Nathan Hale Taught Here!

My 6^th great grandfather Elijah Atwood was born in 1725 in Barnstable, Massachusetts, the son of Isaac, and Mehitable (Grey). In 1754, he married Anna Goodspeed in Haddam, Connecticut. They had one child during their marriage, John Atwood (1755-1829). Elijah died in 1806, having lived for 81 years.

Anna Goodspeed was born in 1734, in Barnstable, Massachusetts, the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Smith). Anna died in April 1774. Elijah married Mary Kelly in November 1774.

Elijah served in the 1^st Regiment of the Connecticut Continental Line in Captain Judson’s 8^th Company. His son John served in the 1^st Regiment in Captain Holmes’ 2^nd Company.

What prompted this post was not simply Elijah’s service during the Revolutionary War, but the house he lived in during his final years. It was a former schoolhouse that in the winter session of 1773-1774 had a teacher by the name of Nathan Hale, the Connecticut patriot and hero of the Revolutionary War! The building is a historic site and can be visited today, alas, it is known not as the Atwood House, but as the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse.

This building was used as a school until 1799 (originally built in 1750), when another larger one was purchased, at which time Captain Elijah Atwood purchased the original schoolhouse and removed it to the north some one hundred yards, to a place just south of the old burying ground, and, by adding a little to it, converted it Into a dwelling house. He lived in it until his death in 1816; from that time until 1899 his descendants had always occupied it. In 1899, one hundred years after it came into the Atwood family, Judge Julius Atwood presented the building to the Connecticut Society Sons of the Revolution. Connecticut (CT) (Source (edited): CT Sons of the American Revolution)

Nathan Hale was an intelligent, engaging, athletic, ambitious and dutiful schoolmaster in New London, Connecticut, at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. When news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached New London on April 22, 1775, Hale reportedly declared: “Let us march immediately and never lay down our arms until we obtain our Independence.” He joined the Seventh Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army as a lieutenant. Hale left camp on September 12 posing as a schoolmaster looking for work. He took a circuitous path to British-held Long Island, where he gathered information on the enemy’s numbers and positions. On the night of September 21, he was discovered on his way back to the American lines and captured. Before his execution he delivered a stirring address including the words, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” (Source: The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati) Left: Statue – Nathan Hale (back) Frederick W. MacMonnies (1863-1937)

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Still Standing, After All These Years!

One of my many 6^th paternal grandparents were Abraham and Hannah Jaquith. Abraham was born in December 1701, in Woburn, Massachusetts and died in January 1790 in Billerica, Massachusetts having lived 88 years. Abraham married Hannah Farley on January 1736 and together they had five children.

The Jaquith’s (originally Jacques) were French Huguenots who first fled France sometime before 1628, stayed in Cornwall, England, and are believed to have returned temporarily to France before departing for British America in 1643.

The house that Abraham and Hannah Jaquith lived in, also known as the Farley Garrison house, in Billerica, Massachusetts was originally built in about 1724 and is one of the oldest surviving colonial era houses America. The home remained in the Farley/Jaquith family’s possession for 12 generations!

In 2000, the house was dismantled piece by piece, stored, and moved to Gilmanton, N.H. where it was masterfully rebuilt. While it is often noted (+ often repeated) that the home was built in 1665, architectural analysis determined it was constructed about 1724. However, it is likely that the home contains elements of the original Farley home that served as a “garrison house” during King Philip’s War of 1676. (Note: in 2013, the house and other buildings on the 12 acre property were listed for sale at $ 14.95 million.)

Below are several stories and videos about the relocation of the home to New Hampshire, where it is still standing after over 297 years! Remarkable!

Man Restores Pilgrim Home from 1665 to its Original Glory (Video – Houzz)

Relocating History – New Hampshire Magazine – January 2012

Tour the Farley Garrison House – HGTV – August 2015

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Oh Abiram, How I Have Searched

After almost two decades, I was unable to uncover the identity of the parents of my 3^rd great paternal grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871). I’ve wrote stories about where he lived, how he made a living, his strong support for the Union during the Civil War, his election to the Hartford city council, and even had a copy of his wedding photograph with his beautiful wife Annie (Bottom of page: Posts and photograph).

