The Ayers History follows:

Inserito da

MerleRomer4

AYER, EYRE FAMILY

1400-1800 (more before 1400)

1. THOMAS EYRE (1400-1438)

1.a. ELIZABETH ROGERS (1404-1463) \\

THOMAS EYRE was born about 1400 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England, to Simon Eyre (1364-1402) and Kathleen Millington. He married Elizabeth Rogers about 1432 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England.

Wiltshire, England

HolmeHall

Thomas Eyre died about 1438, age 38, in England.

Avon Bridge, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England

HolmeHall

Thomas Eyre, John Brent. Thomas Barnes. Thomas Budden in the Wiltshire, England Extracted Parish Records

Thomas Eyre was seised to him and his heirs for ever of

a. one capital messuage in Castle Street in the said City of New Sarum;

b. 2 acres of meadow in Fisherton Augur;

c. one messuage or inn called the Blew Boare, opposite the market-place in the said City;

d. 4 acres of meadow called the Blew Boare meade in Fisherton Augur;

e. one messuage or inn called the Talbott, in Winchester Street in the said City;

f. 10 acres of meadow in the parish of Laverstocke;

g. one messuage or inn called the Bell opposite the Tann Gate in the said City;

h. 7 acres of meadow in Laverstocke;

i. one tenement in Katherine Street in the said City;

j. one tenement in High Street there;

k. 2 tenements in Minster Street there;

l. one tenement in Milford Street there; one tenement in Browne Street there; 5 tenements in Ivye Street there;

m. 6 1/2 acres of land in Fisherton Augur;

n. 10 acres of land in the parish of Bemerton;

o. one capital messuage and divers lands and hereditaments in the tenure of John Brent, of Hoonesbrooke,

p. in the parish of Wimborne Minster in co. Dorset; one tenement there;

q. 2 acres of land there;

r. 14 acres of land there in the tenure of Thomas Barnes;

s. half an acre of land there in the tenure of Thomas Budden;

t. one messuage or inn called the Angell and one acre of meadow in Stockebridge in co. Southampton;

u. 3 parts, in 5 parts to be divided, of one tenement called Bonhames in the parish of South Newton;

v. 3 parts, in 3 parts to be divided, of one tenement in Stovord and Newton;

w. 3 parts, in 3 parts to be divided, of 21 acres and 3 virgates of land in Fowlstone and Chilhampton;

x. 3 parts, in 3 parts to be divided, of one messuage, 20 1/2 acres of land, and 2 acres of meadow in Chilhampton;

y. 3 parts, in 3 parts to be divided, of one messuage and 3 acres of land in Newton; and

z. 3 parts, in 3 parts to be divided, of one messuage and one acre of land in Chilhampton.

Book:

Thomas Lambert, esquire. Delivered into Court 9th May, 20 Charles 1st [1644].

Collection:

Wiltshire: - Abstracts of Inquisitiones Post Mortem Returned Into the Court of Chancery in the Reign of Charles 1st

Thomas Eyre died about 1438 of England, age 38.

ELIZABETH ISABEL ROGERS was born about 1403 of Wedhampton, Devizes, Wiltshire, England, to Simon Rogers (1364-1404) and Elizabeth Rogers (1368-1438.) She married Thomas Eyre about 1432 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England.

Elizabeth Rogers passed away 24 December 1462 at Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, age 59.

Children of Thomas Eyre and Elizabeth Rogers:

1. Alice Eyers (1433-1474)

2. *WILLIAM EYRE was born about 1435 in England, to Thomas Eyre (1400-1438) and Elizabeth Rogers (1404-1463.) He married Juliana Cokerel in England. William Eyre died about 1520, age 85. in England.

2. WILLIAM EYRE, ESQUIRE (AYERS) (1435-1520)

2.a. JULIANA COCKEREL (1444-1503)

(English man) WILLIAM EYRE, ESQ. (AYERS) was born about 1435 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England, to Thomas Eyre (1435-1473) and Elizabeth Rogers (1452-1562.) He married Juliana Cokerel about 1472 of Gifford, Wiltshire, England.

William Eyre died 3 December 1520, Christchurch, Hampshire, England, age 85. He was buried at St. Augustine, Hampshire, England.

I.William Eyre, who was elected Prior of the Canons of St. Augustine, Christchurch, Hants, in 1502. He died in 1520, and was buried behind the high altar of the Priory Church, under a flat stone (which is still legible), with the following inscription:

"Tumba Domini Wilhelmi Eyre. Vicessimi Quinte Prioris Rujns EcclesiÃ¦ qui obiit tertio die decembris anno domini Milessimo CCCCC et XX, Hujus anime propitietur Dens.

Amen"

By his side also was buried his mother, the inscription on her tomb being the following :â€”

"Hic Jacet Joana Cockrell. Mater Wilhelmi Eyre. Prioris Hujus EcclesiÃ¦, Cujus Anime propitietur Deus. Amen."

William Eyre, son of Thomas Eyre, married Joanne Cockerell and had sons. William made prior of Christchurch, Hampshire in 1502 and died in 1520.

SOURCE: Chase and Allied Families, Genealogical and Biographical by Nia Sawyer Chase, 1930, page 164.

2112. William12 EYRE, born abt 1433/43 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England, son of 4224. Thomas EYRE and 4225.(unknown) (---). He married abt 1461 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England 2113. Juliana or Joan COCKEREL, born abt 1443 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England; buried in By Christchurch.

Children of William EYRE and Juliana or Joan COCKEREL were as follows:

i William11 EYRE, born abt 1473 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England; died 23 Nov 1520.

1056 ii John11 EYRE, born abt 1477 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England; died in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He married (1) abt 1499 in of, Alton, Wiltshire, England Margaret BUTTON (BITTON); (2) abt 1527 in Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England Jane CUSSE, born abt 1503 in of, Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England, daughter of William CUSSE.

2114. William12 CUSSE, born abt 1477 in , England. He married unknown.

Children of William CUSSE were as follows:

1057 i Jane11 CUSSE, born abt 1503 in of, Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England. She married abt 1527 in Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England John EYRE, born abt 1477 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England; died in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, son of William EYRE and Juliana or Joan COCKEREL.

• Rev. William EYRE (of Christchurch)

Posted 13 Feb 2013 by susasoul

Notes

!SOURCE: John Burke, Esq., A GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC HISTORY OF THE COMMONERS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Vol. III, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1977, p. 290. Was chosen prior of Christchurch, Hants, in 1502, and died in 1520.

!SOURCE: BURKE'S GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC HISTORY OF THE LANDED GENTRY, Burke's Peerage Limited, London, 1939, p. 727. Prior of the Canons of St. Augustine at Christchurch, Hants, d. 3 Dec. 1520 and was bur. there beside his mother.

!SOURCE: THE VISITATION OF WILTSHIRE, 1623, Publications of the Harleian Library, London, 1954, pp. 57ff. Filius primogenitus Prior de Christchurch Twinham in Com South; d. 6 Dec. 1520. M.I. Christchurch Priory.

