Thomas Terry V (1724 - abt. 1776)

Born 1724 in Oysterponds, Suffolk, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Sybil (King) Terry — married Oct 1747 in Southold, Suffolk, New York Colony

Descendants

Died about 7 Dec 1776 at about age 52 in Saybrook, New London, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

During the Revolutionary War, Thomas Terry V served as a Colonel of the Third Regiment of Minute Men from Suffolk County, New York. He lived in Oysterponds, Suffolk County, which is on the east end of Long Island. It is not certain whether he had two or three wives. He had at least four named daughters. He probably had several sons according to the 1776 census but only one whose name has been inferred. He passed away either in 1776 or 1777 in Connecticut Colony.

Thomas was born in 1727 to Thomas Terry IV & Mehitable (Tuthill) Terry. ^[1]

In May 1749, Thom Terry married Sibbil King. On 18 Sep 1751, Thom Terries wife Sibbil died.^[2]

In 1752, Thom Terry married Abigail Havens (apparently between July & December).^[3]

Thom and Abigail had at least four daughters:

1. Ruth, born 2 Dec 1752; married 1 Feb 1770 to Daniel Tuthill
2. Abigail, born c I7S3; married 1777 to Benjamin King, and then married 18 Nov 1784 to John Cleaves Terry
3. Elizabeth, born 1761; married Christopher Tuthill
4. Mehitable, born 21 Sep 1764; married 1780 to Richard Chadwick. ^[4]

Colonel Thomas Terry, of Oysterponds, died at Saybrook, Connecticut, in 1776, aged fifty-six years. ^[5]

Research Notes

The purpose of this section is to provide the reader access to the information contained within the cited sources; to identify source data conflicts and identify the origin of data errors; and, finally, to provide a platform to analyze, cross-correlate, and comment on important aspects of the cited historical data record.

The Colonel is Thomas Terry V because there are multiple Thomas Terrys. The numbers help when sorting out his wives, who have been identified in various family histories as:

• Sybil King [good evidence to be wife of Thomas Terry V]
• Abigail Havens [good evidence to be wife of Thomas Terry V]
• Mary Moore [uncertain evidence to be wife of Thomas Terry V]
• Juliana Wiggins [good evidence to be wife of Thomas Terry VI]

The case of Juliana Wiggins -- Based on the two applications for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, Juliana Wiggins was the wife of Thomas Terry VI, son of Colonel Thomas Terry:

From Clifford Everson Pearsall's application:

great great grandson of Thomas Terry, private, Third Regt New York Minute Men

great great great grandson of Thomas Terry, Colonel, Third Regt Suffolk County , New York Militia

From Donald Moffat Pearsall's application"

great great great grandson of Thomas and Julia (Wiggins) Terry

great great great great grandson of Thomas Terry, Colonel, Third Regt Suffolk County , New York Militia". ^[6]

Are Thomas VI and Sybil twins? -- Most sources list only daughters for Thomas but there is an unsourced tree (I think at LongIslandSurnames) that listed twins, Thomas & Sybil, born to Thomas & Sybil in May of 1749, which is when they married. All of which just looked like too much repetition to be reliable, although it is possible.

The case of Mary Moore -- There is a reference in Griffin's Journal to a Samuel Terry, "son of the late Col. Thomas Terry, of Oysterponds, L. I. His mother was, when a girl, Mary Hazard. She died the widow of Mr. John Wickham, who was her fourth husband." This may be the "Mary Moore" who shows up as a possible wife of Col Thomas. ^[7] Griffin has a lot to say about the Terrys, the author being a descendant of Jonathan Terry, Col Thomas' relative.

New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, by New York (State). Comptroller's Office, 1904, page 172

Suffolk County Militia — Third Regiment of Minute Men

• Colonel Thomas Terry
• Capt. John Bayley
• Lieut. John Tuthill
• Lieut. Joshua Youngs
• Ensign James Reeve
• 58 enlisted men

The Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut, by Frederic Gregory Mather, Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company, 1913, pages 593-594 The Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut, 1913, pages 593-594 [formatting has been added to enhance readability, and with some notes added in brackets]

TERRY THOMAS₄, COL. (Thomas 3, 2, 1)—From Oyster Ponds, in Southold, to Saybrook.

On July 22, 1776, by order of the Convention, Col. Smith sent an Express to him and Col. Mulford; and, on July 29, Col. Smith sent them money to pay the enlisted men. (G. 39)

On Aug. 5 [1776], he mustered in the men of Lt. Joshua Youngs' Co. (G. 38)

In Oct., 1776, with five passengers and effects, he was moved to Saybrook by Capts. James Wiggins and Peter Griffing. (C. 14)

He was in Saybrook, in 1777. (A. 43)

He had been a Capt. in the Indian Wars. (Wood's "First Settlements on L. I.," p. 137)

He was Col. of the 3d Regt. of Minute Men, Suffolk Co. (Page 88. Also G. 3, 8); and took part in the Battle of L. I.

