Rebecca Ayer

Other Events:

• Name: Rebecca Aslet

Rebecca married John Aslet on 8 Oct 1648 in Newbury, Massachusetts. John died on 6 Jun 1671. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
||The Essex Antiquarian says the probably got married.

Other Events:

• Baptism: 28 Mar 1596, Bromham, Wiltshire, England
• Immigration: Abt 1638, Massachusetts
• Will: 12 Mar 1656
• Probate: 6 Oct 1657

Notes:

Biography:
There are many theories of where John Ayer is from but I believe the best is the one documented in Bailey.
From Bailey:
. [BOLD:]JOHN AYER (1595?? - 1657) [:BOLD]
John Ayer, a Wiltshire man, emigrated to America with his wife and half-grown family about 1638 or 1639. Neither his ship nor the data is known (though often printed erroneously). Already in his forties, he was rather old to start life anew, but he intensely desired the security that comes from owning farm, meadows and home. He may already have turned Puritan in England.
Ever since the great Winthrop fleet of 1630, Englishmen in large numbers had been willing to become "voluntary exiles" in New England, often sailing secretly because of the permit restrictions on the ecclesiastical courts. Since Puritans followed the Lord's dictates, the King viewed them in his orders of April 30, 1637 as among the "many whose end was to live without the reach of authority." Rushforth, an observer of the scene, also records that the "severe Censures in the Starchamber, the rigorous imposing of [church] ceremonies, and the silencing of multitudes of Ministers for not reading the Book of Sports on the Lord's Day [a royal proclamation encouraging sports after church], caus'd both Ministers and People to sell their Estates, and set sail for New England."
To stop the migration, the King commanded his port officers to prevent "any Subsidy-men or of their value" [those wealthy enough to be taxed] from leaving without a special license and to require from any lesser men not only a certificate from local justices that they had taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy but also a testimonial of conformity to the Church of England signed by the parish minister. In addition his Majesty "taking notice of . . . the factious Disposition of the People of that Plantation [New England] and how unworthy they were of any Support or Countenance from hence," prohibited merchants, masters and shipowners "to set forth any Ship with Passengers for New England" without a special license. Nevertheless the exodus of colonists continued and among them was John Ayer.
As "John Eyres," he is on the undated list of those granted land in the first division of Colchester, Massachusetts between September 4, 1639 and October 7, 1640, when the town was renamed Salisbury. The subsequent town record of this division called him "John Ayres, Sen." He may well have followed friends or relatives here, for about half of the twelve men who in 1638 obtained permission to "plant" this settlement were of Wiltshire origin. Within a few years he made his permanent home in nearby Haverhill, like Salisbury on the north side of the Merrimack River. In John's time, both towns were in [BOLD:] old [:BOLD] Norfolk County in Massachusetts, which had colonized this region to hold it, despite prior English grants to the New Hampshire proprietors, partly because the latter in Puritan eyes were religious enemies. He was living in Salisbury, MA as early as 1640 where his daughter Hannah was born in 1644. He received land in the first division in 1640 and 1643. He moved to Haverhill about 1647 when he sold his land to John Stevens.

Probate:
John Ayer's Inventory at his Time of Death
Item

fower cows, two steers, and a calf
20.00.00

twenty swine and fower pigs
18.00.00

fower oxen
25.00.00

one plough, two pair plough irons, one harrow, one yolke and chayne, and a rope cart
4.00.00

two howes, two axes, two shovels, one spade, two wedges, two betell rings, two sickels and a reap hook hangers in the chimneys, tongs and pot hooks
13.00.00

two pots, three kettles, one skillet, and frying pan
3.03.00

in pewter
1.00.00

three flocks, beds, and bed clothes
18.00.00

12 yards of cotton cloth and cotton wool and hemp and flax
4.00.00

two wheels, three chests, and a cupbboard
1.03.00

wooden stuff belonging to the house
1.16.00

two muskets and all that belong to y'
2.10.00

in books
0.15.00

in flesh meat
0.15.00

about forie bushells of corne
7.00.00

his waring apparill
8.00.00

about six or seven acres of graine in and uppon the ground
9.00.00

the dwelling house and barne and land broken and unbroken with all appurtaneences
120.00.00

forks, rakes, and other small implements about the house and barne
1.00.00

in debt owing to him
1.00.00

between two or three bushels of sale and so mayle
0.10.00

TOTAL
248.05.00 pounds

John married Hannah in 1622 in England. Hannah died on 8 Oct 1688 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Hannah Ayer
• Immigration: Abt 1638, Massachusetts

