Tombstone Tuesday - Samuel Akley

Samuel Akley (name is also spelled Akeley or Ackley) was a Revolutionary War veteran. In 2014, I wrote about his military service. He is buried in the Rumford Center Cemetery in Maine and he is my 5th great-grandfather. Here are some pictures from my recent visit to the cemetery.

Grave with marker & flag

Grave with marker

Grave with decoration moved

Epitaph

The epitaph is difficult to read as the stone needs to be cleaned. I believe it is a variation of this phrase. It seems to match except for the first two words. 

Remember me as you pass by

As you are now, so once was I

As I am now, so you must be

Prepare for death and follow me

Samuel Ackley

William Ackley

Sarah (Ackley) Abbott

Mary Jane (Abbott) Capen

Edward Abbott Capen

Fannie (Capen) Carter

T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

A Patriotic Family

Thomas Freeland, my 6X great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Responding to the alarm at Lexington on April 19, 1775, Thomas and all seven of his sons joined the Patriot cause. Thomas Freeland served as a private in Col. Jonathan Ward's regiment. His sons' service records are listed below:

• Dr. James Freeland served as a surgeon in the United States army. He is listed with the regiments of Col. Ebenezer Learned and Col. Jonathan Holman. 
• John Freeland served as a private in Col. Samuel Bullard's regiment and later in Capt. James Mellen's company, Col. Jonathan Ward's regiment (the same regiment as his father). Later he took part in the expedition to capture Fort Ticondergoa and Crown Point in the company of Capt. Thomas Marshall Baker, regiment of Col. James Denny. He and his wife later moved with other Hopkinton families to Clavarack and formed the settlement of Mellenville, New York. 
• William Freeland served as a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War.
• Joseph Freeland enlisted in 1775 and served as a Sargent in the regiment of Col. Jonathan Ward (with his father and brothers, John and Thomas). 
• Thomas Freeland, Jr. served as a private in the regiment of Col. Jonathan Ward. 
• Abraham & Asa Freeland are also said to have served in the Revolutionary War.

James and John have lineages approved by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since neither Abraham or Asa is supposed to have married it makes sense that they are not included in the DAR index. 

Children of Thomas & Mary (Nutt) Freeland:

1. James was born in Hopkinton in December 1743. He was baptized on Christmas Day, 1743. He became a doctor and married Mehitable "Hetty" Mellen of Hopkinton on October 31, 1770. She was the daughter of Capt. Thomas & Elizabeth (Wood) Mellen. 
2. Elizabeth was baptized on March 24, 1745 in Hopkinton. The History of Sutton says she married a man named Graves. The Sutton Freelands says that she married Nathan Hall and lived in Sutton. This may be a confusion with her sister who did marry a Nathaniel Graves. 
3. John was baptized in Hopkinton on September 28, 1746. He married Mary Mellen, widow of _____ Gibbs. They settled in Claverack, near Hudson, New York. 
4. William was baptized in Hopkinton on September 18, 1748 and married Lucy Claflin. They lived in Hopkinton. 
5. Joseph was baptized in Hopkinton on July 18, 1750 and married Judith Gibson. He was a merchant in Hopkinton.
6. Mary was baptized in Hopkinton on September 24, 1750 and married John Holland, Jr. on April 6, 1775. He was from Sutton. They moved to Dixfield, Maine. 
7. Anna was born in Hopkinton on January 20, 1754 and Nathaniel Graves on November 4, 1774, according to The Sutton Freelands. However, The History of Sutton says she married a Mr. Hall. 
8. Thomas, Jr. was baptized in Hopkinton on June 13, 1756 and married Anna Barrett. They lived in Hopkinton. 
9. Sarah was baptized in Hopkinton on November 26, 1759 and married Joshua Park of Sutton on June 9, 1779. They lived in Hopkinton and later in Milford.  
10. Abraham was baptized in Hopkinton on October 19, 1760 and never married. He lived in Hopkinton. 
11. Asa was born and lived in Hopkinton. Neither the History of Sutton or The Sutton Freelands lists any marriage information for him. 

Thomas Mellen died at the home of his son, Dr. James Freeland. 

History of the Town of Sutton, Massachusetts

The Sutton Freelands: Legends and Letters

Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr

Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr are my 5X great-grandparents. They moved to Otisfield, Maine in 1779 after short stints in Westbrook (Saccarappa) and Windham. Joseph was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on November 19, 1731 and died in Otisfield on June 17, 1805. He was the son of Capt. Robert & Jemima (Foster) Spurr. Miriam was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts on April 4, 1731 and died in Otisfield on November 6, 1811. She was the daughter of Elkanah & Meredith (Wyatt) Lyon. 