I looked for any trace of Abiram across the Northeast states, every corner of Connecticut, Ohio (CT Western Reserve), and (heck) even the islands of Caribbean! Births, deaths, marriages, wills, land grants and found absolutely nothing.

Until a 5^th cousin – 1x removed popped up, on Ancestry.com, as being a DNA match to me. His 5^th great grandfather Daniel Spencer Jr. (1738-1818) of Hartford, Connecticut had two sons, Daniel and William. The DNA match descended from Daniel.

Daniel Jr.’s son William had a son named Abiram! I confirmed that William was the father of (my) Abiram through William’s will (above) where he notes his “beloved son Abiram.” Note: William’s full name is Joseph William Spencer, the name Joseph comes from a sibling that died in infancy. He used the name William in all of the documents associated with him.

I now have eight new generations of Spencer’s (below) to research and hopefully many stories to tell!

William Spencer (1780-1851) – Lois Hoskins (1780-1860)

Daniel Spencer Jr. (1738-1818) – Sarah Lord ((1743-1819)

Daniel Spencer Sr. (1705-1780) – Elizabeth Stiles (1705-1803)

Obadiah Spencer Jr. (1666-1741) – Ruth Kelsey (1669-1767)

Obadiah Spencer Sr. (1638-1712) – Mary Desborough (1641-1709)

Thomas Spencer (1607 – 1687) – Sarah Bearding (1623-1685)

Thomas Spencer (my 9th gg), was one of four brothers who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1633, first living in Cambridge and moving to Hartford, CT in 1660 where — 152 years later, his 5th great grandson Abiram was born!

Gerald Spencer (1576-1645) – Alice Whitebread (1571-1628)

Michael Spencer (1531 – 1599) – Elizabeth ?

Posts about Abiram

Introducing Annie + John W. Spencer

Spencer Family – Hartford, Connecticut

Integrity of the Union

Wide-Awakes for Abraham Lincoln!

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Where There is a Will, There is a Lawsuit

This is a story about Elisabeth (Holbrook) French (1847-1914) who was the wife of my 2nd great uncle, Charles Abram French (1832 – before 1914). According to a newspaper account, Charles was a family friend who first meet Elisabeth when she was only four years old. In the 1860 census, Charles (27) is listed as living in the home of Mahala (34-widow) and Lizzie (14) Holbrook. Thirteen years later, Charles and Elisabeth were married in Boston, Massachusetts. They had no children.

The interesting twist to this story is that upon her death in 1914, Elisabeth left $85,000 (the total estate was estimated to be $100,000) to homes for “aged” men and women, the Animal Rescue League, a couple of close friends and two of her doctors. Funds were also provided to the Red Acre Farm in Stow, Massachusetts, which was one of the first animal rescue organizations specifically for horses.

What is $85k in 1914 worth in today’s money? The answer is $2,214,029!

Elisabeth’s will provided no money for extended family members such as cousins, nieces or nephews. This really fried her cousin, Florence Bacon, who contested the will claiming that her aunt was not of “sound and disposing mind” when she made her will. The jury did not buy Florence’s argument, it took them only 10 minutes to decide that the will was valid. (below: news articles)

Charles was an agent for the Merchants Despatch Transportation (MDT) Company in Boston. MDT was established by the American Express Company and the company manufactured refrigerated rail cars. (Source: Norwich University, 1819-1911)

Note: One of the witnesses called in the case was my paternal great-grandmother, Mary McEachern French whose husband, Walter, was Charles cousin. There is no record of whether she was a witness for Elisabeth or Florence, however, if I could hazard a guess…..she may have cut a deal with Florence. Mary would be involved in a sensational court case a year later – Into the Breach-Promises, Promises.

