Elisha Hamilton (1739 - 1820)

Born 10 Nov 1739 in Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Smith) Hamilton — married 3 Mar 1763 in Charlton, Worcester, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 10 Nov 1820 at age 81 in Tinmouth, Rutland, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Chris Douglas [send private message] and David Benedict [send private message]

Biography

Sergeant Elisha Hamilton served with Col. Ebenezer Allen's Regiment, Vermont Republic Militia during the American Revolution.

Elisha Hamilton is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A130001.

Military

Sergeant Elisha Hamilton, born 10 November 1739 in Brookfield, Massachusetts died 10 November 1820 in Tinmouth, Vermont, and his wife Mary Smith, born Charleton, Massachusetts, married 03 March 1763, are honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution for service: 1) CAPT JOHN WOOLCOTT, LEXINGTON ALARM; ALSO PVT 2) CAPT ASA DANFORTH; CAPT JOHN SPAFFORD, COLS GIDEON WARREN, EBENEZER ALLEN. Their children included Ziba (m. to Zipporah X), Nathan (m. to Phebe Ballard), Lucinda (m. to Daniel Hurd), and Elizabeth(m. to Gilbert Douglas)^[1]

Marriage

Elisha Hamilton married Mary Smith in Charlestown, Massachusetts on 03 March 1763.^[2]

Father Captain Nathan Hamilton 1712 – 1795

Mother Ruth Wheeler 1712 – 1780

Spouse Mary Smith 1748 – 1822

Were my 5th-great grandfather, Elisha Hamilton, and his father Nathan, among the original Minute Men?

Elisha Hamilton would have been, according to his birth date, 36 years of age on April 19, 1775, when, according to J. H. Temple, in his History of North Brookfield, the following occured:

"A Roll of the men called Rangers that marched from Brookfield and Spencer under the command of John Woolcott as their Captain on the 19th of April last (1775) in consequence of an alarm on said day.

Capt. John Woolcott 12 days Sargt. Levi Peirce 12 days Lieut. James Hathaway 12 days Sargt. Elisha Hamilton 12 " ... (Here the roster continues)

Are these two Elishas one and the same? It remains to be researched.

(Source: http://college.holycross.edu/users/staff/rchicker/quaboag/minute_men.htm)

A book from the Minute Man Memorial Park that I was able to view at a SAR meeting in March, 2004, did not show Elisha or Nathan in its list of men who answered the call. The men who responded according to the source above may have been too distant to actually arrive and become involved in the conflict. From Brookfield to Concord was roughly 50 miles.

Elisha Hamilton is indeed a Revolutionary Patriot Ancestor, but was perhaps serving his country even before the Revolution. A record of the Campaign of 1859 in the French and Indian war lists an Elisha Hamilton who served from April 2 until August 6. (From: Connecticut Officers and Soldiers, 1700's-1800's, Men in the French and Indian War, Volume II, Campaign of 1859, page 150.) But of course, these are Connecticut men, not Massachusetts, so it may not be the same Elisha.

Further research indicates that these Hamiltons (Elisha and his father, Nathan) are indeed our ancestors. From the DAR Patriot Index:

Hamilton, Elisha; b 11-10-1739 MA; d 11-10-1820 VT; m Mary Smith; Sgt MA VT.

Hamilton, Nathan; b. c. 1713 MA; d. 1795 MA; m Ruth Wheeler; Pvt. MA.

