John Dyer

John Dyer killed an Indian who was trying to get into his house, and was found guilty of manslaughter. Judge Samuel Sewall recorded the incident in his diary: "last night, one Dyer of Braintree shot an Indian to death as he was breaking his window and attempting to get into his house against his will, etc. - Feb.1,1680-1." After an inquest as shown by the court records it was determined that the Indian was starving and in a weak and low condition and "John Dyer of Braintree for killing Jan.31, last, John Ahattawants, an Indian (by shooting him with swan shot) was arraigned for murder, the jury found him guilty of manslaughter, and is to pay the widow 20 shillings for 5 years, and costs of court, paid 20 shillings Mar.1,1680-1."¹

John Dyer and Christopher Dyer were petitioners to re-occupy in Sheepscot in 1682.¹

John Dyer returned wounded to Braintree after his father and brother Christopher were killed in an Indian attack in December 1689 at Sheepscot.¹

John Dyer made a will on 9 March 1731/32 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Mentioned were wife Anna, sons William, Christopher, Jonathan, John and Peter, daughters Anna Pratt, Sarah Sloan, Mary Price and Deborah Dyer, grandson Butcher Dyer, son of deceased son Samuel, Ebenezer Pratt, deceased husband of daughter Anna, David Sloan, husband of daughter Sarah, and Gornil Price, husband of daughter Mary.⁴

On 19 January 1732/33, "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."⁵

In an affidavit of Esther Roberts of Boston, aged about 64 years, she says 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, 1733.⁶

William Dyer of Weymouth made an affidavit as published in the History of Weymouth under Dyer Family, by which he testified 31 Aug 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 -1689.⁷