John Mayo (abt. 1627 - bef. 1706)

Born about 1627 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Lecraft) Mayo — married 1 Jan 1652 in Eastham, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts

Descendants

Died before 4 Nov 1706 before about age 79 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts

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Biography

John Mayo immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

John Mayo was born in England about 1627 (assuming he was an average age of 25 at marriage). He was the son Rev. John Mayo and his first, unknown wife.^[1][2] (See Research Notes for an alternate theory regarding his mother and birthplace.)

John Mayo married Hannah Lecraft (or Reycraft or Ricraft or Legrant) on 1 Jan 1651/[2?]. ^{[3] [4][5]}

John was on the the list of voters in the town of Eastham on 22 May 1655. From the old Eastham town book is: “April 27, 1659. A parcel of land granted to Mr. Richard Higgins near Youngs Cove… near Mr. Southworth’s and Mr. John Mayo’s” as well as “A parcel of meddow granted to the mill possessed by Richard Higgins, lying in a place commonly called Billingsgate meddow lying next to John Mayo.”^[6]

John was appointed surveyor of highways on 3 June 1656 and was constable in 1658 and again in 1671. He took the oath of allegiance in 1657. In 1667 and 1676 he served on the coroner’s inquest.^[7]

On 10 June 1662 an Indian named Tetannett from Nantucket was sentenced to be publicly whipped for stealing from “John Mayo of Eastham”. On 9 June 1665 John was charged with bringing in two gallons of liquor into Eastham the previous Sept.^[8]

Samuel Freeman and John was appointed to oversee the will of Nicholas Snow on 14 Nov. 1676.^[9]

John was involved in the fish and fish oil business as in Oct. 1686 Capt. Jonathan Sparrow defended his interests in the mackerel which had been caught at Cape Cod contrary to the order of the Court and which had been seized by the Court. There is also a letter from Samuel Sewell of Boston to John dated 6 Jan. 1689/0:

“When you were last att my house you spoke of returning hether this winter Laden with oyll if the Ice did not hinder; and the season has been such with us that we conjuncture you also have your freedom in that respect. And if so, I wold Intreat you to make what hast you Conveniently can to me. If the winter prevent you, of your Loading of Oyll be not to be had before Spring, please to signifie so much to me by the first opportunity of writing. My family in health. Govr Bradstreett is pretty well ffreed of his tormenting paines, takes his rest, We hope in order to Recovery. My service to your self and Mr. Treat. Sir, your friend and servtt.”^[10]

John probably made frequent trips to Boston as he received his father’s pension from the Second Church at Boston which the church paid Rev. John from the time of his retirement in 1673 until his death in 1676.^[11]

John was a soldier in King Phillip’s War in Capt. Samuel Moseley’s company from 20 Dec. 1675, riding his father’s horse who was killed.^[12]

On 14 Aug. 1703 “John Mayo of ye town of Eastham, yeoman” sold for 53/ to “Jona Sparrow Jr. of ye town of Eastham all my marsh and sedge ground within ye town of Eastham”. The land was bounded by James Mayo’s land. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Mayo and John Mayo, Jr.^[13]

John made his will in June 1702:

“To my loving wife Hannah Mayo my whole estate both real and personal during her widowhood towards her maintenance after debts & Legasys are paid onely my Housing & land not to be sold but for Nessessity when other estate is gone: and if nessessity Require for to sell ye Housing & Lands for my wives maintenance, then my will is that my son Thomas Mayo shall have ye Refusel of sd Housing and Lands, further my will is that after my decease my son Thomas shall have that small Pcell of Land which I bought of Thomas Cole. Furthermore If by the Providence of God my wife should marry again then my will is that she shall have a third part of my movable estate as it then is & no more. Furthermore my will is that my Grandchild John Mayo that has lived along with me shall have one Cow and one horse that is now in his possession. Further my will is that my Grandchild Thankful Mayo shall have one heifer of two years old. Furthermore my will is that my Grandhild Mary Mayo ye daughter of my son Thomas Mayo shall have a wine cup that my Father gave me.

Item I give my Grandchild Sarah Mayo the daughter of my son Daniel one silver spoon. Further my will is that ye Rest of my Grandchildren shall have twelve pence apiece by my Executors out of estate. Further my will is that after my wives decease or marriage what estate is then left either Real or Personall shall be equally divided unto all my sons now living or to their children.

