William Dyer (abt. 1620 - 1689)

Born about 1620 in England

Descendants

Died Aug 1689 at about age 69 in Sheepscot, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

William Dyer first appears in North America as an early settler of Sheepscott, Maine in 1662 when he purchased land at Massoemek, later called Dyer’s Neck at Sheepscott from the Native Americans Daniel Sagamore and Dick Swash, Sagamore on Feb. 11, 1662. Later, on Mar. 29, 1664 purchased of Robin Hood, Sagamore, and his son, land at the neck, Massoemek. ^[1] He held the titles of Esquire and Justice of the Peace. William’s name appeared on the list of those who took the oath of allegiance in 1665, as well as that of his son Christopher. ^[2][3][4]

After the first Indian War in Maine in about 1676 the Dyer family left Maine, as recorded in the Winslow Papers entitiled ‘’Strangers from Shipscot River’’ include ”Mr." (William) “Dyer (who) left all behind him, who sowed 16 bushells of wheat, planted a bushell and a half of Indian corne, sowed 9 bushells of peas, left 56 hed of Cattell, 30 swine, and household goods, and tackling for a plow and carte." ^{[5] [6]} The family settled in Braintree, Massachusetts for several years.

In 1682, William’s sons Christopher and John were among the petitioners for resettlement of Sheepscot. They returned to ‘’Dyer’s Neck’’ where son Christopher became constable in 1684. William was killed in August 1689 and Christopher was killed in December of the same year, both by Native Americans. William’s surviving son John and daughter Mary Bowles with their families left Dyer’s Neck and settled in Braintree. ^[7]

Land in Maine

The lands at Dyer’s Neck in Maine (600 acres) were conveyed in June 10,1712 and in 1732 to Henry Flint of Cambridge by Samuel Boles of Rochester, Plymouth Co., husbandman, and wife Mary, daughter of William Dyer and by William Dyer of Weymouth, eldest son of Christopher Dyer the eldest son of the first William Dyer. ^[8][9][7]

On another document conveying land to Henry Flint, the family is listed as: John Dyer of Braintree, husbandman, William Dyer of Bridgewater, John Allicet of Boston, mariner, and Grace his wife, Rebecca Briggs of Boston, daughter of William and Rebecca Briggs, deceased, to our loving kinsman Samuel Boles of Rochester and Mary his wife.^{[10] [11]}

Death of William Dyer as Described by His Descendants

‘’”On Jan.19,1732/3 John Dyer aged about 85 years, formerly an inhabitant of New Dartmouth, alias Sheepscot, now living in Braintree, Norfolk, Made affidavit that he was living with his father William above 60 years ago for several years at said Sheepscot or Dyer's Neck, whose eldest son was Christopher, and he also had one daughter Mary who afterwards intermarried with one Samuel Bowles. His said father was killed by Indians on said Neck in or about August above 42 years since and in the lifetime of his eldest son Christopher; and himself was grievously wounded in several parts of his body by the same party of Indians and was carried by his brother Christopher to a doctor at Pemaquid, and some few months after his eldest brother Christopher was himself about the month of December killed by Indians, and Christopher left a son William, his eldest son, besides some other children, which William now lives at Weymouth in Co. of Suffolk”’’ ^[12][7]

‘’”There is also an affidavit of Esther Roberts of Boston, aged about 64 years, that she very well knew William Dyer of Sheepscot, father of Christopher and John and Mary who married Samuel Bowles, said Christopher was said William's eldest son and had by his first wife two sons William, and John and one daughter Grace who married one Allicet. The first William Dyer lived on a neck of land called Dyer's Neck and had a house, field, orchard, garden, and cattle, and at the same time a little distance from him on said neck, his second son John. The said William Dyer was mending his garden or orchard fence when the Indians came and knocked him down which I saw, and they killed and scalped him and wounded grievously his second son John Dyer but he recovered of his wounds. Christopher Dyer was killed by the Indians a few months afterwards which I also well remember upwards of 40 years ago: dated Mar.31,1733”’’ ^[13][7]

Grandson William Dyer of Weymouth also made an affidavit as published in the History of Weymouth under Dyer Family, by which he testified Aug.31,1738 that his grandfather lived at Dyer's Neck where were "two houses wherein lived William Dyer, Esq., his second son John Dyer, and his only daughter Mary Bowles until 1689 when his said grandfather and his father Christopher Dyer, eldest son were killed by the Indians, his grandfather about 16 Aug. 1689 and his father about Dec. -1689^[14][7]

Sources

1. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 615-617‘'. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [1]
2. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 1, pg 62. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [2]
3. ↑ Thornton, John Wingate. Ancient Pemaquid: a historical review. Portland (Me.): Brown Thurston, 1857. pg 104. [3]
4. ↑ American Historical Society; Cutter, William Richard, Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Biographical and Genealogical, Volume 1. Pub. American Historical Society, 1916. DYER, Ebenezer Alden, Page 360. [4]
5. ↑ Pioneers on Maine Rivers, by Wilbur D. Spencer
6. ↑ Deane, Samuel, 1784-1834. History of Scituate, Massachusetts, From Its First Settlement to 1831. Boston: J. Loring, 1831. Pg 402
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Sprague, Waldo Chamberlain, author. Dyer, Frank and Dunkle, Robert J., transcribers. Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Mass., 1640-1850. Including the Modern Towns of Randolf and Holbrook and the city of Quincy, after the separation from Braintree in 1792-3. Pub NEHGS, 2001. Pg 490-492. Available in electronic form from NEHGS, AmericanAncestors.org
8. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 618’'. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [5]
9. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 702. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [6]
10. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 615-617‘'. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [7]
11. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 623. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [8]
12. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 624. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [9]
13. ↑ York County Register of Deeds, York Deeds, Vol 15, pg 624. Pub. Maine Genealogical Society, 1642. [10]
14. ↑ York Deeds 20-225

• Freepages [11]
• Waldo Chamberlain Sprague, Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Norfolk, Ma. (1640-1850) (Including the modern town of Randolph & Holbrook and the city of Quincy, after the separation from Braintree in 1792-3.), 1463.
• On July 29, 1995 Frank E. Dyer, Jr. and wife Carol Ann, and cousin Norman C. Dyer and wife Toni visited the Sheepscot area of Maine to try and get a little more information on William. We visited the Nobleboro Historical Museum and met with a George F. Dow who was 90 years old and very informative. He published our visit with him in the Lincoln County News of Aug.3,1995 quoting passages from the History of Ancient Sheepscot and Newcastle by Rev. David Quimby Cushman (1882) (Copy in my possession). We found the area around Sheepscot to be very scenic and it is no wonder that William settled here. Dyer's River, which flows into the Sheepscot River, was named for William, as were also Dyer's Long Pond and Little Dyer's Pond. Entered by DavaLynn Joy.

Acknowledgments

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