Anna (Collins) Simonds (1747 - 1807)

Born 25 Feb 1747 in Brimfield, Hampden, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Wife of Asa Putnam — married 24 Jul 1766 (to 7 Sep 1795) in Brimfield, Hampshire, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Wife of Benjamin Simonds — married 4 Nov 1798 in Williamstown, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Apr 1807 at age 60 in Williamstown, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Anna (Collins) Simonds is one of twins.

Anna Collins was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, on February 25, 1746-7, the daughter of Nathaniel Collins and Phebe Weld.^[1][2][3] She was a twin with her sister Tabitha, who appears to have died young.^[4]

She married first, Asa Putnam, in Brimfield on July 24, 1766. They soon removed to Brattleboro, Vermont. The couple had nine children. The oldest three were born in Warren, Massachusetts, the youngest three in Brattleboro, likely the rest were born there as well.^[1][5][6][7]

1. Perley Putnam, born March 10, 1767; married Polly Simonds, the youngest daughter of Colonel Benjamin Simonds.^[8][9]
2. Lewis Putnam, born August 22, 1769.^[10]
3. Serephina Putnam, born September 5, 1772; married Jonathan Smith of Bath, Maine.^[11]
4. Ebenezer Putnam, born September 4, 1779.
5. Josiah Putnam, born August 1, 1781; married Susan Willard Dickerman, February 2, 1804; died March 24, 1864.^[12][13]
6. Alfred Putnam, born May 10, 1784.
7. Sewall or Sewell Putnam, born September 23, 1786; married Rebecca Shepard; died March 21, 1876.^[14]
8. Sylvia Putnam, born May 25, 1789; married February 11, 1811, Zane A. Hamilton, of Aurora, New York; died October 2, 1883, at Cattaraugus, New York.^[15]
9. Harvey Putnam, born January 5, 1793; married August 5, 1817, Myra Osborne; died September 20, 1855.^[16]

Her husband, Asa, died in 1795 when she was 49. They had been married for 29 years.

In about 1797, she brought her three youngest children, Sewell, Sylvia, and Harvey, to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where her oldest son, Perley, had already settled and married Polly Simonds, a daughter of Colonel Benjamin Simonds of Williamstown. On November 4, 1798, she entered into a contract of marriage with Colonel Simonds, bringing her young children into his family.^[6][17]

Anna (Collins-Putnam) Simonds died in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on April 3, 1807, at the age of 60. Her husband, Benjamin, died just 8 days later. Both were buried at Westlawn Cemetery in Williamstown, where Anna's gravestone reads:^[18]

In Memory of

ANNA

WIFE of

COL. BENJ. SIMONDS,

And Relict of

ASA PUTNAM,

of Brattleboro Vt.

Died April 3, 1807,

aged 61 Years.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Jenkins: Pages 176-177. Citing: "III-Nathan Collins-Phebe Weld., IV.-Anna Collins-Asa Putnam.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FZ9D-BMT : 4 December 2014), Anna Collins, 25 Feb 1746; citing BRIMFIELD,HAMPDEN,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0844538 IT 1.
3. ↑ Brimfield Records: Births. Page 41. Citing: "Collins, Anna, [twin] d. Nathan and Phebe, Feb 25, 1746-7."
4. ↑ Brimfield Records: Births. Page 42. Citing: "Collins, Tabitha, [twins] d. of Nathan and Phebe, Feb. 25, 1746-7."
5. ↑ Jenkins: Pages 170-171. Citing: "VI-Asa Putnam-Anna Collins."
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} History of the Putnam Family: Pages 319-320 (#718 Asa Putnam)
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/Q29G-M5SZ : 13 July 2016), Asa Putnam and Anna Collins, 24 Jul 1766; citing Marriage, Brimfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 223,943.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQX5-5JG : 4 December 2014), Pearly Putnam, 10 Mar 1767; citing WARREN,WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 369,735.
9. ↑ Origins in Williamstown: Page 605. Citing: Polly Simonds, daughter of Col. Benjamin Simonds, married Perley Putnam.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQX5-547 : 4 December 2014), Lewes Putnam, 22 Aug 1769; citing WARREN,WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 369,735.
11. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VQX5-K9Y : 4 December 2014), Sereaf Putnam, 05 Sep 1772; citing WARREN,WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 369,735.
12. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XFV8-BJ6 : 18 October 2017), Josiah Putnam and Susan Willard Dickerman, 02 Feb 1804, Marriage; State Capitol Building, Montpelier; FHL microfilm 27,531.
13. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V8MG-RR7 : 6 November 2017), Josiah Putnam, 24 Mar 1864, Death; State Capitol Building, Montpelier; FHL microfilm 27,663.
14. ↑ Shepard, Gerald Faulkner The Shepard Families of New England. (New Haven Colony Historical Society, New Haven, Connecticut, 1973). Page 222.
    Citing: "775. Rebecca Shepard born at Plainfield, Conn., 4 Nov. 1791, died at Deerfield, N.Y., 25 Feb. 1839; married Sewell Putnam, born at Brattleboro, Vt., 23 Sept. 1786, died at South Trenton, N.Y., 21 Mar. 1876, son of Asa and Anna (Collins) Putnam."
15. ↑ Jenkins, Robert E. Jenkins Family Book, Being a Partial Record of the Descendants of David Jenkins, and Genealogical Notes of the Families Intermarried With Them. 1904.
    Citing: VI-Zeyn Alasman Hamilton-Sylvia Putnam. Their marriage and children. Pages 158-159.
16. ↑ Biographical Sketch of Harvey Putnam: Citing: Marriage: Harvey Putnam & Myra Osborne. Page 8.
    Citing: Death: Harvey Putnam. Page 12.
17. ↑ Origins in Williamstown: Pages 591-592.
18. ↑ Origins in Williamstown: Page 590.

See also:

• Vital Records of Brimfield, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1931).
• Jenkins, Robert, E. Jenkins Family Book. (Chicago, 1904).
• Perry, Arthur Latham. Origins in Williamstown, A History. Third Edition. Published by the Author, 1904.
• Putnam, Eben. A History of the Putnam Family in England and America Volume I. (Salem Press, Salem, Mass., 1891-1908).
• Putnam, James O. Biographical Sketch of the Late Hon. Harvey Putnam. (Haas & Kelly, Buffalo, NY, 1868).
• Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 12 March 2020), memorial page for Anna Collins Simonds (25 Feb 1746–3 Apr 1807), Find A Grave: Memorial #43949092, citing Westlawn Cemetery, Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Grave Seeker (contributor 47113319).