John Drinkwater (1738 - 1827)

Born 24 Apr 1738 in North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna (Brown) Drinkwater — married 4 Mar 1761 in North Yarmouth, Maine

Descendants

Died 27 Dec 1827 at age 89 in North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jo Gill [send private message]

Biography

Private John Drinkwater served with 2nd Regiment, Cumberland County Militia, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

John Drinkwater is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A033779.

This profile is part of the Drinkwater Name Study.

John Drinkwater
is the 3rd generation of this surname found in Colonial America, a descendant of Thomas Drinkwater.

John, Private Soldier and Shipmaster, was the third son of Joseph Drinkwater and Janet Latham, born in 1738 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.^[1] Although records list his birth place as Maine, there was no Maine until 1760.

John was a ship-master, engaged in the coasting trade between Boston and Casco Bay. It is related of him that during the revolutionary war, in going on one of his cruises, he was chased by a smaller armed British vessel which they had captured and kept for her superior sailing qualities to intercept coasters. Capt. Drinkwater was in command of a fair-sized schooner for those days, and had his son with him. The Briton fired a gun for him to heave to; but he paid no attention to it, and taking the helm, told his boys to keep out of sight, and notwithstanding he was repeatedly the target of the English sailor, he resolutely held to his course. The enemy, being much the more rapid sailor, soon gained a position on his weather quarter, and when just in the act of boarding, he suddenly put his helm hard up and jibed over his mainsail, and as the heavy main boom, impelled by the strong breeze, struck the enemy's mast, they were carried by the board and the English vessel left a wreck, the crew the dupes of a shrewd Yankee trick of a brave and skillful navigator.

He married Susannah Brown. The date was fixed for March 3, 1761, and the guests assembled on that eventful evening; but no bridegroom appeared. Some of the guests proposed going after him. "No," said the bride, "if he can't come of his own free will, he need not come at all." The next day he appeared and explained the reason of his non-appearance. He was loading his vessel at Jebeag, and was fearful if he did not stay by her and get her off he might lose the run to Boston, and he thought some other time would do just as well to get married.

John was a 37-year-old private in Capt. George Roger's Company; service, 4 days; company detached from 2d Cumberland Co regt. by order of Col. Jonathan Mitchel to work on the fort at Falmouth in Nov 1775. He served a second time at age 41 in Capt John Gray's Company, Col. Jonathan Mitchells Regt enlistment July 7, 1779, 2 months, 6 days, discharged Sept 12, 1779. Roll dated North Yarmouth, Cumberland County, service in Penobscot Expedition.

Children: Perez, John, Elbridge, Daniel (who settled on the Rappahannock river in Virginia), Rotherus, Joanna, Sarah, Marian, Jane (who married Jeremiah Buxton and was the grandmother of the Mayor Buxton), Susannah, Saba and Dorcas.

Colonel A. C. Drinkwater, who developed around Topsham, Maine, was on General Butler's staff when he was governor, and a very prominent Democratic politician in Massachusetts, is of this line.

Research Notes

Birth date: 24 April 1738 in Maine Births; 6 May 1738 in John S. Fernald, The Drinkwater Family, p. 13.

Sources

1. ↑ birth record image

• Town of Cumberland, Cumberland County, Maine, Record of Birth & Deaths, 1715 - 1821. Page 3. 19:48, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

• "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4WB-KGC : 10 February 2018), John Drinkwater, 24 Apr 1738; citing NORTH YARMOUTH,CUMBERLAND,MAINE; FHL microfilm 11,591. 16:07, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

Name John Drinkwater

Gender Male

Birth Date 24 Apr 1738

Birthplace NORTH YARMOUTH,CUMBERLAND,MAINE

Father's Name Jos Drinkwater

Mother's Name Jane

• Source number: 4131.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: LSS. Source Information: Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 17:35, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

Name: John Drinkwater

Gender: Male

Birth Place: ME

Birth Year: 1738

Spouse Name: Susanna Brown

Spouse Birth Place: ME

Spouse Birth Year: 1743

Marriage Year: 1761

Marriage State: ME

• 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. 17:43, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

• 1810 United States Federal Census. Census Place: North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: 11; Page: 198; Image: 00202; Family History Library Film: 0218682. 17:43, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

• 1820 U S Census; Census Place: North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Maine; Page: 462; NARA Roll: M33_34; Image: 264. 17:43, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

• Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War (Images Online). Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Vol 4. Soldiers and Sailors. John Drinkwater 18:26, 24 October 2018 (UTC)

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Vol. 119. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 for John Drinkwater 16:58, 24 October 2018 (UTC)

Name: John Drinkwater

Birth Date: 6 May 1738

Birth Place: North Yarmouth, Maine

Death Date: 27 Dec 1827

Death Place: North Yarmouth, Maine

SAR Membership: 23615

Role: Ancestor

Application Date: 22 Sep 1911

Spouse: Susanna Brown

Children: Susanna Drinkwater

• The Drinkwater family by John S. Fernald, Belfast: G. E. Burgress printer, 1904. 17:29, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch JOHN DRINKWATER. He was a shipmaster and served in the American Revolution. Mayflower Ancestral Index - 10869 broken link

See also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 05 December 2017, 01:29), entry for John Drinkwater(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LHRZ-35B); contributed by various users.

• Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=68017036&pid=414 broken link

Acknowledgements

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. Drinkwater-194 was created by Lisa Edwards through the import of Edwards Family Tree.ged on Apr 9, 2014.