John Avery Jr. (September 2, 1739 – June 7, 1806) was an American politician who served as the first
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Family
Avery was a direct descendant of Dr. William Avery from
Barkham,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
, England, who emigrated to
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...
, in 1650.
Early life
Avery was born to John and Mary (Deming) Avery on September 2, 1739.
Family life
Avery married Mary (Polly) Cushing in April 1769;
they had ten children.
Sons of Liberty
Avery was a member of the
Sons of Liberty.
Massachusetts Secretary
Avery had served as Deputy Secretary of the
Province of Massachusetts Bay under
Samuel Adams.
Avery defeated
Adams at the polls to be the first
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Death
Avery died on June 7, 1806.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avery, Jr. John
1739 births
1806 deaths
American people of English descent
Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
18th-century American people
19th-century American politicians
Harvard College alumni
People from colonial Boston
People of colonial Massachusetts