This page is a part of the Lynn & Nahant town site.  Not for Commercial use.  All rights reserved.

Lynn in the Revolution Biographical Sketches Boardman, Aaron - Burnham, Timothy

A Very Special Thanks To The Lynn Public Library For The Use Of This Important Resource. Transcribed by Shaun Cook To help transcribe or submit information, please e-mail Shaun Cook

BOARDMAN, AMOS, - lieutenant, son of Amos and Elizabeth (Smith) Board­man, was born in the Abijah Boardman house in Chelsea, now in Saugus, May 15, 1755. He was fourth in descent from Amos Boardman, of Cambridge, who settled there in 1636, and who died there in 1685, aged seventy-one, the ancestor of all of his name in Saugus. Lieutenant Amos Boardman responded to the Lexington alarm as a private in the company of Captain David Parker, of Saugus. At this time he was living with Adam Hawkes. Ten days after the battle of Lexington, with his brother Benjamin, he enlisted as a private in Captain John Bacheller's com­pany, Colonel Ebenezer Bridge's regiment, and received advance pay for his services at Cambridge, June 6. His company was in the battle of Bunker Hill during the latter part of the contest. At the conclusion of the battle he went into camp at Cambridge, where he
[ 210 ]

 

did duty until he was discharged, January 1, 1776. He at once re­enlisted as a private in Captain Edward Burbeck's company, in Colonel Henry Knox's regiment of artillery, and was made lieutenant. In April, his captain being absent, the company was placed under his com­mand, and he marched with it to New York, and was at White Plains and other places in the vicinity during the year. On the expiration of his service, January 1, 1777, General Washington personally requested him to remain six weeks longer, which he did, and was then discharged. He again enlisted, August 20, 1777, as a private in Captain Joseph Fuller's company, Colonel Samuel Bullard's regiment, and marched to intercept Burgoyne. He was in the battles of September 19 and Octo­ber 7, preceding the surrender of the British army, and was present at the capitulation. Afterward he was detailed to assist in guarding the captured army on its march to Cambridge, where he was discharged, November 29, 1777, after a service of three months and twenty-two days. December 1, 1777, he again enlisted for three months in Captain James Furnevall's company, Major Stevens's battalion of artillery. His next enlistment was February 12, 1779, as sergeant in Captain Nathan Sargent's company of guards, and he did duty in and about Boston under Major-General Gates until May 12, 1779, when he was finally discharged from the Continental service.
     After the outbreak of the war he removed to South Reading, now Wakefield. He was married November 30, 1779, by Rev. Mr. Cummings, to Mary Lewis, of Billerica, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Brown) Lewis, born January 19, 1755. For the remainder of his life he lived in South Reading, and there his children, Amos, Mary, Sarah, and Rebecca, were born. During his latter years he was severely afflicted with rheumatism, and, being in need, he was granted a pension of eight dollars a month under the act of 1818, the same taking effect July 10, 1819. This small stipend he enjoyed for only nine months, when his name was stricken from the rolls. This was occasioned by the rapidly growing list of pensioners and the fear that the country would become financially embarrassed. The name of every man who had the slightest visible means of support was taken from the pension list, and Mr. Board­man was among that number. He died in Wakefield, August 12, 1823, aged sixty-eight years. In 1843 his widow was granted a pension, under the act of 1838, of $66.67 per year. She lived but a short time, however,
[ 211 ]

for her death occurred in Wakefield, September 3, 1844, at the age of eighty-nine. Both are buried in the old burial-ground at Wakefield, where slate stones mark their graves. From the History of Reading the following notice is taken: -

     "Col. Amos Boardman (he having attained that title in the militia after the war), was a notable man of commanding and portly personal appearance. Active, energetic, public-spirited, and patriotic, he exercised much influence in his day and generation. He was full of military ardor, and never felt better than when at the head of his regiment. He was a warm and zealous friend of education and the common schools, over which he long had official supervision. His earnest and stirring addresses to the scholars, when he made official visits, will be long re­membered. He was profuse in his commendations and inspiring in his portrayal of what the pupils might become by good behavior and faithful study. 'In fact,' he would say, 'by so doing you may be sure to rise in the world; true you may not all become colonel, as I am, though some of you may, and generals, governors, presidents, too, but you may all get to be somebodies, captains, sergeants, corporals, at least.'

     "He changed his religious sentiments in later life from strict orthodox to Universalist, and was one of the founders of the society in South Reading."

BOARDMAN, IVORY, - the "Iveny" Boardman of the muster-roll of Captain Parker's company, - was son of John and Eunice (Cheever) Boardman, and born in Saugus, August 5, 1749. He lived in Boardman's End, or the Oaklandvale of to-day, in an old house still standing and known as the "Ivory Boardman place," and later as the" Joseph Cheever place." He was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, January 30, 1774, to Mary Jenks, daughter of Nathan and Abigail (Wait) Jenks, born August 18, 1746. His sister, Lois, married Benjamin Goldthwaite who served in the same company. Mr. Boardman was with his neighbors when they marched to meet the British on April 19, 1775, but saw no further service. He returned home to cultivate his farm on the borders of Lynn. His children were Ivory, born just after the battle of Bunker Hill, Abijah, Sarah, Nathan Jenks, John, Joseph and Benjamin, the two latter being twins. His will was probated October 21, 1807, in which he designated himself as a cordwainer and yeoman. His brother-­in-law, Benjamin Goldthwaite, was called upon to settle his estate, which
[212]

had dwindled greatly. He is buried in the old ground at Saugus Centre, where a marble gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed at his grave in 1903.

BOARDMAN, JOHN, - probably Jonathan, eldest son of Samuel Boardman, was born about 1753 in Saugus. He was with his father on the 19th of April, and his name follows that of his father on the muster-roll of Captain Parker's company. Tradition says that later, while ploughing in the field one day, he was impressed into the Continental Army. It was at a time when men were scarce and the need great, and he had barely time to tell his brother William to bid his mother good-bye, when he was hurried off. He entered the service in some unknown company, was captured by the British and taken on board the infa­mous Jersey prison-ship. Here he suffered all the horrors of that ter­rible place, and was finally poisoned by means of liquor given to him under the pretence of kindness. A letter from him, written to his parents in 1783, will prove of great interest. The original is carefully preserved in the family of his descendants.

