Jesse Manross (1759 - abt. 1813)

Born 23 Oct 1759 in Litchfield, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor Nancy (Preston) Manross — married 7 Apr 1787 in Vermont

Descendants

Died about 13 Mar 1813 at about age 53 in Bristol, Addison, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Darlene Bora [send private message], Jean Ball [send private message], and Clarissa Poe [send private message]

Biography

Jesse was born in 1759 in Norfolk, Connecticut. He was the son of Samuel Manross and Lucy Barnes and was the youngest of seven children. By 1769 the family abandoned the relative comforts of Connecticut and moved to New Canaan, Albany, NY. His father, Samuel, deeded his Norfolk, CT land to Jesse.

​Unbroken, at age 24, Jesse returned home to New Canaan, NY to start a new life. In 1786, he purchased 100 acres in Middlebury VT which was 129 miles directly north of New Canaan. His future father in law, Jonathan Preston, also purchased land in Middlebury VT. In 1787 Jesse married his daughter, Eleanor, and they moved to Middlebury, VT along with Jonathan's family. The first child,

1. Prudence Manross, was born in 1788.

They had nine children who survived childhood:

1. Prudence 1788,
2. William 1790,
3. Sally (7 May 1792 -7 Sept 1853)
4. Asa L (1794 - 1845),
5. Gates 1797,
6. Dimmis 1799,
7. George Washington 1801,
8. Lovenia 1805 and
9. Lovisa Matilda Manross Merritt (5 Jan. 1809 - 30 Mar 1872).

​Jesse decided to move his family 30 miles north to the town of Essex, VT and he is recorded in the very first US Census in 1790. Three of their children were born in Essex including William, Sally, and Asa. In the Essex town records Jesse Manross is shown to be the Surveyor of Highways. In an attempt to recover his horse that had strayed or was stolen, Jesse placed an ad in the Vermont Journal in 1795. He offered fifteen dollars to anyone who would bring the thief and horse to his home in Essex.

​In 1795 Jesse was offered the opportunity to purchase land in New Haven, VT from both his father-in-law and brother-in-law. He purchased the land and moved his family that year. Jesse's family lived there from 1795-1809. The family was reported in the 1800 US Census. Gates, Dimmis, George Washington, Lovina, and Matilda were all born in New Haven. Jesse supported his family through ownership of a sawmill. He also bought and sold land in New Haven as well as Lincoln, VT. In 1803 Jesse received a judgement against Mr. Benjamin Russell. The Justice of the Peace ordered the Sheriff of Addison County to jail Mr. Russell if he did not pay the Eight Dollars and sixteen cents he owed Jesse within sixty days.

In 1810 the Manross family made the four mile move to Bristol, VT and were reported in the 1810 US Census. Jesse and his son William appear in early Bristol town records: Jesse appointed Surveyor of Highways, William appointed Hayward (official in charge of fences), William admitted as freeman. Jesse, after living an adventurous and rugged life for 54 years, died in Bristol, VT on March 13, 1813. He was survived by his wife, Eleanor, and his nine children.

​In 1779 Jesse sold the property in Norfolk, CT that had been deeded to him ten years earlier by his father Samuel.

Jesse served as an enlisted Man, Second Regiment the NY Forces, under the command of Col. Goose Van Schaick. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Ft. George assumed an important role. It was on May 12, 1775 that the Americans seized Ft. George and its stores. For the next two years Ft. George served as a major supply depot hospital for the Northern Continental Army. Ft. George is located north of Albany and south of the important Lake Champlain which was used by British troops to launch attacks on America from Canada. Jesse served with the 2nd Regiment in this strategic mission from May through October 1775.

The New York Regiments (Line) were created as a consequence of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by the Green Mountain Boys under the leadership of Ethan Allan. (In 1765 Nehemiah's son, Elijah, left his family in Connecticut to join the Green Mountain Boys in Vermont). Fort Ticonderoga was strategically located at the south end of Lake Champlain. The captured cannons were transported to Boston where their deployment forced the British to abandon the city in March, 1776. The Continental Congress understanding that the war was going to heat up in New York voted to permit the Province of New York to maintain as many as 3000 troops at Continental expense. Both Jesse and Elijah Manross served in the Second Regiment (Albany County). Jesse also served with the NY Levies in the battles for the Schoharie and Mohawk the valleys.

​In the fall of 1780 an invading force under Britain's Sir John Johnson, Joseph Brant, and Cornplanter the Chief of the Senecas, ravaged parts of the Schoharie and Mohawk valleys. The object of the raid, like all others, was to completely destroy the houses, barns and crops of the colonists and to weaken their resistance. News of a threatened invasion by Johnson's band soon came to the attention of the Patriot leaders along the Schoharie River. Preparations were made to resist the attackers. The Patriots surprised the attacking force which was then forced to make a hasty retreat. General Van Rensselaer sent word to Fort Stanwix, ordering its commander to speed a detachment to Onondaga before Sir John arrived, to burn the British watercraft and to prevent their escape. A force of 100 men set out on the mission, but they were sabotaged by a traitor who feigned illness and warned the British of the plan. The Patriots, including Jesse Manross, were captured and transported to Montreal, Canada. Jesse was captured October 23, 1780 (Jesse's birthday) by the British and Indians at Conasadago, Indian Country. He and his fellow soldiers were held for two years and nine months. They were released May 21, 1783.

​Middlebury was essentially a frontier town. The dwellings were chiefly log houses and the population was less than 400. Areas of the village were swampy. One of the laws of the village was that any man who got drunk was subject to the penalty of digging up a stump. Life was tough in Middlebury and there was a serious shortage of meat and breadstuffs. It was not the future that Jesse had looked forward to.

Jesse passed away in 1813.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 58073146

1790 US Federal Census,Year: 1790; Census Place: Essex, Chittenden, Vermont; Roll: M637_12; Page: 24; Image: 0127.

US 1800 Federal Census, Data Online; Residence date: 1800 Residence place: New Haven, Addison, Vermont;Year: 1800; Census Place: New Haven, Addison, Vermont; Roll: 51; Page: 104; Image: 61.

1810 US Federal Census; Data Online, Residence date: 1810 Residence place: Bristol, Addison, Vermont, Detail; Year: 1810; Census Place: Bristol, Addison, Vermont; Roll: 64; Page: 25; Image: 44.00.

"The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records", pre-1870 [database on-line]Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA; Genealogical publishing Co. 1994-2002

New York In The Revolution, As Colony And State. Vol. I. A Compilation of Documents and Records from The Office of the State Comptroller, Albany, N. Y. J. B. Lyon Company, Printers 1904. http://dunhamwilcox.net/ny/ny_rev_2d_reg.htm

http://www.manrossfamilyhistory.com/jesse-manross.html

Acknowledgements

First-hand information as remembered by Clarissa Andrews, Saturday, August 9, 2014.