Samuel Bailey (1757 - 1829)

Born 4 May 1757 in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor (Bird) Bailey — married 8 Oct 1777 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Died 16 May 1829 at age 72 in Sunkhaze, Penobscot, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Bailey [send private message]

Biography

Samuel Bailey served with 25th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment (1775), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Samuel Bailey is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A004759.

Samuel Bailey is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-106832
Rank: Musician

Samuel Bailey was born in 1757, the son of Samuel Bailey and Jane Wyatt.^[1]

In the spring of 1775, while a resident of Rowley, MA, Samuel enlisted into Capt. Thomas Mighill's company in Col Gerish's Regiment. He was a musician in the forces and he served as a fifer for a total of about 6 years, including at the battle of Bunker Hill.^[2] When he petitioned for a pension in 1818, he gave the following accounting:

"I Samuel Bailey of the plantation called Sunkhaze in the county of Penobscott and commonwealth of Massachusetts do on oath testify and declare that I served as a musician in the war of the Revolution in the Massachusetts line for the period of about six years, that from my reduced circumstances in life I am in need of assistance from my country for support. I enlisted into Capt Thomas Mighill's company in Col Gerish's Regiment some time in the spring of 1775 for eight months and served out that period - a part of the time Col Baldwin commanded - I volunteered under Capt Scott in Col North's regiment to go to Rhode Island was twice in the year 1776. I do not recollect the time- I served until the Regiment was disbanded when I was discharged - on the 26th day of August 1777. I enlisted for three years into Capt Benjamin Barton's company afterwards commanded by Captain Joshua Trafton in Col Henry Sharbarne's regiment- I joined said Regiment at a place called Rye in the state of New York. In February 1778 I had the small pox at Fishkill, after which I marched to West Point - I was discharged in that month of August 1781 at Orange Town in New Jersey - I left my discharge papers some years ago in Boston - I thought it of no value." Samuel Bailey^[3]

While Samuel's military pension disposition does not specify his precise date and place of birth, his deposition dated 27 June 1820 stated his age as being 64, which correlates with the birth of Samuel, son of Samuel of Rowley.^[4] The lengthy pension file, together with the pension application of his widow, as well as the other sources below, establishes several of his major life milestones:

• marriage 8 Oct. 1777 at Dorchester, MA to Eleanor Bird, both "of Dorchester" at that time
• resided in the Boston area until the late 1780's or early 1790's, when they moved to the Penobscot River area, living in Brewer/Bangor
• in about 1797 re-settled just to the north in Sunkhaze Plantation (called Milford, ME after 1833).

Samuel and Eleanor had 11 children, though only the youngest (Daniel) is mentioned in the pension papers, being age 19 in 1820. All the children's births were recorded after-the-fact in the records of Lincoln, ME, but several of the oldest would have in fact been born in the Boston area, and the rest at Bangor then Sunkhaze:

1. Sarah, b. 9 Jul. 1778; m. John Mountain, 8 May 1798
2. Samuel, b. 19 June 1781; m1. Catherine Dudley, 20 Nov. 1802; m2. Leaffy (Olivia) Cummings; d. 19 Jan. 1832
3. William, b. 18 Feb. 1783; m. Patty Spencer; d. 23 Jun. 1877
4. Amos, b. 26 Sep. 1784; m. Sarah Ballard
5. Matthew, b. 22 June 1786; probably died as a child.
6. Thomas Tileston, b. 20 Mar, 1788; m. Hannah Lee; d. 21 Dec. 1852
7. Polly, b. 1 Oct. 1790; m. Jeremiah Jameson, 1809; d. 21 Jan. 1876
8. Jane, b. 12 Jul. 1793; m. Phillip Spencer, Jr.
9. John, b. 21 Feb. 1796; m. Prudence Reed; d. 26 Apr. 1859
10. David, b. 9 Mar. 1799; m. Rachel Ann Moulton, 13 Jan. 1850; d. 5 Sep. 1884
11. Daniel, b. 12 Apr. 1801; m. Amanda Blanchard, 5 Jul. 1841; d. 9 May 1850.

This family was living in Sunkhaze, MA/ME when the 1800 and 1820 censuses were taken. Samuel was living there on 22 Apr. 1818 when he applied for his military pension as mentioned above, and was granted a pension of $8 per month from 22 Apr. 1818. He declared no real estate and meager personal estate (1 cow and 1 pig).

Samuel Bailey died 16 May 1829 at Sunkhaze, ME, at age 72. He was buried in Costigan Cemetery at what is now called Milford, ME.^[5] After Samuel's death, his widow Eleanor continued to live in Sunkhaze until 1832 when she moved to Lincoln, ME to live with her son Daniel. In 1838, Eleanor Bailey, then aged 81 and living in Lincoln, ME, applied for and was granted a widow's pension. Her pension, certificate #2711, was issued 9 June 1839, at a rate of $88 per year. Widow Eleanor Bailey died 20 Oct. 1841, at age 85. She was buried in West Broadway Cemetery in Lincoln, ME.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Vital Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex institute, Salem, Mass., 1928-31)| Page 18
2. ↑ Samuel Bailey, file number w21629 Revolutionary War Pension and bounty land warrants, application files National Archives micropublication 804 roll 113| Samuel BAILEY's application for Pension
3. ↑ Declaration by Samuel Bailey in support of Military Pension| Declaration 1818
4. ↑ Pension Application Declaration 27 June 1820| Samuel Bailey, age 64
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #91062324 for Samuel Bailey
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #66005849 for Eleanor Bird Bailey

See Also:

• Family Search | Samuel Bailey
• Bangor Historical Magazine, Vol. VI, No. 11| Samuel Bailey of Milford, Page 260
• History of the Town of Lincoln, Penobscot, Maine, 1822-1928, by Dana Willis Fellows, Dingley Press, Lewiston ME, 1929| Page 284
• Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts (Amos Everett Jewett, Rowley, Massachusetts, 1887-1933)"| Person 10-82, Page 9
• The Essex Antiquarian (Salem, Massachusetts, Volume 5, 1901| Person 152, Page 86
• Hollis R. Bailey, Bailey genealogy : James John, and Thomas, and their descendants, p. 14, Person #136.