Furthermore I do appoint my loving wife Hannah Mayo and my son Daniel Mayo for to be my true and lawful executors Joyntly to see after the true performance of this my will as witness my hand & seal [ ] day of June one thousand seven hundred and two John Mayo”

The inventory was taken on 28 Oct. 1706 and amounted to £64, 3s, 8d. ^[14][15]

John Mayo had nine children all born in Eastham, Massachusetts.^[2]:

1. John Mayo b: 15 Dec 1652; m. 14 April 1681, Hannah Freeman, daug. of Major John Freeman. They had children: Hannah, John, Samuel, Mercy, Rebecca, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth.
2. William Mayo b: 7 Oct 1654; d. 1691. Children: Thankful, Mercy.
3. James Mayo b: 3 Oct 1656; m. (1) unknown, (2) Sarah, 1702; d. 1708. Children: Gamaliel, Joseph, James, Jonathan, Sarah, Henry, John.
4. Samuel Mayo b: 2 Apr 1658; d. bef. 1732. Children: Anne, Martha, Elizabeth, Content.
5. Elisha Mayo b: 4 Nov 1661
6. Daniel Mayo b: 25 Jun 1664; d. abt 1715. Children: Bethiah, Sarah, Elizabeth, Daniel, Jeremiah, Margarey, Mary.
7. Nathaniel Mayo b: 2 Apr 1667 m. (1) unknown (2) Mary Brown, 1703.
8. Thomas Mayo b: 24 Jun 1670, died in infancy.
9. Thomas Mayo b: 15 Jul 1672; m. Mary and had children: Mary, Mercy, Hannah and Noah.

Research Notes

Alternate theory for birth and mother: Jean Mayo-Rodwick has asserted that John was the son of John Mayo and Thomasine Brike who married in Leiden in 1618, and that John was also born in Leiden. ^[16] A full discussion of this theory is on his father's profile, see John Mayo: "Wife or Wives?"

Sources

1. ↑ First Settlers of Eastham, Mass. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 6. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1852 - New England. p 169. GoogleBooks
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} William Richard Cutter, William Frederick Adams. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, Volume 1. Lewis historical Publishing Company, 1910 - Massachusetts, p 227. GoogleBooks
3. ↑ Torrey, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.
4. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
5. ↑ Births, marriages, deaths, 1649-ca.1840; intentions of marriage, 1700-ca.1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8979-9X63 : 28 September 2022), FHL microfilm 007009735, image 126, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 44.
6. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
7. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
8. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
9. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
10. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
11. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
12. ↑ NEHGR- Vol. XXXVI, p. 182
13. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
14. ↑ Rev. John Mayo and his Descendants- Jean Mayo-Rodwick, Fruita, CO, 2010- pp. 50-3
15. ↑ "Probate records v. 1-3 1686-1747" database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YB-N5X  : 29 April 2024), Film# 007705400, Barnstable, Massachusetts, image 382-383, Vol 3, Page 324-326.
16. ↑ Mayo-Rodwick, Jean, Rev John Mayo and his Descendants, 6th Edition (2010) is available in its entirety here [1]

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register. New England Historic Genealogical Society. Boston. Page: 6:169
• James W. Hawes. Thomas Howes of Yarmouth, Mass., and some of his descendants, together with the Rev. John Mayo, allied to him by marriage. 1917. Yarmouthport MA: C. W. Swift, No. 13, Library of Cape Cod History & Genealogy, p32.
• Smith and Smith. Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans. 1980, 1993. Baltimore MD; Col. Leonard H Smith, Jr. and Norma H Smith. Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans. An authorized facsimile reproduction of records published serially 1901-1935 in "The Mayflower Descendant." With an added index of persons. - 1980, 1993. Baltimore MD: reprinted for Clearfield Co. by Genealogical Pub. Co. - Page: 25 (MD6:205)
• Rootsweb.Ancestry.com
• Geni.com for Lt. John Mayo There are multiple sources on this profile page that are worth reviewing to add here as time allows.
• Town records, 1654-1863 [Eastham, Massachusetts], database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G979-QNYN  : 27 September 2022), , FHL microfilm 007009743, image 330, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Transcribed by order of the Town in 1856 by, H. Doane 2d, Town Clerk, Marriages, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 2.