Jacob Perley

Notes:

Biography:
From M. V. B. Perley:
JACOB PERLEY was born in Rowley about 1670, and died in Bradford in April, 1751, at the age of eighty years. He married, first, 6 Dec, 1696, Lydia Peabody, who was born 9 March, 1673, and died about 1707 or 8. She was daughter of Capt. John, one of the most prominent of the early settlers in the town, and Hannah-Andrew Peabody, both of Boxford. She and her husband were admitted, 25 April, 1703, to the church that had been organized there the year before. He married, second, 9 May, 1709, Lydia Peabody, cousin to his first wife and daughter of Joseph and Bethiah-Bridges Peabody of Boxford, where she was born 4 Feb., 1683, died 30 April, 1732, and was interred in Harmony Cemetery, where upon a slate slab is this inscription :
[CENTER:]HERE LYES BURIED
ye BODY OF
LEDYA PEARLEY
ye WIFE OF mr
IAcOB PEARLEY
WHO DIED APREL
ye 30th 1732
& in ye 59th
YEAR OF HER AGE[:CENTER]
His third wife, (published 24 June, 1733), was Mrs. Mehitable Brown, widow of Ebenezer Brown of Rowley, who was published with her, 24 March, 1721-2, she being then the widow of John Hovey, who married her 25 May, 1702, when she was Mehitable Safford. He died 17 Aug., 1720. She died in Bradford, intestate, and "her son," Samuel Hovey of Rowley, was her administrator, appointed 23 March, 1754. In Rowley she had a wood lot and other land, and her estate was valued at £111 2s. 8d.
Mr. Perley removed to Boxford with his father's family, wherein he remained till 1696, or perchance a while longer. He owned the estate on the north side of Baldpate pond in Boxford, in after years owned and occupied by Mr. Augustus M. Perley. He built a dwelling a few rods north of the present barn, and lived there. The house was taken down about 1817, and the present residence was built. A peculiarity of the old house was the construction of its chimney upon the outside, with an oven opening outward, from which on baking-days, or rather the nights following, it is said, the contents were sometimes purloined, so that occasionally the family must attend the church without the usual inspiration of a baked-bean and suet-pudding breakfast.
He lived there till 1786, when he removed to Bradford, where he built a house. Meanwhile he retained an interest in his old residence in Boxford. He also owned an extensive tract of land west of Baldpate pond, and an interest in the Hazzeltine meadows in the northern part of the town. A road was laid, '25 Nov., 1702, from his house by Thomas Hazen;s house, etc. In 1710 he sold five acres of land to the town for the minister's use. The town 14 March, 1710, passed the following vote: "The Town have voted and given liberty to Ensien Thomas hazen, Jacob perley and david wood to seat up a Saw mill upon the parsioneg fearm, whear they shall see meet and to have a Convenient yard Rouem with a way to the mill and to have all the towens wright and Interest in sd Convenient sies for thorty years after this tiem without enny lawful molestation from the towen the sd hazzen Pearly and david wood alowing for the damieg that may bee don by Reason of sd Saw mill as Rasionel men shal Judg." After a few years the mill came into the possession of Dr. Wood, one of the proprietors. It was located on the "old Dresser road,” in the East Parish, on the site of the mill whose ruins are still observable near the residence of the late John Q. Batchelder’s family.
He had a long and varied experience in town affairs; was selectman in 1705, 1712, 1729 and 1732; a constable in 1705; a surveyor of highways in 1706; a juror in 1703 and 1711; a moderator of town meetings in 1729 and 1731; served on various committees and was town treasurer from 1718 to 1720, and in 1781 and 1782. He commenced his official military career as sergeant in 1705, was promoted to cornet in 1717, and to lieutenant in 1724, wherein he served till his feeble health forbade further duty. With his cousin jeremiah—which see—he served his people faithfully, efficiently and bravely in the famous expeditions of Capt. Lovewell against the Indians.
He joined the church when his first wife died, as above. His will is dated 18 Feb., 1750-1, and says he was in health. The probate of his will was taken 29 April, 1751, which argues a short sickness, if indeed he had any. In it he is called housewright, and he bequeathed to his wife Mehitable "all the household goods shee Brought and whatever else shee brought with her Into my estate at our marriage"; also the use of half his house in Bradford, or "if she chouse Instead of it, she shall have all my Interest in the house I formerly Dwelt in at Boxford." He also devised land in Boxford to his sons. Daniel Black, Paul Pritchard and Solomon Wood witnessed his will and were all present when it was proved. The probate value of his estate was £654 7s. 3d. The inventory valued "Half ye old house & half ye bam in Boxford £6 18s. 4d."; "the house and six acres of land in Bradford £133 6s. 8d.," and "about six acres of pasture land in Bradford £20." His son Francis was his executor.