!SOURCE: Mary Elizabeth Frances Richardson-Eyre, A HISTORY OF THE WILTSHIRE FAMILY OF EYRE, Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1897. William, though the elder, entered the monastic life, and was elected Prior of the House of Canons Regular of St. Augustine's of Christ Church, Hants; he presided over this religious fraternity eighteen years, and dying in 1520, was buried in the south aisle of the church under the flat stone, with the following inscription, which is still legible: "Jumba Domini Wilielmi Eyre, Vicessimi quint Prioris, Ungus Ecclesiae--qui obiit tetio die Decembris Anno Domini Milessimo ccccc: et xx eligus anime propitietur Deus Amen." By his side was interred his mother--"Hic jacet Joano Cokrell, mater Wilielme Eyre."

!SOURCE: Rev. Allen Stewart Hartigan, M.A. in A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILY OF EYRE OF EYRECOURT AND EYRE OF EYREVILL IN THE COUNTY OF GALWAY, nd, p. 6. William Eyre, who was elected Prior of the Canons of St. Augustine, Christchurch, Hants, in 1502. He died in 1520, and was buried behind the high altar of the Priory Church, under a flat stone (which is still legible), with the following inscriptions: -- "Tumba Domini Wilhelmi Eyre. Vicessimi Quinte Prioris Hujus Ecclesiae qui obiit tertio die decembris anno domini Milessimo CCCCC et XX, cujus anime propitietur Deus." Amen. -- By his side also was buried his mother, the inscription on her tomb being the following:-- "Hic Jacet Joana Cockrell. Mater Wilhelmi Eyre. Prioris Hujus Ecclesiae. Cujus Anime Propitietur Deus. Amen."

\ William Eyre was buried by his wife, Juliana, in the Priory Church of the Canons of St. Augustine’s, Christchurch, Hants.

JULIANA COKEREL was born about 1445 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England, to William Briseteste Cockerel (1419-1479) and Arangui de Aranguiz Briseteste (1423-1444.) She married William Eyre about 1472 ofWedhampton, Wiltshire, England.

ChristchurchCastle

Juliana Cokerel passed away about 1503 of St. Augustine, Christchurch, Hampshire, England, age 57.

Christchurch Priory

Christchurch Priory Church Nave

Juliana Eyre (Cockerel)

Wiltshire Unitary Authority Cemetery

Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Juliana Eyre (Cockerel) Cemetery

SOURCE: Mary Elizabeth Frances Richardson-Eyre, A HISTORY OF THE WILTSHIRE FAMILY OF EYRE, Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1897. William, though the elder, entered the monastic life, and was elected Prior of the House of Canons Regular of St. Augustine's of Christ Church, Hants; he presided over this religious fraternity eighteen years, and dying in 1520, was buried in the south aisle of the church under the flat stone, with the following inscription, which is still legible: "Jumba Domini Wilielmi Eyre, Vicessimi quint Prioris, Ungus Ecclesiae--qui obiit tetio die Decembris Anno Domini Milessimo ccccc: et xx eligus anime propitietur Deus Amen." By his side was interred his mother--"Hic jacet Joano Cokrell, mater Wilielme Eyre."

ChristchurchCastle

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015

Juliana Cockerel Eyre, 1444-1503

Mystery solved!

Medieval and Tudor-era women, unless they're royal or aristocratic (and even then...), are often forgotten when it comes to a surname or history, or where they were buried.

The Eyres/Ayers of Wiltshire were no exception. Generations of Eyres lived in the villages of Urchfont and Wedhampton, Wiltshire, only a mile apart. Urchfont has a lovely church, St. Michael and All Angels, but I can't find record of the Eyres being buried in it (though some of them must certainly lie under the floor slabs). I visited the church in 2006.

Records on the Eyres go back to 1221, when Humphrey LeHeyr was born--a good 30 years after he supposedly accompanied Richard I the Lionheart on Crusade. (Seriously, people really need to look at some timelines before they write that stuff!)

Urchfont and Wedhampton lie on the Salisbury Plain near Devizes, north of Sarum and Salisbury, and not far from the prehistoric sites of Woodhenge, Stonehenge, West Kennet Long Barrow, and Silbury Hill.

There was a church at Urchfont from 900AD, the time of King Alfred and his Queen Aelswith, but the present building began early in the reign of King Henry III, about 1220. The tower was built in the latter 1400s, within the lifetime of Juliana Cockerel Eyre.

After Humphrey LeHeyr, we have this succession of descendants:

• Galfridus LeHeyr, b. 1250 in Wiltshire

• Galfridus LeHeyr, b. 1285 in Wiltshire

• John le Eyre, b. 1325 in Wedhampton who married Eleanor Crooke, heiress of Urchfont

• Simon Eyre, b. 1364 who may or may not be the same man who was Mayor of London and founded Leadenhall Market.

• Thomas Eyre, b. 1399

• William Eyre, b. 1444 in Wedhampton who married Juliana/Johana Cockerel, b. 1444.

• John Eyre, b. 1478

William and Juliana had two sons, one of whom is my ancestor, John Eyre. Juliana, as far as I know, was not nobly born or notorious for her words or deeds; she was a wife and mother from Wedhampton, Wiltshire.

The other son was nameless, and isn't mentioned in genealogy records, so I and probably many others assumed he died young, forgotten, with no heirs.

But I found the other son, and it explains why, of all the Eyres, only Juliana Cockerel Eyre was buried in Christchurch Priory, 49 miles due south, on the chalk-cliffs coast of England. Their other son was named William after his father, and he was a man of the Church. William was born in 1478, and he was firstborn. That sets up the questions for which we have no answer:

• Why the firstborn son instead of the younger son? Usually, the firstborn would inherit a double portion of the parents' estate, and a subsequent son would enter the military or monastic life.

• Was William a promising scholar who would benefit with a Church education?

• Was he gay (closeted, of course) and not likely to produce an heir for the Eyre line? His brother John is the ancestor of countless thousands in UK and America.

• Did William's father do something wrong and feel the need to sacrifice his firstborn son to monasticism of the Church, and be a link to prayers for the parents for a lifetime? When a child or young person, male or female, was dedicated to the Catholic Church, they usually came with a dowry or large gift to benefit the monastery or nunnery. The larger the gift, the larger the chance the child would be destined to be an administrator with power: an abbot or prior, an abbess or Mother Superior, or perhaps a bishop.

When googling Eyre and Christchurch, attempting to discover the location, and even better, an image, of Juliana's tomb or slab, I saw a link to an archaeological/historical description of the fabric of Christchurch Priory. And there I found a William Eyre, sub-prior and then prior of the priory (a monastic community), at exactly the right time. During his tenure as prior, 1502-1520, William Eyre was responsible for the rebuilding program of the quire/choir section of the huge church. The former choir had been destroyed in 1420, when the central tower of the church fell down or was taken down. So the new Great Choir, where the monks performed their worship at the daily appointed times, was a welcome addition. This choir still stands today!

