Simeon Avery (1753 - 1796)

Born 20 Oct 1753 in Groton, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy Avery (Swan) Avery — married 25 Feb 1777 in Groton, Connecticut

Husband of Elizabeth (Billings) Avery — married 12 Feb 1795 in New London, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 1 Aug 1796 at age 42 in Groton, Connecticut

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Biography

Simeon Avery, born 20 Oct 1753 at Groton, Connecticut, was the eighth child of Parke Avery (1710-1797) and Mary (Latham) Avery (abt.1716-1773).

Lieutenant Simeon Avery served with 1st Connecticut Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Simeon Avery is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A004013.

American Revolutionary War service: Per the Avery genealogy, Simeon Avery enlisted in the first regiment of Conn, line, as ensign, Jan, 1, 1777 ; was second lieutenant, Jan. 1, 1778 ; first lieutenant, Nov. 15, 1778; later became adjutant and continued as such until 1781. He was in the battles of White Plains, Germantown, Monmouth, and Stony Point and endured the hard- ships of Valley Forge. Several letters from Simeon to his wife Lucy are transcribed into a poignant account of his life and hardship during the war ^[1].

He married Feb 25, 1777 Lucy Swan, daughter of Joseph Swan and Elizabeth (Smith) Swan. Children of Simeon and Lucy were:

1. Lucy Avery (1778-1791), b. Jan 20, 1778; d. July 16, 1791
2. Elisha Avery (1780-1823), b. Dec 11, 1780; married 1) Mary H. Avery; 2) Nancy Angelina Miner
3. Stephen Avery (1783-1798), b. Nov 13, 1783; d. April 21, 1798
4. Robert Niles Avery (1785-), b. Sept 1, 1785
5. Joseph Swan Avery (1787-), b. Oct, 1787
6. Frederick Allyn Avery (1789-), b. March 5, 1789
7. Mary (Avery) Packer (1790-1843), b. Dec 22, 1790; married Daniel Packer
8. Lucy (Avery) Avery (1792-1864) [namesake], b. Sept 12, 1792; married John Parke Avery; d. March 20, 1864
9. Simeon Avery (1794-1825), b. March 22, 1794; d. Nov 10, 1825

After the death of his first wife, Lucy (d. June 28, 1794), Simeon Avery married Feb 12, 1795 Elizabeth Billings, daughter of Stephen Billings and Mary (Avery) Billings. They had one child:

1. Martha Billings (Avery) Parke (1796-1835), b. March 17, 1796; married Asa Parke

Again per the Avery genealogy, Simeon Avery was an important citizen of Groton in times of peace. He was selectman and member of the school committee. He became colonel of militia and was known as CoL Simeon Avery and is so recorded on his tombstone. April 20, 1778, he received permission to free his slave, Joseph, aged 25

Simeon Avery died 1 Aug 1796 at Groton. His grave is in Avery-Morgan Burial Ground, Groton, New London County, Connecticut, USA ^[2].

Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/grotonaveryclan01aver/page/265/mode/1up
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #70875690

• "The Groton Avery Clan" by Elroy McKendree Avery, 1912, Volumes 1 & 2, pages 169, 264-268, no. 305: https://archive.org/stream/grotonaveryclan01aver#page/264/mode/1up

• Wheeler, Richard Anson. History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, p. 205, no. 132: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n227/mode/1up [Note erroneous death year in this reference.]

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 20 Aug 2023), "Record of Simeon Avery", Ancestor # A004013.

• Service Record of Simeon Avery