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Mug of Flip + George Washington

On January 13, 1803, Theodore Hillyer walked into Viets Tavern in East Granby, Connecticut, put 8 pence on the table and had a cup of flip on a cold winter’s day. The tavern owner, Luke Viets, dutifully recorded the transaction in his ledger. We know this because the original ledger and the tavern survive til this day! (Inn’s Ledger Tells of Meals Long Past – Hartford Courant)

Check out the beautifully done Salmon Brook Historical Society Website for more about Granby, CT.

I have no way of knowing if the flip was purchased by my paternal 5th great grandfather Theodore Sr. (1754–1838) or my 4th great grandfather Theodore Jr. (1780–1845).

Flip was the quintessential tavern drink. Its preparation gave an industrious barkeep a chance to show off his steady-handed pour – transferring the mixture of ale and rum between two pitchers until smooth. Finally, a hot “flip dog” poker was plunged into the pitcher, frothing the drink and providing a burnt taste. Versions varied slightly, with the main ingredients of heat, ale, rum, and sweetener (usually molasses) being constant. Eggs contributed to the characteristically smooth texture, though nutmeg might be accompanied or replaced by ginger or lemon peel. Except from Early Connecticut Drinks: The Quintessence of Public Spirit (edible Nutmeg)

Theodore Sr. served in the Revolution during the New York and New Jersey campaigns. It is noted in his war pension application that he fought at the Battle of White Plains (NY). After British forces failed to trap the Continental Army on Manhattan, General George Washington marched north of Manhattan, withdrawing to the hills of the village of White Plains. Depictions of the battle are conflicting if it was a draw or a defeat for the American forces. 13,000 British and German troops against 14,500 Americans, although only around 4,000 on each side were actually engaged. This was the first appearance of Hessian troops deployed by the British.

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Integrity of the Union

1861 Print – Shows American eagle in its nest of the American flag, which holds 34 eggs representing the states; the eggs representing the Southern states are cracked, rotten, or have various animals being hatched from them; the eagle says “Annihilation to traitors.” (Library of Congress)

My 3rd great-grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871) has been the subject of several posts including one about his election to the Hartford, CT City Council in 1860 on the Republican ticket (Wide-Awakes for Abraham Lincoln!). Abiram was one of the over 1,000 men in Hartford signed this (below) petition in November of 1861. The closing line, “Apologists for secession, and sympathizers with treason are not invited” points to the heated emotions of this country in the early months of the Civil War.

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

What Cute Kids!

My mother and father had back to back birthdays on April 15th and April 16th. Even with a 50/50 chance, I don’t think we ever got the days right.

Mary Kathryn Grace French 1933 – 2004

Photo (left) of Mary on the Connecticut shore (1936-7)

John Spencer French 1931- 2014

Below – Photos of John. In the picture (upper right), John is sitting with his Uncle Orrin’s children (his cousins) William Spencer, Joan Spencer, Marjorie Spencer, John Spencer, and Orrin Jr. (est. date 1934)

1953-4 – John S. French – Photographs while serving in Korea

“You Dog, and Damn You, I’ll Inoculate You With This, With a Pox to You!”

This is the first of two posts about Thomas Walter (1696-1722), a 6th great paternal uncle. Thomas was born and spent his life in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He graduated at Harvard in 1713 was a preacher, as was his father Nehemiah, a 1684 Harvard graduate! His wife was Sarah Mather (1671-1746, daughter of Increase Mather (In Cases of Conscience, Increase Mather), and the sister of Puritan Minister Cotton Mather (my 7^th great uncle).

Small Pox – From spring 1721 through the winter of 1722, a smallpox epidemic afflicted Boston. By the end of 1722, over half of the city’s population of 11,000 had been infected and over 800 had died. At the time the only known remedy for smallpox was to quarantine the infected individuals in their homes, with the hope that this would prevent the spread of the disease.

Cotton Mather learned of the practice of inoculation from his slave, Onesimus. According to his diaries, Cotton received Onesimus in 1706 as “a gift” from his congregation. By embracing a little known and controversial treatment, Mather and Onesimus changed the fate of Boston, and ultimately the future of the British colonies.

