John Ryder / Rider born England in 1636; died Yarmouth, Mass., 1705/06

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 10^th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

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 17^th 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.

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