America 250

John Adams was born in Milton, MA on July 23, 1761 to Andrew Adams and Ruth Wadsworth. I am a little suspicious of the service that was attributed to him by his family. John Adams is an extremely common name in Massachusetts, especially in and around the Boston area where he was from. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors gives the following service for John Adams of Milton: Corporal in Capt. Vose’s Company in Col. Heath’s Regiment in 1775, and in 1778 served at Castle Island

Azor Phelps was born in Sutton, MA to Henry and Sarah (Rounday) Phelps on October 13, 1761. He was the third of their five children. At the age of 18 Azor served as a Private in Captain Alton’s Company in Colonel John Rand’s Regiment. This Regiment was raised out of Worcester County to support the Continental Line in 1780. After the Revolutionary War Azor was a Captain in the local Sutton militia. He married Mary Tenny Holman in 1784, and they had seven children: Mary/Poll

David Bigelow was born on September 19, 1730 to Daniel and Elizabeth (Whitney) Bigelow. Like his brother, Colonel Timothy Bigelow, he was born on the family farm in Worcester, the land of which is now in Auburn. Working as a carpenter in his teenage years, he fell from the roof of a barn on which he was working and badly broke his leg. He had a good surgeon but remained crippled for the rest of his life. David married twice. He and his first wife, Sarah Eaton, were marri

Timothy Merrifield was born in Deadham, MA on January 4, 1739 to Thomas Merrifield and Mary Anderson. He was baptized two months later in nearby Natick, MA on March 18. Timothy was the second of their eight children, and their oldest son. In December of 1764 he published his intentions to marry Keziah Allen of Natick, but the marriage never happened. On May 22, 1766 Timothy married Lydia Cheney, and they had two children, both of whom died in their infancy. Lydia also die

Daniel Baird was born in Leicester, MA on November 13, 1742 to Thomas and Elizabeth (Walker) Baird. Baird also appears as "Beard", "Bard", and "Bierd" (spelling during the 18th century was very fluid). He married Jane Smith in 1768, and they had six children: Patty, Daniel, Thomas, Lewis, Betsey, and Polly. Their farm was in the southeast part of Worcester near what is now the Millbury line along the Grafton Road, and in addition to farming Daniel ran the Baird Tavern. Dan

Nathan Patch was born in Ipswich, MA to John Patch and Mercy Potter on April 8, 1735 and baptized on October 5, 1735. He was the seventh of their nine children. He filed intentions to marry Hannah Whipple on December 14, 1756 and they were married soon after. They had two sons: Henry born in 1757 and baptized in neighboring Danvers, and Joseph born around 1759. Hannah died giving birth to Joseph, but the boy survived. The following year Nathan married Eunice Adams of Worce

Photos of the William McFarland house taken by Harriette Merrifield Forbes William McFarland was baptized in Marblehead, MA on July 19, 1722, and was the oldest surviving of his parents' eight children. His parents, John and Margaret, were "Scots-Irish" (Presbyterians) and had come to the Worcester area to settle in the late 1720s. Their land was located in the northeast part of Worcester on what is now Salisbury Street in the area near Assumption College. In 1740 the old

Samuel Harrington was born around 1754 in Eastern Massachusetts to Joshua and Mary Harrington. He and his brother Noah moved to the Worcester area from eastern Massachusetts some time before the Revolutionary War. Samuel was a Private in Capt. Bigelow’s militia company and marched from Worcester on the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775. At some point during or very shortly after the war he moved to Dorchester, MA On November 19, 1782 he was joined in marriage to Silence Ro

Humphrey Bigelow was born in Shrewsbury, MA on September 4, 1761 to Samuel Bigelow Jr. and Phebe Rand. He was their fifth child and only son. He served in the Revolutionary War as a private under many different captains from 1776-1781. Humphrey was only fifteen years old during his first term in Captain Moses Harrington’s Company in Colonel Dike’s Regiment (and probably lied about his age) beginning in December of 1776. His last service was in Capt. Daniel Bowker's Compan

Samuel Bridge was born in Boston, MA on June 19, 1734 to Ebenezer Bridge and Mary Roberts. He married Mary Goodwin in Worcester, MA on March 1, 1757. They had seven children: Samuel, Mary (died young), Ebenezer, William, James, Benjamin, and Joseph. Active in the community, at various times he served as a hog reeve, juror, warden, constable, school committee, market clerk, surveyor of highways and collector of highway taxes, and fence viewer. Samuel was a landowner, and w

"Far from this world of Toil and Strife, They're present with the Lord, The Labours of their Mortal Life End in a large Reward."

John Tatman was born in Worcester on May 5, 1746 to Jabez Tatman and Sarah Goodkin. His grandfather, Daniel Goodkin, was the first Sherriff of Worcester, and one of its earliest settlers. The Tatmans first came to Worcester in the 1730s and were among the earliest white settlers on Packachoag Hill and the surrounding area. During the American Revolution John was a Private in Captain Timothy Bigelow’s Company. They marched on the Lexington Alarm on April 19, 1775 and helped

Jeffrey Hemenway's birth was recorded in Boston, MA on July 15, 1737, and as an infant was given to Ebenezer Hemenway, Jr. of Framingham to foster. The census and other vital records list Jeffrey as "mulatto", which is an antiquated term for someone who is of mixed heritage. Likely Jeph, as he was known, was of Native American, African, and European descent. Jeffrey's first military service was as a soldier towards the end of the French and Indian War under Captain John Nix

"He was one of the number who threw the Tea overboard in Boston Harbour in 1773, and afterwards served in the Revolutionary War -- He was a brave soldier, valuable citizen, and an honest man.

Clark was the third of four children born to John and Dorothy (Paine) Chandler in Worcester, MA. He and his twin brother Gardner were born on December 1, 1743. Sadly, Gardner died only two weeks later on December 16. In 1745 his mother died a week after giving birth to his sister Elizabeth, leaving his grieving father to take care of three very young children, the oldest, John, being only three. In 1746 his father married Mary Church. They would go on to have twelve child

Memento mori In Memory of Capt. Jonathan Willson, who was Killed in Concord- Fight April 19th AD 1775. In the 41st year of his Age.

Anchor'd in the haven of Rest In Memory of JABEZ SMITH Junr Lieut of Marines on board the Continental Ship Trumbull born in Groton State of Connecticut August 31, 1751 departed this Life in Boston June 28, 1780 Aged 29 Years Jabez was the third child and oldest son of Captain Jabez Smith and his second wife, Amie (Avery) Smith. He was born in Groton, CT on August 31, 1751. The Smith family was one of the oldest families in Groton, and remained prominent well into the 19th c

In memory of DEACON JOSIAH HAYNES who died in Freedom's Cause ye 19th of April, 1775 in the 79th Year of his Age.

The Robert Smith House taken by Harriette Merrifield Forbes in 1927 Robert was born in Worcester, MA on January 8, 1730/1 to John and Rebeckah (Batty) Smith. He was the second child and oldest son of their six children. The Smiths were some of the early settlers of Worcester, coming with the other "Scotch-Irish" families in the 1720s. There was a large anti-Presbyterian movement in Worcester in the 1740s and many families left. I believe John and Rebeckah were among them

Here lies the Body of Mrs. REBECCA WHITE Widow of Mr. ISAAC WHITE late of Boston. When the British Troops took possession of the Town of Boston, she went to her Son JOHN WHITE Esq. of Charlestown and continued in his Family 'til She died at Billerica, Sept. 13th 1782 Aged 94 Years.