ERRATA AND ADDENDA.

It

On pages 584, 585, and 586 appear the families of James Sayre (1404), Rachel Sayre (1404j), and Hannah Evans Sayre (1404k) under the heading, "Line of William,6 Thomas,5 David, David,3 Daniel.2" This is an error. should be "Line of James, James, David, David,3 Daniel,2" as will be noted by reference to page 253.

The wife of James 5 Sayre (119) on page 97 was probably Elizabeth or Rebecca Moore, daughter of Richard Moore.

On page 93 it is stated that Stephen Sayre lived in New York in 1784. The Chamber of Commerce was reincorporated April 3, 1784. His name appears as one of the forty petitioners for the incorporation and as one of the original thirty-six members of the chamber.

CHAPTER I.

ENGLISH ANCESTRY.

As will be seen later on, in the account of the founding of Southampton, Long Island, Job Sayre, in his examination by the Dutch magistrates at New Amsterdam in 1640, stated that he was born at "Bretfordshire," and was twenty-eight years of age. This gave us a clue as to the locality where our Sayre ancestry was to be sought, directing us to Bedfordshire and to a Job Sayre born about 1612, with a brother Thomas. As a result of extended researches conducted by several experienced English genealogists, we have been enabled to trace the direct line of Thomas Sayre, our Emigrant Ancestor, for three previous generations in England, and to show that "the old yeoman family of Sayre" were in Bedfordshire at least seven or eight hundred years ago. It is commonly supposed to be of Norman origin.

The earliest mention of the family from which our Thomas Sayre sprang is in a Subsidy Roll or Royal Grant of the time of Edward II. From an official document we quote this explanation of what the "Subsidy Rolls" consist of:

INFORMATION FROM SUBSIDY ROLLS.

Subsidy Rolls. As many of these rolls contain the names of the persons assessed towards the payment of each subsidy, they are extremely valuable in the compilation of pedigrees, showing at once the precise hundred and township in which the family lived at the time of the assessment, and also to a certain extent their rank and position, which may be deduced from the amount paid. The most valuable assessments for materials of this nature are the Grants of 23 Edward I, and of the 1st and 6th years of Edward III, and the Poll Taxes of 51 Edward III, and the 2d and 4th years of Richard II. From the latter date to 14 Henry

VIII, the rolls, with few exceptions, supply no names, but from 14 Henry VIII to the reign of Charles II, the lists of names are numerous and complete, especially in the Hearth Tax Rolls of the latter reign.

The first of these rolls in which Poddington (the earliest known residence of our Sayres) is mentioned is that of 3 Edward II (8 July, 1309-7 July, 1310). It contains twenty-three names, and among them is "Willō Seyer, 2o tax,” the total amount for the whole list being 10 13" 10ld.

The next is dated 6 Edward III (25 Jan., 1331, to 24 Jan., 133), and is a grant

to the King of "a fifteenth and a tenth." Poddington was but a small place, and yet forty-eight of the inhabitants were named, among whom were three Sayres. These names, with amount of tax, were:

NOTE.-Galfro Golfrido = Geoffrey - -an old English name.

The total amount of the tax on the list was £3 35. 8d. We give the document in its original Latin:

Taxatis et collectis quinto decime et decime domino Regi concessa apud Westm. anno 2 sui sexto in Com. Bed. facta per Nigellum de Saleford et Rogerum le Marerchal

Villa de Podington

Harvey's" History and Antiquities of the Hundred of Willey, in the County of Bedford, England" (4to, London, 1872–8), is a scarce work. The extracts here given were made by a correspondent in England from the copy in the British Museum, and verified from a copy in the possession of Rufus King, Esq., of Yonkers the only one we have found in this country.

Page 382. Refers to "the old yeoman family of Sayer."

Page 389. Refers in the text to "Sir Percie's lande" mentioned in the will of Thomas Sayre of Poddington, yeoman (30th May, 1581), which gives rise to Note 1, as follows:

The name (Sayre, Sayer, etc.) occurs as far back as 1316, when William Sayer was a landholder in Hinwick. In the ancient account of land in Hinwick from the pen of John Orlebas Esq., we also meet with the names of the following members of this family:

Roger Sayer, 1327.

