John Gay

1615 - 1688  (73 years)

• Name	John Gay
  Born	1615	Plymouth, Devonshire, England
  Christened	13 Jul 1615	Plymouth, Devonshire, England
  Gender	Male
  Died	4 Mar 1687-1688	Dedham, Norfolk, MA
  Buried	Old Village Cemetery, Dedham, Norfolk, MA
  Person ID	I4359	Ancestors & Descendants of the immigrant Edward Hall
  Last Modified	25 May 2015

  
  

  Father	Richard Gay,   b. 1580, Suffolk, England ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Joan,   b. 1584, Suffolk, England ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F3590	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Deceased,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Samuel Gay,   b. 10 Jan 1638-1639, Watertown, Middlesex, MA ,   d. 15 Apr 1718, Dedham, Norfolk, MA  (Age 79 years)   2. Hezekiah Gay,   b. 3 May 1640, Dedham, MA ,   d. 20 Nov 1669, Dedham, MA  (Age 29 years)   3. Nathaniel Gay,   b. 11 Jan 1642-1643, Dedham, MA ,   d. 20 Feb 1712, Dedham, MA  (Age 69 years)   4. Joanna Gay,   b. 23 Jan 1644-1645, Dedham, MA ,   d. 26 Oct 1708, Wrentham, MA  (Age 63 years)   5. Eleazer Gay,   b. 25 Apr 1647, Dedham, MA ,   d. 13 Apr 1725-1726, Wrentham, MA  (Age 78 years)   6. Abigail Gay,   b. 23 Apr 1649, Dedham, MA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Judith Gay,   b. 23 Apr 1649, Dedham, MA ,   d. 19 Nov 1718, Dedham, MA  (Age 69 years)   8. John Gay,   b. Abt 1651, Dedham, MA ,   d. 19 Nov 1731, Dedham, MA  (Age ~ 80 years)   9. Jonathan Gay,   b. Abt 1653, Dedham, MA ,   d. 12 Jul 1713  (Age ~ 60 years)   10. Hannah Gay,   b. 16 Oct 1656, Dedham, MA ,   d. Feb 1660, Dedham, MA  (Age 3 years)
  Last Modified	15 Mar 2015
  Family ID	F3038	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John Gay immigrated to America with Gov. Winthrop in the "Mary and John" May 30, 1630, settling at Watertown, Mass. He died March 4, 1688. From the Genealogical Guide to the Early Settlers of America by Henry Whittemore (excerpted and reprinted from The Spirit of '76). "John Gay, of Watertown, freeman 1635; removed to Dedham, by wife Joanna had Samuel, born 1639; Hezekiah, 1640; perhaps Elizabeth, who married Richard Martin, 1660; Nathaniel 1642; Joanna 1645; Ebenezer 1647; Abiel and Judith, twins, 1649; John 1651; Jonathon, 1653; and Hannah, 1656. He died 1688." The New England Branch of the Gay Family This branch of the Gay family was founded in 1630, when John Gay of Devonshire came to America with a colony of about one thousand Puritans. They were called the Massachusetts Bay COlony. Our American historian, Gordy, says of this colony, "They settled at Boston, Charlestown, Roxbury and Watertown. Unlike the Pilgrims who came ten years earlier, they were men of wealth and culture. Some of them were relatives of the greatest men of the day in England. They were not Separatists in England as the Pilgrims had been, yet they established the Independent Congregational church in America". A geneological dictionary of New England says of the Gay family. " The greatest ornament of the Gay family of New England was Rev. Ebenezer Gay, son of Nathanial Gay, third minister of Hingham ordained June 11, 1718, died March 18, 1787. He was the honor patriarch of the New England pulpit of that day. Eleven of the Gay family had been graduated from Harvard in 1826, five of whome were ministeres, while others of the family had been graduated from other New England colleges at that time." From this date I have written: When young John Gay the Puritan came to Massachusetts, he went to work immediately to make himself a name. There were one thousand Puritans Some of them men of fame They brought their flocks and herds with them And stores of every name. They settled at old Watertown Boston and Charlestown too. Unlike their friends The pilgrims, they came prepared.