David Kinnison (1736 - 1851)

Born 17 Nov 1736 in Old Kingston, Maine

Descendants

Died 24 Feb 1851 at age 114 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: David Randall [send private message] and Sloan Marianicz [send private message]

Biography

David Kinnison served with 2nd Massachusetts Regiment (1777), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

David Kinnison is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A064880.

David Kinnison, the last survivor of the Boston Tea Party lived until 115 years old and was actually photographed few years before he passed away.

He was born in Old Kingston, Maine on November 17, 1736. He died in Chicago, Illinois, on February 24, 1851. His ancestors on his father side were known for longevity. His grandfather lived until the age of one hundred and twelve years and ten days. His father died at the age of one hundred and three years and nine months. David had four spouses. From his first marriage there were four children. His second wife gave him eighteen children. He did not learn how to read until he was sixty years old.

He had a farm in Lebanon, Maine. It was in Lebanon that David became one of seventeen men who formed a political club that held secret meetings in a tavern called “Colonel Gooding” in their own private room. There were other "clubs" formed in Philadelphia, Boston and surrounding towns. There was correspondence between the clubs. The Lebanon club decided to destroy the tea.

The men arrived to Boston, where they were joined by others and twenty four disguised as Indians, rushed on board, twelve armed with muskets and bayonets, the rest with tomahawks and clubs, having first agreed to stand by each other to the last and that the first man who faltered should be knocked on the head and thrown over with the tea. They expected to have a fight, and did not doubt that an effort would be made for their arrest. “But” (in the language of the old man) “we cared not more for our lives than three straws, and determined to throw the tea overboard. We were all captains, and every one commanded himself.” They pledged themselves in no event, while it should be dangerous to do so, to reveal the names of the party – a pledge that was faithfully observed until the war of the Revolution was brought to a successful issue.

Kinnison was in active service during the Revolutionary war, and later settled in Danville, Vermont, where he again returned to farming for eight years. He then removed to Wells, Maine, and lived there until the war of 1812, through which he served, being wounded at Williamsburg. In 1845 he went to Chicago, reduced to extreme poverty, with a pension of $96 a year, and until 1848 earned money by manual labor. At a public anti-slavery meeting in the summer of 1848 he addressed the audience with marked effect.

David Kinnison is Notable.

Preface

David Kennison has come to be remembered as a celebrated story-teller who often told contradictory tales about himself, depending upon his objectives at the time. In the process, he fooled multitudes of civic leaders, newspaper editors, noted historians, and generations of genealogists. Unfortunately, the legacy of this fascinating character has been a tangled web of unsubstantiated claims that have left several generations of Kennisons and their kin scratching their heads. It should be clear to anyone researching their Kennison line, that initial responsibility for this confusion rests directly at the feet of Mr. Kennison himself.

This WikiTree page is for the David Kennison who claimed to have served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, to have been the last surviving participant of the Boston Tea Party, to have married four times and fathered 22 children, and to have been 115 years old at the time of his death in 1852.

This is not the David Keniston, who married Huldah Vittum. As noted by Huldah's descendants, Huldah's David Keniston died in the state of New Hampshire in 1841. This is also not the Revolutionary War veteran, David Kennison, who resided at Boothbay, Maine, and died there in 1843. (Although there may ultimately be some connections here.)

The following is a summary of what we do and do not know about this fascinating character. I invite all to add any additional information they may have, asking only that we make a concerted effort between what we can prove and what we've simply been told. Together, we can then scrutinize the wild tales this colorful man told and perhaps finally get to the bottom of what was his truth and what was his fiction! - David Randall, profile manager

What He Claimed

David Kennison first appears on the Chicago stage in 1848. Now in declining health, he had affiliated himself with the Chicago Museum, where he was offering himself as something of a sideshow in an effort to raise money for his personal maintenance. It has been reported that his military pension was then only $96 a year, and that until 1848 he had earned his money by manual labor, despite his advanced years and physical infirmities. (An important factor to keep in mind when evaluating the “truthfulness” of his stories!)

The Newspapers

The following are excerpts from local newspapers, all dated 1848:

“A survivor of the Boston Tea Party - The Chicago Daily Tribune says that David Kennison, one of the survivors of the Boston tea party, who made a dish of tea in Boston harbor, is living in Boston [probably meant to print 'Chicago'], at the advanced age of 114 years”. (New York Evangelist, 2 Mar 1848).

