Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/390

 DYETT

DYRE

Kingston academy. He was educated as a farmer and nurseryman, his father being proprietor of the Dyer nursery. In 1!^3G he became interested in the propagation of mulberry trees to furnish food for silkworms and in the production and prejxiration of silk for the manufacturers. He conducted this business one year in Providence, R.I., and three years in Fredericksburg, Va. In 1840 he was captain of the state militia, and in the Dorr rebellion took sides with the law and order party. In 1S61 he joined the Federal armj^ and was made recruiting officer, his age exempt- ing him from active field service. He served in this capacity for two years. In 1875, on the death of his father, he became sole proprietor of the nursery and farm on Pocasset Xeck. He was married May 1, 1836, to Mary Groton, daughter of Christopher and Sarah (Williams) Tanner. She was a direct descendant in the sixth generation from Roger Williams and was born and married in the house built by Roger AVilliams for his son. Of their sons, William S. was an officer in the civil war and subsequently Indian agent in Dakota. Daniel Pierce was a soldier in the Federal army during the civil war and succeeded to the manage- ment of the nursery business and Edmund Tanner became joint proprietor with liis brother Daniel of Mulberry Grove on the death of their father. Captain Dyer died at Pocasset, R.I., Feb. 3, 1899.

DYETT, Anthony Rainetaux, lawyer, was born in New Y'otk city in 1824. His father was of English and French descent and his mother was a member of the Brevoort family and came of Knickerlx>cker stock. Anthony was educated in his native city, studied law with Hiram P. Hastings and with Kinney & Townsend, and was admitted to the bar in 1847, subsequent!}- becom- ing a member of the firm of Townsend, Dyett & Raymond. This firm continued the law business in New Y^'ork city for forty years, when it became Townsend & Dyett.

DYRE, William, mayor of New Y^ork, was a son of Captain William and Mary Dyre, who came from England to Boston, Mass., and joined the First church there in December, 1635. Cap- tain Dyre was disfranchised for " seditious writ- ing " Nov. 15, 1637, removed to Rhode Island, and was one of the signers of the compact of gov- ernment for that province, March 7, 1638. He was secretary- the same year, general recorder, 1648; attorney-general, 1650-53; member of the general court, 1661-62, 1664-66; general solic- itor, 1665-(}6, and 1668, and secretarj- to the council, 1669. He was commissioned commander- in-chief upon the sea in 16.53, and headed an ex- pedition fitted out in Rhode Island again.st the Dutch. His \vife. Marj- Dyre. was the only woman to suffer capital punishment in all the oppression of the Friends the world over. She accompanied

her husband on his mission to England with Roger AVilliams and Dr. John Clarke to obtain the revocation of Governor Coddington's jxjwer in Rhode Island and while there became a con- vert to Quakerism and a preacher in the society. On arriving in Boston in 1657 she was unprisoned and on the petition of her husband was permitted to go with him to Rhode Island, but never to re- turn to Massachusetts. She returned, however, and with William Robinson and Marniaduke Stevenson was tried and convicted for " their re- belljon, sedition and presumptuous obtruding upon us notwithstanding their being sentenced to banishment on payne of death, as underminers of the govermnent." Robinson and Stevenson were executed, but through the petition of her son, Maj-or William Dyre, she was reprieved on the same conditions as before, but in May, 1660, again appeared on the public streets of Boston, and was brought before the court. May 31, and condemned to death. She was executed June 1, 1660. Mayor William Dyre was appointed to the military service under the crown and jiroposed the conquest of New Y'ork from the Dutch in 1773. He was made collector of customs of his territories in America by the Duke of Y'ork, July 2, 1674, and took up his residence in New Y'ork. He was a member of the governor's council, and in 1680 was elected mayor of the city. He was arrested on charge of high treason by the mer- chants of New Y^ork in 1680 and indicted in 1681. He was placed upon trial, denied the authority of the court, and was sent to London for trial, which was delayed by Samuel Winder, his prosecutor, and he was given his liberty by the covmcil, Sept. 30, 1682. He was advanced by King Charles II., Jan. 4, 1682, to the position of surveyor-general of his majesty's customs in America and held the office till his death. He was also made king's col- lector of customs for Pennsylvania and New Jer- sey and removed to Penn's province, settling on a large tract of land in Sussex coimty (now in Dela- ware). In 1687 he was elected a provincial coun- cillor of Pennsylvania for three years, but was not allowed to take his seat. His will, dated Feb. 20, 1688, was probated June 5, 1688. and proved in London. Sept. 4, 1690. He left surviving him, his wife, Marj', and children, William, Edmund, James, Sarah and Mary. He bequeathed his estate of 2500 acres in Su.s.sex coimty (Del.), and Dyre's island, between Providence plantations and Rhode Island, and two islands in Casco bay, to his wife, and 2000 acres in Sussex county to his son William, who was elected to the Pennsyl- vania assembly in 1699. and helped to found the Episcopal church in New Castle. Del. The date of Mayor William Dyre's death is not known, the time being only fi.\ed as between the dates of Tnaking and probating his will.