Joseph Spurr served in the Revolutionary War as a Captain in Perez Cushing's Co., Col. Crafts Artillery Regt. from November 9, 1776 to May 8, 1777. He was a matross (gunner's assistant). Like many Revolutionary War soldiers he served several enlistments. He was a Corporal in Capt. Israel Trows Co., John Daggets Regt. from January 12, 1778 to March 31, 1778. 

On April 21, 2016, I took these photos from the Cedar Crest Cemetery in Otisfield. The History of Otisfield,  says that Joseph is buried "in the yard south of Spurrs Corner." However, I found this marker in the Cedar Crest Cemetery where there are many other Spurr family members and other interconnected families from early Otisfield. It is quite possible that it is a memorial placed at a later date. 

Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spyrr

An overview of the Spurr section where Joseph & Miriam's stone is found

Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr
Enoch Spurr
Roxanna (Spurr) Stanley
Mary Frances (Stanley) Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather

Moving in an Oxcart
Enoch Spurr - Revolutionary Service


Spurr, William Samuel. A History of Otisfield: Cumberland County, Maine from the Original Grant to the Close of the Year 1944 by William Samuel Spurr. Otisfield, Me.: Published by the Otisfield Historical Society, 1994. PDF.

Enoch & Abigail (Wight) Spurr

Enoch Spurr is my 4X great-grandfather. He was the son of Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr. He married twice and I descend from his family with his second wife. He was born on January 28, 1761 in Dorchester, Massachusetts and died in Otisfield on May 2, 1843. His first wife was Patty Druce of Wrentham, Massachusetts. She died on November 11, 1782 at the tender age of 21. Roxana, the only daughter of Enoch & Patty died on December 15, 1782. Both Patty and Roxana were buried in Wrentham. 

Enoch's second wife was Abigail Wight. According to the Ware Genealogy, she was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts on May 31, 1767 to Joseph & Abigail (Ware) Wight. Her parents were also early settlers of Otisfield. 

Enoch Spurr fought in the Revolutionary War and his pension file states that he was at the Battle of Monmouth, wintered at Valley Forge, and was present for the surrender of General Cornwallis. 

Enoch and Abigail are buried in the Cedar Crest Cemetery in Otisfield, Maine. I visited on April 21, 2016 and found that his stone continues to degrade. Another picture from a few years ago can be found on his Findagrave memorial. 

 

Children of Enoch & Abigail (Wight) Spurr

1. Martha Druce Spurr was born on September 12, 1789 and died on March 27, 1831. She married James Cheever on December 8, 1822. 
2. Roxana Spurr was born on February 29, 1792 and died on February 10, 1863. She married Edward Stanley on November 2, 1815. 
3. Abigail Spurr was born on March 5, 1794 and died on February 20, 1871. She married George W. Longley on March 2, 1826. 
4. Ann Spurr (twin of Abigail) died on December 28, 1873. She married Abel Longley on March 21, 1815. 
5. Margaret T. Spurr was born on July 15, 1796 and died on May 9, 1870. She married James Wight. 
6. Lydia Spurr was born on August 14, 1798 and died on November 25, 1870. She married Louis Jewel. 
7. Mary Spurr was born on August 15, 1800 and died on December 8, 1891. She never married. 
8. Enoch Spurr, Jr. was born on August 6, 1802 and died on November 3, 1883. 
9. Betsey Spurr was born on December 27, 1805 and died on January 6, 1889. She married Samuel Scribner on September 22, 1830. 
10. Sophronia Spurr was born on February 4, 1807 and married David L. Perley on October 27, 1885. 

Enoch & Abigail (Wight) Spurr
Roxana (Spurr) Stanley
Mary Frances (Stanley) Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather 

Revolutionary War Service
His parents journey to Maine

Information on Abigail (Ware) Spurr from Ware genealogy: Robert Ware, of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1642-1699, and his lineal descendants. Boston, Mass.: Charles H. Pope, 1901. 

Information on Enoch Spurr from: Spurr, William Samuel. A History of Otisfield: Cumberland County, Maine from the Original Grant to the Close of the Year 1944. Otisfield, Me., Otisfield Historical Society, 1994. PDF.

Prisoner Exchange - Samuel Denning

Samuel Dennen/Denning served on a privateer in the Revolutionary War. He had the misfortune to be taken prisoner and sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, my search for additional information has not yielded much. The best information comes from a listing that tells of his return in a prisoner exchange on September 30, 1778.  The Revolutionary War, by Charles Patrick Neimeyer, notes that privateers who were captured by the British posed a real dilemma. Normally, pirates were sent to the gallows, but these enemy combatants were different. Many were pressured to join the British navy and doing so would increase the chance of surviving the war. The British were reluctant to consider them prisoners-of-war because that would be admitting that the United States was an independent nation. However, executing all those captured on the land and at sea was not practical either. It would greatly inflame the passions of the already highly motivated Patriots. In the end, several hundred American sailors were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia and kept in a sugar house. I have no idea what happened to Samuel from his return until the end of the war. Did he continue his activities? 

