Captain John Evered
Encyclopedia
Captain John Evered also known as Webb, was one of the first Europeans to settle what is now known as the Merrimack Valley
in Massachusetts
, specifically the town of Dracut
, which Evered named.
, England
around 1611, to father John Webb (b.1580) and mother Rebecca Evered. He was baptised
in 1612 in Bromham, Wiltshire
.
In his early 20's, he, his brother Stephen, their oldest sister Hannah and her husband John Ayer
(Eyre) and children, on June 3, 1635, set sail for the New World
, aboard the ship James. As they approached New England
, a hurricane struck, and they were forced to ride it out just off the coast of modern-day Hampton, New Hampshire
. According to the ship's log and the journal of Increase Mather
, son of some of the passengers, the following was recorded;
They tried to stand down during the storm just outside the Isles of Shoals
, but lost all three anchors, as no canvas or rope would hold, but on Aug 13, 1635, torn to pieces, and not one death, all one hundred plus passengers of the James managed to make it to Boston Harbor
. The ship's log listed John and his brother as laborers/husbandmen. John and Stephen stayed in Boston, while his brother-in-law went on to Salisbury, Massachusetts
before finally settling in Haverhill
.
of the Massachusetts Bay
province on December 7, 1636.
In 1639, while living in Boston, he married Mary Faireweather, a widow of Thomas Fayreweather, as she states her intentions in a deed of gift to her son John;
In 1641, John Evered obtained a commission to conduct fishing operations at the Isle of Sables
:
In 1643, Evered was made a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
, with the rank of Ensign, for which he received 10 pounds for his first year of service. In 1655 he was made first sergeant, then later Captain.
As Captain, his most notable duty was the hanging of Mary Dyer
in 1660. Captain Evered is quoted as telling her that she had previously been found guilty of the same charge (being a Quaker) and been banished, that she now had one last chance to repent and be banished again, to which she replied that she would not. He then told her she was condemned to death for violating the law, and then she was hanged.
He and his family moved from their tiny Boston home to 90 acres (36.4 ha) in Braintree
on the "Montaquid" (Monatiquot River
), until he sold it on February 19, 1648 to Samuel Allen.
, and he also bought a neighboring island, which is most likely modern-day downtown Lowell
. Webb was the first settler upon the north side of the Merrimack River
, and the man in whose honor the town of Dracut was named. Webb sold a portion of his Boston estate in 1661, probably about the time he officially moved to Chelmsford. The town of Chelmsford also granted several more parcels of land to Mr. John Webb, on November 9, 1661.
On October of 1665, Captain John Evered bought from Bess, wife of Nobb How and daughter of Passaconaway
, the land called Augumtoocooke, what is now modern-day Dracut
, for the sum of four yards of Duffill
and one pound of tobacco
. Webb then sold tracts of the land to Richard Shatswell and Samuel Varnum. Before owning it himself, Webb had already sold 11000 acres (4,451.5 ha) of the land months earlier to Samuel Varnum, as the deed for "Drawcutt upon Mirrimack" was dated 1664, for 400£ (four hundred pounds
). Richard Shatswell then took his Dracut land and exchanged it with Edward Coburn for his home and land in Ipswich
.
As so recorded to the Computation of the Church of England
, on September 13, 1668, a few weeks after Evered's death, his wife Mary sold the 1600 acres (647.5 ha) family farm in Dracut to Edward Coburn of Ipswich
for 1,300£. The land stretched from Samuel Varnum's property to Richard Shatwell's on the east to the Merrimack River.
John, in his own will dated February 10, 1665, left to his nephews, and his own daughter:
In his will he referred to himself as of Haverhill, where his daughter Hannah resided with her husband James.
accident on August 17, 1668. A whale pulled him overboard and he drowned.
Merrimack Valley
The Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region along the Merrimack River in the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, United States. The Merrimack is one of the larger waterways in the New England region and has helped define the livelihood and culture of those living along it since native...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, specifically the town of Dracut
Dracut, Massachusetts
Dracut is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 29,457. Dracut is primarily a suburban community, belonging to Greater Lowell and bordering southern New Hampshire...
, which Evered named.
Early years
John was born in WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
around 1611, to father John Webb (b.1580) and mother Rebecca Evered. He was baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in 1612 in Bromham, Wiltshire
Bromham, Wiltshire
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. Besides the main village of Bromham, the parish includes five other settlements: St Edith’s Marsh, Westbrook, Hawkstreet, Netherstreet and Chittoe. These are essentially sub-villages and hamlets all within of the main village centre,...
.
In his early 20's, he, his brother Stephen, their oldest sister Hannah and her husband John Ayer
John Ayer
John Ayer was one of the original European settlers to Massachusetts, settling in Ipswich, Haverhill, and Salisbury.-Early years:John was born on September 2, 1582 to father Thomas Eyre and Elizabeth Rogers, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He married once prior to 1619, but it is unclear what...
(Eyre) and children, on June 3, 1635, set sail for the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, aboard the ship James. As they approached New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, a hurricane struck, and they were forced to ride it out just off the coast of modern-day Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
. According to the ship's log and the journal of Increase Mather
Increase Mather
Increase Mather was a major figure in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay . He was a Puritan minister who was involved with the government of the colony, the administration of Harvard College, and most notoriously, the Salem witch trials...
, son of some of the passengers, the following was recorded;
"At this moment,... their lives were given up for lost; but then, in an instant of time, God turned the wind about, which carried them from the rocks of death before their eyes. ...her sails rent in sunder, and split in pieces, as if they had been rotten ragges..."
