Thomas Paine (1757 - 1839)

Born 16 Nov 1757 in Freetown, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Huldah (Virgil) Paine — married 3 Aug 1781 (to 4 Oct 1839) in Green River, Albany, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Oct 1839 at age 81 in Caroline, Tompkins, New York, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Payne Name Study.

Private Thomas Paine served with New York during the American Revolution.

Thomas Paine is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 264746
Rank: Private

Thomas served in the American Revolution as a Private. His DAR Ancestor number is A086192. (LINK) Thomas served 3 terms, about 3 years, as a Private in the Revolutionary War, beginning in 1776.^[1] He was a matross and artillerist, serving under Captains Sawyer and Simeon Newell, and Colonel Elliott. His first two enlistments were as a volunteer, and his last enlistment was as a levy, i.e. a paid replacement for a wealthier man who was drafted didn't want to serve.

Just before his third enlistment he married Huldah Virgil, and moved her to New York. Huldah's family settled in Columbia Co. NY. Thomas and Huldah moved after the war, raised their family and lived until death in Caroline, Tompkins Co. NY.

In 1810, they were living in Tioga Co. NY with boys aged under 10 (Abijah?) and 10-16 (Daniel? or Edward?), and 2 girls under 10, and 1 girl age 10-16 (Abigail?). There are no other persons living with them, which might have implied that they had children with grandchildren living there. Huldah was about 46, and therefore may have been the mother of the two unknown girls. Thomas's Rev. War pension papers do not mention the children.

"Historical gazetteer of Tioga County, New York, 1785-1888": Edward Paine lived in Berkshire, or its vicinity, as early as Sept. 1802, and had a brother here who, it is supposed was Thomas Paine, who, with his wife bought goods of Joseph Waldo, 2nd, as early as 16 June, to be paid for in "cash or tow cloth." Their home has not been ascertained.

In 1839 Thomas died at the age of 81, and was buried in Grove Cemetery, Caroline, New York. His widow lived on for 21 years until she was 96.

1850 Census, Caroline, Tompkins Co. NY (p. 19 on ancestry.com):
Huldah Paine, age 86, b. NY, $300 real estate
Ruth Hastings, age 47, b. NY

1860 Census, Caroline, Tompkins Co. NY:
Edward Pain age 59; Catharine, 44; Addison, 16; Huldah, 96

Children

Children (PAINE), born in Vermont and New York State:

1. James Paine (1782-abt.1829), m. Polly Freeman; 12 children
2. Joseph, ~1784-~1845, m. Mary Brand; 4 children
3. Elizabeth (Paine) Ennest (1787-1886), m. William Ennest; 3 children
4. Daniel; no further record
5. Abigail (Paine) Mann (abt.1796-abt.1884); m. Moses Mann; perhaps 14 children; perhaps m. (2) James Redmann
6. Edward Paine (1799-1879), m. (1) Sophia Armstrong, 7 children; m. (2) Catharine Nelson, 1 child (who died in the Civil War)
7. Abijah (abt.1800-abt.1865); m. Margaret Ulice; 2 sons

NOTE: James, Joseph, and Elizabeth are fairly certain to be those mentioned in the Rev War pension documents. Abijah filed his own affidavit, stating these were his parents The rest need further research. Elizabeth only mentioned the older children, in order to validate when Thomas and Huldah got married.

War of 1776 Affidavit

Affidavit of Thomas Paine, regarding his Revolutionary War service: (click hyperlink for more information)

3rd: Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War; and where do you now live?

--Answer: When called to service I lived in Freetown Mass. Moved from thence to Burrington (Burlington?) Vermont. From thence to Nobletown (Columbia Co.?) NY, from thence to Kursbush (Kinsbush?) & from thence to Caroline Tompkins County NY where I have lived for about thirty years & where I now live.

Pension papers of Thomas Paine, Revolutionary War soldier:
State of New York, Tompkins County: This third day of October 1832 personally appeared, in open court before the court of Commission Please to wit Andrew D. W. Bruyn. ….. Halsey, and Cyrus Powers Esquires …. Judges of said County, … sitting … for the County of Tompkins aforesaid at Ithaca in the said county of Tompkins & State of New York, Thomas Paine a resident of the Town of Caroline in the County & State aforesaid, aged seventy three years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832.