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, Vol. 4

A descendant applied for a veteran's gravestone and seems to have struggled to prove his service. It does appear that both the Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution have awarded membership to his descendants. His grave can be viewed on Findagrave.com here. 

Samuel Dennen married Keziah Bray on March 14, 1754 in Gloucester, Massachusetts and at some point they moved to Maine. Thier children were: 

1. Judith born in 1754
2. Abigail born in 1756
3. Job born in 1760
4. Mary born in 1762
5. George born in 1767
6. Simeon born in 1771

Samuel Dennen

Judith (Dennen) Morgan

Martha (Morgan) Yates

Moses Yates

Gilbert W. Yates

Estes G. Yates

Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Sources:
DunhamWilcox

Drummer Eleazer Cole - 52 Ancestors #29

Eleazer Cole served in the Revolutionary War as a Sgt. in Capt. Hayden's Company in Col. Bailey's Regt. His active service began on June 1, 1775, and he spent 8 months on duty in Roxbury before being honorably discharged. Prior to being enlisted, he served several months as a Minuteman according to witness testimony. In his pension file is a letter from the Quartermaster General's Office of the War Dept, dated May 9, 1938. This letter gives details of Eleazer Cole's service.

Bela Noyes, testimony: "I further testify that the said Eleazer Cole stood as a minuet (sic) man
two or three months previous to the aforesaid enlistment under Capt. David Parker

1938 Letter from The Quartermaster General at the War Dept.

On July 27, 1833, he was awarded a pension of $40 per year with $100 back pay. Eleazer died on August 4 in Greenwood, Maine, and his widow filed for additional benefits in 1837 and was awarded $260 of back pay based on the $40 per year pension originally granted to Eleazer. There are a number of documents related to the pension and I've excerpted some relevant ones below.

Eleazer's Claim

Lucy's Widow's Claim

July 11, 1769. married Eleazer Cole and Lucy Shurtleff - John Porter
Pastor of 4th Church of Bridgewater [Massachusetts]

Lucy Cole's Signature - She was 85 when she signed the pension application

Eleazer Cole
Calvin Cole, Sr.
Calvin Cole, Jr.
Delphina (Cole) Hayes
George Hayes
Eva (Hayes) Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Celebrating Independence Day!

In honor of Independence Day, I'd like to honor my ancestors who supported the Revolution. Some supported independence by signing anti-British documents or serving in early government positions, others provided supplies, and others actually fought in battles. The following names have been primarily identified from the rolls of the DAR. I need to do a lot more research on most of these men but if you have the names and vital dates for your ancestors who were born between 1700-1763, the DAR database is a good place to start your search.



Edward Abbott (1730-1801) - 5th great-grandfather - Signed the Association Test in New Hampshire. This document was written in April before the Declaration of Independence. It called for the signatures of every adult male willing to take up arms against the British AND lists the names of those who refused to sign. 

George Abbott (abt 1708-1785) - 6th great-grandfather - Signed the NH Association Test.

Jonathan Abbott (1740-1821) - served as a Sergeant in Capt. Henry Abbott's militia and responded to the Lexington Alarm.

Samuel Ackley (1763-1861) - 5th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Jackson's Company, Col. Crane's Regt.

Asa Barrows (1751-1830) - 5th great-grandfather - private in multiple companies: Capt. Shaw, Capt. Benson, Capt. Hammond.

Benjamin Blake (1731-1824) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Joseph Chandler's Company, Col. Wyman's Regt. He also paid a labor tax to support the war.

David Blake (1762-1843) - 5th great-grandfather - private in Col. Richardson's Company

Eleazer Cole (1747-1833) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Josiah Hayden's Company, Col. John Bailey's Regt. Massachusetts Line.

Samuel Connor (1704-1778) - 7th great-grandfather - signed the NH Association Test

William Cotton (1751-1814) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Edward Everett's Company, Col. Timothy Bedel's Regt.

Samuel Dennen/Denning (1733-1798) - 6th great-grandfather - served as a seaman and was taken prisoner.

John Dunham (1726-1814) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Shaw's Company, Col. Warren's Regt. - responded to the Lexington alarm. Also served under Capts. Curtis and Sampson, Cols. Jacobs and Cotton.

Gibbins Edgecomb (1743-1817) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Crocker's Company, Col. Mitchell's Regt.

Dr. James Freeland (1743-1796) - 5th great-grandfather - physician or surgeon

John Garland (1719-aft 1790) - 7th great-grandfather - signed the NH Association Test

Samuel Haskell (1749-1825) - 6th great-grandfather - served in as a private, later promoted to Sergeant in Capt. Joseph Elliott's Company, Col. Wm. Turner's Regt. and later in Capt. Hezekiah Whitney's Company, Col. Josiah Whitney's Regt.

