Jacob Bailey (1726 - 1815)

Born 19 Jul 1726 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 1815 at age 88 in Newbury, Orange, Vermont, United States

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Biography

General Jacob Bailey served during the French and Indian War.

Brigadier General Jacob Bailey served with Vermont Republic during the American Revolution.

Jacob Bailey is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A004648.

Jacob Bailey is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-111126
Rank: Brigadier General

Jacob Bailey served in the American Revolutionary War. To see other Vets of the American Revolutionary War click here.

General Jacob Bayley, son of Joshua and Sarah (Coffin) Bayley, was born at Newbury, Mass., July 19, 1726. His father was a farmer in moderate circumstances, and it is not supposed that the son received more than the rudiments of an education. He married, at the age of nineteen, Oct. 16, 1745, Prudence, daughter of Ephraim and Prudence (Stickney) Noyes. b. April 10, 1725. The name Prudence is said to have been indicative of her character. She was in the sixth generation from Nicholas Noyes of England and Ipswich, Mass., and in the 5th from William Stickney of Lincolnshire, Eng., and Rowley, Mass.

Not far from 1747, they removed with others to a part, formerly, of the town of Haverhill. Mass.. known as Timberland, or Haverhill district. This part of Haverhill, with a portion of Amesbury, was cut off from those towns by the state line of 1741, and became a part of New Hampshire. Jan. 12, 1749, these tracts were chartered into a town by the name of Hampstead. Jacob Bayley soon became prominent in town affairs, and in the militia.

When the French and Indian war broke out, he saw service as a lieutenant, in 1756, in Capt. Alcott's Co., after which he raised a company, of which he was chosen captain, which became a part of Col. Meserve`s regiment, and saw service on Lake George. During the siege of Fort William Henry his company comprised a portion of the garrison, and he escaped from the massacre which followed its surrender, Aug. 7, 1757, by running barefooted to Fort Edward, a distance of twelve miles, outstripping his Indian pursuers, who had destined him to run the gauntlet. For his losses at the capitulation, he was allowed the sum of £14, 11, 6, by the provincial assembly.

He remained in the army much of the time till 1760, and was connected with Amherst's expedition. In 1759, he was in command of a detachment which marched through the Mohawk Valley to Oswego. (See Journal). He was appointed lieutenant-colonel in Goff`s regiment, succeeding him as colonel, and was present at the siege and surrender of Montreal. His after career, as relates to this town and the country, forms part of the history of Newbury, and is detailed in the chapters of this history which relate to its settlement and the revolutionary war, "All of which he saw, and part of which he was."

The following is a concise account of the positions of trust held by him: Justice of Peace and Quorum for the whole of the New Hampshire grants by N. Y. Assembly, 1766; Representative to New York Congress, 1775; Commissioner to administer oaths of office. 1775; Judge of Inferior Court of Common Pleas, 1772-77; nominated Brigadier General for Gloucester and Cumberland counties, May 23, 1776; confirmed by New York Provincial Congress, Aug. 1, 1776; Delegate to Continental Congress to carry remonstrance and petition, presented Aprils, 1777; Member of Convention to draft the constitution of the state, at Windsor, July 2-8, 1777;. Member of Council of Safety appointed at this convention July, 1777; Member of first Council in 1778; Agent to Continental Congress, 1777; Member of the Council, 1778-79, 1784-94; Member of Constitutional Convention 1773, 1793; Memlier of Court of Confiscation, March, 1778; Commissary General of the Northern Department, under appointment from Washington, 1777.

"These positions," says Joshua Coffin, in his History of Newbury, Mass, "involved great responsibilities, and subjected him to danger, difficulties and sacrifices of an extraordinary character, and many anecdotes might lie related of his exploits, hair breadth escapes, encounters with the enemy, Indians and tories, his constant vigilance to escape the scouts sent from Canada to take him, for whom a reward of five hundred guineas had been offered dead or alive. By means of spies he acquired important intelligence of the movements of the enemy in Canada, and rendered great services with his purse, person and pen at and before the surrender of Burgoyne, where he was engaged with two or three of his sons. He made a treaty of friendship with the St. Francis Indians, and by his kindness to them won their attachment. Many of the tribe were of great service to the colonies during the revolutionary war. He sacrificed a large estate in the service of his country, for which he never received any compensation, and was equally distinguished for his talents, his patriotism, and his piety."

It is understood that he commanded a brigade at Saratoga, at least, practically. It is believed that losses which he suffered by His services to the patriot cause amounted to about $60,000, for which, notwithstanding his applications to Congress, he received no return. He sacrificed all his estate to pay his debts, and died a poor man. He had great talents, and his usefulness to the American cause was very great. It is unfortunate for his fame that he took the course which he did regarding the motives and operations of the Allens, Governor Chittenden, and the other leaders of the Vermont cause. Had he understood their plans, and acted with them, his name would have gone into history second in fame to that of no man in Vermont.

There has been considerable controversy as to the actual part which he took in the campaign which ended with the surrender at Saratoga. At that time he held the rank and discharged the duties of Commissary General, and Brigadier-General. From the meagre records which remain, it seems certain that he employed his whole time during the summer of 1777, in raising men and supplies for the army and sending them on, but when Burgoyne was invested and the men and supplies were on the ground, he took command in person, of the troops from Western New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont.