“David Kennison, one of the patriots who threw tea overboard in Boston Harbor, is now lion of this city. The old gentleman is 111 years of age, and will be, if he lives until the 17th of November, 112. He served not only through the campaign of the glorious Revolution, but in the War of 1812. He is in receipt of a pension from the General Government”. (Chicago Weekly Democrat, 18 Apr 1848).

“One of the party who threw tea overboard, named David Kennison, is said to be now living in Chicago, Illinois, aged 114 years”. (The Youth's Companion, 29 Jun 1848).

“The Last Survivor of the Boston Tea Party – We have been applied to for the purposes of calling the attention of the public to the fact that Mr. David Kennison, who is represented to be 112 years old, and one of the party that threw the tea overboard in Boston Harbor, in the Revolution, is now the lessee of the Chicago Museum, and would be happy to receive visits from his friends. (Chicago Daily Journal, 18 Nov 1848).

And a letter from Mr. Kennison himself... “I have taken the Museum in this city, which I was obliged to do in order to get a comfortable living, as my Pension is so small it scarcely affords the comforts of life. If I live until the 17th of November, 1848, I shall be 112 years old, and I intend making a Donation Party on that day at the Museum, I have fought in several battles for my country, and have suffered more than any many will have to suffer, I hope I would not go through the wars, and suffer what I have, for ten worlds like this. Now all I can ask of this generous public is to call at the Museum on the 17th day of November, which is my birthday, and donate to me all they may think I deserve, I shall be happy to have all the traveling community call and see me at all times.” (Chicago Daily Democrat, 6 Nov 1848)

In another letter to the editor of the Chicago Daily Democrat (Nov 1848), Mr. Kennison writes:

"Sir: As several persons have been to see me to know how I was going to vote, I wish to get from you the use of the Democrat to tell the people what conclusion I have come to in the present condition of my country, as I probably shall never have another opportunity of voting. I have thought much of the subject, knowing my responsibility to God and my country. If I live till the 17th day of November next, I shall be one hundred and twelve years old.

"I was born at Kingston, New Hampshire, and my father moved to Lebanon, Maine, when I was an infant. I was a citizen of that place when, at the age of about thirty-three, I assisted in throwing the tea overboard in Boston harbor. I was at the battle of Bunker Hill and stood near General Warren when he fell. I also helped roll the barrels, filled with sand and stone, down the hill as the British came up.

"I was at the battles of White Plains, West Point, and Long Island. I helped stretch the chain across the Hudson River to stop the British from coming up. I was also in battles at Fort Montgomery, Staten Island, Delaware, Hudson, and Philadelphia. I witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and was near West Point when Arnold betrayed his country and Andre was hung. I have been under Washington (for whom I frequently carried the mails and dispatches), Prescott, Putnam, Montgomery and Lafayette. I now draw a pension of eight dollars a month for services in the Revolutionary war.

"When the last war broke out, I was living at Portland, Maine, when I enlisted and marched to Sackett’s Harbor, and was in battle at that place, and also at other places, and now bear the marks of a wound received in my hand in that war. I voted for Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Van Buren, and Polk, and have thought that I ought to vote for Mr. Van Buren at this time. I am a strong “free soil” man and spoke at the free soil meeting in this city on the Fourth of July last. I have always been a Democrat and think it is too late to change now, even if I had a disposition, which I have not. I have made up my mind that Mr. Van Buren stands no chance of an election, and that voting for him will endanger the success of the other Democrats in this field, and so give us a Whig for president; hence I shall cast my vote for General Lewis Cass for president and General William O. Butler for vice-president, and advise all other Democrats to do the same.” (Apparently, not only did Mr. Kennison think his opinion was important enough to share with the citizens of Chicago, but so to did the editor of the Chicago Democrat!)

Lossing Interview

It seems to be a well-established fact that David Kennison was a showman, and at times, as showmen can be, a fabricator. It seems, however, that to expect too high a level of accuracy from statements by a an impoverished and aging showman trying to sell tickets, made to a nineteenth century newspaper editor trying to sell subscriptions, would be rather naive. Perhaps, however, we could expect a slightly greater level of accuracy from an American patriot sitting down to share his life story with a well-known and well-respected biographer.