                                                                        "NOVEMBER 15, 1783. 
                                                                        Jersey Prison Ship New Yorke
     Dear Father and Mother This Being the Ferst Oppertunity I have hade to Lett you know That I unfortunly was Taken and Brought Into New York whear I am Now Remaining And Just Come out of the Small Pox Butt have gatt Rartey and well of them And Hoping that you all Injoy the Blesing of Helth. I wolde Be Glad if You wold Try and gett Man for to Be Exehangd for me or I Shall Suffer hear This Winter For the yousidg is verey Hard And Walde Be Glad if you wold do all Lays in your Powr as Quiek as Posable. Pleas to Lett John Cheavers Parance Know That he Died with the Small Pox the 11 Day of November No More At Presant But Remain your Loving son
                                                                         JONATHAN BORMAN 
Remember me to all Enquiring Frends."
     Addressed,
                          "Mr. SAMUEL BORMAN,
                                  Living In Linn,
                                        Newels Tavern."

     His grave is probably on the shores of Long Island, where so many Revolutionary soldiers were buried who were taken from the floating hulks in New York Harbor.
[ 213 ]

BOARDMAN, SAMUEL, - son of William and Abiah, was born in Saugus, July 27, 1731. His home was in the ancient house opposite the fork of the Wakefield and Melrose roads. This house, one of the oldest in Essex County, was built two years after the Abijah Boardman house, and is still doing good service. It is surrounded by good intervale lands and is in a pleasant location. At the time of the Revolution the road swept around to the south and was narrow and inconvenient. This was remedied in 1818 by the construction of a new road across the meadow.

     Samuel Boardman was married in Malden, December 5, 1760, by Rev. J. Emerson, to Abigail Grover, daughter of John and Abigail (Taylor) Grover, born September 4, 1739. He served with credit in the French and Indian War, and was with General Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham. In 1768 he was chosen warden of the town, and served as tithing-man in 1776 and 1778, that office then being an elective one.

     He was with his company on the 19th of April, together with his brother Aaron, but no record is given of further service. It must be remembered, however, that the muster and pay rolls on file in Massa­chusetts are incomplete, and it is certain that many Lynn men served beyond the time that is found recorded.

     His will was offered for probate July 22, 1805, and his neighbor, Lieutenant Nathan Hawkes, was an appraiser of the estate, which amounted to $5,680. He is buried in the old Saugus cemetery, near the centre of the yard. The grave was pointed out in 1903 by Miss Ellen Boardman, of Saugus, the great grand-daughter of Samuel, and a marble gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed there in that year.

BOARDMAN, WILLIAM, - son of Amos and Elizabeth (Smith) Boardman, was born January 15, 1736, in that part of Saugus now known as Oakland­vale, but in the time of the Revolution known as Boardman's End. Six of the name of Boardman are borne on the muster-roll of Captain David Parker, and each carried his musket over the forty rough miles of road traversed in response to the Lexington alarm. Their families occupied four houses, which, strange to say, are all standing. The William Boardman house is the first of the four which is to be seen on entering Oakland vale. Across the meadows, forty rods to the north where the
[ 214 ]

roads fork, one going north to Wakefield, the other to Melrose, stands an old two-story house which was occupied by Samuel Boardman. To the older people of to-day it may be remembered as the "Joe Rowe Place." Perhaps the best-known old mansion of Saugus, if not of this part of Essex County, on account of its projecting upper story, its well­-sweep, and its conspicuous position, is west of the last-named, where the road branches toward Melrose, and known as the "Abijah Board­man House." It was built in 1635 or 1636, and was constructed for defence against the Indians. The house has a history full of litigation between towns and counties, between Chelsea and Lynn, Suffolk and Essex, as to the taxation of its owner, caused by the fact that the divi­sion line was formerly through the middle of the house. The little wedge of land that ran up to the "three county bound" has been an­nexed to Saugus, which town alone now has power to vex the owner with taxes. Three-quarters of a mile up the "Straight's" road, towards Wakefield and Castle Hill, stands what used to be known as the "Joseph Cheever House." This was the Ivory Boardman house of the Revolu­tionary period.

     William Boardman was a soldier in the French and Indian War, and was in the expedition to Canada in 1758 under Captain Simon Slocomb. His only service in the Revolution which can be proved was at the Lex­ington alarm, although he undoubtedly saw more of the war. The records of several of this name appear in our state archives, but lack the place of residence. The Pension Office records show that he was granted one hundred acres of land May 1, 1792.

     His marriage was on February 22, 1759, to Zebiah Livingstone, who was born July 9, 1730, daughter of Robert and Zebiah. No record of the death of William Boardman has been found.

BOWEN, EDWARD. - This is a name which was prominent in Marblehead and it is probable that the Edward Bowen here given was from that town. The orderly-book of Colonel Israel Hutchinson gives the name of Edward Bowen among the list of prisoners taken at Fort Washing­ton, under date of November 16, 1776. This Edward, who was in Captain Ezra Newhall's company, may have been the one who died "Coming from New York," January 13, 1777. If so, he was the son of Captain Edward and Elizabeth (Boden) Bowen, born in Marble­head, August 17, 1755.
[ 215 ]

     A further record which appears under this name in the state archives is that he was in Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, through June and July of 1775, and in Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment, same company, until October 27 of that year.

BOWDOIN, BENJAMIN, - This name, like that of "Bowen," was one which was common in Marblehead, the names "Francis" and "Benjamin" appearing frequently in different families of that town. There were Bowdens in Lynn before and during the Revolution, but thus far it has been impossible to connect them with any certainty with the Marble­head "Bowdens" from which they evidently came.

     Mr. Hallowell mentions in his narrative the death of a Lynn soldier named Bowdoin in the battle at Fort Washington. He says that the man belonged to another regiment. On a return of killd and missing in Glover's regiment, November 19, 1776, Benjamin Bowden was re­ported missing since September 16, 1776. He was probably the same man mentioned by Hallowell.