Several certificates like the following are in existence: "Headquarters, Saratoga, Oct. 18, 1777. This may certify that Col. Webster with a Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers have faithfully served in the Northern Army, until this date, and are discharged with honor. By Gen. Gates' order, Jacob Bayley, Brig-Gen.*

This certifies that Frederick Obrey (Aubrey) did duty as a surgeon in the Volunteer Company, and in the party under the command of Col. Brown, who was sent to Ticonderoga by order from General Lincoln. Jacob Bayley, B. D. G., (Brigadier General).

"A return of the Men and Horses employed by Capt. Able Marsh in carrying flour from Connecticut river to Battenkill for the use of the Northern Army by order of Jacob Bayley, B. D. G., 13 October, 1777. On the back of the return is the following endorsement: "This certifies that by direction of Gen. Lincoln I ordered the within supplies of flour which was delivered to the commissary at Battenkill at the time specified when the baggage horses were dismissed. Jacob Bayley, B. G.

"General Bayley," says the late Hon. L. E. Chittenden, in a personal contribution to this volume, "is one of the neglected patriots of the Revolution."

His last years were spent among his children; he continued to transact business until nearly the end of his life, and his memory which remained unimpaired, was replete with reminiscences of his long and eventful career, which he would relate with great minuteness. It seems strange to us, that of the many who listened to his narratives, not one of them all seems to have thought of putting them into writing. He has been well called "The Father of Newbury," and his services to the town and church can hardly be overestimated. He was admitted to the 2d ch. at Newbury, Mass., (now the 1st ch. at W. N.) in 1744, and was. May 31, 1752, with his wife, dismissed to form, with others, a church at Hampstead. In September, 1764, he became one of the first members of the 1st ch. in this town, and was, with Jacob Kent and James Abbott, one of its first deacons, holding that office during the rest of his life.

In person he was about middle height, a stature not exceeded by any of his sons or grandsons, with a muscular, well knit frame, capable of great endurance. Mr. Reuben Abbott, who had known him well, said that he could easily trace the lineaments of his countenance, in all of his descendants whom he had met. His mind was not largely informed; he had lived a busy life from boyhood, without time for study, or general reading; he seems to nave been well aware of this, and declined responsibilities where a trained intellect was required, but he appears to have possessed the qualities which inspire confidence and esteem, to an unusual degree. His influence with the Indians doubtless prevented many disasters to the frontier, and his sacrifices in behalf of the American cause contributed toward the establishment of our independence.

His fame will always be great in this town; but to the present generation, even of his descendants, the services which he rendered are very imperfectly understood. His sphere of operations was narrow, but in it no man could have accomplished a more durable work; his loyalty to the patriotic cause was never questioned, and his course during the war has never needed apology or required vindication. His correspondence was very extensive. Many of his letters have been printed but large numbers of them remain in manuscript. The New York state papers and those of New Hampshire contain some of them, and, had space permitted, numbers of those, hitherto unpublished, would have found place in this volume.

He d. March 1, 1815, in the house of his son, Isaac, in which the latter's grandson, Henry W. Bailey now lives, his wife having preceded him, June 1, 1809.

Children ^[1]:

1. Ephraim, b. Oct. 5, 1746; d. Julv 7, 1825.
2. Abigail, b. Jan. 16, 1749; d. y.
3. Noyes, b. Feb. 16, 1751; d. y.
4. Joshua, b. June 11, 1753; d. July 3, 1841.
5. Jacob, b. Oct. 2, 1755; d. June 28, 1837.
6. James, b. Oct. 1. 1757; d. Apr. 19. 1784.
7. Amherst, b. Ian. 16, 1760; d. Jan. 6, 1783.
8. Abner. b. Dec. 10, 1763; d. 1783.
9. John, b. May 20, 1765; d. July 26, 1839.
10. Isaac, b. June 28, 1767; d. Aug. 30, 1850.

Sources

1. ↑ Wells, Frederic Palmer. History of Newbury, Vermont: From the Discovery of the Coös Country to Present Time. With Genealogical Records of Many Families. Newbury, Vermont: 1902.

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 17 Feb 2018), "Record of Bailey,. Jacob Sr", Ancestor # A004648.
• Birth: Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex Institute, 1911) Vol. 1, pg. 32
• Marriage: Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex Institute, 1911) Vol. 2, pg. 41
• Death & Burial: "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XFF5-4XR : 5 November 2017), Jacob Bailey, 01 Mar 1815, Death; State Capitol Building, Montpelier; FHL microfilm 27,465.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 March 2021), memorial page for Jacob Bayley (19 Jul 1726–1 Mar 1815), Find A Grave: Memorial #20912115, citing Oxbow Cemetery, Newbury, Orange County, Vermont, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
• Genealogies:

1. Bailey-Bayley Genealogies, Desc. of John Bailey of Salisbury and Newbury MA, in Essex Antiquarian, Salem, MA: Essex Antiquarian Publication (1901), pg. 128
2. Little, George Thomas, 'The Descendants of George Little, Who Came to Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1640', Published by Author, Auburn, ME, 1882, pg. 39
3. Proceedings of the 13th Annual Bailey-Bayley Family Association, 1911| Pages 12 - 52

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Cathy Carpentier-Alting for creating Bayley-192 on 13 Aug 13.

DNA Matching

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Anonymous (Maravelias) Schulte and Ephraim Bailey, her 5x great grandfather (direct ancestor). Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 5X Great Grandfather, based on sharing 2612 cM across 49 segments.