Jacob married Lydia Peabody on 6 Dec 1696. Lydia (daughter of Capt. John Peabody and Hannah Andrews) was born on 9 Mar 1673; died in 1708. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married Lydia Peabody on 9 May 1709. Lydia (daughter of Joseph Peabody and Bethia Bridges) was born on 4 Feb 1683 in Boxford, Massachusetts; died on 30 Apr 1732 in Boxford, Massachusetts; was buried in Harmony Cemetery, Boxford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married Mehitable in 1733. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Lydia Ayer

Notes:

Biography:
Her last name is often given as Peaslee.

Died:
Her gravestone reads:
Here lies buried the body of
Mrs. Lydia the wife of Deacon Peter Ayer,
Died Sept. 29, 1750,
In the 53 (rd) Year of Her Age

Lydia married Peter Ayer on 17 Jan 1720/21. Peter (son of Samuel Ayer and Elizabeth Tuttle) was born on 1 Oct 1696 in Haverhill, Massachusetts; died in 1774. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married Sarah Morse on 28 May 1729. Sarah was born in Mar 1708. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Nathan married Lydia Hale in Mar 1733. Lydia was born on 23 Mar 1711. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Francis married Huldah Putnam on 8 Nov 1734. Huldah was born on 29 Nov 1716. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Baptism: 12 Jun 1709, Bradford Church, Bradford, Massachusetts
• Probate: 5 Nov 1793

Moses married Hannah Frye on 7 Feb 1740. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Hannah Kimball

Hannah married Stephen Kimball on 6 Dec 1736 in Bradford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Probate: 8 Jun 1790

Notes:

Biography:
He was a tanner and a Baptist and lived in Haverhill.

Jacob married Sarah before 1750. Sarah died after 1761. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jacob married Mary before 1768. Mary was born in 1738; died on 26 Jul 1798. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Probate: 6 May 1799

Notes:

Biography:
He lived in Haverhill, was a tanner and a Baptist. His will was dated 23 June 1794.

Other Events:

• Probate: 6 Jun 1781

Notes:

Biography:
He was a tanner and lived in the west parish of Haverhill. He fought in the American Revolution. He was Captain of a Company in Col. Johnson's Regiment that marched to the "Alarm" of April 19, 1775. He served seven and a half days. He was also a member of a Committee of Correspondence for the town - appointed July 20, 1774. On January 30, 1775 he was appointed member of the Committee of Inspection for the town.

Richard married Martha Mitchell on 14 Jun 1753 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Martha (daughter of James Mitchell and Martha Bradley) was born on 5 Aug 1729 in Haverhill, Massachusetts; died on 26 Sep 1767 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Richard married Jane before 1774. Jane died in 1781. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Probate: 7 May 1781

Notes:

Biography:
His first name is often given as Peaslee. He was a tanner. He lived in Methuen until 1765 when he moved to Haverhill. His will was dated 27 March 1781.

Family/Spouse: Sarah Mitchell. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Perley married Lois Stevens on 26 Dec 1776. Lois died after 1781. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Lydia Haynes
• Name: Lydia Perley

Lydia married David Haynes before 1757. David died in 1775. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lydia married Nathaniel Perley on 10 Sep 1776. Nathaniel died on 18 Jul 1810 in Boxford, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
He lived in Haverhill.

Peter married Abigail Eaton on 1 Nov 1787. Abigail died on 16 Dec 1815 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
He was a yeoman and lived in Haverhill.

Richard married Mehitable Shepherd in Oct 1786. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Abiah West

Abiah married Thomas West on 27 Dec 1786. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1820, Eden, New York

Notes:

Biography:
He bought a farm in Haverhill about 1796 on the Merrimac River. In about 1811 he sold the farm and moved his family in a covered wagon to Erie County, NY and built a log cabin on a 430 acre farm outside of Buffalo. His gravestone still exists and reads:
In Memory of
James Ayer,
formerly of Haverhill
Massachusetts, who died
March 13, AD. 1839,
aged 73 years 1 month
& 13 days
Blessed are the dead who died in the
Lord

Census:
Head, 110201-120100 1 male under 10, one 10-15, 2 16-25, 1 45 and over, 1 female under 10, 2 10-15 and 1 26-44.

Buried:
In Memory of
James Ayer
formerly of Haverhill
Massachusetts who died
March 13, AD 1839
aged 73 years 1 month
& 13 days

James married Sarah Bradley on 14 Dec 1794 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Sarah (daughter of Enoch Bradley and Mary Low) was born on 1 Feb 1774; died on 7 Dec 1844; was buried in Evans Center Cemetery, Evans Center, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
He lived in Vermont.