In 1850, the prolific and popular American historian, Benson John Lossing, interviewed David Kennison for his book Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. Lossing has often been considered a reliable secondary source for contemporary and succeeding historians. His significance as an historian derived from his diligence in seeking out primary records, his first-hand interviews with participants of events and intimates of his biographical subjects, and his care in weighing and contrasting details of his various sources. Washington Irving once praised Lossing on how “scrupulously attentive [he was] to accuracy to facts, which is so essential in writings of an historical nature." Although such efforts are today a standard among historians, in Lossing's time they were not.

The following are claims made by Kennison to Lossing, in regards to his military service.

The Boston Tea Party At about age 33, Kinnison was one of seventeen inhabitants of Lebanon who formed a club which held secret meetings “to deliberate upon the grievances offered by the mother country.” These meetings were held in a private meeting room at the tavern owned by Colonel Gooding, who, “though a true American,” was unaware of the purpose of their meetings. With similar clubs formed in Philadelphia, Boston, and elsewhere, the Lebanon Club determined to go to Boston where they would board a ship and dump its tea into the ocean. They expected to have a fight, and did not doubt that an effort would be made for their arrest. "But we cared no more for our lives than three straws.” They also pledged themselves not to reveal the names of those in the party until after the War of the Revolution was brought to a successful end.

The Revolutionary War Kinnison remained in active service during the entire war, only returning home once from the time of the destruction of the tea until peace had been declared (1773-1783). He claimed to have served under General Washington (for whom he frequently carried the mails and dispatches), as well as generals Prescott, Putnam, Montgomery and Lafayette.

Among the battles Kinnison claimed to have participated in were the...

...Battle of Lexington (19 Apr 1775)

...Battle of Bunker Hill, along with his father and two brothers (all four escaping unhurt). He was within a few feet of Warren when he fell and helped roll the barrels, filled with sand and stone, down the hill as the British came up. (17 Jun 1775)

...the Seige of Boston (19 Apr 1775 - 17 Mar 1776)

...Battle of Long Island (27 Aug 1776)

...Battle of White Plains (28 Oct 1776)

...Battle of Staten Island (22 Aug 1777)

...Battle of Stillwater (1st Saratoga) (19 Sep 1777)

...Battle of Red Bank (22 Oct 1777)

...Battle of Germantown (4 Oct 1777)

...Battle of Fort Montgomery (6 Oct 1777)

...Battle of Saratoga Springs (17 Oct 1777) At this final battle, Kennison claimed that he and his company of scouts were surrounded and captured by about three hundred Mohawk Indians, remaining a prisoner with them for a year and seven months.

Although Lorring doesn't say so, other sources report that, after his release by the Mohawk, Kennison continued to serve and was at the Battle of West Point where Benedict Arnold betrayed his country (23 Sep 1780) and was present when Major John Andre was hung (2 Oct 1780). Supposedly, he was also present at the final momebts of the Revolution as Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown (19 Oct 1781). Other sources also state that Kennison claimed to have served at he battles Philadelphia (26 Sep 1777), and Hudson Highlands (6 Oct 1777), although Lorring did not to cite these battles in Kennisons biography.^[1]

The War of 1812 After the Revolutionary War, Kinnison claimed to have settled at Danville, Vermont, where he engaged in his old occupation of farming. He resided there eight years (roughly 1783-1791). He then removed to Wells, Maine, where he remained until the commencement of the War of 1812 (roughly 1791-1812).^[2]

Kinnison claimed to have have been mustered into the U.S. Army (age 76), at Fort Dearborn, at what is now Chicago – coincidentally, the very city where he had now come to tell his story. He claimed to have been in service during the entirety of that war, and to have participated in the battles of Sackets Harbor (19 Jul 1812) and Williamsburg (date ?). At Williamsburg, he was apparently badly wounded in the hand by a grape-shot, the only injury which he received in all his engagements.^[3] 

What We Know

Birth and Youth

For the record, David Kennison of Chicago claimed to have been born at "Old Kingston", near Portsmouth, Maine, on 17 Nov 1736. Note that David did not claim to be born "in Maine" just "near Portsmouth", which is located about 20 miles east of Kingston, New Hampshire. As we see throughout this profile, there is much skepticism about this date and no direct evidence to support either this date or place of birth. While it is important to be aware of David's own claims regarding his birth, they should not be taken at face value. It should also be noted that there were a great number of Kennisons/Kenisons/Kinnisons/etc. living in the regions of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the years prior to the Revolutionary War and thereafter. It is critical not to assume that all records referencing a David Kennison of this time and place necessarily refer to the David Kennison who is the subject of this profile.

