John Tyler (1721 - 1804)

Born 29 Dec 1721 in Preston, New London, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Spaulding) Tyler — married 14 Dec 1742 in Griswold, New London, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 29 Jul 1804 at age 82 in Preston, New London, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Brigadier General John Tyler served with Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Colonel John Tyler served with 8th Regiment, Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Lieutenant Colonel John Tyler served with 10th Continental Regiment (1776), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Lieutenant Colonel John Tyler served with 6th Connecticut Provincial Regiment (1775), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

John Tyler is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A117665.

John Tyler is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-308544
Rank: Brigadier General

Brigadier General John Tyler was born on 29 December 1721 in Preston, Connecticut. He was the son of James Tyler and Hannah Safford. In 1742, He married Mary Spalding and they had the following children ^[1]:

1. Mehitable (Tyler) Coit (1743-1806)
2. James Tyler (1746-1750)
3. John Tyler (1748-1752)
4. Abigail (Tyler) Lord (1750-1789)
5. Olive (Tyler) Coit (1752-1782)
6. John Tyler (1755-1836)
7. Lydia (Tyler) Mott (1758-1787)

Brigadier General John Tyler died in 1804 and is buried in Wheeler Coit Tomb at the Pachaug Cemetery in Griswold, New London County, Connecticut ^[2]. BGen Tyler shares the tomb with Benjamin Coit (1731-1812) and Wheeler Coit (1738-1796). The nature of Tyler’s relationship with these two Coits is unknown, but it appears that John's children married into two generations of Coits, with one of John's children marrying a child of Benjamin Coit. Both of these Coits were members of the Connecticut General Assembly and are described as very influential citizens, like their father Samuel Coit.

Inscription:

THE TOMB

OF GENERAL JOHN TYLER

BENJAMIN COIT,

WHEELER COIT,

BUILT IN 1790

During the Revolutionary War, John Tyler served as a distinguished Brigadier General in the Connecticut Militia, where he was involved in high visibility commands during the opening half of the war. As one of the six militia brigade commanding generals in the state, his brigade included six militia regiments, and a level of Major Generals was in between him and Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull, who held the title of Captain General and Commander-in-Chief of the Connecticut Militia. Before his promotion to Brigadier General, he was an officer in two regiments aligned with the Continental Army ^[3].

John Tyler of Preston, Connecticut began the war in Apr-May 1775, where he was commissioned a Captain of the 2nd Company of Col. Samuel Holden Parsons’ 6th Connecticut Provincial Regiment of the Continental Army. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the same regiment and was second in command to Col. Parsons. This regiment served during the Siege of Boston campaign, with one company being deployed to the Invasion of Quebec campaign as part of the Continental Army’s Northern Department; it is unclear if Lt.Col. Tyler was part of the Quebec operations.

Promoted to Colonel about Aug 1776, John Tyler continued as second in command to Col. Samuel Holden Parsons, whose regiment was renamed the 10th Continental Regiment of the Continental Army. The 10th Regiment marched under Gen. George Washington and served in the New York Campaign from Apr 1776 until the end of the year, where they fortified the defenses of New York City before it’s capture by British Forces who would hold the city until the end of the war. Here, they would participate in the Battles of Long Island (Brooklyn) and Harlem Heights (Kip’s Bay). In Oct 1776 they would also fight at the Battle of White Plains, and thereafter maintained vigilance on the Hudson River around Peekskill, New York, under MGen. William Heath.

From Oct 1776 to May 1777, Col. John Tyler is in command of the 8th Regiment of Connecticut Militia, which is composed of companies from the towns of Groton, Stonington and Preston ^[4]. Then, in May 1777 he is promoted to Brigadier General and was the commanding general of the 3rd Brigade of Connecticut Militia, which included the 3rd, 8th, 20th, 25th, and 27th Regiments, where he would remain the commanding general until the end of the war in 1783.

In Aug 1778, a body of militia under BGen. Tyler served under MGen. John Sullivan and engaged in the attempt to dislodge the British at Newport and fought at the Battle of Rhode Island on 29 Aug 1778. Then, in Jul 1779, BGen. Taylor was in command of Connecticut Militia along the coastline east of New Haven who were present during the New Haven Alarm of 3 Jul 1778, which was called Tyron’s Raid after British MGen. William Tyron, who landed raiding forces in New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk, Connecticut, and burned and destroyed military supplies, shipping and houses. MGen. Taylor was in command of the 3rd Brigade, which included the 8th Regiment of Connecticut Militia, who where the defenders primarily engaged in the Battle of Groton Heights on 6 Sep 1781, but there is little narrative about his involvement, but no doubt that the other regiments of his Brigade were called up for service in response to the raid by British BGen. Benedict Arnold, only to see the British raiding party quickly remove themselves from the area. During the second half of the war, his regiments may have supported many field operations, but they are yet to be researched.