The web page, transcribed from an old book, says

In addition to the monuments already noted there are a good many floor slabs with incised inscriptions, originally filled in with black composition. The oldest of these are in Gothic capitals, and there is such a strong resemblance between a number of them in treatment and in the peculiar form of the inscription as to make it probable that they belong to one date, although commemorating persons of different periods. Several of them belong to priors of the house, others to lay persons. The best preserved inscriptions run thus:—

'Tumba dni Wilhelmi Eyer vicesimi qũrti prioris huius ecclesie qui obiit vio die mēsis decembris anno domini Milleno ccccc . . .o cuius anime propicietur deus. amen.' ['Tomb of lord William Eyer formerly of this church, who had died the 21st day of December in the year 1520. . .o may God bless his soul. Amen.']

Close to Prior Eyre's gravestone is that of his mother: -

'Hic jacet Johaña Cokrell mater Wilhelmi Eyer prioris huius ecclesie cuius anime propicietur deus. amen.' ['Here lies Johaña Cokrell the mother of Willelmi Eyer the prior of this church of which may God bless his soul. Amen.']

Because the book didn't provide a translation of the Latin, I translated William's inscription several times using Google Translate, which returned variants, which I averaged. Five-hundred-year-old vernacular Latin wording won't be much like a modern computer translation, nor classical Latin.

Juliana lived long enough to see her son elected prior, which must have made her extremely proud. Does her inscription "of which may God bless his soul" mean that Prior William desired her prayers for him, from her place in heaven? Or does it mean that once she went to heaven, her soul became male? That was the belief of some people at the time.

I had already combed through the Christchurch Priory website to find their virtual tours, and found 360-degree still pictures of the Great Choir and the choir aisles (hallways around the outside of the choir). There are floor burial slabs in both north and south aisles. Juliana and her son the prior (who died 17 years after she did) would have been buried in the floor of one of those choir aisles.

In medieval terms, it was a prime burial spot because your grave would be close to all masses said in the chancel, and close to any saint relics the church might have. If you gave property to the church, or your surviving family did, the prayers and masses said, and candles lit, might help your soul out of purgatory sooner. The monks or priests frequently saw your tomb, effigy, brass, or slab, and remembered to pray for your soul.

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require; even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his temple."

And look: here we are, 500 years later, thinking about Juliana Cockerel Eyre. If you're her descendant, why not light a candle wherever you are, and say a prayer.

"I AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die."

Seventy-five years later, the Eyre descendants placed alabaster memorials high on the south walls of St. Thomas Beckett Church, almost in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral. By this time, they were prosperous merchants, Members of Parliament, and Salisbury mayors in the Elizabethan era, and they may have been Puritan, since the memorial inscriptions say they “hated idolatry.” Several generations after that, a branch moved to the oh-so-Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled near Salem (where a descendant, Mary Ayer Parker, was hanged as a witch in 1692), then moved south to New Jersey. From the Reformation in the early 16thcentury, they were Protestant all the way: Anglican, Puritan, Baptist, and Seventh Day Baptist.

If you enjoy life sketches, anecdotes, and historical details like these, you can find them in the book Effigy Hunter, by Christy K Robinson. It's available in print from CreateSpace, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Christy K Robinson

Note: Juliana Cockerel was the wife of the William Eyre who was born 1470-1474 and died c 1520. She was born sometime between 1470 and 1478 and died c 1503. The William Eyre who born in 1585 (christened 6 Nov 1585) was Juliana's gggrandson. I have still not been able to ascertain the name of his wife.

Source: A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 3 By John Burke [NOTE: author of "Burke's Peerage"]

William EYRE's father: Thomas EYRE ( - )

William EYRE's siblings: Thomas EYRE ( - ), Robert EYRE ( - ) and Jane EYRE ( - )

Family of William EYRE and Juliana COCKERELL

Husband: William EYRE ( - ) Wife: Juliana COCKERELL ( - ) Children: John EYRE (1478- ) William EYRE ( - ) Marriage 1462

Husband: William EYRE

Name: William EYRE Sex: Male Father: Thomas EYRE ( - ) Mother: - Birth Wedhampton

Wife: Juliana COCKERELL

Name: Juliana COCKERELL Sex: Female Father: - Mother: -

Child 1: John EYRE

Name: John EYRE Sex: Male Spouse 1: Margaret BITTON (1480- ) Spouse 2: Jane CUSSSE ( - ) Birth 1478

Child 2: William EYRE

Name: William EYRE Sex: Male

Note on Husband: William EYRE

Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1897, p. 14. John Eyre...was the second son of William Eyre of Wedhampton and Northcombe, buried in the Priory Church of the Canons of St. Augustine's, Christchurch, Hants, by his wife Julian Cockerell.

Note on Child 1: John EYRE

ENGLISH MOM

Juliana Eyre (Cockerel)

Wiltshire Unitary Authority Cemetery

Wiltshire Unitary Authority, Juliana Eyre (Cockerel) Cemetery

Christchurch Priory

• SOURCE: Mary Elizabeth Frances Richardson-Eyre, A HISTORY OF THE WILTSHIRE FAMILY OF EYRE, Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1897. William, though the elder, entered the monastic life, and was elected Prior of the House of Canons Regular of St. Augustine's of Christ Church, Hants; he presided over this religious fraternity eighteen years, and dying in 1520, was buried in the south aisle of the church under the flat stone, with the following inscription, which is still legible: "Jumba Domini Wilielmi Eyre, Vicessimi quint Prioris, Ungus Ecclesiae--qui obiit tetio die Decembris Anno Domini Milessimo ccccc: et xx eligus anime propitietur Deus Amen." By his side was interred his mother--"Hic jacet Joano Cokrell, mater Wilielme Eyre."

Christchurch,Chantry Chapel,image behind alter

Christchurch Priory

Juliana Eyre (Cockerel)

William Eyre was buried by his wife, Juliana, in the Priory Church of the Canons of St. Augustine’s, Christchurch, Hants.

Wiltshire Unitary Authority Cemetery

~ Juliana (Cockerel) Eyre (Cockerel) ~

Known As: "Joan Cockerell", "Juliana Cokerel"

Birth: 1444

Birthplace: Wedhampton, Urchfont, Wiltshire, England

Died: 1503 in St Augustine, Christchurch, Hampshire, England

Place of Burial: Christchurch Priory

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Parents

John Ayers/Eyre ~

Birth: circa 1500 Wedhampton, Urchfont, Wiltshire, England

Died: 1577 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Place of Burial: Broughton, Gifford, Wiltshire, England

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Children of William Eyre and Juliana Cockerel:

1. John Eyre (1469-)

2. William Eyre (1474-)

3. John Eyre (1478-1531)

4. Jane Eyre (1480-)

5. Rebecca Ayers (1496-) Md. Love.

6. Lady Elizabeth Eyre (1499-1558) md. Harris.

7. *JOHN EYRE was born about 1500 in England, to William Eyre (1474-1520) and Juliana Cockerel (1444-1503.) He married Jane Cusse. John Eyre died in about 1577, England, age 77.

