Joseph Cushing (1732 - 1791)

Born 1 Mar 1732 in Hanover, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1791 at age 59 in Hanover, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Cushing served with 2nd Regiment, Plymouth County, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Joseph Cushing is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A029029.

"JOSEPH CUSHING (Elijah; John; Matthew) was born in Hanover, Mass., 1 March, 1732. He married Ruth . She died 12 Feb., 1822. He died 19 Dec, 1791. Graduated from Harvard College in 1752. He resided in Hanover, near the "Four Corners". Representative from 1773 to 1775, and in 177S and 1779 ; also Town Clerk from 1774 and 1778." He was one of the most valuable citizens of the Town in his day, distinguished for his unbending integrity and affable deportment : held an honorable rank in the Conventions of the County and Congresses of the Province." In the Records of Hanover, we read that "Capt. Joseph Cushing was among the representatives from Hanover to the great meeting held 26 Sept., 1774, at Plympton, of delegates from every town in Plymouth Co." At this Congress, Nathan and Joseph dishing were of a committee to draft resolutions and remonstrances against the encroachments of the Parlia- ment and King, which resolutions were unanimously adopted; and on the Journals of the three first Provincial Congresses, held in Salem, Concord, Cambridge and Watertown, in 1774-75, there is mentioned as a delegate, a " Col. Cushing " who took an active and prominent part in all the proceedings. A ' ' Joseph Cushing" was on the Committee of Correspondence and Safety, of Hanover, for 1776-7 and 1779. Sept. 17. 1776, Col. Joseph Cushing with a body of Mass. Militia reinforced the Rhode Island Regiment at that place (R. I.), (Arnold's History of Rhode Island). In 1777, there was a regiment styled " Col. Cushing's Regiment " which arrived at Bennington soon after the battle at that place, and one company at least, reached Bennis Heights on the day of the battle. All these references are doubtless connected with this Joseph. At a still later period when peace had been declared and order restored he was appointed Judge of Probate for the County of Plymouth, as a token of gratitude and esteem for his services. He was Capt. of the 1st Mass. Regiment and Sub-Inspector to the 1st Mass. Brigade for the years 1781-2, and held the rank of Brigadier General." ^[1]

Joseph Cushing was born on March 1, 1731 (or maybe 1732 on the Gregorian calendar. ^{[2] [3]} He was the son of Elijah Cushing and Elizabeth Barstow Cushing.

Joseph was mentioned in the will signed by his father Elijah Cushing signed on 6 March 1761. ^[4] "Item, I give to my son Joseph his heirs and assigns forever the farm in Hanover where Capt. Barstow lived being eighty acres more or less on both sides of the way also about twenty acres of land joining to the road between the w do (widow/) gerados & the meeting house " "Item: All the rest of my estate both real and personal of every sort & kind I give to said Elijah, Nathan'l, Joseph their heirs & assigns forever" and " I do hereby appoint my said three sons Elijah, Nathan'l & Jo.to be executors of this my last will and order them to pay my just debts out of what I have given them."

On December 2, 1768 Elizabeth Cushing, Elijah Cushing, Nathaniel Cushing and Joseph Cushing signed a petition stating that "The subscribers, relations and friends of Mrs. Abigail Bryant of Pembroke in said county widdow apprehending she is a person non compor mentisis in no wise capable to take care of herself and her estate, pray that a guardian may be appointed for her. "^[5] This was in reference to the will of her mother Mary (Randall, Barstow) Bryant's request in her will for Elijah Cushing Senior and Elijah Cushing Junior to administer Abigail's share to Mary's estate.

In the 1790 U. S. Census ^[6] Joseph Cushing's family was still in Hanover, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. There was one male over 16 (Joseph) three males under 16 and six females in the household.

Joseph died on December 19, 1791, ^[3] in Hanover and was buried in the Hanover Center Cemetery, Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Probate

The will of Joseph Cushing of Hanover, Esqr., was dated 9 October 1790 and proved on 22 February 1792 in Plymouth. He mentioned his wife Ruth, and his children, Joseph Cushing (executor), Benjamin Cushing, Horatio Cushing, Charlotte Cushing, Ruth Stockbridge, wife of David Stockbridge (executor), Elizabeth Barstow, wife of Nathaniel Barstow, and Deborah Cushing, and his brothers, Elijah Cushing and Nathaniel Cushing^[7]

His inventory was taken on 29 February 1792.^[8]

Acknowledgements

This person was created through the import of Family.ged on 28 November 2010.

Research Notes

A town record shows Joseph's birth as 1 March 1731 ^[2] This was before the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar which happened in 1752.

Sources

1. ↑ Cushing; The Genealogy of the Cushing Family, 1905.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [1]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Hanover Records, p10.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 July 2019), memorial page for Gen Joseph Cushing (1 Mar 1732-19 Dec 1791), Find A Grave Memorial no. 37306482, [2] citing Hanover Center Cemetery, Hanover, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Warren Cushing (contributor 48364069) .
4. ↑ familysearch.org; [3]; Image 511-513; Massachusetts, Plymouth County; Probate Records, 1633-1967; Vol. 16, Page 16: Pages 336-338;
5. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. State Archives, Boston. [4]; Vol. 20, Page 149, Image 423, 2 Dec. 1768; Request for guardian to manage the estate of Abigail Barstow Bryant
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [5]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Hanover, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Series: M637; Roll: 4; Page: 263; Image: 299; Family History Library Film 0568144:
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-8CV2 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1785-1792 vol 30-31 > image 596-597 of 639; State Archives, Boston.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-73KL : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1791-1808 vol 32-33 > image 253-254 of 539; State Archives, Boston.