Sources

1. ↑ Willard I. Tyler Brigham, Tyler Genealogy. Descendants of Job Tyler of Andover, Massachusetts, 1619-1700. Vol. 1. Published by Cornelius B. Tyler of Plainfield, N.J. and Rollin U. Tyler of Tylerville, C.T., 1912.
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images
3. ↑ Record of service of Connecticut men in the I. War of the Revolution, II. War of 1812, III. Mexican War by Connecticut
4. ↑ The Journal of the American Revolution, Decoding Connecticut Militia 1739-1783

• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74C-TBY : 7 January 2020), John Tiller, 1721.
• "Connecticut, Births and Baptisms, 1639-1941", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4VPF-QBZM : 9 June 2020), John Tyler, 1721.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WM-TG8 : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for Mehetable Tyler, 1743.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74Z-3JZ : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for John Tyler, 1748.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WM-R9G : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for Abigail Tyler, 1750.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V291-TZF : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for Olive Tyler, 1753.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74C-T13 : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for John Tyler, 1755.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WM-TMG : 7 January 2020), John Tyler in entry for Lydia Tyler, 1758.
• "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7NF-46X : 16 September 2020), John Tyler in entry for Olive Coit, 1782.
• "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7NF-WJW : 16 September 2020), John Tyler in entry for Abigail Lord, 1789.
• "Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F76B-62L : 16 September 2020), John Tyler, 1804.
• The Tyler Genealogy, Willard I. Tyler Brigham, 1912 (Brigham-#139).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6162328/john-tyler: accessed July 4, 2024), memorial page for Gen John Tyler (29 Dec 1721–29 Jul 1804), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6162328, citing Pachaug Cemetery, Griswold, New London County, Connecticut, USA; Maintained by James Schmidt (contributor 46484192). NOTE: Plot: Wheeler Coit Tomb; The accompanying photographs by Jay Rainier are materially informative, and provide a legible image of the inscribed data.
• The Journal of the American Revolution, Decoding Connecticut Militia 1739-1783, by John K. Robertson, 27 Jul 2016. SHOWS:
• Record of service of Connecticut men in the I. War of the Revolution, II. War of 1812, III. Mexican War by Connecticut. Adjutant-General's Office; Johnston, Henry Phelps, 1842-1923 Publication date 1889 Page 767 Index SHOWS Tyler, John, 72, 73, 99, 430, 434, 445, 530, 553. NOT BGen Tyler: 108, 289, 349, 365, 452, 627, 630, 637, 640, 655, 660, 665
  • Pages 72, 73 SHOWS Lt.Col. John Tyler of Preston, serving as second in command in Col. Samual Holden Parsons’ 6th Connecticut Provincial Regiment of the Continental Army. Com. May 1, 1775; also Capt. of 2d Co.; disc. Dec. 10, 1775; re-ent. service in 1776. Regiment raised on the first call for troops in Apr-May 1775. Two companies, including Capt. Coit’s, marched at once to Boston, and Capt. Mott’s was ordered to the Northern Department. The other two companies remained on duty at New London until 17 Jun, when they were ordered by the Governor’s Council to the Boston Camps. Adopted as Continental.
  • Page 99 SHOWS Col. John Tyler, of Preston, serving as second in command in Col. Samual Holden Parsons’ 10th Continental Regiment of the Continental Army, Prom, from Lt.Col. Aug. 12, 1776; served subsequently as Brig. Gen. with militia. Parsons' regiment of 1775, as re-organized for service in the Continental army for the year 1776. After the Siege of Boston, it marched under Washington to New York (by way of New London and the Sound in vessels) and continued in that vicinity from April to the close of the year. Assisted in fortifying the City; ordered Aug. 24, to the lines around Brooklyn; engaged in Battle of Long Island, Aug. 27, and in retreat from Long Island on night of Aug. 29; caught in the panic in retreat from New York Sept 15- present with the army at White Plains, Oct. 28; remained on the Hudson, in vicinity of Peekskill, under Gen. Heath until term of service expired, Dec. 31, 1776.
  • Page 430 SHOWS On a list of Brigadier Generals, shows JOHN TYLER, Preston. Col. 10th Regt. Cont. army in 1776 (see p. 99); appt. Brig. Gen. Third Brig, of Mil., succeeding Saltonstall, Jun 1777; served in Rhode Island and on State alarms through the war. GENERAL AND STAFF OFFICERS, CONNECTICUT MILITIA, 1775-1783. His EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR JONATHAN TRUMBULL, of LEBANON. CAPTAIN-GENERAL AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
  • Page 434 SHOWS Col. John Tyler of Preston as one of the commanders of the 8th Regiment of Connecticut Militia, Composed of the Companies from Stonington, Preston, and Groton. — See 27th Regt. Col Tyler Prom, from Lieut. Col., Oct 1776, prom. Brig. Gen. and succeeded by another on May, 1777.
  • Page 445 SHOWS Brig. Gen. John Tyler as the commander of the 3rd Brigade of Connecticut Milita, where he succeeded BGen Gurdon Saltonstall. Brigade included these Regiments: 3rd, 8th, 20th, 25th, and 27th. See Militia Genl. Staff.
  • Page 530 SHOWS In Aug 1778, a body of militia under Brig. Gen. John Tyler served under MGen. John Sullivan and engaged in the attempt to dislodge the British at Newport. It was present at the Battle of Rhode Island 29 Aug 1778.
  • Page 553 SHOWS Brig. Gen. John Tyler, Commanding militia along the coast east of New Haven, on a list of GENERAL OFFICERS PRESENT WITH THE MILITIA DURING THE NEW HAVEN ALARM. July 1779, also called Tryon's Raid.