Kinnison also claimed that his father moved his family to Lebanon, Maine, when he was an infant; although in other reports he states that his parents first removed to Brentwood, and then Lebanon a few years later.^[4]

The Census Trail

In the 1850 US Federal Census, David Kennison is found residing in the household of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Mack (ages 42 and 40) in Chicago's 2nd Ward. Mr. Mack's occupation is listed only as "toll gate". Residing with the Macks were their eighteen year old son, Warren (a sailor); a fourteen-year-old girl from Ireland named "C. Camdron"; and a 35-year-old man from England named Edmund Beck (no occupation listed). This suggests the possibility that the Macks may have run some sort of boarding house. David's census entry lists his age 114 and his place of birth as Maine. If this is true, it would place his date of birth at about 1736.^[5] [The Chicago press noted Kennison's arrival in the city in 1848. Other accounts had him arriving with the family of William C. Mack. Kennison's own statements have him arriving in Chicago in 1845, whereupon he joined the Mack family.]

In an interview given just before he died, David Kennison stated that, following the War of 1812, he settled in the towns of Lyme and Sacket's Harbor in New York.^[6] These towns are located along Lake Ontario in Jefferson County, just outside the larger town on Brownville. Sure enough, in the 1840 US Federal Census we find David Kennison residing alone in Brownville, with a recorded age of "90 to under 100".^[7] On top of that, if we turn the census page, we find a roster of the town's military pensioners, including David Kennison, age 93 (about a decade younger than what he claimed in Chicago, but still quite impressive!) ^[8]

In the 1830 US Federal Census, we find David "Kineson" (Ancestry index says "Venson") residing at Lyme, this time listed as age 70-79 (a subtraction of an additional 4-14 years). David was then residing with four others: a female age 60-69 (his wife?), a male age 30-39 (a son?), and a young girl age 10-14 (a daughter or granddaughter?).^[9] There was also a Joisah Kineson (age 20-29) enumerated a few lines down from David - perhaps another son.^[10] Not far away, in the town of Ellisburgh, is a Samuel Kineson (age 30-39) who may also have been a son or other relative.^[11]

Kennison has yet to be located in the 1820 US Federal Census, and line-by-line reviews of both Lyme and Brownville find no Kennisons residing in either town. Likewise, an Ancestry.com index search shows no Kennisons residing anywhere in Jefferson County. However, Kennison's claim that he moved to Jefferson County, New York "after" the War of 1812 - should not be assumed to have necessarily meant "immediately after" the War. It is very possible that he actually returned to his pre-war home in Maine, prior to moving to New York sometime after 1820.

Kennison also has yet to be located in the 1810 and 1800 US Federal Censuses, Prior to the start of the Revolutionary War, David claimed to have resided in Lebanon, Maine, where he was a farmer. Afterwards, he claimed to have been a farmer at Danville, Vermont, for eight years, before relocating to Wells, Maine. Thus, it would seem most likely that it there that we should find him.

1790 Federal Census The nation's first federal census, taken in 1790, shows numerous Kennison households (various spellings) residing in the state of New Hampshire, where David claimed to have been born and raised. However, David also claimed to have moved to Danville, Orange Co. (now Caledonia Co.), Vermont after the end of the Revolutionary War (1783). There, he engaged in farming for eight years before relocating to Wells, York Co., Maine. Thus, in 1790, we should expect to find him residing in one of those two jurisdictions.

It must be first be noted, however, that Vermont did not become a part of the United States until 1791. Before that, Vermont had essentially been an independent country since breaking away from Britain during the Revolution. Enumeration of the citizens of Vermont, therefore, did not actually occur until 1791. (Despite the delay, Vermont's enumeration records are typically included as a portion of the 1790 US Federal Census.) Given the rough timeline provided by Kennison, his move appears to have occurred sometime around 1791, making it feasible that he could have moved too early to have been counted in Vermont, yet too late to have been counted in Maine.

