John Adams, Sr., of Boston, cordwainer

Biography

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/174685129/john-adams

Note: No death or burial record has been found for John, but he is certainly buried in one of Boston's ancient cemeteries. The birth year given here is a crude approximation, and the death year is based on his having a child in 1694, and his son Hugh moving to South Carolina in 1698, presumably taking his widowed mother with him.

John Adams married about 1670 Avis _______, b. say 1650, d. Charleston, SC 6 Oct 1699. On 20 November 1684, John Adams was one of a group of men for whom a surety was provided, this implying that they were recent immigrants. Some of the men in the group were from Scotland, and perhaps the remainder, including John, were from there as well. Thus, it is possible that the older children were born in Scotland.

John was called a shoemaker when he witnessed a marriage bond in 1687, and called a cordwainer when he bought a house, presumably in Boston, in 1688. He is found on a number of deeds in the year 1693, being called John Adams, Sr. (thus his son was likely 21 by then). He preceded his wife in death, as she was called a widow upon her own death. Following his death, his wife went to live in South Carolina with her son Hugh, who was preaching there. While nursing the Rev. John Cotton in Charleston, suffering with yellow fever, she contracted the disease herself, and they both died in 1699.

Children of John and Avis, the last five born in Boston:

1. John b. c. 1672, d. Boston, Mass. c. 1745 m. Hannah Checkley, 19 Oct. 1693. Because there were two contemporary John Adams with wife Hannah in Boston, the births of their children need to be untangled. The subject John was a merchant, member of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia, and briefly the Lieutenant-Governor of that place. A wikipedia article has been created for him.
2. Hugh b. 7 May .1676; m. Susanna Winborn.
3. Matthew m. (i) Katherine Brigdon, (2) Meriel Cotton.
4. Jane b. 21 Feb. 1686; m. 20 July 1713, Joseph Harding, at Chatham, Mass. # Ann b. 20 Feb. 1688; m. (i) 13 Feb. 1706, Wm. Flay, (2) 23 Sept. 1 7 14, William Ings of Boston.
5. William bapt. 8 March 1690; d. young.
6. William bapt. 12 Feb. 1692.
7. Ebenezer bapt. 23 Dec. 1694.

References

1. History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire : (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes by Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927; Thompson, Lucien, b. 1859; Meserve, Winthrop Smith, 1838 https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofd02stac/page/4/mode/2up