3. JOHN EYRE (1500-1577)

3.a. JANE CUSSE (1504-1614)

JOHN EYRE was born about 1500 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England, to William Eyre (1474-1520) and Juliana Cokerel (1444-1503.) He married (1) Margaret Alton, daughter of John Button Alton, in Wiltshire, and (2) *Jane Cusse about 1477 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England.

John Eyre, of Wedhampton, who married twice. i.Margaret, dr. of John Bitton, of Alton, Wilts, a descendant from Sir Walter de Bitton, Knt., who lived in the 12th year of HenryII., from which marriage descend the Eyres of Chalfield, now extinct in the male line. ii.By his second wife Jane, dr. of John Cusse, of Broughton Gifford, Wilts, John Eyre, of Wedhampton, had issue. 1.Robert Eyre m. Jane widow of George Tourney. 2.Christopher Eyre m. Jane Ryves. 3.William Eyre m. Anne Chaffin. 4.John Eyre m. Sybil Chaffin.

John Eyre died in 1577, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, age 77. He was

buried 18 May 1577, at Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.

St Thomas Becket Church

John11 EYRE, born abt 1477 in of, Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England; died in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He married (1) abt 1499 in of, Alton, Wiltshire, England Margaret BUTTON (BITTON); (2) abt 1527 in Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England Jane CUSSE, born abt 1503 in of, Broughton Giffor, Wiltshire, England, daughter of William CUSSE.

2114. William12 CUSSE, born abt 1477 in , England. He married unknown.

Children of William CUSSE were as follows:

John Eyre died in about 1527, England, age 27.

JANE CUSSE was born about 1504 of Broughton Gifford, Wiltshire, England, to William Cusse (1480-1588) and Jane Unknown (1484-1592.) She married John Eyre about 1518 of Broughton, Gifford, Wiltshire, England.

Jane Cusse passed away about 1614 of Wedhampton, Wiltshire, England. (age 109?)

2114. William12 CUSSE, born abt 1477 in , England. He married unknown.

Children of William CUSSE were as follows:

Children of John Eyre and Jane Cusse:

1. Christopher Eyre (1535-1566)

2. *RICHARD EYRE was born in England in about 1543, to John Eyre (1500-1527) and Jane Cusse (1504-1514.) He was married to Anne before 1564. We have Richard Eyre’s death date at about 1566 of Bromham, Wiltshire, England, age 23.

4. RICHARD EYRE (AYERS) (1543-1566)

4.a. ANNE PRYOR (1542-1605) \\

RICHARD EYRE (AYERS) was born in England in about 1543, to John Eyre (1500-1527) and Jane Cusse (1504-1514.) He was married to Anne before 1564.

Richard Eyre died 1 January 1566. Bromham, Wiltshire, England, age 23.

England,Sandy Lane,Wiltshire

ANNE PRYOR was born about 1542 of Bromham Parish, Wiltshire, England, to unknown parents. She married Richard Eyres before 1564, of Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

We have Anne’s death date as, 19 June 1605, in Bromham, Wiltshire, England, age 62.

Children of Richard and Anne Eyre:

1. *ROBERT EYRES was born about 1564 of Bromham, Wiltshire, England, to Richard Eyre (1543-1566) and Mrs. Anne Eyre (1545-1605.) He married Cicely Crosse, 30 November 1586 in Bromham, Wiltshire England. He died 8 August 1603, in Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England, at about 39 years old.

2. Richard Eyre was born about 1566 of Bromham, Wiltshire England. He died in about 1636 of Bromham Wiltshire, England.

5. ROBERT EYRES (EYRE) (1564-1603)

5.a. CICELY CROSSE (1567-1619)

ROBERT EYRE was born about 1564 of Bromham, Wiltshire, England, to Richard Eyres (1543-1564) and Anne Pryor (1542-1605.) He was a clothier of Bromham. He married Cicely Cross, 30 November 1586. in Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

Robert Eyre died 8 August 1603, in Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England at age 37.

NewEnglandheritageofRousmaniereAyer Robert John Eyre page 72

Bristol Avon River

(16th Century Woman) CICELY CROSS (CORSIE OR COURSEY) was baptized 30 November 1563, of Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire, England. Her parents were Edward Crosse (1524-1593) and Margarette Sparks (1530-1581.) She married Robert Eyre, 30 November 1586. in Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

Cicely Cross died 16 October 1619, in Seend, Wiltshire, England, at about age 52.

Cecily has been linked to the Eyres of Wiltshire in some trees although there is no evidence to support this - and those Eyres kept good records.

What's more, there is a lot of evidence of Eyes in Dorset and even in Puddletown. Condider the following entries in the Puddletown parish registers:

Baptisms:

1550 Dec 13 Edith Ayer daughter of Thomas

1552 Jun 7 Luke Aier son of Thomas

1559 Robert Ayre son of Thomas

1560 Dorthy Ayre daughter of Thomas

1562 Margerite Aier daughter of Thomas

1562 Thomas Ayer son of Thomas Aier

1563 GEORGE AIER SON OF THS AIER

1565 Murgrezo Ayer daughter of Thomas

1570 Dec 20 Thomas Ayer aon of Thomas and Marie Aire

1571 Mar 2 Agnes Ayer daughter of Thomas and Helen Aier

Marriages:

1560 Oct 24 Thomas Aire married Hellene Geithe

This is near the very start of the registers, so it is no surprise that we have yet to find a birth record for Cecily. The spelling of the name in the same register clearly varies enormously but there is no reason to suspect that the people were not related. Cecily name in the marriage records appears to be Cicilia Eyare. We believ that she was born o a local, Puddletown Eyre family because there were lots of them there and there is no evidence pointing elsewhere.

Children of Robert Eyre and Cicely Crosse:

1. Benjamin Eyre was christened 22 Oct 1587 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England. He died before 19 July 1603 in Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

2. Richard Eyre was christened 20 Sep 1588 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England. He was married about 1564 to Anne. He died about 1589 of Bromham, Wiltshire England.

3. Anne Eyre was christened August 1589 in Bromham, Wiltshire England.

4. Rebecca Eyre was born about 1591 of Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England. She married John Evered alias Webb about 1608 of Bromham, England. She died before April 1635 of Draycot Foliat, Wiltshire, England.

