Independence Day

It has been a busy spring and summer with very little time for genealogy research or blogging.  I'm sure when fall weather arrives, I will start having time for research again.  Until then, I will post when I can, but suspect I won't do too much blogging for the next couple of months.

Today I wanted to do a post that ties in to Independence Day, the 4th of July.  Here is a list of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.    So far, I have not found any links in my research to any of these people, but it wouldn't surprise me to eventually discover a connection to one of my husband's lines since he has numerous ties to early American families and early settlements.  For example, Charles Carroll is in my database because of his links to the Young family of Prince Georges Co., Maryland.  My husband is related to that Young family through William Young, however I haven't found a direct connection to Charles Carroll. 

My lines, however, mostly end in brick walls long after the American Revolution.

Have you seen the new Ancestry ad about descendants of the Signers?  It is excellent.  Here is a link to a story about it with a link to play the ad:  Declaration Descendants. 

I have several lines that might lead me to Revolutionary era ancestors, but I haven't thoroughly researched them yet.  For example, I descend from Jeremiah Fielding Owens and his wife, Jane Kenton.  Jane's brother, Simon Kenton, fought in the Revolution and was a frontiersman and friend of Daniel Boone.  I suspect that further research into my 'brick wall lines' will uncover additional links to the cause for American Independence.

There are however, a number of Revolutionary War soldiers in my database.  Here are a few:

Captain John Metcalfe, born 1724 in Fauquier Co., Virginia.  Son of John Metcalfe and Diana Watkins.  Married Sabrina Farrar (1st), Mary O'Bryan (2nd), and Sarah Rhoda Dent (3rd).  He was the father of Thomas P. Metcalfe, U.S. Senator and Governor of Kentucky.  Captain Metcalfe was my 7th great grandfather.

Meshack or Mesheche Pierson, born in 1754 in Virginia, was one of a set of triplets who all fought in the Revolution.  I wrote a bit about the triplets and linked to other information about them HERE.  Pierson was my 6th great grandfather.

On my husband's side there are multiple ancestors who fought in the Revolution.  There is his 4th great grandfather, George Jacob Shireman, who was born about 1761 in Culpepper Co., Virginia.  He served in the Revolutionary War until about 1782 and applied for a pension in 1835.

Thomas Darnel Stevens, my husband's 5th great grandfather, may be the same Thomas Stevens who fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant in October 1774.  I need to do more research to try and confirm that they are the same person.  I did a post about Thomas Stevens that can be found HERE.

I wrote about David Jenners HERE.  Another 5th great grandfather of my husband, David is one mystery I would dearly love to solve.  He served in the Revolution from Concord, Massachusetts as a sergeant in Captain Adam Wheeler's company, but was listed as deserted in August 1780.  I have yet to discover what happened to him.  A guardian was named for his son, Abiel, in 1789 and his wife remarried in 1792.

Joseph Buttrick, born 1724 in Concord, Massachusetts, served as a private in the Revolution and fought in the Battle of Concord.  He married Sarah Brown.  His daughter, Sarah Buttrick married David Jenners, listed above.  Joseph was my husband's 6th great grandfather.

William Young of Maryland (son of William Young and Eleanor Birkhead) who married Ruth Ann Jackson before 1773 was my husband's 5th great grandfather.  While I have not yet found Revolutionary War records for William, I have discovered that he, his brother Abraham, and his sister Elizabeth owned much of the land that now is Washington, D.C.  There are records from 1791 of William and his brother negotiating with George Washington for their lands being incorporated into the new District of Columbia.

Jonathan Taylor of Rockland Co., New York, born 1746 and died 1831, served in the Revolutionary War as a private in the Orange Co. Militia, Second Regiment.  Some research indicates that his son, Aaron Taylor, also served in the Revolution, but if Aaron was truly born in 1766, he would have been very young to have served.  Jonathan was my husband's 5th great grandfather and Aaron was his 4th great grandfather.

Garret Ackerson (also found as Gerrit Eckerson) was born in 1743 in Rockland Co., New York, the son of Jan C. Eckerson and Geesje Straatmaker.  He served as a captain in Colonel Hay's regiment of the New York Militia during the Revolution.  He died in 1811.  He was my husband's 5th great grandfather.

John Kimberlin, 1751-1835, served as a Second Lieutenant in the Second Battalion, Bedford Co., Pennsylvania.  He was another 5th great grandfather of my husband.  He married Ruth Jones in 1777.

Robert Brinton, 1758-1838, also served in the Revolution from Pennsylvania.  I have not done much research on him.  He is my husband's 5th great grandfather.  His daughter, Ursula, married Daniel David Kimberlin, son of John Kimberlin above.

Joseph B. Mann, who died in August 1791, was a private during the Revolution and served from Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.  He married Sarah Rogers.  Another 5th great grandfather of my husband.

Elias Stilwell, 1754-1828, was the 5th great grandfather of my children.  He was a captain in the 3rd Connecticut Regiment of Foot, and served from October 1776 to December 1780.

I'm sure as I do more research that I will find other Revolutionary ancestors.

Happy July 4th!