     Further service of Benjamin Bowden noted in the state archives is as follows: Certificate stating that said Bowden took the oath re­quired by Congress to be taken by the army dated Middlesex County, July 24, 1775; also private, Captain Lindsey's company, commanded by Lieutenant Daniel Galeucia, Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted July 28, 1775; service, three days; also Captain Eleazer Lindsey's Com­pany, Colonel Samuel Gerrish's regiment; order for advance pay dated Malden, August 3, 1775; also Captain Daniel Gallusha's company, Colonel Woodbridge's regiment; order for bounty coat or its equiva­lent in money dated Malden, December 22, 1775.

     Also list of men, who served at Concord battle and elsewhere, be­longing to Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus.

BOWDOIN, FRANCIS, - Concerning the Bowden family, see Benjamin Bowden above.

     Revolutionary service: Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also private, muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 3, 1775; service, three months, five days; also company return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Israel
[ 216 ]

 

Hutchinson's regiment (19th); order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. - Mass. Muster Rolls.
     List of men, who served as privates at Concord battle and elsewhere, belonging to Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus. - Mass. Muster Rolls.

BOYNTON, NATHANIEL, - Was probably not born in Lynn, for the name is not local. A Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel, of Rowley, was born there, July 27, 1750, and this may have been the member of the Saugus company whose name is given on the muster-roll as "Nathaniel Byan­ton." His only service in the war was at the beginning, when he marched with his neighbors to Menotomy. Mr. Benjamin F. Newhall has left an interesting sketch of him, in which he says: -
     "The farm of Nathaniel Boynton was south of Cliftondale. It was a famous farm in olden times, and was situated partly in Lynn and partly in Chelsea. The old farmhouse and barn were standing as late as 1860, being a little remote from the travelled highway to Boston, the highway having been changed. Formerly the road ran between the house and the barn. The situation of the old house was quite romantic, being on the north side of the road and south of a rocky ledge. It was also at the foot of the hill called for many years 'Boyn­ton's Hill.' This was the steepest hill between Boston and Salem, and was much dreaded by the drivers of heavy teams. Mr. Boynton was often called upon for an extra lift to encounter it, and Landlord Newhall often sent extra horses or oxen at the hour of the return of teams which were to stop at his house. Mr. Boynton was a good, in­dustrious farmer, but rather noted for a fault-finding disposition, hardly ever being satisfied with. what Providence bestowed. After his death the farm passed into the hands of his son, Ellis Boynton. Bride's Brook passes through the farm, and here George Washington was met on his way to the east in 1789."
     Mr. Boynton was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, April 6, 1779, to Mary Viall, of Saugus, and had the following children: Sally, Polly, Na­thaniel, Nathaniel, Lucy, Samuel, Ellis, and Elizabeth. He was sur­veyor of highways in 1781 and constable in 1785.
     Letters of administration were granted on his estate to his wife, Mary, April 7, 1821. The estate was appraised at $3,670. Mr. Boynton is buried in the old Saugus Centre ground, where a marble stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected in 1903.
[ 217 ]

BRAGG, JOSIAH, - private (the Josiah Brage of the muster-roll), was probably born in Reading and came to Lynnfield from that place in May, 1759, with wife, Rebecca, and children, Rebecca, Mercey, Mary, and Sarah. He first appears on the assessed list of the parish Decem­ber 16, 1760. No mention is again made of him in the records of the town or parish, except the death of several young children, the last being Jacob, who died August 21, 1775, aged nine.
     He served as a private at the Lexington alarm in Captain Bancroft's company. He enlisted, June 1, 1775, in Captain Eleazer Lindsey's company, Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment, serving two months on guard duty at Malden. He again enlisted, August 3, in Captain Lindsey's company, which had been transferred to Colonel Samuel Gerrish's regiment, and received advance pay at Malden on that date. Having enlisted for eight months, he received an order for a bounty coat at Malden, October 25, 1775. Private Bragg re­mained on duty until January 1, 1776, when his term of enlistment ex­pired. It is not known whether he continued in the Continental service. He was living in Lynnfield as late as 1800. In September, 1821, the Lynnfield church records note the death of "Widow Bragg, over eighty years."

BREED, AMOS, - private, was perhaps son of Ebenezer and Rebecca (Phil­lips) Breed, born in Lynn, November 4, 1739. The only service found is that of the 19th of April, 1775. He died August 19, 1821. It is well to note that this case is similar to many others which have been found, in that there were several of the same name in Lynn, and no record to show which one was entitled to the honor of being included in the Revolutionary rolls. The only one of likely age has here been mentioned.

BREED, AARON, - son of Amos and Ruth (Newhall) Breed, was born in Lynn, March 7, 1761, and died in Lynn, December 24, 1817. He was buried in the old tomb in the Western Burial Ground, but his remains were removed to Pine Grove Cemetery, where a stone and marker were erected in 1903. He was married by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, October 2, 1781, to Sarah Attwill, who was born in Lynn, June 24, 1764. She died December 26, 1804. Their children were Anna, Anna, Ruth, Sally, Aaron,
[ 218 ]

 

Lydia, Warner, Harriet, Abigail Burrill, Fullerton, Isaac, Isaac. He married, second, November 10, 1805, at Groton, Mrs. Mary (Kemp) Filebrown, born at Shelburne, March 17, 1776, Rev. Daniel Chaplin performing the ceremony. Children, Horace Anson, James Edwin, Harriet Almira, Hermione, and Lydia Maria. His widow, Mary, died April 30, 1841. The daughter Hermione became the wife of George Hood, the first mayor of Lynn. Aaron Breed lived near the corner of Pleasant and South Common Streets, and was a Quaker who fought in the Revolution.
     The Revolutionary record taken from the state archives is as follows:
     Private in Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel Johnson's regiment; enlisted August 21, 1777; discharged November 30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, three months, ten days at the north-­ward; also private, Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regiment; enlisted July 21, 1778; service, five months, fifteen days; discharged at East Greenwich, R.I.; enlistment to expire January 1, 1779; company raised in Essex and York Counties.