They tried to stand down during the storm just outside the Isles of Shoals
Isles of Shoals
The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately off the east coast of the United States, straddling the border of the states of New Hampshire and Maine.- History :...
, but lost all three anchors, as no canvas or rope would hold, but on Aug 13, 1635, torn to pieces, and not one death, all one hundred plus passengers of the James managed to make it to Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
. The ship's log listed John and his brother as laborers/husbandmen. John and Stephen stayed in Boston, while his brother-in-law went on to Salisbury, Massachusetts
Salisbury, Massachusetts
Salisbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,827 at the 2000 census. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean north of Boston on the New Hampshire border....
before finally settling in Haverhill
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
.
Life in Boston
As a single man, John was admitted to the First Church, Boston, and became a mariner, and he was made a freemanFreeman
- Things :* An individual not tied to land under medieval serfdom, unlike a villein or serf* A person who has been awarded Freedom of the City or "Freedom of the Company" in a Livery Company* Freeman * Freeman...
of the Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
province on December 7, 1636.
In 1639, while living in Boston, he married Mary Faireweather, a widow of Thomas Fayreweather, as she states her intentions in a deed of gift to her son John;
"…to the use of such child and children that shall be lawfully begotten betweene me and John Everet als. Webb whome I intend by the grace of God to take to my husband…”They bought their first home together in Boston for 50 pounds, and Mary and John had a daughter, Hannah Webb Evered, the following year. This was their only child together, making a family of four, with stepson John, only six years of age when Hannah was born, from Mary's deceased husband.
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
:
“A Commission to John Webb als ___ of Boston and his company to trade & doe their business at the Isle of Sables & to pass in the barke Endeavor of Salem wherof is Master Joseph Grafton."
In 1643, Evered was made a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world...
, with the rank of Ensign, for which he received 10 pounds for his first year of service. In 1655 he was made first sergeant, then later Captain.
As Captain, his most notable duty was the hanging of Mary Dyer
Mary Dyer
Mary Baker Dyer was an English Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony , for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony...
in 1660. Captain Evered is quoted as telling her that she had previously been found guilty of the same charge (being a Quaker) and been banished, that she now had one last chance to repent and be banished again, to which she replied that she would not. He then told her she was condemned to death for violating the law, and then she was hanged.
He and his family moved from their tiny Boston home to 90 acres (36.4 ha) in Braintree
Braintree, Massachusetts
The Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744...
on the "Montaquid" (Monatiquot River
Monatiquot River
The Monatiquot River is a river in Braintree, Massachusetts, formed by the confluence of the Farm River and Cochato River in the Braintree Municipal Golf Course, flowing in swampy meanders to the northeast, and emptying into the tidal Weymouth Fore River estuary. Its drainage area is .The river...
), until he sold it on February 19, 1648 to Samuel Allen.
Land settlings
On June 7, 1659, John Evered (Webb) was granted land by the General Court to military officers a farm in ChelmsfordChelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
, and he also bought a neighboring island, which is most likely modern-day downtown Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. Webb was the first settler upon the north side of the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
, and the man in whose honor the town of Dracut was named. Webb sold a portion of his Boston estate in 1661, probably about the time he officially moved to Chelmsford. The town of Chelmsford also granted several more parcels of land to Mr. John Webb, on November 9, 1661.
On October of 1665, Captain John Evered bought from Bess, wife of Nobb How and daughter of Passaconaway
Passaconaway
Passaconaway, a name which translates to "Child of the Bear", was a chieftain in the Pennacook tribe.-Life:One of the key native figures in the colonial history of New Hampshire, Passaconaway was believed to have been born between 1550 and 1570, and is said to have died in 1679...
, the land called Augumtoocooke, what is now modern-day Dracut
Dracut, Massachusetts
Dracut is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 29,457. Dracut is primarily a suburban community, belonging to Greater Lowell and bordering southern New Hampshire...
, for the sum of four yards of Duffill
Duffle Coat
A duffle coat, or duffel coat, is a coat made from duffle, a coarse, thick, woollen material. The name derives from Duffel, a town in the province of Antwerp in Belgium where the material originates...
and one pound of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. Webb then sold tracts of the land to Richard Shatswell and Samuel Varnum. Before owning it himself, Webb had already sold 11000 acres (4,451.5 ha) of the land months earlier to Samuel Varnum, as the deed for "Drawcutt upon Mirrimack" was dated 1664, for 400£ (four hundred pounds
Pound (currency)
The pound is a unit of currency in some nations. The term originated in England as the value of a pound of silver.The word pound is the English translation of the Latin word libra, which was the unit of account of the Roman Empire...
). Richard Shatswell then took his Dracut land and exchanged it with Edward Coburn for his home and land in Ipswich
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
.
As so recorded to the Computation of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, on September 13, 1668, a few weeks after Evered's death, his wife Mary sold the 1600 acres (647.5 ha) family farm in Dracut to Edward Coburn of Ipswich
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
for 1,300£. The land stretched from Samuel Varnum's property to Richard Shatwell's on the east to the Merrimack River.
Later years
John's brother Stephen Webb died in Boston on September 18, 1659, a servant to Lieut. William Philps.John, in his own will dated February 10, 1665, left to his nephews, and his own daughter:
In his will he referred to himself as of Haverhill, where his daughter Hannah resided with her husband James.
Death
Captain John Evered died in a whalingWhaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
accident on August 17, 1668. A whale pulled him overboard and he drowned.