Zechariah AYER

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military Service: Between Jul and Aug 1676; Served in King Philip's War
• Military Service: Jan 1675; Served in King Philip's War

Notes:

Name:
He was a husbandman; served in King Philip's War Jan. 1675-1676 and July and Aug., 1676; was assigned L1.10.00 wages for military service for Haverell-towne 24 Aug., 1676. He lived in Andover in 1680 and in Newbury in 1696; was on list of proprietors in Andover 1702.

Zechariah married Elizabeth CHASE on 27 Jun 1678 in Andover, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of Aquila CHASE and Anne WHEELER) was born on 13 Sep 1657 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts; died after 1696. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: Aft 1700

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.

Name:
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...

John married Sarah WILLIAMS on 05 May 1646 in Haverhill, Mass.. Sarah (daughter of John WILLIAMS and Unknown) was born about 1630 in England; died on 25 Jul 1662 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]