BREED, EPHRAIM, - son of Joseph and Susannah (Newhall) Breed, was of the fourth generation from Allen Breed, the emigrant ancestor of the Breed family. Mr. George W. Rogers, in one of his interesting remi­niscences published many years ago, gives the following sketch of Mr. Breed: -

     "Ephraim Breed, a lineal descendant of Allen Breed, who lived in what is now called Breed's End, was born in the year 1736 [May 26], and died in Lynn, April 3, 1812, aged seventy-six years. He was a remarkably strong man physically, and scarcely ever had a sick day in his life, up to the age of seventy. In person he was of medium height, but somewhat thick-set, and would weigh perhaps two hundred pounds. He was a smart man for any kind of work, and was always active. He did much town business, being town clerk from 1786 to 1804. He was often called upon to settle estates, to act as guardian for minor children, and to adjust difficulties among neighbors, where conflicting interests were at stake. He was also at that time the only surveyor in Lynn, except Henry Oliver, and, if any land in Breed's End was sold or ex­changed, he did the writing and made the deed.
[ 219 ]

     "Mr. Breed was a soldier of the Revolution, and was one of the gallant men who defended Lexington. In company with Harris Chadwell, a near neighbor, he started on the memorable 19th of April for the scene of action, and met the enemy on their return to Boston. Here from behind walls and fences he fired upon the British as they passed along, following them in their retreat. Mr. Chadwell was with him while the skirmish lasted. They remained until the enemy had left and then surveyed the field of battle. [Here they found the wounded soldier of whom mention is made under the sketch of Mr. Chadwell.]
     "A genial companion was Ephraim Breed. He loved a story and a joke, and was a good story-teller himself. Many were the quips he in­dulged in at the expense of his associates, but he was so good-natured about it that he seldom gave offence."
     The late Cyrus Houghton, who remembered Mr. Breed well, gave the following estimate of his character: "Although rather rough in his ex­terior, he had one of the kindest of hearts. He kept men about him and at work for him that nobody else would have or could get along with. But he knew well how to manage them. He would humor their pecu­liarities and control them without their knowing it, or, if necessary, by a stern command. In this way, by unbending himself at times and asserting his authority at others, he was not only master of his men, but popular with them."
     Ephraim Breed was married November 14, 1762, by Rev. Joseph Roby, to Susannah, daughter of Robert and Mary Mansfield, born October 15, 1735. Susanah died September 22, 1806, at the age of seventy-one. He married, second, her sister Martha, widow of William Newhall, born March 27, 1753. She died April 10, 1822. He was a large land-owner and a rich man for those days. The old Breed house on South Street, which was his home, still stands on land which was deeded to Joseph and Samuel Breed in 1694. The house was built soon after that date, and was inherited by Ephraim. The inventory of his estate shows "a mansion house with about three acres of land under and adjoining, lying on the north side the way leading through the cow-­yard by the barn; also a pasture called Pine Hill, containing 100 acres; Dungeon Pasture, Fresh Marsh, over 400 acres."

BREED, FREDERIC, - son of Allen and Huldah (Newhall) Breed, was born in Lynn, August 20, 1755. He was descended from Allen Breed and
[ 220 ]

 

Thomas Newhall, two of the earliest settlers of Lynn. On the receipt of the news of the march of the British to Concord, although but a boy of nineteen, he went with Captain Farrington's company, and did duty with his neighbors.
     He was married May 25, 1775, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Hepzibah Cox, daughter of Thomas and Abigail Cox, born May 10, 1755. He enlisted May 9, 1775, in Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, and was commissioned ensign on June 7 following. His regiment was in camp at Winter Hill and vicinity until the battle of Bunker Hill, when it was ordered into action. Owing to a misun­derstanding, it did not participate in the conflict. Ensign Breed remained with his regiment during the fall and early winter, after it had passed from the command of Colonel Mansfield to that of Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson. His term of enlistment ex­piring January 1, 1776, he again enlisted, and was promptly com­missioned as second-lieutenant by the Continental Congress. His commission, produced herewith, is on file at the Pension Office, Wash­ington, where he placed it in his later years as evidence of his service. The bold handwriting of John Hancock is as bright upon it to-day as it was when it was affixed one hundred and twenty-six years ago. Lieutenant Breed was assigned to the company of Captain Ezra New­hall, of Lynn, and was present during the siege of Boston, entering the town upon its evacuation by the British. During the following summer Captain Newhall's company marched to New York, arriving in time to participate in the engagements around that city. After the battles of Fort Washington and Fort Lee he retreated across the Hud­son with the army of Washington, and continued in the march across New Jersey. He was present and took part in the battle of Trenton, December 25 and 26, after which he marched to Philadelphia. There he was discharged on January 1, 1777, and made his way home to Lynn, after a campaign full of privation and suffering.
     His wife Hepzibah died May 25, 1779, leaving one daughter, Betsey. He was married, second, April 13, 1780, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Sarah Mansfield, daughter of Robert and Mary (Rann) Mansfield, born June 25, 1746. Their children were Joseph, Frederick, William, 
[ 221 ]

 

Mary, Sally, and Allen. Some time after the war he acquired the estate located at the corner of Cedar and Boston Streets, and in the house still standing his children by his second wife were born. He was a constable in 1782, and served as moderator in 1796. Although not a lawyer, Lieutenant Breed undertook a great deal of the legal work for his neighbors, and his name appears with great frequency in the settlement of estates, transfers of property, and making of wills. He was commissioned justice of the peace by Governor Caleb Strong August 13, 1802, and again by Governor Christopher Gore, July 5, 1809. For a considerable time he was trial justice for the town, and held court in one of the upper chambers of his residence. His wife, Sarah, died August 23, 1803, and he married, third, January 10, 1805, Mary Richardson, daughter of William and Martha (Townsend) Rich­ardson, born February 18, 1762. During his latter days Lieutenant Breed became somewhat reduced in circumstances, and applied to the government for the small pension then being granted to the survivors of the Revolution. His claim, under the act of 1818, was allowed on April 11 of that year, at the rate of twenty dollars per month. On May 1, 1820, his name was stricken from the pension rolls, together with the names of many others who were thought to be not entirely without means of support. His health, however, had been rapidly failing, and he died June 17, 1820, at the age of sixty-five. His wife, Mary, died October 19, 1820, and they were interred in one of the private tombs formerly situated along the easterly side of the old Western Burial Ground. In 1895 these tombs were removed, and the remains transferred to Pine Grove Cemetery. Here in a common lot, surrounded by six of his comrades in arms, he now rests. In 1904 a marble gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed at his grave.