As it turns out, there is a David “Kiniston” enumerated at Danville in 1791. This David is identified only as an adult male residing with an adult female (presumably a wife, but possibly an unmarried daughter). Also enumerated at Danville is an “Isaac Kiniston”, who is identified only as an adult male residing alone.^[12] Before we are too quick to assume this is our David Kennison, however, we must remain open to the possibility that David may have already left Vermont for Maine by 1790, and that this enumerated individual was actually a son or other relative who had remained behind.

There is no David Kennison enumerated in York County, Maine, in 1790, but we do find a John Kennison residing at Parsonsfield, located along the Ossipee River, about 35 miles inland from Wells. John's household consisted of 10 persons, presumably: John, his wife, two young sons, and three daughters, as well as another unidentified adult male. This adult male could have been an adult son, but could have also been John's father – perhaps David Kennison. Even if the second adult male in this household was not David Kennison, it would seem most probable that John Kennison was a close relation to David, and was perhaps the draw that brought David to Maine. Abram Kennison, who lived nearby with his wife, was perhaps also a son of John.

Analysis: If we try to determine David Kennison's actual birthdate based on the Federal Census records alone, we come up with about a 15 year range of 1735-1750 [1850: 1735/36, 1840: 1746/47, 1830: 1750-1760]. Some have speculated that Kennison initially added several years to his age in order to collect a Revolutionary War pension on top of his meager War of 1812 pension. Other's suggest he may have then added an additional ten years in order to garner sympathy for his fund-raising cause when he arrived in Chicago. However, another researcher (unidentified) has offered this less-mischievous explanation: would it not be possible that "the last vestige of memory as to his birth year might have been obliterated from the mental tablet of this soldier, who received a severe hand wound from a musket shot, who had both legs below the knee, his collar bone and two ribs broken; and, too, who was wholly illiterate, having learned to read after he was 62 years of age?" (According Lossing, Kennison was indeed illiterate for most of his life, only learning to sign his name while a soldier of the Revolution, which is all the writing he ever accomplished. It supposedly wasn't until he was sixty years of age that he was taught to read by his granddaughter).

Military Service

[This section is still a work in progress. Ideally, this section should focus on what we "know" about David Kennison's military career, as opposed to what he "claimed" about it (see above). Additional data will be added as it is uncovered."]

Fold3 has at least 60 memorial pages established soldiers named Kennison (various spellings) who served during the War of 1812. At least eleven of these pages are dedicated to men named David Kennison (various spellings), almost all of whom came from New Hampshire or Massachusetts (including Maine). Figuring out which records relate to the David Kennison of this profile is our current challenge.

Family

David Kennison claimed to have been married four times and to have fathered 22 children. According to Lossing, four of these children were by his first wife, while the remaining 18 were by his second. He apparently did not have any children with the final two wives. Currently, no wives or children can be connected to David with "certainty", although some individuals have been connected as "possible" children. If anyone has actual evidence as to the identities of any of David's wives or children - beyond what has simply been repeatedly regurgitated from unsubstantiated sources - this would be a terrific place to share it.

David stated, in 1850, that only seven of his 22 children were still living, that he did not know the whereabouts of any of them, but believed that were scattered across the Unite States and Canada.^[13]

Purely as an aid to further research, one unidentified poster has provided the following list of names frequently identified as David's children: sons David Jr, Hugh, Jacob, Joab, Nathaniel, Nehemiah, Peter, Solomon, and William David; daughters Dorothy, Elizabeth, Hannah, Jane, Jennie, Lucretia, Mamie, Mary, Mary Ann, and Polly; and three children with unknown first names who may have died at birth. Other sources also suggest possible sons David Jr., Abram, Isaac, and John, so this list should be scrutinized carefully.

There is apparently a letter from David Kennison, dated 1810(?), on file in the U.S. Archives in which he states that he was "a widower in his 70's with a five year old daughter, Polly."

Also, an individual named George Reed posted on an online message board many years ago, claiming that his great-aunt was the fourth wife of David Kennison - as such, any connections to the Reed family should be examined carefully.

