Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Happy Fourth of July

Photo by Salt Water New England
One way to connect to historical events is to learn more about one's family members who participated in them. 

Some of our direct ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War:
Obadiah Scott
Timothy Brandreth
Abel Corson
Joseph Neal
James Perkins
Samuel Neal
Jeremiah Smith
Abraham Batchelder
Jonathan Locke
Edward Eastman
Daniel Bean
Joel Judkins 

23 comments:

  1. One of my namesakes and descendant through my maternal grandfather, David Williams, was one of the three men who captured Major John Andre with the plans to West Point in 1780. Andre, of course, was given the plans by Benedict Arnold. The three men, Williams, John Paulding and Isaac Van Wart, were the first American soldiers to be decorated with an award, the Fidelity Medallion.

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  2. And to you as well! Thanks so very much for all you do for us! Cheers!

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  3. How I miss the 4th in New England! Flags abound! Not nearly so many here in the West.
    A Glorious 4th to all!
    Suzanne in Boulder

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  4. As I prepare for the Fourth I plan to strike the colors at dawn and lower them at sunset. The sentiments of the day are precious, as are the many and varied traditions. It is the most forgiving holiday, allowing everyone to dress as comfortably as they wish, eat things that on other days might be viewed as junk food, and not worry about gifts, making it home for the family, or much else. People who enjoy clam bakes and whoopie pies will, if stranded in Texas, be just as happy with brisket smoked for fourteen hours over post oak. Pretty cool!

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    1. Reminded me of a friend from my Navy days. He’d delayed his enlistment because, “Nobody would ever miss the 4th on Padre Island!”

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  5. God bless America and all her veterans!

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  6. Hello Muffy and Happy Independence Day. I am still uncovering the details of my Huguenot ancestry but I know the following ancestors fought for independence:

    Brig. Gen. Lewis DuBois
    Philip DuBois Bevier
    Hendricus DuBois
    Lewis DuBois of New Jersey (with Gen. Washington at Valley Forge)

    Best,
    DMD

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  7. Wonderful! A listing of revolutionary war ancestry in celebration of the holiday! We have Felts, Smiths and Maxons (also spelled Maxson) in our revolutionary war tree. Happy belated 4th!

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  8. Happy 4th! Grateful to my revolutionary war ancestors and of others ancestors on this day.

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    1. Ditto. Plus, all present day Americans who believe in keeping our Democracy alive.

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  9. That’s a very nice lineup. He wasn’t still around for the War but Peter Bulkeley, was our family’s earliest North American ancestor, He was the first minister in Concord. Later branches went on to settle Colchester and Southport Conn.
    To a woman, and a man (!), they were staunch Congregationalists. They would’ve shed a tear over what happened in Spencer Mass recently. Then they would have started right away on the re/building. C’est la vie.

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  10. As a proud Highland Scot, Clan Fraser, thought I would look up our ancestors' participation in the Revolutionary War. Oops, wrong side!

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  11. It's a good time to read McCullough's "1776"!

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  12. Happy 4th !..reading 'The Revolutionary Sam Adams' by Stacy Schiff today!

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  13. The patriarch of Batchelder (also: "Bachiler") family, Stephen (c1560 - c1660), was an interesting character -- graduate of Oxford University (matriculated in 1581), ordained CoE clergy, early settler of MA, colorful, energetic, heretical, kind, lustful (according to Governor Winthrop), married a twenty-five-year-old when he was ninety (third or fourth marriage), and so on. I am descended from Stephen, so I presume that you, Muffy, and I are cousins (maybe "removed" ten or fifteen times!).

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    1. I should add that Stephen's 25 YO wife became the prototype, many years later, for Hester Prynne in Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter"; Stephen however, was not resurected as Rev Dimsdale.

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    2. Stephen is my 10th great grandfather. I descend from Theodate, his daughter, and Christopher Hussey.

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  14. It's a day late but yesterday my wife and I volunteered at our local Independence Day event in our neighborhood and the MC gave prizes to kids who answered questions about America and the founding fathers. One question was "whose was the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence?" A boy of about nine or ten...remarkably preppy I might add...responded with a wry grin "Herbie Hancock!" His family and ours will become good friends, I think.

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  15. Grateful for having 5 direct ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. I'm not that interested in genealogy, but that is a point of pride for me.

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  16. Rebels against the Crown

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