Hezekiah Hayes (1719-1791) - 7th great-grandfather - signed the NH Association Test

Elisha Houghton (1746-1810) - 6th great-grandfather - minuteman in Capt. Benjamin Houghton's
Company, John Whitcomb's Regt.

Snow Keene (1734-aft 1811) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Turner's Company, Col. Thomas' Regt. and responded to the Lexington alarm. He later served under Capts. Chamberlain and Turner, Col. Brooks.

Moses Lyford (abt 1728-1788) - 7th great-grandfather - signed the NH Association Test

Oliver Smith Lyford (1753-1788) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Col. Stark's Regt.


Thomas Mellen (1713-1782) - 6th great-grandfather - served as a member of the Massachusetts First Provincial Congress in 1774 & 1775. They met after Parliament annulled the charter of Massachusetts and declared that representatives would no longer be elected; they would be appointed by the King. John Hancock was the president (governor) and the Provincial Congress collected taxes, bought supplies, and raised the militia. In 1775, the Provincial Congress sent delegate, Paul Revere, to the First Continental Congress with the message that they had set up an autonomous government, free of British influence.

Daniel Messer (1735-1815) - 6th great-grandfather - served as a private in 1775 and also provided civil service to the new government.

William Moody (1740-1828) - 6th great-grandfather - served as a private and later as Sergeant with Capt. Bradish, Capt. Pride, Col. Phinney.

Samuel Morgan (1748-aft 1796) - 5th great-grandfather - possible but initial documentation has not been updated since the early days of the DAR and he must be treated as a new ancestor for future applicants.

Reuben Packard (1737-1820) 6th great-grandfather - served as a Sergeant in Capt. Josiah Hayden's Company, Col. Bailey's militia. Marched to Lexington at the news of the alarm. Served nearly 8 months total but in short responses as a Minuteman.

Dimon Perry (abt 1742-aft Jan 1819) - 6th great-grandfather - private in Capt. William Weston's Company. 

Elisha Prescott (1754-1813) - 6th great-grandfather - This is another line that needs work as earlier documentation shows a problem in some areas. However other parts of the application are correct. The problem seems to be with a second wife and not the wife I have in my database. He served as an ensign under Capt. William Harper, Col. Wyman's Regt; also, served as a Sergeant in Capt. Cutting Cilley's Company; and a private in Capt. Winthrop Rowe's Company, Col. Poor's Regt. 

Jeremiah Prescott (1718-1780) - 7th great-grandfather - signed the NH Association Test

Lazarus Rand (1755-1816) - 5th great-grandfather - private in Capt. Abraham Tyler's Company, Col. Edmund Phinney's Regt. and Capt. Alexander McLellan's Company, Col. Jonathan Mitchell's Regt. 

John Safford (1709-1782) - 7th great-grandfather - responded to the Lexington alarm, served with Capt. Whitney, and Capt. Dodge.

Patten Simpson (1737-1807) - 7th great-grandfather - private under Col. Stark

Dominicus Smith (? -1821) - 5th great-grandfather - I have his pension but he is not in the DAR database. He served as a private in Capt. Noble's Company, Col. Patten's Regt. Massachusetts Line. 

Enoch Spurr (1761-1843) - 4th great-grandfather - served as a Quartermaster Sergeant. A quartermaster would supervise, store, and distribute supplies and provisions. From the Quartermaster Creed: "...My forges burned at Valley Forge. Down frozen, rutted roads my oxen hauled the meager foods a bankrupt Congress sent me...Scant rations for the cold and starving troops, gunpowder, salt, and lead..." 

Joseph Spurr (1731-1805) - 5th great-grandfather - served as a matross. A matross was someone who assisted the gunners in loading, firing, and sponging guns. They were armed and guarded the store-wagons that transported the gunpowder and ammunition. 

Aaron Stevens (1710-1796) - 6th great-grandfather - signed the NH Asssociation Test

Dr. Joseph Wight, Sr. (1729-1804) - 5th great-grandfather - served as a ship's surgeon

Here are a few links to the stories of my direct ancestors who fought in the Revolution. I definitely have a lot more research to do based on the long list above.

Samuel Ackley

Asa Barrows - From Bill West at West in New England

Dr. James Freeland

Elisha Houghton

Dominicus Smith 

Enoch Spurr





Ancestors of Thomas Richard Carter (1914-2005): Edward Abbott, George Abbott, Samuel Ackley, Dr. James Freeland, Thomas Mellen, William Moody, Enoch Spurr, Joseph Spurr, Aaron Stevens, Joseph Wight

Ancestors of Fern Lyndell Cotton (1922-2002): Jonathan Abbott, Asa Barrows, William Cotton, John Dunham, Gibbins Edgecomb, Samuel Haskell, Elisha Houghton, Snow Keene, Moses Lyford, Oliver Smith Lyford, Reuben Packard, Elisha Prescott, Jeremiah Prescott, Lazarus Rand, John Safford, Patten Simpson