Death

David died 24 Feb 1852, in Chicago,, at 9:00am, "aged 115"^[14]

According to one newspaper report, David Kennison's funeral "was the most imposing military pageant ever witnessed" in Chicago:

"At two o’clock, the Clark Street Methodist Church was densely filled, and a discourse suitable to the occasion, was delivered by the Rev. Lewis Raymond of the Tabernacle Baptist Church. The streets leading to the Church were filled with the military waiting to escort the old soldier to his last resting place. The side-walks were thronged, the windows and roofs of the adjoining buildings were filled with thousands of persons assembled to witness the imposing ceremonies. The service in the church being concluded, the body was borned to the Hearse, by six officers acting as pallbearers, when the procession was formed in the following order: 1st Major Diversy, as Chief Marshal, assisted by Adj. Voss, Capt. W.H. Davis, Lieuts. Bacher and Gamble as aids. 2nd The Military Band, with muffled drums playing the Dead March and other appropriate airs. It was composed of the bands of the German, Washington and Chicago German Battalions. 3rd The Hearse, appropriately decorated; at the side of which walked six officers as bearers. 4th The Chaplain, Rev. Mr. Raymond, and others of the clergy in carriages. 5th The chief mourners, also in carriages. 6th The Mayor and Common Council of the city, also in carriages. 7th Lieut. Floyd Jones’s detachment of the United States Army. 8th A representation from the Fire Department, composed of Engine Companies Number Five and Six, in uniform. 9th Captain Swift’s fine Hussar Band, playing appropriate airs. 10th The independent military companies of the city, in reverse order of rank. They included the Montgomery Guards, and the German Companies; the whole closed by Capt. Swift’s Hussars and Light Artillery. The latter fired minute guns from one of their pieces, kept in reserve for the purpose, while the procession was on the march to the Cemetery. The procession passed on – the mournful music along the line, swelling on the air. The multitude went their several ways, and the pageant was ended. Arrived at the Cemetery, the usual military honors were paid, three volleys were fired over the old soldier’s grave, and in an hour, the Military came marching back, to lively music. The living had returned – the dead were left behind. “So dies in human hearts, the thought of death.” ^[15]

Early in 1852, Kennison made an appeal to Chicago's city officials, asking for accommodation to be buried in the City Cemetery with a suitable marker, for fear that he would otherwise be laid to rest in an unmarked grave at the Pauper's Cemetery. His request was presented to the City Council by 4th Ward Alderman Amos G. Throop.* His request was approved on 5 Mar 1852, by the Committee on Wharves and Public Grounds and was considered by the full Council shortly after his death. A plot in the City Cemetery was approved, although the matter of the monument was left unresolved.^[16] It was not until long after this death that a monument was finally erected by the SSAR at the location where he was believed to have been buried.

*Note of Interest: After twice running unsuccessfully for mayor of Chicago, Throop moved to Pasadena, California, where he did become mayor and later founded the California Institute of Technology ("CalTech").

David Kennison was buried at the old Chicago City Cemetery (now defunct), although the city did not follow through on his request for a monument until several generations later.

Physical Description

According to Lossing, Kennison had evidently been a very muscular man. "Although not large, his frame is one of great power. He boasts of 'the strength of former years'. Nine years ago, he says, he lifted a barrel of rum into a wagon with ease. His height is about five feet ten inches, with an expansive chest and broad shoulders. He walks somewhat bent, but with as much vigor as many almost half a century younger. His eye is usually somewhat dim, but, when excited by the recollection of his past eventful life, it twinkles and rolls in its socket with remarkable activity. His memory of recent events is not retentive, while the stirring scenes through which he passed in his youth appear to be mapped out upon his mind in unfading colors. He is fond of martial music. The drum and fife of the recruiting service, he says, 'daily put new life into him'. In fact, he says, 'it’s the sweetest music in the world. There’s some sense in the drum, and fife, and bugle, but these pianos and other such trash I can’t stand at all.'

“At Lyme, while engaged in felling a tree, he was struck down by a limb, which fractured his skull and broke his collar-bone and two of his ribs. While attending a 'training' at Sackett’s Harbor, one of the cannon, having been loaded (as he says) 'with rotten wood,' was discharged. The contents struck the end of a rail close by him with such force as to carry it around, breaking and badly shattering both his legs midway between his ankles and knees. He was confined a long time by this wound, and, when able again to walk, both legs had contracted permanent fever sores. His right hip has been drawn out of joint by rheumatism. A large sear upon his forehead bears conclusive testimony of its having come in contact with the heels of a horse. In his own language, he 'has been completely bunged up and stove in.'

