1610 Born in Chichester, Sussex, England

1612 Nov 29 Christening: St. Pancras, Chichester, Sussex, England

1635 Sometime After - Occupation: "Shipmaster"

1635 Settled in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

1640 Signed - The "Dover Combination".

1642 Married Elizabeth Hull in Kittery, York, Maine

1642 Court Case: Lawsuit in Piscataqua court in1642.

1643 ca. Military: "During the Indian wars he served as an Ensign and Lieutenant and is the Master Heard of Pike's Journal."

1648 Land: Received 60 acres

1649 Land Purchase: 04 Jul 1649, "Bought of John Bursley 4 (5)

1649, land and houses at Exeter, but did not remove thither."

1649 Prior to, Position: Proprietor and Selectman

1652 Property: "..Capt. Heard owned a large tract of land at Cocheco."

1655 Before: "Commander of ships in the foreign trade of Dover, while in business connection with Capt. Richard Walderne."

1655 House: "Capt. Heard appears to have come up here about
1655, having built his house and retired from the foreign shipping business."

1656 Committee: 10 Jan 1655/56, Appointed to a committee with Elder Wentworth, John Bickford, William Furber and Left. Hall, to set boundaries on controversial land grants.

1658 Residence: Cochechae, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

1658 Tax for Minister - "A Rate maed the 12th 8th (16)58 for mr Reyner his prenetione; John Heard paid £1. 9s.4½1d.; paid in bef. £1. 8s. 11½d."

1662 Land Grant: 05 Dec 1662, 50 acres of "upland under ye Great Hill at Cochechae..." Built his house on this property.

1662/63 Jan 29 - Took inventory for the estate of Joseph Austin

1663 Dec 07 - "A Provition Rate made the 7th 10th month 1663 Apon all the Inhabetants of this townshep (of) Dover at a peney apon the pound. "John heard" paid £1. 00s. 9d.

1663 Residence: 07 Dec 1663, Cochecho, near Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

1665 Land Grant: 26 Feb 1664/65, 40 acres

1665 Apr 17 - Chosen: Along with a number of others, John Heard was chosen to be on the "Jurey of Trialls."

1665 Oct 10 Petition Signed: "Joined in petition of Dover inhabitants to General Court 10 Oct. 1665."

1666 Dec 2 - Provision Tax: "A Provetion Rate maed the 2th 10th month 1666 for mr Rayner at a peney in the pound throwe the hole townshep." "John heard" paid 15s. 3½d.

1675: "About 1675, when the Indians began to be dangerous, he had a stockade placed around it, and it became known as 'Heard's garrison.'"

1687 April 2 Will Written: Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

1689 Jan. 17 - Cause of Death: "Deceased after a short sickness."

1692 Will Proved: Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire

1703/04 March 07 - Will Contested: The only surviving son, Tristram, petitioned on this date, saying that his father, John, "left no legal Will"; but Sarah, wife of William Foss, formerly widow of Nathaniel Heard, asserted that the estate had been divided according to the Will."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