BREED, JOEL, - son of Theophilus and Mary (Newhall) Breed, was born January 28, 1755, and died January 12, 1825. No marriage is found recorded. The probate records give the fact that he was a yeoman and that his estate was left to his sister Martha.
     Revolutionary record: Private, Cap­tain Rufus Mansfield's (4th) company, which marched on the alarm of April 19,1775, toward Concord; service, two days; also Captain Nathan Sargent's company of guards; enlisted
[ 222 ]


February 12, 1779; discharged May 12, 1779; service, three months at and about Boston, under General Gates  - Mass. Rolls.

BREED, JOSEPH, - This name is common in the Lynn records, and there are two Joseph Breeds, either one of whom might have been the Joseph who responded to the Rhode Island alarm in 1777. It would seem that the less likely of the two was the son of Joseph and Susannah (Newhall) Breed, born January 1, 1731-32, and who would have been forty-five or six years of age at that time, had he lived. This Joseph was married to his cousin, Ruth Breed, daughter of Matthew and Mary, January 26, 1758.
It is possible, however, if not entirely probable, that this was the "Joseph, son of Joseph," whose burial is recorded in the Lynn records as taking place J uly 29, 1762. This seems plausible from the fact that the births of only three children are recorded.

     The other Joseph was the son of Theophilus and Mary (Newhall) Breed, and was born April 30, 1763. He was a brother of Joel, above noted. This Joseph was only fourteen years old at the time of the Rhode Island alarm, yet it was not unusual for boys of that age to go into the war. He died in Lynn, August 4, 1816, at the age of fifty­three years, and, like his brother Joel, unmarried, as it would appear, since the probate records give the fact that all his property was left to his brother Joel.

     The Revolutionary record as given in the Massachusetts Rolls is as fol­lows: Private, Captain Joseph Hiller's company, Colonel Jonathan Tit­comb's regiment; arrived at camp May 5, 1777; discharged July 5,1777; service, two months, five days at Rhode Island; roll dated Providence.

BREED, JOSIAH, - son of John and Lydia (Gott) Breed, was born December 16, 1731. He was a cordwainer and lived in Lynn. He married, first, Mary Breed, December 18, 1755; and she died May 7, 1767, aged thirty-three. He married, second, Hannah Batchelder, June 30, 1768. His death occurred December 12, 1790, at the age of fifty-eight. His wife, Hannah, survived him, "and was distracted in her mind from the time of his death to her own decease which occurred August 16, 1805, at the age of seventy-six." He had the following children, born in Lynn: Mehitable, Allen, Nathaniel, Charles, Joseph, and Mary. He is buried in a marked grave in the old Western Burial Ground.
[ 223 ]

 
     Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Rufus Putnam's (4lh) company, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Concord, service two days; reported taken prisoner and confined thirty-three days; lost his arms and equipments; also list of men who received money from public treasury for losses at battles of Lexinglon and Bunker Hill; allowed in Council, June 13, 1776. - Mass. Rolls.
     In the orderly-book of headquarters, Cambridge, April 23, 1775, we find this entry: "Reported that Josiah Breed is a prisoner at Boston and desired that if there could be an exchange of prisoners, he may be remembered."

     Frothingham, in his Siege of Boston , after recounting the loss of the British, says: "Lieutenant Hall, wounded at Concord Bridge, was taken prisoner on retreat and died the next day. Lieutenant Gould was wounded at the Bridge and taken prisoner, and exchanged May 28, for Josiah Breed, of Lynn." In all the published accounts of the battle of Lexington five men are reported missing, four besides Mr. Breed. On the 6th of June an exchange of prisoners took place in Charlestown, between twelve and one o'clock, according to the Essex Gazette. Dr. Joseph Warren and General Israel Putnam represented in part the Americans, and Major Moncrief the British. The prisoners were sent ashore from the Lively, and among the nine who were presented were Samuel Frost and Seth Russell, of Cambridge; Joseph Bell, of Danvers; Elijah Seaver, of Roxbury; and Josiah Breed, of Lynn, - making the five on the American side. It will thus be seen that Mr. Breed was one of the first prisoners taken in the Revolution, was confined on one of the principal British ships, and was exchanged for an officer of the British army.

BREDEEN, SAMUEL, - son of Samuel and Sarah (Narremore) Bredeen, was born in Malden, January 19, 1744, came to Lynn in October, 1765, and was warned out December 18, 1765. He died March 9, 1810, aged sixty-five, and is buried in the old Saugus Centre ground. The only Revolutionary service found is that given in the state archives, as follows:­ Private, Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel Johnson's regiment; enlisted August 19, 1777, discharged November 30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, 3 months, 12 days, at the northward.
[ 224 ]

 

BROWN, BENJAMIN, - son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown and brother of Ephraim, Rufus, Ezra, and Jonathan, all soldiers, was born Novem­ber 17, 1757; died in Malden, March 15, 1833, at the age of seventy­-fiye. Revolutionary service: In Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment (19th); order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also private, company return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment (19th); order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money, dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775; also return of men mustered by John Cushing, muster-master for Essex County, to join Continental Army for the term of nine months, dated Boxford, December 8, 1779. - Mass. Muster Rolls.