5. Edith or Bithiah Eyre was christened August 1593 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

6. Robert Eyre was christened 20 July 1595 in Bromham, Wiltshire England. He died before 19 July 1603 of Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

7. *JOHN EYER (1596-1657)

8. James Eyre was christened 29 Jan 1597 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England. He died before 19 July 1603 of Hawkstreet, Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

9. Zacharias Eyre was christened 10 Aug 1600 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England.

6. CAPTAIN JOHN EYRE SR. (1582-1657)

6.a. HANNAH UNKNOWN (1600-1688)

(Not Hannah Evered-Webb))

JOHN AYER was born 2 September 1582, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, to Robert Eyre (1564-1603) and Cicely Cross (1567-1619.) His father was in the cloth industry in Wiltshire. The economic conditions in the cloth industry were particularly bleak in the early seventeenth century. If John followed his father into the cloth business his prospects at home cannot have been great.

He married Hannah Averd from 1620-1623 in Wiltshire, England. He is said to have come from England in 1635 on the ship “James.” He settled first at Newbury, Massachusetts. He received land in the “first division” at Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1640 and 1643, and removed to Haverhill about 1647 when he sold house, land and commonage to John Stevens. At Haverhill he received eight acres of land in the second division. In Haverhill he made their home near the pond that was first called Ayer’s Pond and that now is called Lake Saltonstall, in the vicinity of Gale Park.

By 1645, John owned over sixty acres of farm and grazing lands, scattered throughout the plantation at Salisbury, Massachusetts. In 1646 he moved his family to Haverhill, where his son John was married in May of that year. In 1650-51, John Ayer Sr. served as one of the five selectmen of Haverhill, as he would again in 1654 and 1656. At the time of his death in March 1657, he was senior selectman of the town. He also served as one of Haverhill’s surveyors in 1651 and 1655.

Attending town meetings was evidently considered by our ancestors as a duty each voter owed to the community in which he lived, and for the neglect of which he deserved punishment. They even considered tardiness in attending as meriting rebuke. On February 13, 1647 John Ayer, sen., and James Fiske were fined “for not attending the town meeting in season.”

John Ayer died March 31, 1657, at age 75, in Haverhill. Mr. Ayer left his homestead to his son John. When he died he left an estate of £248.5.6. He left his widow fairly well off, so it may have been on moral rather than fiscal grounds that Hannah Ayer was charged in court with the offense of selling cider sometime before 1681.

Will of John Ayer from “Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman,” by Patty Barthell Myers, 421-32) follows:

I giue my land in ye vpper and lower playnes to bee equally divided between my Sonnes Robert Thomas & Obediah Eyers for as much of itt as it broken vpp to pay yearly to my wife for every acre tenn shillings an acre in such come as shall growe on the say’d land att such price as ye Contrey rate shallbe pay’d att & if they shall not impue it for come then to pay in such pay as shalbee equivalent to come att contrey price likewise my Soones John; Nathaniell; Robert; Thomas: 7 Obediah shall maintaine all ffences aboute this land & to pay all rates which shalbee due vppon ye same after the year one thousand six hundred fifty seven, butt this yeare fifty seaven my wife to haue the vse & benefit of all my land and meadow, and after to bee my Sonnes as is before Specified.

I farther enjoyne these my Sonnes not to sell any part or parcel of this land without the consent of the other two brothers which if any doe then this my guift to be voy’d in Law and the land so sould to bee forfeited vnto my other Sonnes provided that my other Sonnes will take it att an other mans price and if either of my Sonnes shall refuse to take my land vppon these termes which are here sett downe then that which any of them shall so refuse provided he haue all or else none of his said land by mee thus giuen shalbee my wifes to dispose of as shee please I likewise giue to my Sonne Obediah two oxe commons in the common oxe pasture & two cow commons with all the privilidges belonging to fower commons, and halfe my second division of meadow & vpland and a young calfe of this yeare when it shalbee weanable it shalbe which my wife please, and that young Sowe, whose eare hands downe and all my flaggy meadow I giue to my Sonne Peter the other halfe of my second division of meadow & vpland. & two Oxe commons with all privilidges belonging to two Oxe commons and three acres of land in ye vpper playne which hee halth allreadie in his possession: I giue my third division of land which is agreed on by the towene to bee laytt out, I giue vnto my Sonne John Eyers & Peter Eyers to be equally divided betweene them I giue to my wife my best Cowe, and to my daughter Hannah my second best cowe, & my other Cowe and three year 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 wife Hanah Eyers whom I make my Sole Executrix and whom I appoint to dischare all my debts & to take care for my burial:

[no signature]

Proved in Hampton court 6: 8: 1657 by Henry Palmer. (Copy of will. Norfolk Deeds. Vol. 1, leafe 58.)

Inventory taken 1: 2: 1658, by Robert Clements, James Davise, Sr. and Henn Palmer: 4 oxen, 4 cowes, 2 steeres and a calfe, 20£; 20 swine and 4 piges, 181£; one plough, 2 paire of plouing irons, one harrow, one yoke and chaine and a cart rope, 41£; 2 hoes, 2 axes, 2 shoveies, one spade, 1£; 2 wedges, 2 bettle tinges, 2 sickets and a reape hook, hangers in the Chimny, tonges and pot hookes, 13s; 2 potes, 3 kettles, one skillet, a frying pan, a warming pan, 31£, 3s; in peutre, 1£; 3 flocke beds and bed Cloathes belonging to them and bedsteeds, 181£; 12 yards of Cotton Cloth and Cotton woole and hemp and flax, 41£; wooden stuff belonging to the house, 1£, 6 s. 6d.; 2 wheeles, 3 chests and a Cuber, 1£, 3s.; 2 muskets and al that belongs to them, 21£, 10s.; books, 15s.; in flesh meat, 15s; about 40 bushell of corne, 71i.; his wearing aparill, 81i; about 6 or 7 akers of graine in and upon the ground, 91i.; the dwelling house and barne and land broken and unbroken with all appurtenances belonging unto it, 1201 i., forkes, rakes and other small imployments about the house and barne, 1£; in debets oweing to him, 1£; Some things forgotten: between 2 or 3 bushes of salt, some nayles, 10s. Total, 2,418£. 5s. 6d.

This inventory brought into the Hampton court Oct. 6, 1657 by Hanah Ever executrix to the will of John Eyer, Sr. (Essex Co. Probate Files, Docket 1,088.)

HANNAH UNKNOWN was born about 1598 in England. Hannah deeded land to son Robert, and was joined by children John of Ipswich, Peter and Nathaniel of Haverhill.

Hannah survived her husband, John Ayer, and died 8 Oct 1688 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, at about age 90, having remained his widow. The records read she died in 1688 “being aged.”

Children of John Ayer and Hannah Unknown:

1. John Ayer, b. 1623, England; md. (1) Sarah Williams, (2) Mary Wooddam; d. after 1694, MA.

2. Robert Ayer was born about 1625 to John Eyre (1582-1657) and Hannah (1600-1688) in England. He married Elizabeth Palmer 27 February 1651 in Haverhill. He died between the years 1713 to 1717 in Haverhill, at about age 90.