JOHN HEARD 1687 DOVER
In the name of god amen, the second day of Aprill in ye year of our Lord one thousand six hundred Eighty Seaven : I John heard of dover in ye provinc of Newhampshir * * *
3 It[em] I doe give unto my son Benjamen heard : the forty acers of Land where he Liveth and Is posesed of to him his heirs Executors Adminestrators & Assigns according to the Right & tittle I have to the Sd Land by vertue of the towne grant of otherwais
4 : It I doe give to my three daughters Mary ham, & Abigall Jons & Elizabeth Newte : to each one of them : a heiffer or two years old or upward to be delivered to each of them or their order within ten daies after my deseace----
5 : It I give to my son trustrom heard the one half of ye hundred acers of Land which was granted me by ye towne & Layed out by william wintworth Ralfe hall & John hall to him & his heirs Executors adminestrators, & assignes for ever & oen Lott of the two Lots which I have in Cochecha marshes---
6 : It I doe give to my son Samuel heard two steears betwen on & two years old to be delivered to him or his order within ten days After my deseac-----
7 : It I give to my daughter dorcas heard [your Dorcas] ye thirty acers of Land which I bought of Joseph saunders as by his bill of saill dated the twenty fourth of october 1669 situate neare Cochecho : to her, her heires Executors adminestrators or Assignes for ever == & alsoe I give hur the fether bed & bedsteed with the bolsters & pillers Rugg blankets & what doth belong to it which is now Called y the name of corcase bed == & two Cowes to be delivered to her or to her order : in ten days After my decease, & ye decease of hur mother
8 : It I give unto my prentice John walldron Iff hee doe faithfully serve his time according to his Indenture : one Cow to be delivered him--
9 : It I give to my well beloved wiff Elizabeth heard for Love & Efection I doe owe & bear to hur, & for her Comfortable maintenance ye use & profit of ye one halff of my plantation (Joyntly with my Executor) as it is now Improved duering her naturall Liff & allso ye halfe of ye Stock both without dors & with in dores duering her Life, & ye Liberty to despose of ye one halfe of ye Increase Leveing the Stock of quick stuff as shee shall find it, & as for ye on halfe of the wollen Linen bedding brass & puter shee to have ye Liberty to despose as shee shall see good
10 It I doe make & ordain my son Nathaniel heard to by my heire, & Executor of all my Estatt which is not formerly by htis my will ordered & disposed of: to him his heirs Executors adminestrators & assignes for ever (all wais provided any thing in this my will to ye Contrary notwithstanding) that is If my Sd Executor Nathaniel heard, doe hapen to dy & not being married that then my will is that Lands shall returne to my sons Samuel & trustrom heard Equally betwen them & to their heirs & or assignes for ever, & the moveables to be Equally devided betwen my four daughters mary ham Abigall Jons Elizabeth Nute & dorcas heard but if my son Nathaniel doe hapen to mary and have no Isue Lawfully begotten, but shall Leave A widoe or Relique behind him, my will is that his sd wedoe shall Enjoy ye whole Estat whichhe shall be possesed of : duering her widdohud but If shee hapen to mary shee shall have but ye on third part of ye Lands, & the other two thirds to Return to my saied sons samuel & trustrom : & After her desease her one third part shall be to them allsoe
Signed Sealed & delivered the mark of
In ye presence of us John X heard [Seall]
Richard waldron
Abraham Lee
John Evens
[Recorded 1692.]
[Deeds, vol. 5, p. 86.]

[Release by Samuel Heard of Dover of all claim against the estate, Jan. 24, 1688/9, for two steers left to him in the will : witnesses, Thomas Downs and John Davis.]
[Deeds, vol. 5, p. 88.]

SOURCE: Albert Stillman Batchellor, "Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire - Vol. I: New Hampshire Wills", (The Generations Network, Inc., 2003), Ancestry Image #23; p. 312.


JOHN HEARD 1707 DOVER
The will of John Hird of Cochecha in the Township of Dover in the province of New Hampshire decd dated the Second day of Aprill 1687 : (as upon file) was offered to this Board to be proved approved and Allowed. The Wittnesses to the Said will being Dead, And dyed before the Execr to the Said Will could have them Sworne in their life times there being noe legal Authoritye at that time in the Said province to Approve or Allow of the probate of Wills. And the following Evidences were Sworne viz.
Wm Vaughan Esqr made oath before this Board that he was well accquainted with mr Richard Waldron one of the Wittnesses to the Said will, and had frequently seen the Said Richard Waldron write his Name in his life time, and doth verily believe that the Name of Richard Waldron as Wittnesse to the Said will is of his owne hand writeing.
John Gerrish Esq made oath before this Board thaqt he was well accquainted with Richard Waldron and John Evens two of the Wittnesses to the Said Will and had frequently seen them write their Names in their life times. And doth Verily believe that the Names of the Said Richard Waldron and John Evens as wittnesses to the Said Will are of their own hand writeings./
John Hamm of Cochecha in the Said province yeoman aged about ffifty Seaven years made oath that he was well accquainted with Richard Walden Abraham Lee and John Evens Wittnesses to the will before mentioned, and had frequently seen them write their Names in their life times and doth verily beleeive that the Names of the Said Richard Walden Abraham Lee and John Evens as wittnesses to the Said Will are of their owne hand writeings
His Excellency the Governour and Council haveing Considered the Legalitye of the Said Will and the Testimonies of the Said Wm Vaughan and John Gerrish Esq and John Hamm doe declare the Said will to be proved Approved and Allowed off.
[Council Records April 9, 1707.]

SOURCE: Albert Stillman Batchellor, "Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire - Vol. I: New Hampshire Wills", p. 588.
∼John Heard and Elizabeth Hull were married about 1642.

Their children born in Dover, NH.


Benjamin Heard born February 20, 1643.

Dorcas Heard born about 1645

James Heard born about 1647.

William Heard born about 1648.

Mary Heard born January 26, 1649.

Abigail Heard born August 15, 1651.

Elizabeth Heard born September 15, 1653.

Hannah Heard born November 25, 1655.

John Heard born February 24, 1658.

Joseph Heard born January 4, 1660.

Samuel Heard born August 4, 1663.

Tristram Heard born March 4 1666.

Nathaniel Heard born September 20, 1668.