Hezekiah Hutchinson (1754 - 1851)

Born 6 Oct 1754 in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Phebe (Farnam) Hutchinson — married 4 Jan 1776 in Tunbridge, Orange, Republic of Vermont

Descendants

Died 20 Aug 1851 at age 96 in Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States

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Biography

Soldier Hezekiah Hutchinson served with Connecticut during the American Revolution.

Hezekiah Hutchinson was a soldier in the American Revolution. ^{[1] [2]}

"He first came to Tunbridge in 1774 from Salisbury, Connecticut, having been hired by the proprietors of Tunbridge, most of whom lived in Salisbury, to survey and lay out part of the town. He became an influential community figure at Tunbridge and held most of the important town offices, "including those of town clerk, selectman, and town treasurer. He also served as a deacon of the Congregational Church. "His name appears in the minutes of the first proprietors' meeting held May 28, 1783, where it was voted that Hutchinson and two other residents of Salisbury be allowed' twenty pounds for service in laying out part of the township of Tunbridge in Anno Domini 1774.'"

"In 1776, Hutchinson and two of his brothers purchased land in the Tunbridge Gore at the southern boundary of Tunbridge. He brought his family here about the same time that the town was organized in 1786, and is said to have sowed the first wheat ever sowed in Tunbridge on a hill near what would become the "town farm." (This was a farm the town maintained for any of their fellow townspeople who were "down on their luck" and needed help.") Once the threat of British and Indian attack subsided, Hutchinson moved his farm from the protected hillside to its present location in the fertile floodplain along the First Branch of the White River. His farm grew as he acquired additional acreage south of the village, from which he gave a parcel to the town as a site for the District No. 1 school."

"Hutchinson built the first or second frame house in Tunbridge, which was east of the Post Road (now Route 110). Scarcely was the house finished when it caught fire and burned to the ground." Hezekiah had just returned home from a trip to Connecticut for money to pay the workers; as he came over the hill, he beheld as his new house burst into flames. Hezekiah's wife Phebe ran into the burning building and saved one of their frightened children who had crawled into the fireplace to hide. Immediately the Hutchinsons constructed the second frame building. "The present dwelling was built on the same site, possibly using the original chimney. Hutchinson also built another frame house northeast of this house, probably for a family member. According to oral tradition passed down in the Hutchinson family, these houses were built in 1809, but considering that Hutchinson's brother-in-law, Elias Curtis had built a sawmill in Tunbridge by 1785, 1809 seems to be much too late for the town's first frame house. To further support that this house actually dates from the 1790s, an 1809 deed from Seth Paine to Hezekiah Hutchinson for land east of Route 110 refers to 'the Hutchinson Dwelling House.'"

Hezekiah Hutchinson lived a long life; at the time of the 1850 Census, he was 97 years old and was living at Tunbridge, with son Amos and Amos's family. The family members included Amos's wife, Jerusha, 69 years old, Jonathan Morse, age 37 and wife Emily aged 34 (Emily was probably Amos's daughter), and Jonathan and Emily's son Charles H. Morse, age 3. Hezekiah's second wife, Susan, aged 84, was also living with the family.According to the Census, Susan was "Insane," (a term at that time often used for people suffering from senility). By the way, when Hezekiah married Susan, she was a widow (of Herman Durkee) with six children!

At the farm next door were living another son, Harvey Hutchinson, age 62,and his son Hezekiah, aged 29. Also living in this household were Mary Ellen, aged 16, Rachel Sellers, aged 36 and Rachel's 2-year-old daughter,Ruth E.

Hezekiah lived to be ninety-eight years of age. His earthly remains,along with those of his wife, are buried in the Tunbridge Village Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ SAR https://sarpatriots.sar.org/patriot/display/189130 citing Rev War graves; Orange County, Vermont. Wilbur R. Branthoover, compiler. 1997
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88125759/hezekiah-hutchinson: accessed 16 December 2023), memorial page for Hezekiah Hutchinson (6 Oct 1752–20 Aug 1851), Find a Grave Memorial ID 88125759, citing Tunbridge Village Cemetery, Tunbridge, Orange County, Vermont, USA; Maintained by David M. Peirce (contributor 47460027).

• The Tunbridge Hutchinsons, by Euclid Farnham;
• The National Register of Historic Places, Section number 7, page 5.
• A good deal of the biography is taken verbatim from the write-up in the National Register; a portion is also taken directly from Mr. Farnham's article on the Hutchinson Family.