The private of that name, in the same Regt., may have been his own enlistment. (G. 8)

Census of 1776 (A. 55):

• Males—above 16 years, 3; [including Thomas 52]
• [Males] under 16, 4.
• Females—above 16, 3; [dau. Elizabeth 15, dau. Abigail 23, wife Abigail]
• [Females] under 16, 1. [dau. Mehitable 12]

He was b. about 1726;

• m. (1) Juliana Wiggins (?),
• (2) in 1752, Abigail, dau. of Constant and Abigail Havens, and sister of Dr. Jonathan Havens (See Havens);

d. about 1777.

His daughters were:

• Ruth 5, b. Dec. 2, 1752, m. Feb. 1, 1770, Daniel Tuthill (See Tuthill);
• Abigail 5, b. about 1753, m. (1) in 1777, Capt. Benjamin King, Jr., Tuthill and King were Refugees (See King), (2) Nov. 18, 1784, John Cleaves Terry, d. Mar. 5, 1823;
• Elizabeth 5, b. in 1761, m. Christopher Tuthill, Jr. (See Tuthill), d. Apr. 23, 1825;
• Mehitable 5, b. Sept. 21, 1764, m. in 1780, Richard Chadwick. (Mallmann's "Shelter Island," pp. 242,245)
• The Refugee, David Palmer, is stated to have been his son-in-law. (See Palmer) Palmer had sons: Samuel 5, and Capt. David 5 (Griffin's "Journal," pp. 205-224)

The Diary of Rev. Ezra Horton states that Col. Thomas Terry d., at Saybrook, Conn., Dec. 7, 1776. For further information, see Ross' "Hist of L. I.," 2, 574.

[References cited in the entry above:]

A. 43 = Appendix A, item 43, which is on p. 701 of the book = description of a letter that includes a list of men

A. 55 = Appendix A, item 55, on p. 708 is "Census of the Inhabitants of Southold, Suffolk County, 1776"

C. 14 = Appendix C, item 14, on p. 749 is a list of expenses to several men

G. 3 = Appendix G, item 3, on p. 993 is a list of officers of Col. Thomas Terry's Third Regiment of Suffolk County

G. 8 = Appendix G, item 8, on p. 997 is a list of officers and enlisted men of Col. Thomas Terry's Third Regiment of Suffolk County

G. 38 = Appendix G, item 38, on p. 1009 is "Joshua Young's [8th] Company" with a list of officers and enlisted men

G. 39 = Appendix G, item 39, on p. 1010 is "Capt. Jonathan Bayley's [8th] Company" with a list of officers and enlisted men

Griffin's "Journal," pp. 205-224

Havens

King;

Mallmann's "Shelter Island," pp. 242,245

Palmer

Ross' "Hist of L. I.,"

Tuthill

Wood's "First Settlements on L. I.," p. 137

1921 US Sons of the American Revolution Membership Application by Ralph Cornish Pearsall, descendant of Col. Thomas Terry:

• grandson of Henry L. Terry, born Jan. 10, 1815, died Oct. 15, 1855, and Sarah Jones, born Jan. 22, 1818, died Oct. 30, 1898, married 1838
• great-grandson of Hazzard Terry, born Mar. 22, 1782, died Dec. 5, 1828, and wife Annie Brown, born Dec. 5, 1786, died Sept. 27, 1875, married Jan. 11, 1808
• great-great-grandson of Thomas Terry, born 1750, died Mar. 9, 1812, and wife Julia Higgins, born 1755, died Apr. 7, 1828, married ---
• great-great-great-grandson of Col. Thomas Terry, born 1724, died Dec. 24, 1776, and wife Sybil King, born ---, died Sept. 18, 1750, married 1748

Sources

1. ↑ “Tuttle and Tuthill Lines in America; Compiled by Alva M Tuthill” Published in 1968 by the Compiler; pg 429
2. ↑ "The Salmon Records"; commenced by William Salmon, edited by William A Robbins, New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 1918; pp 34, 89, 92
3. ↑ "The Salmon Records"; commenced by William Salmon, edited by William A Robbins, New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 1918; pp 34, 89, 92
4. ↑ “Historical Papers on Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church…” by Rev. Jacob E. Mallmann, 1899, AM Bustard, page 242
5. ↑ Griffin's Journal, First Settlers of Southold; The Names of the Heads of Those Families, being only thirteen at the time of their landing;" by Augustus Griffin, Long Island, New York: Orient, 1857
6. ↑ "Official Bulletin of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution", v16-17 ;pg 100
7. ↑ Griffin's Journal, First Settlers of Southold ..." by Augustus Griffin, 1857; pg 205

• 1747 New York Marriage Record for Thomas Terry and Sybel King
• New York in the Revolution, by New York (State). Comptroller's Office, 1904, page 172
• The Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut, by Frederic Gregory Mather, Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company, 1913, pages 593-594
• 1921 US Sons of the American Revolution Membership Application 36021 by Ralph Cornish Pearsall, descendant of Col. Thomas Terry