1. John2, born in England, was a farmer, and May 5, (Page 210)
1646, in Haverhill, married Sarah Williams (d. of John) who died there July 25, 1662. He married (2) March 26, 1663, Mary Wooddam (d. of John). He took the oath of freeman in Ipswich November 4, 1645. He could write and in 1658 was constable of Haverhill, serving on the trial jury in 1652, 1657, 1664, 1665 and 1666; and on the grand jury in 1663. John and Sarah conveyed to his brother Obadiah their interest in a dwelling, barn and 8 acres May 18, 1659. John and wife Mary "lately of Haverhill" were living in Ipswich in 1669 and in 1694. He died before 1711.
186

File Name
201209 (2,133,301 Bytes)
Submitter
djohnston@infowest.com
Download for PCs
Self Extracting Archive (.exe file) (373,246 Bytes)
Download for Macs or PCs
Zip Archive (.zip file) (357,476 Bytes)
Individuals in file
6936
------------
John Ayer, born in England, married on 5 May 1646, to Sarah, daughter of John Williams, and his wife Jane.

Old records show that, in 1679 John Ayer, late of Haverhill, was of Ipswich. There can be little doubt that this refers to our John. Additionally, he signed the deed when his mother, Hannah, transferred land acquired upon the death of the father, to his brother Robert. In accordance with custom of the time, other heirs of John Ayer would sign such a document, in this case the deed was signed by mother Hannah, John of Ipswich, Peter and Nathaniel of Haverhill.

Sarah, the wife of John Ayer was born in England and died 25 July 1662. John married (second) Mary Wooddam on 26 March 1663. John Wooddam died intestate in March 1682, he left his estate to his widow and after her death, to his only child, Mary Eyr. John Ayer acted as administrator of this estate after the death of his mother-in-law, who was also named Mary. As John Eyers, Sr., he took the militia oath of allegiance on 28 November 1677, with John Jr.; Joseph, Nathaniel, Samuel and Timothy. John died in 1691.

In a number of family listings our John Ayer was credited with another wife, Susanna, daughter of Mark Symonds of Ipswich, Massachusetts. The name for the husband of Susanna Symonds was usually spelled John Ayres. John Ayres was listed as a husbandman, tenant of Mr. John Norton. He moved to Brookfield as one of its first settlers and there he kept the inn. John Ayres died on 3 August 1675, killed by Indians in an attack on the village of Brookfield. The dates of the documents cited above show that two different men were involved. Susanna, the wife of John Ayres, died in Ipswich 8 February 1683. John and Susanna Ayres had eight children, some of them lived in Brookfield after it was rebuilt, they are often credited to our John Ayer. 175