But the smallpox epidemic of 1721 was different than any that came before it. As sickness swept through the city, killing hundreds in a time before modern medical treatment or a robust understanding of infectious disease, an enslaved man known only as Onesimus suggested a potential way to keep people from getting sick. Intrigued by Onesimus’ idea, a brave doctor (Zabdiel Boylston) and an outspoken minister(Puritan minister Cotton Mather) undertook a bold experiment to try to stop smallpox in its tracks. How an Enslaved African Man in Boston Helped Save Generations from Smallpox (History.com – Erin Blackmore – Feb. 2021)

One of the first inoculated by Dr. Zabdiel Boylston (after his children) was Thomas Walter who stayed at Cotton Mather’s home while he was treated for smallpox. The debate over Cotton’s support for inoculation became so heated that an explosive device was thrown through a window into Cotton’s house (landing in the room where Walter was staying), luckily the device failed to explode. A note attached to the explosive read, “Cotton Mather, I was once of your meeting, but the cursed lye you told of – you know who, made me leave you, you dog, and damn you, I will inoculate you with this, with a pox on you!”

Thomas’ treatment is noted below in Dr. Boylston’s records.

October 31^st (1721), I inoculated the Reverend Mr. Thomas Walter, Mr. Samuel Aspingwall and Mr. Dana, each between 25, and 30, they all had the Smallpox at the usual Time, and of the distinct Sort. Mr. Aspingwall had several restless Nights, which obliged me to give him an anodyne (narcotic pain medicine) for two or three nights following. The other two Gentlemen laughed at him & said he was troubled with vapors. They all in a short time, were well. These Gentlemen came from Roxbury into Boston to be inoculated, and lay in one Room; and their Recommendation of this Practice, at their return proved to be of great Service to that Town, in carrying the Inhabitants soon thro’ that distemper, and in saving many Lives, if I may be allowed to judge from the Success of the different Ways of Infection, viz. out of the first thirteen men and they chiefly heads of Families who had the Smallpox in the natural way, ten of them died; and in above 40 Men that were inoculated at or near the same Time, in the same Town, not one Man died.

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Not Just a Southern Thing

Slavery developed hand-in-hand with the founding of the United States, weaving into the commercial, legal, political, and social fabric of the new nation and thus shaping the way of life of both the North and the South. Myths & Misunderstandings: The North and Slavery (The American Civil War Museum)

Recently, I helped a family friend research her family history in the southern states of Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Her understanding was that her father’s forebears were just “hard working, poor dirt farmers” (which they were). Going back past her great-great grandparents, I did identify a handful of families that worked/owned small farms and owned slaves. So we both share the fact that in our distant past, we are the descendants of slave owners, a discovery that we share with President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and countless others.

The truth is that slavery was not just a “southern thing” and that it wasn’t until 1804 that all of the Northern states had abolished slavery or set measures in place to gradually abolish it. The 1754 Massachusetts slave census listed 2,720 slaves (Children under 16 were not counted). The census for Lexington listed 13 men and 11 women as slaves. Slavery was not abolished in Massachusetts until 1783.

In Servants For Life, I wrote about my 6th great paternal grandparents, Jonathan Bowers (1674-1744) and Hannah Barrett Bowers (1679-1765), who were slave owners in Billerica, Massachusetts. In a separate post about my 4th great-grandfather, Bildad Fowler, I noted his witnessing a bill of sale for the purchase of a slave (Pegg) in 1761. (Connecticut “the Georgia of the North” – Witness to Slavery)

I recently discovered that my 7^th great uncle, Francis Bowman Jr. (1662-1744) of Lexington (MA), was the owner of four slaves: Battiss, Phylliss, Pompy and Domini. His biography states, that “he was a prominent man in Lexington, long holding the offices of justice of the peace, assessor, selectman, and assessor.” I was unable to ascertain if his brother (and my 7th g-grandfather), Joseph Bowman also owned slaves.

Trivia – Joseph Bowman is the 6th great grandfather of actor John Lithgow, which makes him a distant cousin of mine!

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.