That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

That in the month of June or July 1776 he was enlisted by Capt ____ Sawyer of the Rhode Island State Artillery at a place called Snonch (?) Bridge near Taunton in the State of Massachusetts for the term of fifteen months. That soon after his said enlistment he joined his company at Fall River in the said State of Rhode Island and marched with said company to Howland's Ferry and from thence down to Fogland Ferry - from thence to Providence where he joined the Regiment commanded by Col. Elliott in which regiment he served - That he remained with said Corps in the aforesaid service at & near Providence for about five or six months where they served as a guard to the City of Providence. That they marched to Bristol and Warren. That he was in the Battle on Rhode Island in 1777^[2] when the U.S. Troops were there & under the command of General Sullivan. That he continued in said service in the company aforesaid till the expiration of fifteen months the said term of his enlistment. When he was discharged at Providence R.I. by Capt. Maj. Sawyer.

That about a week after his aforesaid discharge at Providence he again then enlisted under the same officers above mentioned. He was enrolled by ____ Foster who was there a muster-master and who administered the oath to this Declarant. He here enlisted for one year & served during that period under the aforesaid Capt. Maj. Sawyer, Capt. Gladding, …. Price & …. Parker as a private in said Company. This Declarant with his company was ordered to a place called Gardners Neck. That from thence they marched to Warren to guard Publick property. Thence he went with his Company into the fort at Bristol where they lay untill his time of service expired & he was discharged at Warren by Maj. Sawyer with his aforesaid company. He was discharged from his said last mentioned service in the winter or spring of 177_. In the fall of 1777 he received a wound in his foot from the kick of a horse which disabled him from actual service for near two months during the said last above mentioned service and which considerably affects him still.

That in the month of April 1781 he having then moved his family into Nobletown in the county of Columbia in the State of New York, there entered the service of the United States as a volunteer instead of some person being drafted under Capt. Newell in Col. Willets Regiment of the New York State Militia for the term of Nine Months. That he served during the said term of nine months and was discharged at Fort Herkimer by Capt. Newell. That he received no written discharge. That after his said last entering the service he marched to Albany thence to Fort Hunter & thence to Johnstown & from there to Fort Herkimer. That in the month of July or August 1781 he was in an engagement with the Indians & Tories, at Herkimer's House near Little Falls on the Mohawk River.

That he has no documentary evidence of his said service. That he never received to the best of his recollection any written discharge. That he knows of no person living whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his said services, other than those whose affidavits are hereunto annexed & that he never learned to write. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a Pension or an Annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state. his Thomas X Paine mark

Research Notes

Note: Thomas is the son of either Joseph or Edward Paine (brothers). LDS IGI says he is the son of Joseph. However, researcher Robert Gerrity finds that the case is stronger that he is the child of Edward, so that is where I place him in my database. Further research is needed. (The brothers married sisters, so genetically we're all in the same pool.)

Thomas Paine has not been proven to be the father of Edward (1799-1879.) However, Edward's descendant DLG has found her DNA test linked to multiple descendants of the Virgil line, and Thomas's wife Huldah was a Virgil. Edward was a neighbor to Thomas, and Thomas's wife Huldah lived with Edward per the 1860 census.

In the records for the estate of Thomas Paine, Abijah verified that his father was Thomas Paine, who died Oct. 4 1839.

Note that Nobletown may now be known as Hillsdale, Columbia Co., NY.

Burlington is in Chittenden Co., Vermont. (Or this could be Great Barrington in Bennington Co., VT.) I have not found Kinsbush or Kursbush. (Possibly Kingsbury NY, 60 miles north of Albany, per "A Virgil Family History".)

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution: LINK Ancestor A086192.
2. ↑ Wikipedia article on the Battle of Rhode Island, LINK

• Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Volume: 3; Serial: 6924; Volume: 14, indexed on ancestry.com.
• New York Pensioners, 1835, on ancestry.com
• New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920; The 1841 Pensioners List, New York State - Excerpts; Publication Place: Albany, New York; Page Number: 437. Ancestry.com
• U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900. Pension 1833; Widow's Pension for Huldah 1848; Bounty-Land-Warrant Application File: Archive publication M804, roll 1861. See files HERE