Ancestors of Clayton Leonard Blake (1904-1979): Benjamin Blake, David Blake, Samuel Connor, Daniel Messer

Ancestors of Linona Alice Yates (1920-present): Eleazer Cole, Samuel Dennen/DenningJohn Garland, Hezekiah Hayes, Samuel Morgan, Diman Perry, Dominicus Smith

A Fresh Start - 52 Ancestors #1

Amy Johnson Crow is restarting her 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge for the New Year. This time she will provide some prompts for blog ideas. I will start off trying to use the prompts but if it becomes too burdensome to find an ancestor who fits, I'll venture off on my own tangent. I know the 52 in 52 aspect got me really back into blogging when I was flagging a bit last year. I finished with the same number of posts as the previous two years.

So prompt #1 is called "Fresh Start" and it took me a bit to find my inspiration. I actually had the next three prompts all written before this one...

"Three studies of fishermen" by William Henry Pyne,
Royal Museums Greenwich is licensed under CC BY 2.0

I settled on Nicholas Edgecomb, an early Maine settler and my 9th great-grandfather. Nicholas came to about 1638 to Richmond Island as a fisherman in the employ of Mr. Robert Trelawney. Mr. Trelawney was a merchant from Plymouth, England. Nicholas appears on the books of Mr. Trelawney off and on for the next several years. In 1640 he is found living at Blue Point on the patent of Mr. Thomas Lewis and Capt. Richard Bonython in the area now known as Scarborough, and by 1660  he had moved to Saco. Later his son, Robert, would marry the granddaughter of the patent holder, Thomas Lewis.


Nicholas Edgecomb's wife, Wilmot Randall, also had a fresh start in a new country. She came from England to work as a maid for Mistress Trelawney. In fact, she was in Maine less than a year before she married Nicholas and he had to repay her contract to the Trelawneys. According to records summarized by Walter Goodwin Davis, he paid a little over 6 pounds to the Trelawneys on her behalf.

Although they lived very modestly, Nicholas & Wilmot (Randall) Edgecomb made a fresh start and secured a life for themselves and their children on the Maine frontier. During King Philip's War all of his sons served in the garrison at Black Point (later combined with Blue Point to become Scarborough). His great-grandson, Gibbins Edgecomb served in three campaigns in the Revolutionary War at Falmouth, Maine (1776), Fishkill (1778) & West Point, New York (1778-1779).

Nicholas Edgecomb
Robert Edgecomb
Thomas Edgecomb
Gibbins Edgecomb
Thomas Edgecomb
Mary Edgecomb
Benjamin Perley Philbrick
Lizzie Philbrick
Ray Everett Cotton
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

52 Ancestors #37 - Revolutionary War Surgeon

Originally published in July, 2012 ~

Dr. James Freeland is my 5th great-grandfather. He lived and practiced in Sutton, Massachusetts. My 4th great-grandfather Dr. Timothy Carter trained with him and became his son-in-law when he married Dr. Freeland's daughter, Frances. Dr. Freeland lived in the northern part of Sutton that became the town of Millbury in the early 1800s. 

Showing James Freeland, surgeon in the First Brigade of the Continental Army
Col. Ebenezer Learned

An overview of the service of James Freeland

I found several sources of information relating to Dr. James Freeland's service during the Revolutionary War period. The pamphlet Jonathan Holman, a revolutionary colonel provides some context for the early war period. If you really want to stretch the familial bonds, Jonathan Holman is my half 3rd cousin, 8 times removed! 

"In comparison with other towns of Worcester County at the beginning of the struggle for American Independence, the old town of Sutton stands well. Resistance to British aggression had often been contemplated by the hardy yeoman of this hill-crowned island town. Within her borders were many veterans of the old French war who had done valiant service at Crown Point, Lake George, and had seen the standards of France go down before the victorious army of England...Hopes of better things had led him [Joonathan Holman] with others to wait for wrong to be righted, but the hand of oppression was not to be easily shaken off. the clouds of a coming storm gathered thick and fast as the months rolled on. Before the shot was fired whose echo spread far and wide, the men of old Sutton stood ready for the call. It came at last, and the minute men of the North and South Parishes saddled their steeds and spurred for Lexington. they had been tutored by one who knew by experience the grim-visaged war meant death to many strong brave hearts. That tutor was Jonathan Holman." 

Ebenezer Learned is my first cousin, 8 times removed

A firm friend of Col. Holman at this time was Ebenezer Learned of Oxford, who, though connected to the patriot cause, bravely espoused the side of freedom. With Jonathan Holman he had bravely fought in the war with France, and had participated in the glory that came by the conquest of Canada. In 1775, Learned was early in the field. As a trusted officer for the regiment which he had organized he sought Jonathan Holman; the latter was chosen major, and the others he threw a line of brave hearts at Bunker Hill to shield patriot homes near that shrine of liberty. For several months Holman served in the region of Boston, preparing for the great conflict he saw was sure to come. An occasional visit to his home in Sutton was made, to look after the business interests intrusted [sic] to others.