BROWN, EBENEZER, - born in Reading, Mass., February 12, 1757, and mar­ried probably Ruth Boden, of Marblehead, February 21, 1782. Little is known of him except his service as a soldier, which he made oath to at the time of his applying for a pension, July 4, 1833. This is here given very nearly in the words found in the Pension Office records: -

     "On April 18, 1775, I belonged to a company of militia and minute­men commanded by John Brooks, of Reading, and in the evening of said day his company with other companies was ordered to march to Concord, and on the next morning, being the 19th of April, in their march for Concord, they being then in Menotomy we took a number of wagons belonging to the British forces, laden with stores and muni­tions of war to supply British forces on their retreat back to Boston. We captured the wagons and made prisoners of the men who drove them. I was appointed one of the guards to march with the prisoners to Medford, and they were delivered to the lawful authority to secure them, after which we again returned to Menotomy and assisted in taking care of the dead, slain by the British forces on their retreat to ­Boston. We then with the other guards and a promiscuous company of Americans pursued after the British forces until they reached Charles­town, after which a part of the company marched to Medford and there encamped for the night. The next morning the company com­manded by Capt. Brooks, to which I belonged, marched to Cam­bridge, and there continued doing duty until about the first of May,
[ 225 ]

and was then discharged. On the 2d of May enlisted in Capt. Ezra Newhall's company, in Col. John Mansfield's regiment then at Cam­bridge, and there did duty under command of General Ward, until some time in June following, when General Washington came to take command of the American Army. We continued to do duty from time to time at Cambridge until December 31, 1775, when I was dis­charged. On July 1, 1777, I enlisted as drummer in a company com­manded by Capt. Thomas Townsend, of Lynn, for a term of four months, and the company marched to Boston, and was quartered on Fort Hill, doing duty in guarding stores placed on Boston Common, until Nov. 1, 1777, when discharged. Nov. 3, 1777, again enlisted, this time as substitute for Vivian Bly, of Salem, as drummer, for three months in Capt. Miles Greenwood's company, Col. Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards. We were stationed at Winter Hill over the Hessian troops, part of the army commanded by General Burgoyne, and served until time expired, On Feb. 3, 1778, again enlisted in same company and did duty as drummer until April 3, 1778."

     Jonathan Upton made oath that he was with Brown, and Bowman Viles, of Lynnfield, confirmed the same. This affidavit was sworn to July 4, 1833, and pension was allowed from March 4, 1831, at the rate of $62.40 per year, with $156 back pay.

BROWN, EPHRAIM, - son of Ephraim and Anna (Twist or Twiss) Brown, was born in Saugus, June 19, 1743, and with his brothers Jonathan and Ezra served at the Lexington alarm. His brother Rufus was also a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company at the same time. Ephraim and his father had both been in the service of the king in the French and Indian War. Ephraim, Sr., appears on a billeting roll of Captain Parker's company, Colonel Nicholl's regiment, in 1758. Ephraim, Jr., enlisted in His
Majesty's service February 19, 1760, for the total reduction of Canada. His father at this time was in Captain Thomas Cheever's company, Colonel Fry's regiment, and served to November 2, 1760; service in Nova Scotia. Ephraim, Jr., was enlisted by Samuel Berry, and mus­tered at Salem, May 19, 1760, by Ichabod Plaisted, commissary of muster. He served until December 7, when he was allowed one hundred
[ 226 ]

 

and five miles of travel and discharged. He enlisted again April 27, 1762, as a private in the company of Captain Jonathan Carver, and con­tinued in service at Crown Point during most of the time until the close of the war, in 1763. He was therefore well prepared to meet the British with Captain David Parker's company, which went out on the morning of April 19, 1775. Although later service in the Revolu­tion does not appear on the records, it is not improbable that he took some further part.
     He married Mrs. Sally Inguls May 23, 1790, and they had children, Sarah, John, and Lydia. His home, at one time at least, was the house now occupied by William H. Penney, and known as the "Stephen Hall Farm." The house is at the junction of Essex Street and the Newburyport turnpike, Saugus. It has been supplied with a new roof and windows, and other modern improvements, which have com­pletely disguised the home of the Revolutionary period. The date and place of his death is unknown.

BROWN, EZRA, - son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss or Twist) Brown, was born in Saugus in the old Stephen Hall house, November 2, 1750, and was a brother of Benjamin, Rufus, Ephraim, and Jonathan, all of whom were in the Revolutionary War. It was long before the Revo­lution that his father bought the old farm in Saugus later known as the Stephen Hall place, where he and his children lived during the war, and where Ezra afterward lived and reared a large family. It was Mr. Hall, the occupant of 1860, who modernized the house in every way.
     Ezra Brown was married by Rev. Mr. Roby November 25, 1779, to Jane Stocker, daughter of John and Ruth (Breed) Stocker, born May 14, 1758, and had children, Martha, Ruth, Sarah, Ezra, Marshall, Theodate, Ebenezer, James, Rebecca, and Rachel. All of these chil­dren were born before 1800. Marshall and Theodate were twins. Martha married Nathan Mudge; Ruth married Benjamin Williams; Sarah, John Mudge, who changed his name to Parker Mudge; Rebecca, Jacob Ingalls; Rachel, James Parrott; Theodate, Micajah C. Pratt; Ebenezer, Eliza Ireson; James, Rebecca Stone. The mother, Jane Stocker, died March 25, 1805. He was married, second, October 8, 1807, by Rev. Mr. Frothingham, to Mary Mansfield, daughter of Thomas
[ 227 ]

 

and Mary (Hawkes) Mansfield, born June 4, 1763, and who died his widow September 6, 1849, aged eighty-six.

     Ezra Brown responded quickly to the morning call of the 10th of April, and with his brothers, Ephraim and Jonathan, went with Cap­tain Parker's company to Menotomy. On May 4, 1775, he enlisted as a drummer in Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment (the 19th), receiving advance pay at Cambridge, June 8. He was present at Cobble Hill during the battle of Bunker Hill, but the company did not go into action. He went into camp at Winter Hill during the fall, and on November 4 received the customary order for a bounty coat or its equivalent in money for having enlisted for eight months' service. He served through the siege of Boston, suffering much hardship during the bleak winter in camp. His serrice through the Revolution beyond this point is not recorded. He was a farmer, and an honest, upright, and industrious citizen. The sons and daughters of his large family were drawn by marriage from the western borders of the town to the eastern section where their descendants still remain prominent in many walks of life. After the war he was Commissioned quartermaster of the 5th regiment, 1st brigade, 2d division, Massachusetts militia, and the commission, signed by John Hancock, November 10, 1788, is in possession of his grandson, Mr. Charles A. Brown, of Lynn. He died in Saugus, February 19, 1829, aged seventy-­eight, greatly esteemed for his honesty and integrity. His will on file in the probate records indicates that he was one of the well-to-do men of those times. He is buried in the old ground at Saugus Centre beside his wife, Mary. The inscription on his gravestone is a worthy tribute: -

     "This monument is inscribed to the memory of a beloved father.

               He proved what virtue was and now his Lord
               Has shown to him how well he can reward."