Other Events:

• Will: 19 Jul 1603, Bromham, Wiltshire
• Probate: 17 Oct 1603

Notes:

Biography:
Robert Eyre was a clothier from Wiltshire. When he died he had a fairly substantial business. But, at the time his son John went to New England had been mostly wiped out probably by two depressions and the collapse of the industry caused by the Thirty Years War.

Will:
Will [abstract] of Robert Ayre of Bromham, County Wilts, Clothier, made 19 July 1603:
I give and bequeathe to my sons John Ayre & Zacharias Ayre, to each £50, the use of which shall remain to my wife Cicely during her widowhood, unless--seeing women cannot so well deal in the trade of clothing as men--my overseers hereafter named shall find stock decayed, then they shall take the same to use it to & for their bringing up and education.
To my three daughters Anne Ayre, Rebecca Ayre, and Bithiah Ayre, to each £30 at the age of 21 years or on the day of marriage.
I give to my said sons and daughters 20 sheep to be employed for their use.
Also, three legacies of 10 shillings each--to my mother Anne Pryor, to Richard Franklyn [the schoolmaster], and to the poor of Bromham.
Residuary legatee and executrix--Cicely my wife.
Overseers--my loving friends Tho: Ayre & John Ayre; my brother Richard Ayre & and my brother-in-law William Crosse.
. Robert Ayer | | | his marke
Witnesses--Thos. Ayre, John Ayre the father, John Ayre the son, and others. The will was proved 17 Oct. 1603.


Probate:
Inventory of the goods and chattells of Robert Eire, deceased, taken and praised by Thomas Eire, gent, Richard Eire, William Crosse and John Eire, the 16 Sept. 1603: [BOLD:]
In the halle [:BOLD] [living room]--books, vessels, cupboard, formes, stoole, skillets, tongs, hooks, etc., and cushins. [BOLD:]
In the little buttery [:BOLD] [storeroom]--pewter, barrells, caldrons and furnace, washing bowls, tub, pails, churn, board and cloth, table napkins and candlestick. [BOLD:]
In the lower chamber [:BOLD] --bedstead and truckle and two beds with appurtenances, coffers, etc. [BOLD:]
In the over chamber [:BOLD] --bedstead and truckle with appurtenances, and three coffers. [BOLD:]
In the middle loft [:BOLD] --coffer, bolster, pillows, coverlet, chair, flaskets, scales and weights, etc. [BOLD:]
In the wool loft [:BOLD] --wool and yarn, etc., weaving bar, frame, etc., and hogshead, feather beds and bedding. [BOLD:]
In the ...(?) sheds [:BOLD] --broad loom and implements, wearing apparel; hay, corn, wood, etc.; sheep and calf, horses, pigs; cheese, butter, poultry, clipping shears, etc.
Sum total, £316 16s 2d.

Robert married Cicely Crosse on 30 Nov 1586 in Bromham Church, Bromham, Wiltshire, England. Cicely was born in in England; died in Oct 1619 in England; was buried on 16 Oct 1619 in Seend parish, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Cicely Eyre

Notes:

Biography:
His first name is not known but he had a son and grandson by Robert named Richard and there was a Richard Eyre buried in the Bromham cemetery in 1566. That was probably shortly after his last child was born.

Richard(?) married Anne. Anne died in 1605 in England; was buried on 19 Jun 1605 in Bromham, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Anne Eyre
• Name: Anne Pryor