From what I've pieced together, James Freeland served several short enlistments and also participated in town affairs relating to the war efforts. He started in 1775 at Roxbury and then went to Rhode Island, the unit was then during the siege of Boston, his unit was stationed on Dorchester Heights until the British evacuated the city. His final active service came when his regiment was ordered to New York to assist in the Battle of Saratoga. After the British surrendered, he went back to Sutton. Also from the Jonathan Holman paper: 


In 1776 Boston was evacuated. In the Rhode Island Plantations this year the regiment of Holman did effective service with other troops from Massachusetts. Gen. William Heath of Massachusetts had been ordered to New York. On the 30th of March he arrived in that city, and under the date of July 17th he writes as follows in his diary; 'A regiment of militia, under the command of Col. Holman, arrived from Massachusetts.' Thus we find the whereabouts of our hero at that time. On 27th of August of that year his regiment received a baptism of fire near New York that steeled its men for harder conflicts to follow. the result was disastrous to the American arms but the spirit of liberty yet burned bright in the men from Worcester County and elsewhere.In October the regiment of Holman met the foe at White Plains. Although no great advantage was gained, it nobly bore its part in the fray. The entire command of the Sutton officer received the commendations of his superiors.

There were a number of documents where he was listed as the doctor who certified someone unfit for service. This is for his Col. Ebenezer Learned and shows Dr. Sutton's signature. 

From Centennial History of the Town of Millbury (bold is mine):

On March 1, 1779, Ebenezer Waters, John Elliot and Nehemiah Gale were chosen on the "Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety." On June 21, Lieut. William King, Ensign Nathaniel Carriel, Lieut. Joseph Elliot, Jr., Samuel Waters, deacon Willie Hall, John Harbeck, Joseph Waters, Dr. James Freeland, James Bond, Nehemiah Gale, and deacon Asa Waters were chosen as a committee "to procure men to serve in the Continental Army. 

On April 10, Lieut. William King, Ensign Nathaniel Carriel, Lieut. Joseph Elliot, Jr., Mr.Samuel Waters, deacon Willie Hall, Mr. John Harback, Mr. Joseph Waters, Dr. James Freeland, Mr. Jonas Bond, Nehemiah Gale, and deacon Asa Waters were chosen as a committee to settle with the nine-months men, since their time had nearly expired.

On May 1, Dea. Tarrant Putnam, Lieut. Wm. King, deacon Asa Waters, Capt. March Chase, Col. Jonathan Holman, Col. Timothy Sibley, Elder Jeremiah Barstow, Dr. James Freeland, and Elder Daniel Greenwood wee selected as a committee "to consider the Constitution and make a report to the Town of what they do approve of and what they do not approve of." - I am assuming this is the Constitution for the state of Massachusetts since the national Constitution was still about a decade away from being written.

A requisition was made upon Sutton for thirty-three thousand six hundred forty pounds of beef. Capt. March Chase, Mr. John Hall, and Mr. Moses Hovey were chosen as a committee to purchase the amount and fifty thousand, four hundred sixty pounds were appropriated to meet the expense. At nearly the same time a call came from the General Court asking the town to furnish thirty-one men to serve for three years in the Continental Army or during the war. Col. Timothy Sibley, Capt. Abijah Burbank, Capt. John Putnam, Capt. Andrew Elliot, Lieut. Solomon Leland, Mr. Abraham Batchellor, Jr., Dr. James Freeland and Mr. Ebenezer Waters were chosen as a committee "to class out the town into classes in order to procure the thirty-one men for the Continental Army." At an adjourned meeting, the town "voted that if any person in any of the classes refuses to pay his proportion as assessed in the class he belongs to he shall be assessed his proportion as he was in said class and half as much more."  - I guess that's one way to get people to pay their taxes!

Dr. Freeland died in 1796 and is buried with his wife, Mehitable (Mellen) Freeland in the Dwinnel Cemetery in Millbury. This is from the Centennial of the Town of Millbury:

The Dwinnel cemetery is located close to the northerly road running from Millbury to Auburn, about a mile from the Greenwood Crossing of the Providence & Worcester Railroad. This quiet spot is the resting place of many members of early families, including Revolutionary soldiers, both officers and privates, as well as soldiers in other wars. the place is now but little used. Among the soldiers of the Revolution here buried are Solomon Dwinnel, Joshua Carter, Robert Goddard, Dr. James Freeland, Capt. James Greenwood, the Hollands, the Bancrofts, and the Bonds. the place was neglected until 1861, when on June 21st, the proprietors deeded it to the town for one hundred dollars ($100). " 

Dr. James Freeland died Oct 5, 1796, aged 52
Mehitable, wife of Dr.James Freeland, died March 1792, aged 44