3. Rebecca Ayer, 1627, Eng.; md. John Aslett; d. 18 Apr 1718, MA.

4. Thomas Ayer, 1630, Eng.; md. Elizabeth Hutchins; d. 9 Nov 1686, MA.

5. Peter Ayer, b. abt. 1633, Eng.; md. Hannah Allen; d. 2 Jan 1699, MA.

6. Mary Ayer, b. abt. 1634, Eng.; md. (1) Nathan Parker, (2) William Israel; d. 22 Sept 1692, MA.

7. Obadiah Ayer, b. 1636, Eng.; md. Hannah Pike, MA; d. 14 Nov 1694, NJ.

8. Nathaniel Ayer, b. 1638, Eng.; md. Tameson Treloar; d. 17 Nov 1717, MA.

9. Hannah Ayer, b. 1644, MA; md. Stephen Webster; d. 22 June 1676, MA. (She may have been an illegitimate grandchild.)

7. SERGEANT ROBERT AYERS (1625-d. between 1713-1717)

7.a. ELIZABETH PALMER (1650-1705)

SERG. ROBERT AYERS. He was born about 1625 in Wiltshire, England, to John Ayer (1592-1657) and Mrs. Hannah Ayer. He was made a freeman in May, 1666; was constable in 1671; and was a yeoman or plowman. He lived in Haverhill, Massachusetts and married Elizabeth Palmer 27 February 1650. He was made a selectman in 1685 and known as sergeant after 1692. He was living in 1711, at the age of 88, dying between 1713 and 1717, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts.

In his long life of more than 88 years he witnessed many dramatic events: the witchcraft delusion, the Indian raids, and the memorable attack on the village of Haverhill, August 29, 1708, in which members of his own family were killed.

Elizabeth Palmer was born in about 1632 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, to unknown parents. Elizabeth married Robert Ayers 27 February 1650. She died 24 Apr 1705 in Haverhill, at about age 71.

Children of Robert Ayer and Elizabeth Palmer:

1. Robert Ayars, Jr., b. abt. 1650; md. Katharin Taylor; d. 14 Jan 1719, NJ.

2. Elizabeth Ayer, b. 10 Nov 1652; md. (1) John Clement, (2) Samuel Watts; d. 26 Oct 1695, MA.

3. Capt. Samuel Ayer was born 11 Nov 1654 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He married Mary Johnson in 1681. He was killed in massacre 29 Aug 1708, Haverhill, Massachusetts, at the age of 53.

4. Mehitable Ayer, b. 14 Sep 1656; md. Thomas Philbrick 14 Apr 1680; d. abt. 1723, NH.

5. Timothy Ayer, b. 2 Oct 1659; md. Ruth Johnson 24 Nov 11681; d. 14 Aug 1689, MA...

6. ______ daughter, b. 9 Jul 1662; d. 9 Jul 1662.

7. Hannah Ayer, b. 26 Jan 1664; d. 10 Mar 1755, MA.

8. Thomas Ayer, b. 9 Jun 1666; md. 7 Mar 1709 Dorothy Martin; d. 29 Aug 1708, MA.

9. Mary Ayer, b. 15 Jan 1667; d. 14 Apr 1668, MA.

8. CAPTAIN SAMUEL AYER (1654-1708)

8.a. MARY JOHNSON (1663-1744)

CAPTAIN SAMUEL AYER was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, 11 November 1654, to Robert Ayers (1625-1713) and Elizabeth Palmer (1634-1705) as their oldest son. (His father, Robert Ayers had emigrated from England in about 1640. He outlived his son.) When Samuel Ayer died in 1708 he resided near the house of his father and mother in Haverhill.

He married Mary Johnson of Hampton, Massachusetts, 14 December 1681. She survived him, dying his widow 8 January 1744/45. They had ten children. The last was born in 1705.

His name appears in the list of those who built cottages in 1677. He was a yeoman (plowman,) a man of property and among his possessions was a Negro slave named Lot. He was among the most worthy and intelligent citizens of Haverhill, serving as Constable, member of Prov. Assembly, Chief Selectman, Tithing-man, Deacon and Captain of Militia. He took the oath of fidelity in November 1677, made a freeman in May 1683. He served in the King Philip’s War in 1676, captain of Haverhill and the first town treasurer, elected to that office in 1695.

August, 1708, Haverhill, Massachusetts (French-Indian War):

None knew when or where another attack would be made by the Indians, and it is not be wondered that their hearts were oppressed with the gloomiest forebodings. The following extract from a letter of Samuel Ayer, constable of Haverhill, to the General Court, under date of February 11, 1689—in answer to a citation for the town to appear and answer to the charge of “withholding the one half of their proportion of rates,” –touchingly represents the condition of the town: “I pray you consider our poor condition. There are many that have not corn to pay their rates, more which have not money to strain I know not what to take: we are a great way from any market, to make money of anigh thing we have: and now there is not anigli way to transport to other places: I pray consider our poor condition.”

In 1695, Haverhill for the first time chose a Town Treasurer, and Capt. Samuel Ayer was the person selected. In 1700, he was chosen to fill the vacancy in the committee for the “examination of the rights of any in common land,” made by the death of Cornet Peter Ayer.”

On the 29th of August 1708 occurred the terrible massacre of the people of Haverhill by the French and Indians. Haverhill was almost entirely destroyed and prisoners were taken. Captain Ayer tried to free the prisoners taken by the Indians. After the retreat commenced, as we are told by Mr. Chase, “Capt. Samuel Ayer, a fearless man and of great strength, collected a body of about twenty men, and pursued the retreating foe. He came up with them just as they were entering the wood, when they faced about, and though they numbered thirteen or more to one, still Captain Ayer did not hesitate to give them battle. These gallant men were soon reinforced by another party under the command of his son: and after a severe skirmish which lasted about an hour, they retook some of the prisoners, and the enemy retreated, leaving nine of their number dead. Captain Ayer was then slain before the reinforcement arrived. He was shot in the groin, and being a large, robust man, bled profusely. When his son arrived, he was told that his father was killed, and the informant pointed him out. He looked at the corpse awahile, as it lay on the grass, all covered with blood, and told his informant that that person could not be his father, for he (meaning the person slain) had on a pair of red breeches, and his father didn’t have red breeches. Captain Ayer was buried near Reverend Benjamin Rolfe, Captain Wainright, and Lieutenant Johnson, who were killed the same day. The inscriptions on their stones have become nearly illegible.” Mr. Chase says of Captain Ayer: “He was one of the most worthy, active and intelligent citizens of the town.” (Early New England People…, by Sarah Elizabeth Titcomb, Boston: W. B. Clarke & Carruth Publishers, 1882.) (16 New Englanders were slain.)

