Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every
week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For
this prompt I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much
as I have others in my family. In this post and the next I will discuss my 7x great
grandfather John Hoyt Junior, the eldest son of John Hoyt Senior.
From the family genealogy written by Daniel Webster Hoyt:
John,(2) b. about 1638; m. Mary Barnes, dau. Wm. and Rachel Barnes, June 23, 1659 .
On the Salisbury records, his ""Contry Rate Anno 1659," is given as 2s 3d. He received
his first lot of land ("on the river") in Amesbury, Oct., 1658, and was admitted as a "townsman," Dec. 10, 1660. Among the other lots which he received were one in
"Lion's Mouth," 26 Feb., 1661, and a lot of 120 acres, April, 1662. One of his earliest
purchases consisted of five acres of upland at the "southermost end of Tom: Whitchers
hill," bought of Edward Cottell in 1660. It is difficult to determine the location of his homestead.
A "Jn° Hoyt of Salisbury tooke ye ffreemans Oath before this prsent Court," Salisbury,
2m, 1663. It was probably John,(2) though "Jun." is not added, as it is in most instances where he was referred to. On the records of the Salisbury Court, 9, 2m 1667, we find the three following entries: "Jn° Hoyt Jvn: tooke ye oath of fidelitie: att y" prsent Court." "Jn° Hoyt jvn: vpon ye request & choyce of ye Newtowne is admited by this prsent Court to keep ye Ordinary at ye Newtown of Salisbury, & to sell wine & strong waters for ye yeare ensuing." Also, "Jn° Hoyt jun: is dismist by this Court from all trainings: vntil such time: as he shalbe cuered of y' infirmity wch doth att prsent disinable him fro trayning." On the records of the following year (Salisbury Court, 14, 2m, 1668) is found the following: "Jn° Hoyt jvn": license is renued to keep ye ordinary at ye new towne: & to pvide entertainmt for horse men & foot men: but hath liberty to sell wt wine & strong waters he hath laid in in respect to ye ordinary, and Lt Challis is to take notis of wt he hath layd in & to make returne thereof to ye clarke wthin 14 dayes." 13, 2M, 1669, he was also licensed "to keep ye ordinary for Amsbury for ye yeare ensuing." He took "ye oath of Allegiance & fidelity" before Majo' Robert Pike in "Eamsbery," Dec. 20, 1677. He is also frequently mentioned as a juror, on the Old Norfolk records.
John* Hoyt always signed his own name in full, and evidently had a pretty good education for a common man of those times. In old deeds (of which he gave and received a large number), he is sometimes called a "planter," and sometimes a "carpenter." He and his father sold buildings and land to the town for the use of the ministry, soon after Amesbury was incorporated. He had a seat assigned him in the meeting house, July 9, 1667. His name frequently appears on the Amesbury records as lot-layer, constable, &c. He was chosen a "standing lot-layer," 12 March, 1667-8; constable, 1674 and '77-8; to rectify bounds of land, 1680-1 ; constable in Thomas Stevens' place, April, 1690; added to committee "to return the bounds of land into the towne book of Records," March, 1690-1;* chosen '" Clarke of ye markett" for the town of Amesbury, 1692-3, &c, &c.
pp20-21
Hoyt family: A genealogical history of John Hoyt of Salisbury, and David Hoyt of Deerfield, (Massachusetts,) and their descendants: with some account of the earlier Connecticut Hoyts, and an appendix, containing the family record of William Barnes of Salisbury, a list of the first settlers of Salisbury and Amesbury, & c (Google eBook) by David Webster Hoyt (C. Benjamin Richardson, Boston, Ma. 1857)
Despite his high standing in the community, John Hoyt Jr. would find himself
in a bit of a legal predicament. I'll discuss that in the next post, along with a story
about his wife, my 7x great grandmother Mary Barnes,
To be continued.
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