Person Sheet
NameGeorge DYER, 10G Grandfather
Birthca 1579, ?, ?, England
Death18 Jun 1672, Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
OccupationPossibly Weaver, Based On Bequest Of Looms To James White
EducationSigned Agreement Of Proprietors Of Thompson’s Island Who Relinquished The Island To Te Town Of Dorchester In Order To Raise Funds For Maintenance Of A Free Scool, 7 February 1640. Signed Will. Inventory Included “All His Books Of All Sorts,” L2 1s.60
ReligionAmong First Admitted To Second Church At Dorchester161
FatherUnknown DYER
Misc. Notes
Emigrated to Dorchester, 1634
Somerset. Settled Dorchester; constable 1630; Freeman 18 May 1631.43, Vol. 1, pg. 366 Died 1672.162,37
First admitted to the second church at Dorchester, between 23 Aug 1636 and 7 Dec 1636; they may well have been members of the first church as well.
Freeman: requested 19 Oct 1630 and admitted 18 May 1631
George Dyer came on the "Mary & John" in 1630 with his wife, and probably his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Little is known about him, probably because he had no sons and left no namesakes. Of his fifteen grandchildren, eleven were girls. He settled first in Dorchester, MA, where he sat on the Jury at Court of Assistants in 28 Sept 1630. He admitted as a Freeman 19 Oct 1630 and was sworn May 18, 1631, was Constable in 1632 and was granted land in 1634. He and his wife Abigail (second wife?) signed the church covenant in Dorchester in 1636. In his wil, dated 31 Dec 1671, probated 2 Aug 167,l he listed, Daughters, Elizabeth, wife of William Trescott and Mary, wife of William Pond and he left his weaving looms to his son-in-law, James White of Dorchester.160 163, 7:233 164 56
In 1634 Reverend John White of Dorchester, Dorset, prepared a list of those adventurers who had been associated with him in the New England fishing trade from 1623 to 1628, and toward the end of the list is “George dier, living in New England”53, Vol. 61, pg. 280 This indicates that George Dyer was perhaps from Dorchester in Dorset, or at least from one of the three counties of Dorset, Devon or Somerset.
The probability that George Dyer was a passenter on the Mary & John is very high, in that he meets the three basic criteria for inclusion on this ship’s synthetic passenger list: West Country origin, first appearance in New England in 1630, and first known residence in New England in Dorchester.
Mr. Banks provides three guesses for the origin of George Dyer, all based on “Banks Mss.”: Dorchester, Dorset; Fitzhead, Somerset; and Wincanton, Somerset.
The only evidence for a wife or wifes for George Dyer, aside from the existence of his daughters, is the record of the admission to church of Abigail Dyer in 1636. Savage claims that Dyer had a wife named Elizabeth, but there is no recorded evidence for this, and there may be some confusion with the daughter, Elizabeth. Related to the question of the wife or wifes of George Dyer is the bequest to his son-in-law, James White. Does this imply a third daughter who married James White, or a marriage to a widow White who was the mother of James? A careful analysis of all available evidence needs to be carried out to answer this question. (An attempt to solve this problem is the claim that George’s daughter married first William Pond and second James White, but this will not do since Pond died in 1690, eighteen years after the writing of George Dyer’s will.)
Both of the daughters of George Dyer used the name Samuel for their eldest son, and both named a daughter Martha. These names may be useful in investigating the parentage of George Dyer, or of the mother of his children.
Somerset. Settled Dorchester; constable 1630; Freeman 18 May 1631.43, Vol. 1, pg. 366 Died 1672.162,37
First admitted to the second church at Dorchester, between 23 Aug 1636 and 7 Dec 1636; they may well have been members of the first church as well.
Freeman: requested 19 Oct 1630 and admitted 18 May 1631
George Dyer came on the "Mary & John" in 1630 with his wife, and probably his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Little is known about him, probably because he had no sons and left no namesakes. Of his fifteen grandchildren, eleven were girls. He settled first in Dorchester, MA, where he sat on the Jury at Court of Assistants in 28 Sept 1630. He admitted as a Freeman 19 Oct 1630 and was sworn May 18, 1631, was Constable in 1632 and was granted land in 1634. He and his wife Abigail (second wife?) signed the church covenant in Dorchester in 1636. In his wil, dated 31 Dec 1671, probated 2 Aug 167,l he listed, Daughters, Elizabeth, wife of William Trescott and Mary, wife of William Pond and he left his weaving looms to his son-in-law, James White of Dorchester.160 163, 7:233 164 56
In 1634 Reverend John White of Dorchester, Dorset, prepared a list of those adventurers who had been associated with him in the New England fishing trade from 1623 to 1628, and toward the end of the list is “George dier, living in New England”53, Vol. 61, pg. 280 This indicates that George Dyer was perhaps from Dorchester in Dorset, or at least from one of the three counties of Dorset, Devon or Somerset.
The probability that George Dyer was a passenter on the Mary & John is very high, in that he meets the three basic criteria for inclusion on this ship’s synthetic passenger list: West Country origin, first appearance in New England in 1630, and first known residence in New England in Dorchester.