“Many years ago he was troubled with partial deafness; his sight also failed him somewhat, and he was compelled to use glasses. Of late years both hearing and sight have returned to him as perfectly as he ever possessed them. He is playful and cheerful in his disposition. 'I have seen him,' says my informant, 'for hours upon the side-walk with the little children, entering with uncommon zest into their childish pastimes. He relishes a joke, and often indulges in ‘cracking one himself.’

“Up to 1848 he always made something by labor. 'The last season,' says my informant, 'he told me he gathered one hundred bushels of corn, dug potatoes, made hay, and harvested oats. But now he finds himself too infirm to labor, though he thinks he could walk twenty miles in a day by ‘starting early.'

But he is now reduced to extreme poverty, and depends solely upon his pension of ninety-six dollars per year for subsistence, most of which he pays for his board. Occasionally he is assisted by private donations. “I now draw a pension of eight dollars a month for services in the Revolutionary War.”^[17]

Other Tidbits

David claimed that his predecessors from his father side were known for their longevity. His great-grandfather, who came from England and settled in Maine, lived to a long age. His grandfather lived until the age of one hundred and twelve years and ten days. His father died at the age of one hundred and three years and nine months. This seems quite far-fetched, but if substantiated, could go a long way in determining who David's paternal ancestors were.^[18]

There is an unsubstantiated legend in which David Kennison apparently deliberately "dropped the “T” from his name when he "dropped the tea” into the Boston Harbor (1773). As clever as this story is, it does seem to contradict other claims that he was completely illiterate until the age of 60, and was only taught to sign his name during the time of the Revolution (1775-1783).^[19]

There is apparently a vial of tea in the Boston Museum which is said to have come from David Kennison's boots after he threw the tea from one of the ships!

One researcher, now unidentified, claimed to have a letter written by his/her great-great-grandmother in which she says to her son "your grandfather dumped the tea overboard at the Boston Tea Party." If this is true, and the researcher had the relationships correct - this letter would have been written by one of David Kennison's own daughter - which would be an amazing piece of evidence to review.

It is said that P. T. Barnum once requested an introduction to David Kennison when he made a trip to Chicago. (unsourced)

A staunch abolitionist, David Kennison addressed a public anti-slavery meeting in the summer of 1848. He declared that he fought for the "freedom of all," that freedom ought to be given to the "black boys," and that his audience to do all in their power "to abolish slavery."^[20]

Kennison also claimed to be "a strong Free Soil man" and spoke at the Free Soil meeting in Chicago on 4 Jul 1849(?). He stated that he was a life-long Democrat who voted for Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Van Buren, and Polk, and who would have voted again for Van Buren, except that he feared Van Buren would loose, and instead threw his support behind Gen. Lewis Cass.^[21]

In 1943, David Kennison was profiled by Robert Ripley in his syndicated "Ripley's Believe It or Not” newspaper column.

The Debunkers

Over the past century, numerous individuals have claimed to have uncover documentation "proving" that David Kennison was a fraud. One research went as far as to label him "Chicago's Greatest Conman." Frustratingly, most of these "debunkers" provide no more evidence to support their claims, than have Kennison's supports. Two of Kennion's most notable detractors were Dr. Charles J. Lewis and Albert J. Overton:

Lewis

In 1914, at a meeting of the Borrowed Time Club held at Scoville Institute, Dr. Charles J. Leiws read a paper called “David Kennison, Last Survivor of the Boston Tea Party,” which claimed that Daniel Kennison had given his age as 42 years in 1814, 56 years in 1818 (+12 years in just 4 years), and 79 years in 1820 (+ another 23 years in just 2 years). He also claimed that in 1820, Kennison claimed to have five young child, ages 17, 14, 11, 7 and 5.

Unfortunately, we do not know the sources for Dr. Lewis' claims, which makes them no more credible than those which support Kennison's claims. Dr. Lewis did, however, present an interesting examination of Kennison's claims using what he called “anthropometry”. According to a document in which a David Kennison was reject for military service in 1781, he then stood just 4'9” tall. When he successfully enrolled in 1818, however, he stood 5'6½” tall – a gain of 9½ inches. According to Dr. Lewis, by the time a boy reaches about age 23, he is likely to have achieved the stature he will retain for the remainder of his days. Prior to that, however, a boy can increase his stature by much as 10 inches between the ages of 17 to 23. This, Dr. Lewis argues, would suggest a birthdate closer to 1764.