In 1430, Joan Parker or Packer of Sharnbrook grants to John Sayr of Poddington the elder and William Hennet, clerk, rector of Newynton, tenements in Hinwick called Dehuus.

In 1431, John Sayr, the elder, of Podington, to John Sayr, the younger, his son, of the same place, reversion of a tenement and sixty acres of land in Hinwick, and tenement lying between the land of the prioress of Harewold [Harrold] on the one side and the King's highway on the other. Witnesses, John Tymest, vic. of Podington, Nicholas Dikon, Adam Gausye, of Hinwick, and others.

1477, Simon Sayer, son of John Sayer, late of Hinwick, deceased (and others), to Agnes, his wife, daughter of John Pyrt of Lavendon. His father's lands. Witnesses, John Sayer, John Payn, and others.

1545. John Faldd [Faldo], of Sutton, Beds, yeoman, to William Seyre, of Hinwick, with warrant of attorney to Daniel Payne and Edmund Squyre, of Podington, to deliver seisin.

6 July, Peter Grey, of Chilington, Beds, to William Sare, of Hinwick, yeoman, two closes and two acres in Hinwick, then in the tenure of the said William, and formerly belonging to the priory of Harewold, lately dissolved, with warrant of attorney to David Payne, gent.

1562. Aug. 1, William Seyre, the elder, of Hinwick, to Edmund Squyre and William Abbot, of the same place, husbandmen, all his lands, &c., late of John Faldo, of Sutton, and of the dissolved priory of Harewold, to reconvey the same to the use of the said William Seyre and Alice his wife for their lives; remainder to William Seyre, their son and heir apparent, remainder to Thomas, another son of the said William and Alice; remainder to the right heirs of William and Alice. [A. D. 1616.] 18th and 20th June, 14 James I, William Sayer, of Hinwick, and William Olyver, of Thenford, Northants, yeoman, executed, on the days named respectively, deeds of gift. (Intended marriage of Anthony, son and heir of the said William Sayer, with Elizabeth Olyver, daughter and coheir of William Olyver. Sayer made over a moiety of his goods and chattels to his son, and Olyver one third of his possessions to his daughter. Richard Childe was a witness.)

In 1621, depositions of William Sayer, of Hinwick, yeoman, and many others, were taken at Bedford. A copy of their statements is in the muniment chest at Hinwick House.

Page 398. View (wood-engraving) of Poddington Church.

Page 403. Inscriptions in the nave of Poddington Church: "Here lyeth ye body of M! WTM Sayer who departed this life Nov. ye 16th, 1747, aged 82.

"Here lye ye remains of Sarah, the wife of M W Sayer. She departed this life Dec. 27, 1732, aged 73.

"A constant comer to ye house of God,

Lived and dy'd a good Christian."

Page 408. There are many entries (the first 1663) of the Sayers or Sayres family. (This refers to entries in the parish register of Poddington, which are extant only from 1662.)

The earliest will we have found of any Sayre of Bedfordshire is that of William Sayre, of Sharnbrook, dated 22 Dec., 1519. We have no evidence that he was an ancestor of our Thomas Sayre, of Southampton, N. Y., but it is possible that he was an uncle of William Sayre "the elder," with whom our known English ancestry of Thomas Sayre begins. As this will of 1519 was executed before the Reformation, and is quite curious, it is given in full, with all the curiosities of spelling.

WILLMS SERE. In the name of god amen The XXII day of December the yere of our lord god McccccxIx [1519], I William Sere of Sharnebrok the elder hole of mynd but sore sicke in bodye dredyg the p'ell of deth [dreading the peril of death] to fall unto me make this my p'sent testament concernyng my last Will under this man and forme hereafter followyng Inprimis I comend and betake my sowle to god almighty o' lady sent Mary & to all the holy copany of hevyn my bodie to be buryed in the parish church of sent peter of Sharnebroke above rehersid givyng therfore unto the seyd church vis. vid. [6s. 8d.] Itm I give in the name of my mortuary as the custome requirith. Itm to or lady light xird. Itm to the sepulchre light XII. To the roode light xird. To the trinite light x11d. To the torches II Itm to the belles Is Id. To Suldropp [Souldrop] church III III.