Descendants of John Dresser

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Descendants of John Dresser

The first of our Dresser lineage is one John Dresser who was born about 1607 in Rowley, County Yorkshire, England. His date of birth is based upon the Essex Court Records where it is noted that he “was about 61 years of age in 1668". His place of birth relates to the “company” organized by Rev. Ezekiel Rogers that immigrated to New England from Yorkshire in 1638. Most of the people of that “company” were from the Rowley area in Yorkshire. John died 18 April 1672 in Rowley, Ma. John Dresser married, in England prior to the fall of 1638, Mary (–), who was born ca 161x, probably in Rowley, Yorkshire, and died 1671/1672+ in Rowley, Ma; her surname, date of birth, and ancestry are unknown.
John and Mary (–) Dresser were among the party (company) of sixty families who, with their pastor, Rev. Ezekiel Rogers, came to New England in the fall of 1638. They wintered at Salem, Ma. and then settled in Rowley, Ma. in April 1639. Rowley was incorporated 04 Sept.1639. The first land survey was made on 10 Nov. 1643; among the first names of lot owners was John Dresser who had a one and one half acre house lot on Bradford St.
John and his family remained in Rowley for the balance of his life. He was a successful shoe maker by trade and led a fairly consistent and stable life. Over the years he acquired a fair amount of property. John Dresser’s will, dated 05 Mar.1672, was proved 26 April 1672. The will itself reflects his improved financial status. “To eldest son, John Dresser, Jr. he having received a considerable sum (assumed to be cash) upon marriage (to Martha Thorley) from testator (John), all his (John’s) lands in Bradford Street. lots, land at Long Meadow, at Cow Bridge, at Bachelour meadow, at Oyster Point, at the causeway towards Sawyer’s Island, at Mr. Dumer’s farm, and one gate upon the commons (community grazing land); to son Samuell Dresser, half of the land in Mr. Dumer’s farm ( Mr. Dumer assumed to be a tenant farmer), his house, orchard and land, except the west end which he gave to his wife (Mary) during her life; also land in Bachelour meadow, in the farm between Richard Clarke and Joseph Chaplin, at Hog Island, and three gates upon the common; to his daughter, Elizabeth, (not yet married) 100L; to his wife Mary, part of the movables in the house in the house, two cows, one heifer, firewood, the sons Samuel and John, Jr. to provide everything necessary for her, and if they do not, then she is to have a portion of the estate given to them; sons Samuel and John, Jr. executors; to his (John’s) apprentice Daniell Button, one pair of pincers, a pair of snippers (a device for nipping as pincers or forceps}, two paring knives, and four awls, and the remaining part of his (apprenticeship} time to be set over to his son John, Jr.; to his son John,Jr.'s eldest son John, a red heifer and to his daughters Mary and Martha, one calf each; to son Samuell’s two daughters, 2L 7 Shilling. Inventory including wearing apparel, household furnishings and utensils, grain, stock of leather, shoemaker’s tools, tools, etc, total 449L 7 Shillings” From this will we learn that John Dresser had a shoemaker (assumed) apprentice whose remaining “learning time” was to be under the guidance of John. Dresser; Jr. This implies that John, Jr. was also a shoemaker. As people were always in the need of “footwear”, this vocation provided a good steady flow of income. John was involved in other investments; he acquired suitable farm land and then took on Mr. Dumer as a tenant farmer who “worked” the land. The normal arrangement for a tenant farmer is that he pay a prearranged annual rent for the use of the farm and share a percent of the crop with the landowner. As such, John Dresser received cash rent plus a portion of the crops and fruit from Mr. Dumer’s farm. Corn was one of the main crops at this time and many transactions of the time were spoken in terms of a “quantity of corn”; corn was a currency.
John and Mary (–) Dresser had five children all of which were born in Rowley, Ma. The second child and first daughter, Mary, was born in 1642 and died unmarried in 1659. The fourth child and third son, Jonathan, was born in 1646 and likewise died in 1659; the death of these two children was but eleven days apart which might indicate a common illness. We are constantly reminded of the hardships that our New England forbears had to endure. The other three children remained in Rowley, reached adulthood, married, and had children.
References: PH7:231; PH14:100-101; PH17:V2:72; PH97:144; PH222:V5:39-40; FH54:128-129; FH100:197; FH318:20.
John Dresser, Jr. the first child and son of John and Mary (–) Dresser was born ca 1640 and died at Newbury, Ma. on 14 March 1725 in his 85th year of age. He married, at Rowley, Ma. on 27 Nov.1662, Martha Thorley who was born ca 1645 and died 29 June 1700, both at Rowley, Ma. She was the daughter of Richard and Jane (–) Thorley. John Dresser, Jr. married, as his second wife, at Rowley on 07 Jan.1701, Rebecca (–), widow of James Dickinson; Rebecca died 02 April 1718 at Rowley.
John, Jr. was known as Lt. John Dresser, Jr. Thomas Thorley, brother of Martha Thorley, calls Lt. John Dresser his “beloved brother” and made him executor of his will in 1713. Lt. John remained in Rowley most of his life; he, removed to Newbury, Ma. on 17 April 1721, where he died. From Newbury, Ma. records we find “John Dresser formerly of Rowley, dyed at Newbury Mar. 14th 1725". It can be assumed that Lt. John, being alone at an elderly age, moved to Newbury to be with his daughter and son-in-law, i.e., Daniel, Jr. and Mary Dresser Thurston who resided in Newbury, Ma.
Lt. John Dresser, while in Rowley, Ma., was representative to the General Court in the years 1691, 1691, 1700, 1704, 1706. He was a Sargent in 1686 and then a Lieutenant of he Rowley Company. He served in the Provincial Forces, Foot Company from 1691 thru 1698. He was a Freeholder in 1677 and possessed two freeholds. He was made a freeman 09 July 1684. He was a trial juror 24 Sept. 1672. As noted above, it is assumed that Lt. John’s was a shoemaker by trade who continued in the trade of his father.
John, Jr. and Martha Thorley Dresser had a total of ten children all of whom were born in Rowley, Ma. The ninth child and fifth daughter, Lydia, was born in 1684 and died young in 1689. All of the other children reached adulthood, married, and had families.
References:PH7:231; PH14:101; PH222:V5:39-40; FH54:122,128-130; FH271:14; FH318: 20-21.
Mary Dresser, the second child and first daughter of John, Jr. and Martha Thorley Dresser was born16 July 1667 and died 07 Dec. 1735 at Newbury, Ma. She married, in 1690 at Newbury, Ma., Daniel Thurston, Jr. who was born 18 Dec.1661 and died 18 Feb. 1738, both at Newbury , Ma. Daniel was the son of Daniel and Anne Pell Thurston. Of interest is “Richard Thurston’s (son of Daniel, Jr. and Mary Dresser Thurston) “Memorandum Kept at Rowley, Of Deaths Of His Near Relations” wherein we see “Oh that when I look on the account of so many of my near relations gone before me, I may give all diligence, to make “my calling and election sure”. Two entries noted :”March 14, 1724, my venerable grandfather Dresser died in his 85th year” and “Dec. 7,1735, my honored mother Thurston (Mary Dresser) Thurston) died in her 70th year. My mother’s death was very sudden, for, standing up, she dropped down and was not perceived to breathe after. The same month, Mary Jewett, Daniel Thurston, and Thomas Thurston died at my father’s house.”
References: PH7:741; PH14:101; FH54:122,129; FH271:14; FH18:321.