Historical records matching Margaret Ayar
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About Margaret Ayar
CHRISTENING: 9 SEP 1610, Teddington,Worcestershire,England
1640
Origins in Gotherington, Gloucestershire, England
There is an interesting scene recorded in the Diocesan Record for Gloucester Cathedral. In Bishop’s Cleeve (an area encompassing the villages of Gotherington, Stoke Orchard, Southam and Woodmancote), Gloucestershire, England, there is a record, dated March, 1640, of a trial in the Gloucester Cathedral of a Robertus Eyres and Margarette Fouche for having given birth to an “illegitimate” child.11
This type of trial was a common occurance in the lives of non-conformists during this period. After the publication of the Authorized Version of the Bible under the auspices of King James I in 1611, everyman could now develop his own faith without the mediation of a pastor or priest. This was the primary cause of the rise of the Quakers, the Congregationalists and Puritans, and the Baptists.
Since these non-conformists would not marry in the official state church, the Church of England, their marriages were considered invalid, and therefore any children born to such unions would be considered “illegitimate.” This state of affairs continued until the passage of Hardwicke’s Marriage Act of 1764 more than a century later.
What is of further significance about this trial is the fact that Gotherington is a mere five miles southeast of Tewkesbury, the home of one of the earliest Baptist churches in England. Within this congregation was a large contingent of Sabbatarians. These separated from the main congregation in March, 1661. On 3 May 1663, these Sabbatarians organized themselves into the Seventh Day Baptists of Tewkesbury. It is no small coincidence that Stephen Mumford, the founder of the first Seventh Day Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island, was one of the charter members of this congregation.12 This same Stephen Mumford twenty-four years later joined with Robert Ayars in the purchase and mortgage of a piece of property in Newport, Rhode Island (see more below).
However, there is no mention of any “Eyres” among these members. This is probably because the “Eyres” were no longer present in this area in 1661-3 (see the next item).
29 October 1660
Robert Ayres
Carpenter’s Apprentice
On 29 October 1660, there is mention of “Robert Ayres, son of Robert Ayres, late of Gotherington, husbandman,” who was bound at Carpenter’s Hall to Thomas Ware of Petticoate Lane as an apprentice “carpenter.”13 That this is of the same family as the Robert Aires, husbandman of Tewkesbury, and Robertus Eyre of Gotherington, mentioned above, is clear from the fact that this record declares this Robert to be the son of Robert Ayres, “late of Gotherington, husbandman.” We know, from land evidences in Newport, Rhode Island, that our Robert was a “carpenter.” [See below]
Sometime during the next twenty-four years, Robert Ayars married and moved to Rhode Island. Family traditions state that he came over in 1664 in the company of Stephen Mumford. This is possible; however, we have no primary documentary evidence to substantiate this yet. What we do know, with a fair amount of certainty, is that Robert was born in 1640, that when he reached 20, he was an apprentice carpenter. In the next two records, we possibly find his first marriage
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Margaret Ayar's Timeline
| 1610 |
September 9, 1610
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Tewkesbury Borough, Teddington, Worcestershire, England (United Kingdom)
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September 9, 1610
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Teddington, Worcestershire, England (United Kingdom)
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| 1640 |
1640
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Bishop's Cleeve, Tewkesbury Borough, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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| 1643 |
1643
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Soham, Cambridgeshire, England (United Kingdom)
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| 1683 |
February 22, 1683
Age 72
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Bishops Cleeve, Gloucestershire, England (United Kingdom)
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| ???? |