| Paternal |
| DYER, 1609-aft.1780 | Related Families: Barret | Hutchinson | Sayles | Greene | Niles | Arnold |
(1) William
Dyer
baptized 19 September 1609 in Kirkby Lathrope, Lincolnshire, England, and
died about 1676 in Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island. He married first
on 27 October 1633 in St. Martin in the Fields, London, Middlesex Co.,
England, Mary
Barret,
speculated to have been born around 1610 in London, England. In early
life, William was an apprentice. "Walter Blackborne, London Milliner"
by Johan Winsser, says:
"About Midsummer's Day (June 24) 1624 Blackborne contracted fourteen year old William Dyer as an apprentice. Dyer, the son of an affluent Lincolnshire yeoman, was the future husband of Mary (Barrett) Dyer, the Quaker martyr. How the Dyer family came to select Blackborne is not certain, but it may have been through the Hutchinsons of Alford, Lincolnshire, or through the Carres of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, both families with known long standing associations with the Dyers and with close relatives in London. It may also be that the Dyers of Lincolnshire knew of Blackborne through one or more of the many Dyer families living in London, to whom they may have been related. In any case, William Dyer must have labored on a trial basis for the first year, because it was not until 20 August 1625 that his nine year indenture was enrolled with the Fishmongers, and it was made retroactive to the previous summer. In assuming responsibility for an apprentice, Blackborne obligated himself to serve as a surrogate father, teaching young Dyer his trade, providing him with bed, food, clothing, and behavioral supervision, and maintaining him in the religious life of the parish. In return, Dyer agreed to serve his master faithfully for the set term of years, to forgo marriage during his apprenticeship, to keep his master's secrets, and to adhere to strict behavorial standards both in his master's house and abroad in the town. On 10 February 1632, William Dyer signed a lease to rent "The Globe" in the New Exchange, formerly occupied by Blackborne, for a term of two and a quarter years. About a year later 1632/33 William Dyer also assumed the lease for Blackborne's tenement on Mr. Greene's Lane."By the autumn of 1635 William Dyer had set sail for Boston and soon was prospering in his new home. He was one of fourteen owners of a wharf in Boston. Captain William and Mary joined the First church there in December 1635. Captain Dyre was disfranchised for "seditious writing" on 15 November 1637, removed to Rhode Island, and was one of the signers of the compact of government for that province on 7 March 1638. He was secretary the same year, general recorder, 1648; attorney-general, 1650-53; member of the general court, 1661-62, 1664-66; general solicitor, 1665-66, and 1668, and secretary to the council, 1669. He was commissioned commander-in-chief upon the sea in 1653, and headed an expedition fitted out in Rhode Island against the Dutch.
|
The Monster-Child of Mary Dyer March 30 1638 The wife of one William Dyer, a milliner in the New Exchange, a very proper and fair woman, and both of them notoriously infected with Mrs. Hutchinson’s errors, and very censorious and troublesome, (she being of a very proud spirit, and much addicted to revelations,) had been delivered of [a] child some few months before, October 17, and the child buried, (being stillborn,) and viewed of none but Mrs. Hutchinson and the midwife, one Hawkins’s wife, a rank familist also; and another woman had a glimpse of it, who, not being able to keep counsel, as the other two did, some rumor began to spread, that the child was a monster. One of the elders, hearing of it, asked Mrs. Hutchinson, when she was ready to depart; whereupon she told him how it was, and said she meant to have it chronicled, but excused her concealing of it till then, (by advice, as she said, of Mr. Cotton,) which coming to the governor’s knowledge, he called another of the magistrates and that elder, and sent for the midwife, and examined her about it. At first she confessed only, that the head was defective and misplaced, but being told that Mrs. Hutchinson had revealed all, and that he intended to have it taken up and viewed, she made this report of it, viz.: It was a woman child, stillborn, about two months before the just time, having life a few hours before; it came hiplings till she turned it; it was of ordinary bigness; it had a face, but no head, and the ears stood upon the shoulders and were like an ape’s; it had no forehead, but over the eyes four horns, hard and sharp; two of them were above one inch long, the other two shorter; the eyes standing out, and the mouth also; the nose hooked upward; all over the breast and back full of sharp pricks and scales, like a thornback; the navel and all the belly, with the distinction of the sex, were where the back should be, and the back and hips before, where the belly should have been; behind, between the shoulders, it had two mouths, and in each of them a piece of red flesh sticking out; it had arms and legs as other children; but, instead of toes, it had on each foot three claws, like a young fowl, with sharp talons.2 April 1638 The governor, with the advice of some other of the magistrates and of the elders of Boston, caused the said monster to be taken up, and though it were much corrupted, yet most of those things were to be seen, as the horns and claws, and scales, etc. When it died in the mother’s body, (which was about two hours before the birth,) the bed whereon the mother lay did shake, and withal there was such a noisome savor, as most of the women were taken with extreme vomiting and purging, as they were forced to depart; and others of them their children were taken with convulsions, (which they never had before nor after,) and so were sent for home, so as by these occasions it came to be concealed. |
Mary was the only woman to suffer capital punishment in all the oppression
of the Society of Friends the world over. She accompanied her husband on
his mission to England with Roger Williams and Dr. John Clarke to obtain
the revocation of Governor Coddington's power in Rhode Island and while
there became a convert to Quakerism and a preacher in the society. On arriving
in Boston in 1657 she was imprisoned and on the petition of her husband
was permitted to go with him to Rhode Island, but never to return to Massachusetts.