     The graves are marked by slate stones, and were restored by his grandson in 1903. A marker of the S. A. R. was placed on the spot, also in 1903.

BROWN, JAMES, - private, son of Jonathan and Mebitable, Was born in Reading, January 28, 1743. His only service appears to have been with Captain Bancroft's company, April 19, 1775.
[ 228 ]

     He first married Lydia Nichols, of Reading, born 1748, died in Lynnfield, October 2, 1786. He was married, second, by Rev. Joseph Mottey, July 12, 1787, to Susannah Wellman, daughter of Stephen and Susannah Wellman, sister of Jesse and Thomas Wellman. He died in Lynn­field, January 5, 1815, and is buried in the old cemetery at Lynnfield Centre. His grave and that of his wife Lydia are marked by grave­stones. A bronze marker of the S. A. R. was placed there in 1904.

BROWN, JOHN, - was probably the son of Nathaniel and Ginger Brown, of Danvers, born April 16, 1758. Descriptive list of men raised to reinforce the Continental Army, resolve June 5, 1780; age, twenty-­three; height, 5 ft., 9 in.; complexion, fresh; arrived at Springfield July 13, 1780; also list of men raised for the six months' service and re­turned as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway, October 25, 1780; also list of men raised, resolve December 2, 1780; enlisted April 5, 1781; three years; residence, Lynn; also private, Captain John Pray's company, Colonel Joseph Vose's 1st regiment; muster-roll for May, 1781, dated West Point; also rolls for June and July, 1781, dated Phillipsburgh; also rolls for August and September, 1781, October and November, 1781, January and February, 1782, dated York Hutts. -Mass. Rolls.
     Letters of administration were filed May 15, 1815, on the estate of John Brown, of Lynnfield. Notice of the same was to be posted at Ebenezer Parsons's Tavern. This is the only John Brown shown on the probate records.

BROWN, JONATHAN, - private, son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown, was born in Saugus, September 22, 1755. With his brothers, Ephraim and Ezra, he marched with Captain David Parker's company to Menot­omy, and was in the "Runaway fight with the Regulars." In 1776 he removed to Salem, where he soon after married. He enlisted in February, 1776, in Captain Benjamin Epes's company, Colonel Smith's regiment, and served until Boston was evacuated by the British, entering the town with his company. In the fall of that year he served as sergeant in Captain John Pool's company, Colonel Cogswell's regiment. In the
[ 229 ]


summer of 1778 he enlisted as a sergeant in Captain Nathan Sargent's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards. Upon the arrival at Cambridge of General Burgoyne with his army of prisoners, his company, did guard duty over them for six months. He again en­tered the service January 26, 1779, as second lieutenant of the same company, and served until May 7, doing duty under Major-General Gates around Boston. In 1780 he enlisted in Captain Stephen Webb's company, and served eighteen months in a fort near Salem. His name was borne on the rolls of the Continental Army as late as October 28, 1783, when he appears on a pay warrant of Captain Webb's company.

     On August 2, 1832, he appeared and made a deposition in regard to his service, in order that a small pension might be granted him. His old comrades, Abner Cheever, Thomas Florence, Micajah Newhall, Harris Chadwell, and Amos Boardman, had previously made oath that they had served with him in the war. As further evidence of his service, he filed his commission as second lieutenant in Captain Nathan Sargent's company, issued to him January 26, 1779, by the council. This commission and the depositions are on file in the archives of the Pension Office at Washington. Before his claim was acted upon, however, he died, August 29, 1832, at the age of seventy-six. After his death his widow, Sarah, was pensioned at the rate of $123.33 per year, and received $617.81 back pay. She died July 27, 1845, in Salem, leaving two children, Ephraim and Jonathan, to whom the accrued pension was paid. Jonathan Brown, Sr., was probably buried in Salem, but the spot is unknown.

BROWN, JOSHUA, - was a private in Captain Bancroft's Lynnfield com­pany, but nothing whatever is known of him.

BROWN, RUFUS, - was son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown, born Sep­tember 5, 1744, and brother to Ephraim, Ezra, Jonathan, and Benjamin. He was published to Lydia, daughter of Ezra Burrill, September 9, 1764, married January 19, 1765. He was a cordwainer, and, according to a deed given in 1784, was at that time "of Boston."

     His Revolutionary record is as follows: Private, Captain Ezra New­hall's company of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, fourteen days; also Captain Newhall's company,
[ 230 ]

Colonel John Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 3, 1775; service, three months, five days; also private, Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel Johnson's regi­ment; enlisted August 14, 1777; discharged November 30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, three months, seventeen days, at the northward; also Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regi­ment of guards; service from April 2, 1778, to July 3, 1778; roll dated Camp at Winter Hill; also Captain Samuel Huse's company, Colonel Gerrish's regiment of guards; enlisted July 19, 1778, discharged December 14, 1778; service, four months, twenty-seven days; also Captain Jeremiah Putnam's company, Colonel Nathan Tyler's regi­ment, enlisted July 15, 1779; service to December 1, 1779, four months and sixteen days, at Rhode Island; also same company and regiment, pay-roll for December, 1779; service, one month five days at Rhode Island. - Mass. Rolls.

BROWN, SAMUEL. - A Samuel, son of Joseph and Easter, born July 13, 1752, may have been this man, but it is not certain. He was paid a bounty of $24 by Lynn, June 26, 1777. The Revolutionary service as given is as follows: Return of men enlisted into the Continental Army from the 1st Essex County regiment dated February 16, 1778; residence, Lynn; enlisted for the town of Lynn; joined Captain Joseph Williams's company, Colonel John Greaton's regiment (2d), enlistment three years; reported mustered by Nathaniel Barber, muster-master; also private Captain Williams's company, Colonel Greaton's regi­ment (3d); Continental Army pay accounts for service from June 26, 1777, to December 31, 1780; also descriptive list of enlisted men dated West Point, January 25, 1781; Colonel Greaton's (3d) regi­ment; age, twenty-four years; stature, 5 ft. 6 in.; complexion, dark; eyes, brown; residence, Lynn; enlisted January 1, 1777, by Lieutenant Tuttle; enlistment during the war. - Mass. Rolls.

