John Ryder (also spelled Rider) was baptized at All Saints, Northampton,
Northamptonshire on 4 December 1636. He was the son of Samuel and Ann Ryder (he
was named in his father’s will). He is my 10th great-grandfather on
my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.
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| All Saints Church, Northampton (source: wikimedia.org) |
John came to the new world and settled at Yarmouth
in Barnstable County
on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He married about 1663 a woman
whose name is unknown.
John’s unknown wife died 23 October 1691 at Yarmouth (there is a gap
in Yarmouth Vital Records but two Rider genealogies give this as her death
date). Bugs me to no end that women in the 17th century led such
difficult lives—no individual rights to speak of, birthed and raised many
children, kept house and cooked and baked with no modern day conveniences, often
lost children, husbands and other family and friends, dealt with so much
hardship and illness in the new world (as well as back in England) and they are
anonymous to us. End of rant. : )
John and his wife had seven children:
Ebenezer born about 1664, married Experience Hall
John born about 1667, married Esther Hall
Joseph born 1670
Lydia
born about 1673
Samuel born about 1676; died in 1702
Hannah born about 1679, married Benjamin Matthews
Thankfull born about 1689, married Jehosaphat Eldredge
I descend from John’s son John. I wrote about him here. The birth’s of John’s children are not
recorded but Ebenezer, John, Joseph, Hannah,
Lydia,
Thankfull are all named in his will. Samuel predeceased him.
John was known as John Sr. throughout his lifetime at Yarmouth, being the elder
of that name in the town. He served Yarmouth
in a variety of ways, although his education must have been minimal since he
signed his will with a mark. He was appointed the town surveyor in 1677, was a
member of an October 21, 1677 court inquest and was a member of the grand jury in
1682. He was listed as a freeman in October
1678 at Yarmouth.
In 1676 his tax was 2 pounds, 14 shillings, 9 pence towards
the charges for King Philip’s War. In his father's will of 1679 he was left the
“prime field.”
In 1702 he was to receive 10 pounds from the estate of his
late son Samuel “for keeping his son Samuel in the time of his sickness three
years and upwards.”
John died at Yarmouth
on 5 January 1705/6.
John’s will was written March 1702/3 and is recorded in
Barnstable County PR 2:220:
"the sixth day of March 1702/3 I John Rider Senior of yarmouth .... being Grown
In years .... appoint this to be my last will"
"unto my son Ebenezer Rider all my real estate that is
to say my now dwelling house and barn with all the lot of land they stand upon
from the high way easterly to the Creek and my and my land and orchard on the
other side of the sd high way lying between the lands of Nathaniel Basset and
my son John Riders land and also all my land and meadow in the prime field
together with my marsh at Grays beach and my Island of Creek stuff or sedge at
the Cross creek and also two oxen and two Cows"
"to my son John Rider ten shillings of my estate"
"unto my son Joseph Rider five shillings of my
estate"
"to my two daughters Hannah & Lydia four shillings
A piece"
"unto my daughter Thankfull ten pounds"
"the rest of my estate that is not herein disposed of
if any be shall be equally divided to my above named six Children"
Son Ebenezer Rider to be sole executor.
The will was signed by a mark and witnessed by John Thacher,
Lydia Thacher and Mary Thacher.
"February the 19th 1702 then John Thacher Esqr Lydia
Thacher and Mary Thacher", the witnesses, made oath to the will.
The inventory was taken "6th day of February 1706"
by "Peter Thacher and Joseph Haws” and included a pair of looms, perhaps
indicating his profession. Besides the personal estate there was land, meadow
& housing valued at 199 pounds, 13 shillings. Debts were due to Samuel
Sturges, James Sturges and Seth Taylor, totaling 4 pounds, 15 shilling, 3 pence.
The inventory was sworn to by Ebenezer Ryder, executor, 19 February, 1705/6.
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| Depiction of a colonial era spinning wheel |
Sources Not Listed Above:
Martin E. Hollick, The
John Riders of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, The American Genealogist, Volume
80, April 2005
CW Swift, Library of
Cape Cod History and Genealogy, No. 66, The Rider Family of Yarmouth, 1913
James W. Hawes, Library
of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, No. 98, Ryder
Genealogy, 1912
Did you get Samuel's will? My line are John's children Ebenezer and Hannah.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure which Samuel. I have seen transcription of John's father Samuel's will but have not seen full transcription of his son Samuel's will which I understand is available in Plymouth probate files. Chris
DeleteI am a descendent of John. his wife was Patience Eldridge according to the book "Rider to Ryder" james
ReplyDeleteYou have to be careful with the Ryder RIder wives they often name a daughter in law as a wife to and elder Rider. They had our John married to his daughter in law. The Ryderline is vast with many branches.
DeleteThank you for posting this caution. It is very true! Chris
DeleteI believe I am a descendant of Ebenezer son Edward, who had a son David who had a daughter Elizabeth, who married an Abe Simpson.... eventually down the line to my mom's dad (Walsh). Family still have a place on the Cape.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your line of descent! Chris
Delete