Mr. Banks provides three guesses for the origin of George Dyer, all based on “Banks Mss.”: Dorchester, Dorset; Fitzhead, Somerset; and Wincanton, Somerset.
The only evidence for a wife or wifes for George Dyer, aside from the existence of his daughters, is the record of the admission to church of Abigail Dyer in 1636. Savage claims that Dyer had a wife named Elizabeth, but there is no recorded evidence for this, and there may be some confusion with the daughter, Elizabeth. Related to the question of the wife or wifes of George Dyer is the bequest to his son-in-law, James White. Does this imply a third daughter who married James White, or a marriage to a widow White who was the mother of James? A careful analysis of all available evidence needs to be carried out to answer this question. (An attempt to solve this problem is the claim that George’s daughter married first William Pond and second James White, but this will not do since Pond died in 1690, eighteen years after the writing of George Dyer’s will.)
Both of the daughters of George Dyer used the name Samuel for their eldest son, and both named a daughter Martha. These names may be useful in investigating the parentage of George Dyer, or of the mother of his children.
Will
In his will, dated 31 December 1671 and proved 2 August 1672, George Dyer bequeathed to “my beloved daughter Elisabeth the wife of William Trescot & unto her heirs forever all my dwelling house, outhouses, barn, yard, orchard together with my houselot & meadow adjoining to it unto the Salt Creek,” also “my meadow in the Calves Pasture,” also “five acres of my planting land at the Great Neck, the lot I bought of John Pierce to be part of it & made up five acres out of my lot adjoining,” also “half of my great lot both within fence & without,” also “all my division beyond Naponset River on the south side”; to “my beloved daughter Mary the wife of William Pond & to her heirs forever a piece of marsh lying between two salt creeks commonly called the old harbor,” also “my piece of meadow lying at the entrance into the Great Neck, together with all the rest of my upland within the Great Neck, together with all the rest of my upland within the Great Neck not before given,” also “half my great lot both within fence and without,” also “my last division on the north side of “Naponset”; daughter Mary to have half the grass or profit therefrom from the meadow adjoining the houselot for five years; any lands remaining in common, whether divided or undivided, to be equally divided betwen the two daughters abovementioned; to “my loving son-in-law James White of Dorchester my looms for weaving with all the utensils thereunto belonging in case he the said James will make use of them in the said work”; all household goods to daughter Elizabeth, except linen, which is to be divided equally between Elizabeth & Mary; “my two acres of salt marsh that lyeth near the Mill Creek near Roxbury being part of a division I have sold to James White before mentioned & received satisfaction to content & given him possession; sons-in-law William Trescot and William Pond to be executors and pay debts and funeral expenses.163, Vol. 7, pg. 233
The inventory, taken 29 June 1672, totalled L425 rs. 6d., of which L370 was real estate: “the housing, barn, orchard, houselot & meadow at the end unto Salt Creek,” L100; “two acres of meadow on the other side te creek”, L14; “six acres of meadow in the Calves Pature Meadows,” L60; “a piece of meadow at the north of the Great Neck,” L30; “eleven acres or thereabouts of upland at the Great Neck,” L46; “at the great lots besides what’s disposed of at each end before,” L80; “the 2d and 3d [divisions] in the Cowwalks, 10 acres or thereabouts,” L15; “the last division on the north side Naponset, 15 acres,” L5; “the last division on the south side Naponset, 29 acres or thereabouts,” L20; and “the common beyond the Blue Hills,” no value given163, Vol. 7, pg. 234
The inventory, taken 29 June 1672, totalled L425 rs. 6d., of which L370 was real estate: “the housing, barn, orchard, houselot & meadow at the end unto Salt Creek,” L100; “two acres of meadow on the other side te creek”, L14; “six acres of meadow in the Calves Pature Meadows,” L60; “a piece of meadow at the north of the Great Neck,” L30; “eleven acres or thereabouts of upland at the Great Neck,” L46; “at the great lots besides what’s disposed of at each end before,” L80; “the 2d and 3d [divisions] in the Cowwalks, 10 acres or thereabouts,” L15; “the last division on the north side Naponset, 15 acres,” L5; “the last division on the south side Naponset, 29 acres or thereabouts,” L20; and “the common beyond the Blue Hills,” no value given163, Vol. 7, pg. 234
Associations
In his will of 9 October 1638 Bernard Capen names as one of his trustees “my brother George Dyer.” Capen’s wife was a sister of Aquila Purchase, who was closely related to Thomas Purchase, perhaps even a brother. On 31 May 1641 Thomas Purchase makes a letter of attorney to George Dyer of Dorchester, planter, and three others to act for him in an action of trespass.
Estate
On 27 Jun 1636 granted three acres of marsh in Dorchester.60, pg. 16 On 18 Mar 1637/8 granted two parcels of nearly five acres each.60, pg. 30 Grant Lot #38, four acres, in the meadow beyond Naponset.60, pg. 321 On 13 Jan 1667/8 included in "list of the acres of land at the Neck being rated at a half penny per acre for the plow land only", being rated 6d. (indicating a parcel of twelve acres).60, pg. 149