In 1847/48 a granite monument (obelisk) was erected over the graves by the ladies, 6 ½ feet high. The 4 sides lists the 16 names of the slain by Indians. It is a memorial in memory of the Bloody Sunday Massacre that took place in Ayer’s Village (Haverhill, Massachusetts) some 300 years ago.

From Henry David Thoreau’s Journal, 7 February 1852:

The French historian speaks of both French as Indians as “our braves (not Braves).” The village historian takes you into the village graveyard and reads the inscriptions on the monuments of the slain... Takes you to the grave of the parish priest, his wife, and child, which is honored with a Latin inscription. The French historian, who signs himself de la Compagnie de Jesus, who was at the waterside in Montreal when the expedition disembarked, and so heard the freshest news. To show the discrepancies, I will compare the two accounts in relation to one part of the affair alone.

The Haverhill Historian Reads:

“The retreat of the French and Indians commenced about the rising of the sun. The town, by this time, was generally armed. Joseph Bradley collect a small party…and secured the medicine box and packs of the enemy, which they had left about three miles from the village. Captain Samuel Ayer, a fearless man, and of great strength, collect a body of about twenty men, and pursued the retreating foe. He came up with just as they were entering the woods, when they faced about, and though they numbered thirteen or more to one, still Captain Ayer did not hesitate to give them battle. These gallant men were soon reinforced by another party, under the command of his son; and after a severe skirmish, which lasted about an hour, they retook some of the prisoners, and the enemy precipitately retreated, leaving nine of their number dead.

“The French and Indians continued their retreat, and so great were their sufferings, arising from the loss of their packs, and their consequent exposure to famine, that many of the Frenchmen returned and surrendered themselves prisoners of war; and some of the captives were dismissed, with a message that, if they were pursued, the others should be put to death. Perhaps, if they had been pursued, nearly the whole of their force might have been conquered…. As it was, they left thirty of their number dead, in both engagements, and many were wounded, whom they carried with them.” (End of Thoreau’s Journal Entry.”

One Joseph Bartlett, a soldier who was carried away captive but returned after some years and published a narrative of his captivity, says that after the retreat commenced, “they then marched on together, when Captain Eaires [Ayer], with a small company, waylaid and shot upon them, which put them to flight, so that they did not get together again until three days after.” His party, says the historian, had nothing to eat for four days” but a few sour grapes and thorn plums. They then killed a hawk and divided it among fifteen—the head fell to the share of Mr. Bartlett, which he says, ‘was the largest mean I had these four days.’” The historian concludes that between thirty and forty New Englanders in all were either killed or take prisoners.

Raid on Haverhill (1708) (Wikipedia)

The Raid on Haverhill was a military engagement that took place on August 19, 1708 during Queen Anne’s War. French, Algonoquin, and Abenaki warriors under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville descended on Haverhill, then a small frontier community in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. In the surprise attack, 16 people were killed and another 14 to 24 were taken captive. A rapid militia muster gave chase, and in a skirmish later in the day, nine of the French and Indian party was killed and some of their prisoners escaped. [One killed was Captain Samuel Ayer.]

Haverhill was not the original target of the raiders. Expecting a larger Indian contingent, French authority planned to engage in a series of raids on the communities of the Piscataquis River. However, the unwillingness of some Indian tribes to participate in the expedition forced the French to reduce the scope of the operation and choose an easier target. The raid was more costly to the French than previous frontier raids, because the province had been warned of the raiders’ advance.

Haverhill was chosen as the target for several reasons. The village layout was already well-known from the 1704 raids and from an earlier raid in the nine years’ war. It was not particularly large (25 to 30 houses), its location lent itself poorly to defense, and only some of the houses were fortified. A fast-moving raiding party could be in and out of the village before the alarm could be raised. The party arrived outside Haverhill and prepared to begin the raid on Sunday, August 29. It was joined at some point on its travels by the exiled Abenaki war Chief Escumbuit, who lived not far from Haverhill, and had received word of the expedition’s advance.

At the time, responsibility for Haverhill’s defense was divided. The local militia was under the command of Simon Wainwright, whose house had a view of the entire village. The down’s defenses had been supplemented by three small (three to four men) garrisons of Colonial troops under the overall command of Major Turner. (End Wikipedia.)

Captain Samuel Ayer was listed as a member of the snow-shoe men. The country being kept almost constantly in alarm from the fear of hostile visits from the Indians, who often appeared unexpectedly, it was necessary to be always in a state of preparation for such visits. A large number of men in the vicinity were kept constantly armed and equipped, and since the Indians might come in winter, as well as summer, these men were supplied with snow-shoes, at the expense of the province. There were over 50 men supplied in the town of Haverhill and vicinity.

Captain Samuel Ayer was killed 29 August 1708 in the terrible massacre of the people of Haverhill by the French and Indians. He was buried in the Pentucket Cemetery in Haverhill. His estate was divided in 1715.

MARY JOHNSON was born 7 Apr 1663, Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire. She was the daughter of Peter Johnson (1639-1674) and Ruth Moulton (1640-1718.) She married Samuel Ayer 14 Dec 1680. She survived her husband, Captain Samuel Ayer, dying his widow 8 Jan 1744, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, at the age of 81. She had been a widow for 37 years.

The family was the following ages when Captain Samuel Ayer was killed:

Captain Samuel Ayer – 54

Mary Johnson Ayer – 45

Peter Ayer – 27

Mehitable Ayer – 25

*Deacon James Ayer – 22

Obadiah Ayer – 19

Timothy Ayer – 16

Lydia Ayer – 14

Hannah Ayer – 11

Ruth Ayer - 9

Abigail Ayer – 6

John Ayer - 3

Children of Samuel Ayer and Mary Johnson:

1. Peter Ayer, b. 21 Dec 1681; d. 11 Feb 1683, MA.

2. Mehitable Ayer, b. 5 Feb 1683; md. (1) Job Clement before 1702, (2) _____ Little before 1741; d. 3 Nov 1754, NH.

3. Deacon James Ayer was born 27 Oct 1686, in Haverhill, Massachusetts to Samuel Ayer (1643-1708) and Mary Johnson (1663-1744.) He married Mary White 10 May 1711, in Haverhill. He died 19 Dec 1771, age 85, in Plaistow, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

4. Obadiah Ayer, b. 9 May 1689; d. abt. 1741, MA.

5. Timothy Ayer, b. 9 Apr 1692; 1712 Huldah Chase; d. 20 Apr 1745, MA. (Gave money for church bell.)

6. Lydia Ayer, b. 19 Dec 1694; md. Joseph Worth abt. 1711; d. 13 June 1732, MA.

7. Hannah Ayer, b. 3 May 1697; d. 25 Jan 1731.

8. Ruth Ayer, b. 21 Mar 1699; md. James Davis 1728; d. 5 Nov 1728.

9. Abigail Ayer, b. 7 Apr 1702; md. 1718 Nathaniel Cony; d. 24 Sep 1726, MA.

10. John Ayer, b. 7 Apr 1705; md.25 Feb 1740 Mary Johnson; d. 11 Dec 1745, MA.

(Ayer Genealogy, compiled by Sidney Perley, Salem, Massachusetts, 1900.)

