Ancestors

John Hayden

John Hayden's English origin is not known. He was at Dorchester, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by 16 January 1632/3, when land there was granted to him. On 14 May 1634 he was made a freeman of the colony, which gave him a vote in its elections. In June 1639 the colony's court fined him for "entertaining a servant unlicensed", and then remitted the fine, the offence "being done ignorantly". About 1640 the family moved to Braintree. His son Jonathan, born there on 19 May 1640, is among the first births in the Braintree town book.

His wife was Susanna. Her maiden name is not known. Their children were John, born about 1634; Joseph; Samuel, born before 1640; Jonathan, on 19 May 1640; Hannah, on 7 April 1642; Ebenezer, on 12 September 1645; and Nehemiah, on 14 February 1647/8. Samuel married Hannah Thayer in 1664, rode with the Suffolk Troop in King Philip's War, and died in 1676, leaving young daughters.

Their son Joseph was "bereaved of his senses". In October 1647 John petitioned the General Court, the colony's legislature, for relief "in regard of his owne infirmity, & his child bereaved of his censes". The court told him that a town must look after its own poor, and turned him away. The next year it relented and voted him five pounds. It granted five pounds again in 1651 and in 1653, "towards the keeping of his distracted Sonne". In 1654 his wife was allowed fifty shillings for the care of her child, and in October 1655 she petitioned the court in her own name.

On 31 October 1678, "weake in body but sound in understanding", John made his will. He called himself "John Heiden Senr of Braintree in New England". He left his "whole visible Estate" to "my dear wife Susanna who hath been my faithfull companion for many yeares", for her life, "in order to the maintaining of my son Joseph". If Joseph outlived his mother, the executors were to keep the estate for his maintenance. After both were gone, his son John was to be made equal with his brothers and the rest divided among all the children, "the children of my son Samuell to have a childs portion among them, & the children of my daughter Hannah". He named Susanna and his friends Samuel Thompson and Joseph Penniman as executors, and signed with his mark.

He died at Braintree between the will and 26 July 1682. An inventory of the estate of "John Haiden Senior late of Braintry" is dated February 1681/2. On 26 July 1682 Susanna brought the will into the county court, and the witnesses, Steven Payne and Christopher Webb, swore that they had seen "John Haiden Senr. Signe and Seale". Susanna died before 3 October 1684. On that day the court was told that the executrix, "the onely person accepting that trust", was dead. It gave the administration of what remained to two of his sons, John and Jonathan, who gave bond on 9 February 1684/5.

If John Hayden is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "John Hayden", https://heirology.com/ancestors/john-hayden-920549.