Sources:
Fold3.com - images of records relating to Dr. James Freeland's service
Centennial history of the town of Millbury, Massachusetts including vital statistics, 1850-1899. Published under the direction of a committee appointed by the town. 1915. Accessed 2012 on Open Library.
Jonathan Holman, a revolutionary colonel. A paper read before the Worcester society of antiquity, December 5th, 1893. by John C. Crane. 1884. Accessed 2012 on Open Library

Dr. James Freeland & Mehitable Mellen
Dr.Timothy Carter & Frances Freeland
Elias Mellen Carter & Rebecca Ann Williamson
Augustus Mellen Carter & Rebecca Williamson
Edward Mellen Carter & Fannie May Capen
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Ebenezer Learned - son of Col. Ebenezer Learned, Sr.; son of Isaac Learned, Jr. - my 8th great-grandfather - a branch of my Carter line

Jonathan Holman's great-great grandfather was the second husband of my 10th great-grandmother, Amy Glass - a branch of my Cotton line.

52 Ancestors #23 - Samuel Ackley/Akley

Samuel Ackley (Akley) is my 5th great-grandfather. He was the son of Francis & Tabitha (Bull) Ackley.

Samuel Akley served in the Revolutionary War from 1781 to the end of the war in 1783. He enlisted on the day he turned 18 and was sent to West Point, NY to serve under Capt. Thomas Jackson in Col Crane's Third Continental Artillery. His job was described as "matross." I had to look that up! It is the assistant to the gunner. A matross is the one who assists the gunner with loading, firing, moving, and sponging the guns. They also marched as guards to protect the store-wagons.

When he applied for a pension, his possession consisted of one old horse, one old wagon and one old harness valued at $26 total; One table, two chests, and one trunk values at $2.59 total; One shovel, Some ironware and table furniture valued at $3; One axe and one scythe valued at 75 cents, and eight chairs valued at $2. The total of his property equaled $34.34. This is his signature from his first petition for a pension.

Samuel Akley married Elizabeth Moody on November 18, 1791 in Topsham, Maine and they had at least six children: William, Samuel, John, Susan, Joseph, and Caleb.

My descent from Samuel is as follows:

Samuel & Elizabeth "Betsy" (Moody) Akley

William Ackley

Sarah Ackley

Mary Jane Abbott

Fannie May Capen

Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather

Bethel's Revolutionary Soldiers

From Centennial Celebration at Bethel, August 26, 1874 pg. 33 - Are any of your ancestors here?

"At the close of the revolution forty-five of the soldiers sought the new lands of Sudbury Canada for a home.

Lieut. Jonathan Clark served as a commissary. He was taken by the Indians, but afterwards released.

Isaac T. York served five years.

Capt. Eli Twitchell was at Bunker Hill immediately after the battle, where he became crippled for life by carrying too heavy of a gun.

Zela Holt was in the French war, where he kept a diary. He was at the capture of Burgoyne.

Moses Mason was in the battle of Bennington.

Jonathan Bean served three years.

John Grover was at Dorchester Heights.

Ebenezer Eames was at the capture of the Hessians.

Benjamin Brown was born in Lynn, Mass., and was in the army five years. He was at the battle of Lexington and Bunker Hill, where he received a bullet wound in the top of his head.

Amos Hastings (brig. general) assisted in digging the trench at Bunker Hill. He was present at the capture of Fort Edward, and Burgoyne.

Absalom Farwell, a native of England, was in the French war. He was taken prisoner and carried to England, where he was in the king's service nineteen years. He returned and was present in the battle of Bunker Hill and Bennington.

Ezra Twitchell marched into Boston when the British evacuated it. He was at the battle of Saratoga.

John Walker was in a privateer which was chased up the Penobscot and abandoned.

Benjamin Russell, sen., was in the French and Indian wars, and in the revolution. He was well versed in Indian warfare.

Rev. Daniel Gould was an orderly sargeant.

Nathaniel Segar was in the revolution two years and nine months, and sixteen months a prisoner. He was at the retreat at Bunker Hill, and assisted in fortifying Ticonderoga.

Samuel Barker was a tailor. He boasted of mending Gen. Washington's clothes.

John Russell went in a privateer.

Isaac Russell was a clerk in the army. He perished in a snow storm in Westbrook.

Dea. John Holt was in the army three years.

Solomon Annis was in the French war.

Other names, of which I have no account are James Mills, Amos Gage, Jesse Dustan, Moses Bartlett, John Holt, Daniel B. Swan, Joseph Kilgore, Jeremiah Andrews, William Staples, Elhanan Sprague, Samuel Ingalls, Thaddeus Bartlett, Jeremiah Russell, James Swan, Simeon Sanborn, ______ Powers, Job York, John York, Jonathan Conn, James Mills, Capt. Peter Twitchell served under Gen. Lincoln in quelling Shay's rebellion, Jonathan Bean, James Barker, Jacob Russell went in a privateer, Sergeant Daniel Gage was in the battles of Monmouth and Trenton. The personal history of these soldiers would form a volume of no mean pretensions.