I was able to get a copy of the Town of Tinmouth, Vermont Congregational Church Records, 1780 to 1868, LDS microfilm 944196. Page 258 records the death of Elisha Hamilton at age 81, on December 11, 1820 (I speculate that an earlier researcher on whose work the DAR date is based may have misinterpreted the 11 under 1820 as the eleventh month, but it is clearly a ditto under 1820, Dec., with 11 being the day date. Or they simply miscopied the birth date intending to write the death date, although the correct year was recorded)

On October 13, 2004, my wife and I were able to visit the old Tinmouth Cemetery and photograph the Hamilton tombstone. That also bears the November 10 date as the death date. I want to research to determine when the tombstone was placed, and by whom.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that there are both an Elisha Hamilton and a Nathaniel Hamilton who served in the revolution in specfic units of Vermont Militia. These units are the same ones in which Daniel Hurd, the husband of Lucinda Hamilton (Elisha and Mary's daughter), served. Now the question is: are the Nathan(iel) and Elisha of Vermont the same as those from Massachusetts? If so, when did they move to Vermont?

The Vermont military records (NARA Microfilm M881) show the following:

Roll 889: Pay Roll of Capt. John Spafford's Company, Col. Gideon Warren's (15th) Regiment. Elisha Hamilton served from March 26-29, 1780, inclusive. For the 4 days he received pay and distance allowances totaling 16 shillings, 4 pence. A notation indicates he provided his own provisions.

Roll 890: Pay Roll of Capt. John Spafford's Company, Col. Ebenezer Allen's Regiment. Private Elisha Hamilton served from October 12-17, 1780, inclusive, at Castleton. For the 6 days he received pay and distance allowances totaling 16 shillings, 4 pence.

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed October 4, 2021), "Record of Elisha Hamilton", Ancestor # A130001.
2. ↑ General Society of Mayflower Descendants Membership Applications, 1620-1920. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2020). https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2731/i/59092/309-co1/1428597234

• Mayflower Families Vol. 13 p. 106
• 1790 United States Federal Census

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Residence

• 1800 United States Federal Census

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Residence

• 1820 United States Federal Census

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Residence

• American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI)

Name: Elisha Hamilton Birth Date: 1740 Birthplace: Vermont Volume: 71 Page Number: 91 Reference: Descendants of And. Everest of York, Me. By Winifred Lovering Holman. Wausau, Ws. 1955. (488p.): 94 Source Information Godfrey Memorial Library, comp.. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth

• Family Data Collection - Births

Name: Elisha Hamilton Father: Nathan Hamilton Mother: Ruth Wheeler Birth Date: 10 Nov 1739 City: Brookfield County: Worb [sic. Worcester] State: MA Country: USA Source Information: Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Births 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth

• Family Data Collection - Individual Records

Name: Elisha Hamilton Spouse: Mary Smith Parents: Nathan Hamilton, Ruth Wheeler Birth Place: Worb [sic. Worcester], Brookfield, MA Birth Date: 10 Nov 1739 Marriage Place: Charlton, MA Marriage Date: 3 Mar 1763 Source Citation Birth year: 1739; Birth city: Brookfield; Birth state: MA Source Information Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Individual Records 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth, Marriage

• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988

Name: Elisha Hamilton Event Type: Marriage Marriage Date: 12 Feb 1763 Marriage Place: Charlton, Massachusetts Spouse Name: Mary Smith Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). 2 citations provide evidence for Name, Birth, Marriage

• U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783

Name: Elisha Hamilton Gender: Male Military Date: Oct 1780 Military Place: Vermont, USA State or Army Served: Vermont Regiment: Service Rank: Private Original data: Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C. 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Residence

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970

4 citations provide evidence for Name, Birth, Death, Marriage

• Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908

Name: Elisha Hamilton Gender: Male Birth Date: abt 1739 Death Date: 11 Dec 1820 Death Place: Tinmouth, Vermont, USA Death Age: 81 Original data: State of Vermont. Vermont Vital Records through 1870. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth, Death

• Web: Vermont, Find A Grave Index, 1751-2012:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10707363 1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth, Death

• A collection of family records, with biographical sketches, and other memoranda of various families and individuals bearing the name Douglas, or allied to families of that name, by Douglas, Charles Henry James, 1856-1931 https://archive.org/stream/collectionoffami00doug#page/166/mode/2up

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10707363/elisha-hamilton