John AYER

1623 - 1675  (52 years)

• Name	John AYER  [1, 2, 3]
  	John Ayer came to America with his father in 1635 (on the Brig Mary Ann); was at Salisbury in 1642 and at Haverhill in 1645, where at that time he was one of 32 land-holders. He was grand juryman in 1648 and in 1650 his property was valued at L80. About this time his brothers, Robert, Thomas and Peter settled in the northwest part of the town and thus Ayer's Village had its beginning. John himself had settled near Plug Pond, a short distance north of the village, better known as Ayer's Pond, so called because the Ayers settled near it and owned most of the adjoining land. Their descendants are ver numerous and are scattered throughout every State of the Union. In 1700 it is supposed that nearly one-third of the inhabitants of Haverhill were of that name. They were a fearless, athletic race of men, and were mostly cultivators of the soil. Their name was given to various localities in Haverhill and in Norwich, Conn.: Ayer Street, Ayer's pond, Ayer's Village, Ayer's Gap, Ayer's Mountain.... John Ayer's name appears repeatedly in Haverhill records in connection with land. He drew land in the 4th division, 14 Oct., 1659. In 1660 he built a new house. He was a farmer, hunter and trapper, and his skill and sagacity in woodcraft equaled that of the Indians with whom he was in constant rivalry and not infrequently it amounted to open warfare. He and his three sons, John, Nathaniel and Joseph, took the oath of allegiance in Haverhill 28 Nov, 1677. He was chosen Constable 28 Feb., 1687/8. He lived at Ipswich for some years after that (was there in 1693/4) and then removed to connecticut, where he settled in what is now knowns as Ayer's Gap, in the vicinity of West Farms (now Franklin). He may be called the first white settler of that town... [1]
  Birth	1622/3	England   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	03 Aug 1675  [3]
  Death	Aft 1700  [1]
  Notes	Excerpt from "Early New England People": John removed to Brookfield, Mass., being one of the first settlers, and received large grants of land, some two thousand acres in all. He kept the inn of that place. He was killed by the Indians when they destroyed the town, Aug. 3, 1675.
  Person ID	I03114	Main Tree
  Last Modified	11 Aug 2022

  
  

  Father	John AYER   d. 31 Mar 1657, Haverhill, Massachusetts
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Hannah ?   d. 08 Oct 1688, Haverhill, Mass.
  Relationship	Birth
  Family ID	F02592	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Sarah WILLIAMS,   b. Abt 1630, England d. 25 Jul 1662, Haverhill, Massachusetts (Age 32 years)
  Marriage	05 May 1646	Haverhill, Mass.   [2]
  Children	1. John AYER,   b. 18 Mar 1647/48, Haverhill, Massachusetts d. 19 Jul 1683, Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts (Age 35 years)  [Birth]   2. Zechariah AYER,   b. 24 Oct 1650, Haverhill, Massachusetts d. 29 Aug 1670, Newbury, Massachusetts (Age 19 years)   3. Nathaniel AYER,   b. 13 Mar 1654/55, Haverhill, Massachusetts + 4. Joseph AYER,   b. 16 Mar 1658/9, Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts d. 30 Nov 1748, Norwich, New London, Connecticut, USA (Age 89 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F02596	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Apr 2013

  
  

  Family 2	Mary WOODAM
  Marriage	26 Mar 1663	Haverhill, Massachusetts   [1, 2]
  Children	1. Samuel AYER   d. 05 Sep 1670, Andove, Massachusetts  [Birth]
  Family ID	F02597	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	19 Apr 2013

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1622/3 - England Marriage - 05 May 1646 - Haverhill, Mass. Marriage - 26 Mar 1663 - Haverhill, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S5445] Cornelia Bartow Williams and Anna Perkins Williams, "Descendants of John Williams" of Newbury and Haverhill, Mass. 1600-1674, (Chicago - Privately Printed-1925). [S02871] Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts, Vol. 1. [S02197] Early New England People by Sarah Elizabeth Titcomb.