9. DEACON JAMES AYER (1686-1771)

9.a. MARY WHITE (1690-1777)

DEACON JAMES AYER was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, 27 Oct 1686, to Samuel Ayer (1654-1708) and Mary Johnson (1663-1744.) He was a yeoman and lived in Haverhill. He was a Deacon in the church and a leading man in the town. He married Mary White 10 May 1711 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She was the great-great granddaughter of William White, who was one of the first settlers of Haverhill. Deacon James Ayer was in 1721 one of three Haverhill commissioners to make reports concerning the disputed boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He was a large landowner in the eastern part of the town and Ayer’s Hill was named for him.

From Haverhill History: Aggressions were mounted against the people of Haverhill. “Somehow the proprietors,--for many of them, like Capt. John White, Nathaniel Peasley, Richard Hazzen, Deacon James Ayer and others, were men of acknowledged worth and of great influence, as their fathers had been before them,--the proprietors managed to hold their ground, and practically nullify these aggressions.”

He died 19 Dec. 1771, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, age 85.

Mary White was born 24 June 1690, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, to John White (1663-1727) and Lydia Gilman (1668-.) She married Deacon James Ayer 10 May 1711 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She died 21 May 1777, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, at age 87.

Children of James Ayer and Mary White:

1. Samuel Ayer, b. 5 May 1712; md. abt. 1734 Ann Hazen; d. 13 Feb 1794.

2. John Ayer, b. 18 Apr 1714; d. 3 May 1777, MA>

3. William Ayer, b. 18 June 1716, Haverhill, Massachusetts; christened 29 July 1716, in Bradford, Essex, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Little 28 July 1741, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. William Ayer died 2 Aug 1766, Plaistow, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

4. Mary Ayer, b. 18 July 1718; md. Nathaniel Walker; d. 3 Jul 1742, MA.

5. Lydia Ayer, b. 23 Jun 1720; md. Nathaniel Walker 23 Feb 1737; d 15 Aug 1752, MA.

6. Hannah Ayer, b. 22 Sep 1722; d. abt. 1765.

7. Joanna Ayer, b. 13 Aug 1724; d. before 1765, MA.

8. Abigail Ayer, b. 13 Aug 1726; d. 7 Sep 1743, MA.

9. Ruth Ayer, b. 7 Nov 1728, md. 29 Nov 1753 Rev. Henry True; d. 18 Jan 1810.

10. Elizabeth Ayer, b. 22 Mar 1730; d. 14 Jul 1745, MA.

11. James Ayer, b. 27 Feb 1732; md. 14 Feb 1773 Mary Woodbridge; d. abt. 1821, Maine.

(End of material from Ayer Genealogy, compiled by Sidney Perley. [Salem, Mass.] 1900.)

10. WILLIAM AYER (1716-1766)

10.a. SARAH LITTLE (1717-1807)

WILLIAM AYER was born 18 Jun 1716, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, to James Ayer (1686-1771) and Mary White (1690-1771.) He was christened 29 July 1716 in Bradford, Essex, Massachusetts. Married 28 July 1741, in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, to Sarah Little. He died 24 August 1766 in Plaistow, Rockingham New Hampshire at the age of 50.

Sarah Little born 11 Nov 1717, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, to Daniel Little (1692-1737) and Abiah Clements (1692-1760.) Marriage to William Ayer at age 23, 28 July 1741, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Sarah Little Ayer died 11 Dec 1807 in Plaistow, Rockingham, New Hampshire, age 90.

Children of William Ayer and Sarah Little:

1. William Ayer, b. 7 May 1742, NH; md. (1) 19 Jan 1764 Abigail, (2) 5 May 1772, Mary; d. 23 May 1820, St. Armand, Mississquoi, Quebec, Canada. (twin.)

2. Sarah Ayer, b. 7 May 1742, NH; d. 20 May 1742, NH. (Twin.)

3. Daniel Ayer, b. 29 Jan 1743, NH; md. abt. 1768 Sarah Adams; d. 6 June 1805, NY.

4. Abigail Ayers, b. 27 Dec 1745, NH; md. 28 Apr 1768 James Huse; d. 19 Apr 1827, NH.

5. James Ayer, b. 13 Mar 1748, NH; md. Mary.

6. Joseph Ayer, b. 28 Nov 1750, NH; d. 8 Jan 1808, NH.

7. Mary Ayer, b. 27 Dec 1752, NH; d. 1753, NH. (twin)

8. Lydia Ayer, b. 27 Dec 1752, NH; md. Thomas Woodbridge; d. 9 May 1828, Maine. (twin)

9. Agnes Ayers was born 2 December 1754, in Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey, to William Ayer (1716-1765) and Sarah Little (1717-1807.) She married Samuel Harvey in 1774 in Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey. She died 7 Dec 1786 in Enfield, Tompkins, New York. (Note the following entry: AGNES AYERS was born 2 December 1754 in Monmouth, New Jersey, to William Hyers and Sarah Abbb Little. [Whoever found this entry has the record of her birth proving her ancestry. Please let me know if you have the entry.]

10. Sarah Ayer, b. 27 Dec 1755, NH; md. Bradley; d. 27 May 1831.

11. SAMUEL HARVEY (1759-1817)

11.a. AGNES AYERS (1754-1786)

SAMUEL HARVEY was born 19 July 1759, Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey, to Robert Harvey (1711-1775) and Jannetje Amack (1716-.) He married Agnes Ayers in about 1774, of Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey. Samuel Harvey died 22 May 1842, Enfield, Tompkins, New York.

AGNES AYERS was born 2 December 1754 in Monmouth, New Jersey, to William Hyers and Sarah Abbb Little. (Whoever found this spelling of the names of her parents has the record for her birth proving her ancestry.) Agnes Ayers’ parents were William Ayer (1716-1800) and Sarah Little (1717-1807.)

She married Samuel Harvey in about 1774, of Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey.

She died 7 December 1786 in Enfield, Tompkins, New York, at age 32.

Children of Samuel Harvey and Agnes Ayers:

1. Hannah Harvey, b. 14 May 1774 in Middlesex, New Jersey; md. Edmund Weatherby 8 Mar 1794; d. 22 Aug 1851, Ohio.

2. Jane Harvey was born 8 Aug 1776, Monmouth, Monmouth, New Jersey. She married William King, 4 October 1864. She died 4 October 1864 at age 70.

3. Silas Harvey, b. 2 July 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey; md. Abigail Lovell 1813; d. 28 May 1875.

4. William Harvey, b. abt. 1778 of Monmouth, NJ.

5. Joseph Harvey, b. abt. 1780, Monmouth, NJ; md. 1817 Hannah Lovell; d. 17 Oct 1864, NY.