Roswell Adams (1753 - 1840)

Born 13 Jun 1753 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Eunice (Davenport) Adams — married 23 Nov 1786 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Mar 1840 at age 86 in Brookfield, Orange, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Al Adams [send private message] and Bill Pease [send private message]

Biography

Corporal Roswell Adams served with 3rd Connecticut Provincial Regiment (1775), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Roswell Adams is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000561.

Roswell Adams is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 101560
Rank: Private and Patriotic Service

Roswell was born in Canterbury, Conn. June 13, 1753^[1] .

Enlisted first as a Private in Connecticut 3rd Regiment of Foot under Major Obadiah Johnson. And again in Johnson's Company, Col. Israel Putnam's Regiment, Roswell's service included 7 months at the siege of Boston 1775 and 5 months at Tichonderoga 1776; at Tichonderoga Roswell served as a Corporal under Col. Samuel Mott.^[2] 1777 Roswell states he was ill. But in 1778 Roswell enlisted with the Connecticut Privateers out of New London and was captured and taken to Barbados where he was held for 10 months ^[2][3][4] His wife Eunice received a pension for his service.^[5]

Married to Eunice Davenport daughter of Paul and Elizabeth (Frost) Davenport. November 23 1786.^[6]

Roswell and Eunice had Five children while living in Canterbury Connecticut, and two more after moving to Roxbury Vermont around 1803.

1. Anson b 1788 in Canterbury ^[7]
2. Lynda b 1789 in Canterbury ^[6]
3. Harvey b 1791 in Canterbury
4. Annis b 1794 in Canterbury
5. Roswell b 1798 in Roxbury Vermont died 1799^[8]
6. Harriet b 1800 (Canterbury?) ^[6] There is an inconsistency here. The Adams genealogy has Roswell and Eunice still in Connecticut while the above record of a Roswell Adams living and dying in Roxbury Vermont would put the family in Roxbury at least 5 years earlier. The 6 year gap between Annis and Harriet suggests that the Roswell record is correct, even though Roswell is not mentioned in the Genealogy.
7. Orilla b 1803 in Roxbury Vermont
8. Jabez b 1807 in Roxbury Vermont^[9] (look at record closely. Jabez was mis-transcribed and Johns)

He passed away in 1840 in Roxbury, VT. He is buried in Neighboring Brookfield^[10]

Note

Roswell's recollection of time during the Revolutionary war is a little off. His service with the privateers out of New London may have been longer than he reports and his time in captivity was also likely longer than he recalls, plus many months were spent island hopping home after his release. His capture was probably early 1779 and his time on Barbados must have continued until the fall of 1780, because that is the recorded time for "The Great Hurricane" he describes which destroyed all buildings on Barbados and set the prisoners free. The Hurricane is a definite recorded fact and no similar storms hit Barbados in 1779 which is where Roswell's recollection places the storm.

Sources

1. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74V-385 : 11 February 2018), Roswell Adams, 13 Jun 1753; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files: The National Archives,Publication Number: M804; National archives catalog id:300022; National archives catalog title: Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900; Publisher: NARA; Record Group:15; Roll:0015 viewed on Fold3 10/21
3. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-LDZL : 18 March 2018), Roswell Adams, 16 May 1775; citing Military Service, , Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 101711093.
4. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-VPH2 : 15 March 2018), Roswell Adams, 1775; citing 1775, Connecticut, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,305.
5. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-5PGY : accessed 18 March 2019), Roswell Adams in entry for Eunice Adams, 04 Mar 1836; citing Montpelier, Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 17; FHL microfilm 1,319,397.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Adams, Andrew N. Space:Henry Adams Genealogy (n.p., 1898) p 107
7. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74X-C5F : 11 February 2018), Roswell Adams in entry for Anson Adams, 20 Apr 1788; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
8. ↑ "Vermont Births and Christenings, 1765-1908," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8LF-DVM : 11 February 2018), Roswell Adams in entry for Roswel Adams, 06 Mar 1799; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm unknown.
9. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFXZ-16D : 11 February 2018), Roswell Adams in entry for Johns Adams, 23 Jul 1888, Death; State Capitol Building, Montpelier; FHL microfilm 540,051.
10. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2K-SDHC : 13 December 2015), Roswell Adams, 1840; Burial, Brookfield, Orange, Vermont, United States of America, Brookfield Cemetery; citing record ID 72923427, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #72923427
• Daughters of the American Revolution 1919, Lineage Book, Volume 51
• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 5 Jan 2022), "Record of Roswell Adams", Ancestor # A000561.
• Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870
• Connecticut Town Vital Records. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Adams-5443 created through the import of DeMarco-Gaffney Family Tree.ged on Jul 1, 2011 by Regina DeMarco.