In his conclusion, the doctor noted that even though the accuracy of Kennison's age claims are in doubt, they should not take away from the fact that “our hero...left two orbs that shine with great brilliancy – these orbs are his services in the War of Independence and in the War of 1812. For these services a grateful people clothe him with an armor that neither jealousy nor envy can tarnish, nor can the shafts of hate penetrate and efface the good work he did in helping to break asunder the throngs that were intended to bind a mighty people in servitude.^[22]

Overton

Sixty years later, in 1973, a researcher named Albert G. Overton, wrote a five-page essay (with four additional pages of sources) entitled, "David Kennison and the Chicago Sting,". In his essay, Overton systematically discounts David Kennison's professed exploits by explaining that he had actually assumed other Kennison/Kinnison men's identities to tell his own story. Overton breaks down Kennison's likely age and military history, citing several National Archives documents, including pension files, census records, and Bounty Land files. As part of his strategy to ensure he was identifying the correct David Kennison, Overton noted that Kennison consistently spelled his family name “Kinnison”, and signed his name with a distinctively capital “K."

Overton concluded that Kennison was actually only about 7 years old at the time of the Boston Tea Party, saw no Revolutionary War service, and was about 85 years old when he died. Overton also acknowledges that Kennison may have indeed had four wives, but he found documentary evidence for only four children. Of those four, only a daughter, Sarah B. Johnson, had certain documentation.

It does not appear that Overton ever published his paper, but it is said to be available from several research libraries, including the Chicago History Museum's research center. As with Dr. Lewis' paper, Overton's report cannot be properly evaluated for accuracy until we have the actual paper in front of us.

Sources

1. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501
2. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
3. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
4. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501
5. ↑ 1850 US Federal Census, Illinois, Cook, Chicago, Ward 2, page 165, family number 606, household of Wm. C. Mack. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 5).
6. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
7. ↑ 1840 US Federal Census, New York, Jefferson, Brownsville, page 22, line 29, household of David Kennison. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 45).
8. ↑ 1840 US Federal Census, New York, Jefferson, Brownville, page 23, line 29, Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service, included in the Foregoing. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 45).
9. ↑ 1830 US Federal Census, New York, Jefferson, Lyme, page 260, line 13, Household of David Kineson. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 7).
10. ↑ 1830 US Federal Census, New York, Jefferson, Lyme, page 260, line 23, Household of Josiah Kineson. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 7).
11. ↑ 1830 US Federal Census, New York, Jefferson, Ellisburgh, page 36, line 11, Household of Samuel Kennison. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 15).
12. ↑ 1790 US Federal Census, Vermont, Orange, Danville, page 194, lines 9 & 10, Households of Isaac Kinniston and David Kinniston. Database Online. Ancestry.com (image 2).
13. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501
14. ↑ Chicago Daily Journal. 24 Feb, 1852
15. ↑ Chicago Daily Journal, 26 Feb 1852).
16. ↑ Bannos, Pamela. Hidden Truths: David Kennison. http://hiddentruths.northwestern.edu/kennison/descendents.html
17. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
18. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501
19. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501
20. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
21. ↑ Lossing, Benson J. "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution" (New York: Harper Brothers, 1851) pp. 499-501.
22. ↑ Oak Leaves (newspaper) [Oak Park, Illinois]. “Strange Case of David Kennison – Dr. Lewis Tells of Remarkable Chicagoan – Lincoln Park Stone”. 1 Aug 1914.

• Boston Tea Party Historical Society: David Kinnison.[1]
• Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum: David Kinnison.[2]
• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 1 Feb 2023), "Record of David Kennison", Ancestor # A064880.
• http://hiddentruths.northwestern.edu/kennison/descendents.html there are a bunch of unconnected Kinnison Kennison but after reading this, that story above might not be fully correct, will not attach children, further clarifications needed.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kenniston-49 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kenniston-48 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kenniston-50

• Pension Application of David Kinniston - S42782