She returned, however, and with William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson
was tried and convicted for "their rebellion, sedition and presumptuous
obtruding upon us notwithstanding their being sentenced to banishment on
payne of death, as underminers of the government." Robinson and Stevenson
were executed by hanging while Mary was forced to watch, and the executioners
went so far as to bind Mary's wrists behind her back, tie her skirt around
her ankles, blindfold her using a handkerchief donated by her own pastor,
and slip the noose around her neck, but through the surprise petition of
her son, Mayor William Dyre, she was reprieved on the same conditions as
before, but in May 1660, sheagain appeared on the public streets of Boston,
and was brought before the court on 31 May and condemned to death. She
was executed 1 June 1660. Today, her statue (at
right) is one of four guarding the Massachusetts
State House in Boston.
Sometime after Mary was executed and early 1662, William married in Boston,
Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, Catherine, and they had one daughter.
Children of William Dyer and Mary Barrett:
(2) Samuel
Dyer
was baptized 20 December 1635 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and
died about 1678 in Kingston, Washington Co., Rhode Island. He married
about 1660 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, Anne
Hutchinson,
of royal descent. She was the grandaughter of Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson
who was banished from Boston for her religious activities.
On 22 March 1661, Samuel signed certain articles relative to Misquamicut
(Westerly) lands along with his brother Mahershallalhashbaz. He was
Conservator of the Peace at Kingstown on 21 May 1669. On 20 May 1671,
he took the oath of allegiance to Rhode Island. After his death,
Samuel's estate was taxed 15s 6d in 1680.
Anne Hutchinson later married Daniel Vernon. She had recived a legacy
of lands in Narragansett from will of her father in 1676. On 18 October
1687, she confirmed a deed of her son Samuel Dyer. In 1717, her will
was proved:
"Widow Ann Vernon, of Newport. Ex. son Samuel Vernon. To son Samuel Dyer 5s. To sons Elisha, Henry and Barrett Dyer L30 each. To son Samuel Vernon L45. To daughter Catherine Vernon L65. To sons Henry and Barrett Dyer and Samuel Vernon, all rents due me from Edward Dyer of Kings Town, being due from 1710, Nov 20 at L6 per annum, and all hereafter found due which should have been for my yearly support and maintenance."Anne is buried in Newport, Rhode Island, in the Vernon family lot with second husband Daniel, daughter Anne Clark, and son Edward Vernon.
Children of Samuel Dyer and Anne Hutchinson:
(3) Edward
Dyer,
a carpenter, was born about 1670 in Kingston, Washington Co., Rhode Island,
and died 1760 in North Kingston, Washington Co., Rhode Island. He
married before 28 September 1698 in North Kingston, Washington Co., Rhode
Island, Mary
Sayles Greene.
On 9 February 1691, Edward and his brother Elisha were complained of by
Daniel Vernon, of Kingstown, for taking possession of his farm at Aquidneset,
forcing open the door of the cellar, etc., "they both being non residents."
On
22 September 1689, Edward and wife Mary signed an obligation at Newport,
binding themselves in sum of L200, to stand by arbitration of Thomas Olney
and Weston Clarke, regarding a house and lot in Warwick for which an action
had been commenced by Edward Dyer for his wife, daughter of William Greene,
deceased, against said Samuel Greene, to whom the bond was given.
On 17 March 1690, he and wife Mary gave a receipt to her uncle Samuel Greene,
for L15, and also L10, already had, according to the award.
Children:
(4) Samuel
Dyer,
born 1703 in Providence, Providence Co., Rhode Island, died 5 April 1760
in West Greenwich, Kent Co., Rhode Island. He married 24 February
1725/1726 in East Greenwich, Kent Co., Rhode Island, Tabitha
Niles.
Samuel made his will on 5 March 1760 (probated 5 April 1760) and it mentions
that both his parents were still living, but it does not name them. It
lists sons Edward, George and Nathaniel, daughters Mary Wall (eldest),
Susannah Dyre, Sarah Dyre, Phebe Dyre, under 18 & Ann Dyre under 18,
2 grandchildren Sarah Dyre and Nathaniel Dyre.
|
Last updated 16 January 2000 |