Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

DEXTER.
ME. THOMAS DEXTER, SENIOR.
Of the early life of Mr. Dexter, little is known. He came
over, either with Mr. Endicott in 1629, or, in the fleet, with Gov.
Winthrop, the following year, bringing with him his wife, and children,
and several servants. He had received a good education,
and wrote a beautiful court-hand ; was a man of great energy
of character, public spirited, and ever ready to contribute of his
means, and use his influence in promoting any enterprise which he
judged to be for the interest of the infant colony. He did his
own thinking, and was independent and fearless in the expression
of his opinions. Such were the leading traits in the character of
Mr. Dexter ; but it must be admitted that his energy of character
bordered on stubbornness, and his independence of thought, on
indiscretion and self-will.
In the year 1630, in the prime of life, and with ample means,
he settled on a farm of eight hundred acres, in the town of Lynn.
In the cultivation of his lands he employed many servants, and
was called, by way of eminence, Farmer Dexter. His house was
on the west side of Saugus river, above where the iron works
were afterward built. In 1633, he built a weir across the Saugus
river, for the purpose of taking bass and'alewives, of which many
were dried and smoked for shipment. He also built a mill, and
bridge across the Saugus.
ager, and principal owner.
In these enterprises he was the man-
Mr. Dexter was admitted to be a freeman of the Massachusetts
Colony May 18, 1631 ; but disfranchised March 4, 1633,
therefore his name does not appear on the printed list. He had
many quarrels, and many vexatious law-suits. If the controversies
respecting the iron works, in which he was a large owner,
* One of Mr. Dexter's descendants writes that the absence of all reference to any wife in
numerons deeds, dating back to 1639, seems to make it certain that he was a widower when
he came over, or lost nis wife early in his residence here. The fact that his youngest
daughter was marriagable in 1639, would seem also necessarily to throw hack his birth date
to 1590-1595 ; which would make him 81 to 86 when he died