30 Mar 1820 at age 73 in New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine, United States

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Biography

Thomas Ayers was born at Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts on 6 Dec 1746, “the Second of that name the first being dead,” son of Thomas Ayers and Rebeckah Curney or Corney.^[1]

He married at Gloucester on 29 Nov 1768 Esther Witham.^[2].

Thomas Ayers and Esther Witham had four children baptized in Gloucester.^[3]

1. Esther Ayers, bp 28 May 1769; m. New Gloucester 3 Apr 1799 Robert Hannaford.^[4]
2. Thomas Ayers, bp. 20 Oct 1771; m. int. New Gloucester 6 Oct 1797 Dorcas Somes.^[5]
3. James Ayers, bp. 14 Nov 1773; m. int. New Gloucester 16 Nov 1799 Jane Haines of Scarborough.^[6]
4. Dorcas Ayers, bp. 30 June 1775.

Sometime after Dorcas's baptism and before the birth of their fifth child three years later, the family removed to the town of New Gloucester, Cumberland, District of Maine, Massachusetts. His surname in the New Gloucester Vital Records is generally recorded as Ayer. There, they had five more children:^[7]

1. Anna Ayer, b. 12 Oct 1778; poss the Anna who m. int. New Gloucester 8 Mar 1834 Hanson Bragdon.^[8]
2. Ruth Ayer, b. 11 Sep 1782.
3. Ruth Ayer, b. 13 Apr 1784.
4. Asa Witham Ayer, b. 29 Jul 1786; d. 7 Sep 1840, aged 56 years^[9]; m. Rebecca Smith.
5. Rebecca Ayer, b. 5 June 1788; m. New Gloucester 9 Nov 1810 Nathan Smith of Lisbon.^[10]

Thomas Ayer died at New Gloucester 30 Mar 1820 and his widow Esther died 27 Mar 1840 aged 91 years.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Gloucester VRs, 1:73.
2. ↑ Gloucester VRs, 2:69.
3. ↑ Gloucester VRs, 1:73.
4. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 366.
5. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 108.
6. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 108.
7. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 7.
8. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 205.
9. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 459.
10. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 408.
11. ↑ New Gloucester VRs, p. 459.

"Town of New Gloucester Vital Records, 1745-1858." New Gloucester Town Clerk. [1]

Vital Records of Gloucester, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849. Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1917. Three volumes. [2]

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to David Smith for creating WikiTree profile Ayers-744 through the import of Smith Family Tree-2LAW_2013-04-28_01.ged on Apr 28, 2013.