Notizen zu dieser Person
William Gayer, Esq. came to this country from Devonshire, England. Hewas an early settler of Nantucket; probably had been a ship carpenter;was a farmer and a Justice of the Peace. I find by he records in theoffice of our Secretary of State, that Capt. John Gardner and Mr.William Gayer were representatives to the General Court from Nantucketon the 8th of June, 1692, being the first representatives from thatIsland aftger its transfer from the colony of New York to the Provinceof Mass. bay. William Gayer Esq. was one of five Judges appointed byhe governor of Mass., in 1704, to try an Indian on Nantucket, namedSabo, for the crime of murder. He lived in a double house, one and one-half stories in height, onChurch Street, in Nantucket, occupied long since my first remembranceby descendants of his daughter, Damaris Coffin. This house for a longtime was considered the oldest on the island, and I think wasstrengthened with oak knees, like a ship, and very firmly. It passedinto the hands of strangers about 1839 or 1840, and was taken down togive place to a modern dwelling house. A bureau, with a sort ofbookcase or cupboard on top, which was made in Oliver Cromwell's timeand brought over by William Gayer, probably in Charles the Second'sreign, belonged to my grandmother (Wm Folger Esq. speaking) agranddaughter of William Gayer, Esq. It was made in part of EnglishOak, colored a dark red, and ornamented with turned pieces of maple,painted black, and nailed on; and the top part, or cupboard, was inpart supported by two maple urns, or short pillars, painted black. Itwas altogether a unique but useful piece of furniture. After the deathof both my grandparents, it was placed in the cabinet of curiositiesof the Nantucket Atheneum, but was burned up in the great fire of1846, when that building, with its fine collection of books, south-seashells, war weapons, etc. was destroyed. William Gayer was called Mr. in the old records, and was a veryrespectable man.
Karl-Heinz
Böttcher