Blacksheep Sunday - The Bad Son

My ancestor, Diman Perry, moved to Maine after the Revolutionary War. In 1800, he was married for the second time and most of his children were grown and presumably self-supporting. However, I found this notice on the Genealogy Bank web site. Diman, Jr. was not quite 19 years old and seems to have gotten himself into a bit of money trouble. Because they shared a name, I'm sure Diman, Sr. wanted to distance himself from his son's financial issues. I find the words "harbour" and "trust" particularly interesting and wonder what debts young Diman had accrued and if he had an issue with telling the truth.

The Gazette, Portland, Maine - Vol. III, Issue 127, Page 3
Monday, September 29, 1800
Accessed on Genealogy Bank.com
ALL persons are hereby forbidden to harbour, trust, trade with, or employ, on my account, Diman Perry, jun. as I will not be answerable for any obligations he may contract.
Diman Perry
Poland, August 25, 1800

Family of Diman Perry
With first wife, Nabby Cushing, married April 28, 1763:
Anna - November 28, 1764
Barnabas - December 3, 1766
Nehemiah - September 3, 1769
Nabby - November 6, 1772

With second wife, Susannah Lincoln, marrried December 30, 1773:
Penelope - March 2, 1775
Levi - February 16, 1776
Thomas - September 26, 1778
Alice - June 10, 1780
Diman, Jr. - December 18, 1781
Apphia - August 19, 1783
Betty - August 27, 1785
Gad - February 26, 1788

I don't believe he had any children with his third wife, Hannah House.

Apphia married Moses Judkins.
Betsy Judkins m. Calvin Cole, Jr.
Apphia Delphinia Cole m. Sydney Hayes
George Hayes m. Anna J. Rowe
Eva Delphinia Hayes m. Estes Gilbert Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Surname Saturday - Ackley of Boston

On March 20, 1760, a great fire swept through the city of Boston. According to this site, the 1760 fire was called the "Second" Great Fire of Boston. It destroyed 349 buildings and left 220 families homeless. Many businesses were lost and the Quaker Meeting House on Congress Street was consumed by the flames. It even destroyed some ships in the harbor. My 6X great-grandfather, Francis Ackley was among those who unsuccessfully petitioned the House of Commons for relief after the fire.

Francis Ackley participated in the Boston Tea Party. There are several online accounts that say Francis Ackley was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill but I have not seen enough proof to elevate this story out of the realm of folklore. If anyone has a source for this information, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Francis married Tabitha Bull on June 8, 1751. They are the parents of Samuel Ackley. He was born on July 17, 1763.

Samuel Ackley served three years in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He enlisted in Boston on the day he turned eighteen and joined his regiment at West Point and served until the army was disbanded and he was discharged, again at West Point. His pension was filed while he was living in Halifax, Vermont but in 1830, he moved to Rumford, Maine and was still living in 1855, aged 93. Samuel married Elizabeth Moody on November 18, 1791. They were the parents of William Ackley. 

William Ackley married Deborah Capen on March 4, 1814. They were the parents of Sarah Ackley. 

Ancestry.com. Rumford, Oxford County, Maine: Town History [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. 

Sarah Ackley married John Abbott and they were the parents of Mary Jane Abbott. Mary Jane married Edward Abbott Capen and they were the parents of Fannie May Capen - my great-grandmother. Fannie married Edward Mellen Carter and they were the parents of my grandfather, Thomas Richard Carter.

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Asa Alden Barrows was born 28 July 1751 to Moses Barrows and Deborah Totman. He married Content Benson 19 November 1774.  He was a private in Capt. William Shaw's Company which responded to the alarm of April 19, 1775. He only served three days in that capacity but would re-enlist for eight months during the siege of Boston and in December 1776 he joined a militia company commanded by Joshua Perkins and marched to Barrington, R.I. where he remained for six weeks. In July 1780 he enlisted for a fourth time and served in the militia company commanded by Perez Churchill that marched to Tiverton, R.I. 

In 1832 at age 81, he submitted a pension form. He was awarded a pension of $33.33 per annum and received $66.66 in back pension pay. According to an inflation calculator, the pension would be $921.90 per year in 2012 dollars. His last pension payment was in 1850, meaning he was 99 years old (if he died after July 28). 

Asa's Signature on his application

Pension calculation sheet

Asa Alden Barrows - 5th great-grandfather

Rachel Barrows - 4th great-grandfather

Asa Freeman Ellingwood - 3rd great-grandfather

Nina King Ellingwood - 2nd great-grandmother

Annie Florilla Gibbs - great-grandmother

Fern Lyndell Cotton - grandmother