BRUCE, LEWIS, - not accredited to Lynn, but was a resident of Lynn after the war. He lived after the death of Jedediah Newhall in the latter's house on Boston Street, and ran the mill on Waterhill Street for a time. He was born in 1762, and died in Lynn, July 2, 1828, at the age of sixty-­six years. The Lynn Mirror at that time stated that he was one of the six Revolutionary pensioners of Lynn. He is buried in the old Eastern
[ 231 ]


Ground, beside his wife, Hannah, who died March 10, 1836. The graves are marked.

BRYANT, JONATHAN, - was probably of Saugus, born September 22, 1755, and died August 29, 1832. Nothing is known of him.
     Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Ezra Newhall's company. Colonel John Mansfield's regiment (19th), company dated October 6, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchin­son's regiment (19th), order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. - Mass. Rolls.

BURCHSTED, BENJAMIN BRAME, - private, son of Dr. Henry and Mrs. Anna (Brame) Alden Burchsted, was born in Lynn, March 6, 1733-34. His father, Dr. Henry Burchsted, born 1690, was well known as a physician, and his grandfather, Dr. John Henry Burchsted, of Silesia, born 1657, was one of the famous men of his day. The latter died Septem­ber 20, 1721, and his conspicuous gravestone in the old Western Burial Ground, with its quaint and lengthy inscription, has attracted the atten­tion of the curious for nearly two hundred years. The mother of Ben­jamin Brame Burchsted was the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Clemy) Brame, born in Boston. Her first husband was John Alden, great-grandson of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, of Plymouth.

     Like his ancestors for two generations, Benjamin Brame Burchsted studied medicine. He entered upon its practice in Lynn, making his horne on Boston Street between the present Wyman and Flint Streets. The house, one of the most ancient in Lynn, was demolished in 1857. He was married April 3, 1760, by Rev. Andrew Elliott, of Boston, to Elizabeth Skilling, of that place, daughter of Simeon and Ruth (Phil­lips) Skilling, born January 27, 1739. His children were Elizabeth, Anna, Henry, James Tyler, Ruth, Sarah, Sarah, Mary, Lucy, Benjamin Brame, Joanna, and Hepzibah. Although one of the dignitaries of the little town, he was enrolled as a member of Captain Farrington's com­pany of minute-men, and marched with his neighbors on the morning of April 19, 1775, drawing two days' pay therefor. He saw no further military service, but continued the practice of his profession during the war. At that time the small-pox was very prevalent in Lynn and Boston, and small companies often retired to convenient places, that they might undergo the disease in a light form. In 1777 a company of nineteen men of Lynn went to Marblehead for that purpose, and
[ 232 ]

 

Dr. Burchsted acted as their physician. A note in Richard Pratt's "Commonplace-Book" indicates that they all came home well, each bearing the following certificate: "M'head, June 4th, 1777. By virtue of this certificate, permit the within mention'd person, after being smok'd, to pass ye guards. John Gerry."
     Dr. Burchsted's farm comprised all the land now occupied by Flint and Wyman Streets, and extended back to Walnut Street, in all about twenty acres. His grandson was Benjamin Burchsted Johnson, father of Edwin H. Johnson, so well remembered by the present generation. Dr. Burchsted lived but a short time after the Revolution, his death occurring in the summer of 1785. His will was filed for probate Septem­ber 6, 1785, at which time his wife, Elizabeth, appears to have been incapacitated from serving as administratrix. Colonel John Mansfield, Colonel John Flagg, and Samuel Burrill were appointed appraisers, and according to the custom of the day made an exact minute of every­thing found in the estate. Thus they listed among other things "2 cupping glasses, 1 shilling; 4 dozen bottles, 8 shillings; 1 1/2 dozen vials, 1 shilling 8 pence; mortar and pestle 3 shillings." He is buried among his ancestors in the old Western Burial Ground, where a marble grave­stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected to his memory in 1904.

BURCHSTEAD, HENRY, - son of Dr. Henry and Anna Potter, was born Feb­ruary 23, 1742; married by Rev. John Treadwell, May 8, 1766, to Elizabeth Newhall, who was born December 22, 1741. The estate on Boston Street, known as the "Busted Johnson" place, from its owner Benjamin Burchstead Johnson, was formerly owned and occupied by Henry Burchstead, a shoemaker, who bought it in 1770 from the last of the Potters who had held it since 1630. In 1819 he settled the place upon his nephew, Benjamin Burchstead Johnson, who was to care for him while he lived. The old house was one of the most ancient in Lynn, a lean-to, which was torn down in 1857. Henry Burchstead died Thursday, November 20, 1823, at the age of eighty-one years and eight months. His wife Elizabeth died Saturday, September 18, 1819, aged seventy-seven years and nine months. Their children were Fred­erick, Henry, and Anna.
[ 233 ]

 
     The only Revolutionary service known of Henry Burchstead is that which he gave on the 19th of April, 1775, when he marched on the alarm to Concord in Captain Rufus Mansfield's (4th) Lynn company.

BURNHAM, JOSHUA, - son of Dr. Joshua and Anna (Poole) Burnham, was born April 29, 1757, and died at his daughter's in Wakefield, February 11, 1840. He is buried in an unmarked grave in the old burying-ground of that place. His wife was Lois Bryant, and he lived at one time upon the place afterward owned and occupied by Thomas E. Cox, who was his son-in-law. His wife died February 21, 1824, at the age of eighty-­five. They had seven children.

     Joshua Burnham was a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service, seventeen days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's (19th) regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775, enlisted May 6, 1775; service, three months and two days; also company return dated October 6, 1775.

BURNHAM, TIMOTHY, - son of Dr. Joshua and Susannah (Poole) Burnham, was born in 1755. He was married by Rev. Joseph Roby to Kate Sher­man, daughter of Nathaniel and Susannah Sherman, February 27, 1762. Nothing further is known of him.

     Revolutionary record: Private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service, fifteen days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mans­field's regiment, order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's (19th) regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 4, 1775; service, three months, four days; also company return dated October 6, 1775; order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, Nov­ember 4, 1775. - Mass. Rolls.
[ 234 ]

This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my permission. © 2006-2007 Copyright by Shaun Cook