ENTER THE PARRISHES!

. . .was with the army during the first and Second battle that Gen Lincoln was wounded and a large number of men killed. . . ~ from John Parrish's pension application

the Parrishes and the Royces

Tracing our Parrish family beyond our grandfather John Parrish (5GGF) has proven impossible. While there were other Parrish families in the area, mostly from Connecticut, there is no positive link to be found.

A statement from Grandpa John's pension application says that he was born in 1751 in Duchess County, New York. Sometime around the end of the 1760s, he married Elizabeth Rice (5GGM). Tracing Grandma Elizabeth's family has been equally hard. There are a plethora of Royce's and Rices, also from Connecticut.

Since John and Elizabeth's first child, Ezra (4U), was born in 1770, Elizabeth was probably born ca. 1750. When John Parrish died in 1843, a David Rice, no doubt a relative of Elizabeth's, witnessed his will. I found a David Rice who died in 1814 in Cambridge, NY, a scant thirty miles from Fort Ann where John was living at the time of his death. It would seem plausible to believe that this David Rice (5U) was Elizabeth's brother. David was born in Mansfield, CT in 1754. His father was a David Royce (5GGF) who died in Fort Ann in 1820, further cementing the relationship between the two families. While I can't find a birth record for Elizabeth, it seems more than likely that she was born in Connecticut to David Royce.

Since Elizabeth's brother, David Rice, died well before our grandfather John made out his will, the David Rice who witnessed the will would more than likely have been Elizabeth's nephew, another David Rice (1C6X) born to the elder David Rice in 1780. The fact that the younger David Rice lived and died in the Parrishes home town of Fort Ann adds double credence to the supposition.

In 1777, John and Elizabeth were living in Livingstone Manor, in then Dutchess County, when he enlisted in the New York Militia to serve in the Revolutionary War. After the war, he returned to Livingstone Manor. John and Elizabeth had eight children over the course of more than twenty years, seven sons and one daughter. The first six were born in Livingston Manor and the last two in Fort Ann (originally called Westfield) where they moved in 1792. The distance between the two towns is about 160 miles.

(1) Livingstone Manor, NY (2) Fort Ann, NY

The town of Fort Ann sits on a site that has been strategically important since the first fort was built there by the French in 1689. In 1757, after several forts had been built and destroyed on the site over the years, the English built a fort during the French and Indian War that they named after Queen Anne of England.

During the Revolutionary War, Burgoyne's forces captured Fort Ticonderoga on July 6, 1777. He then took his troops 37 miles south to Fort Anne. On July 8, the Battle of Fort Anne took place. While the British managed to take the fort from the Americans, the battle delayed Burgoyne's march and he was forced to surrender to the Americans only three months later.

As we'll see from his pension application, Grandpa John took part in the Saratoga battles. He must have remembered and liked the area well enough to move his family there.

John and Elizabeth's children were:

Ezra born in 1770; our grandfather Nathan (4GGF) was born in 1774; John (4U), 1777; James (4U), 1779; Anna (4A), 1783; William (4U),1786; Rufus (4U), 1794 and Joel (4U), 1796.

Note: The gap of 8 years between William and Rufus might mean other children were born who died young.

All of the children were grown when Grandma Elizabeth Rice Parrish died in 1829 at about age 79. Three years later, Grandpa John applied for a pension for his service 55 years prior in the Revolutionary War.

Pension Application for Service in the Revolutionary War

Most of the information we have found on Grandpa John's life comes from his pension application. The application was submitted in 1832 when he was 81. Below is my transcript of the handwritten application, some of which is impossible to read.

PARISH, JOHN (Pvt.) DAR Ancestor #: A086985 Notice: DATA IN THE CORRECTION FILE Service: NEW YORK Rank(s): PRIVATE, TEAMSTER (hauled stores and provisions) Birth: 1751 DUTCHESS CO NEW YORK Death: 9-12-1843 FORT ANN-PROB WASHINGTON CO NEW YORK Pension Number: *S23359 Service Description: 1) PVT, CAPT PETER BEST, JOSEPH ELLIOTT, BOLEN 2) TMS, RODERICK BEEBE

On this 25th day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared before mr John Mots a Judge of Washington County ? John Parish a resident of the town of Fort Ann County of Washington and State of New York (aged Eighty one) 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 ratified June 7th, 1832. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and service as herein stated.

Note: Grandpa John was drafted into the militia in August of 1777 during the all important Saratoga campaign, three months before Burgoyne's surrender.

That the first time I entered the Service I resided in Livingston Manner in the County of Albany then called and State of New York and about the first of August A.D. 1777 I was drafted for three months in the New York Militia and entered the Service under the command of Captain Peter Best and we marched through Kinderhook to Greenbush and crossed the North river into Albany where we drew our arms and ammunition from thence we marched up the river to Stillwater where we joined Col Henry Livingtston's Reg.

(1) Livingstone Manor (2) Kinderhook (3) Albany (4) Stillwater

Major ? was an officer in the Reg. and we were stationed near to General Gates's head Quarters. We kept up Camp duties. after about three weeks I was detached from the company to take the care of one of the teams belonging to the United States. I had the care of the team under the command of ? and was with the army during the first and Second battle that Gen Lincoln was wounded and a large number of men killed. . .

Note: The first Battle was Freeman's Farm and the second was the Battle of Bemis Heights

. . .and was employed in bringing stores and provision from Half Moon now Waterford to the Army and procuring and bringing forage that at the time Burgoyne Surrendered. I was after a ? of Flour at half Moon point after I delivered the ? at Stillwater I returned to Half Moon point when Captain Roderwick Buby ordered two teams myself one to go to Saratoga at Fish Creek and bring down the cannon which was taken from Burgoyne we went up accordingly when Gen. Lewyllen? countermanded the order and commanded us to go to drawing stone and place them on the bank of the river which we performed. I continued in this employment until my time expired about the first of Nov and I was dismissed when I had Service three months and returned to Livingston where I resided until in October A. D. 1778. I was drafted in the New York Militia and went into the Service under the command of Capt Joseph Elliat we marched to Stillwater where we remained and was a guard expecting orders from some of our officers commanding and we were discharged. I served and performed my duty as ? two weeks and returned at Livingston Manner where I ? until in Sept A.D. 1779 where I was drafted in the New York Militia for three months and went into the service under the command of Capt Bolen and we were furnished with waggons and horses by the government and I was commanded to take this charge of one. We went to Fish Kill and were employed to take flour from the Landing at Fish Kill fifteen Miles east and delivered it where our guard was placed and a part of the time we were drawing forage from all ports to Fish Kill that the Continental Troops lay and was encamped at Fish Kill. I continued in this service until the term for which I was drafted expired which was in December. I served and performed my duty three months and was discharged by Col May and I returned to Livington’s Manner aforesaid where I resided until this year A.D 1792 when I moved into Fort Ann where I now reside and have resided ever since. That I was born in this year 1751 on Philips Patten (Patent) Dutchess county, State of New York and that I have no record of my age. That I have never received a written discharge. That I was born in this year 1751 - That I have no documentary ? and that i know of no person (I can procure - crossed out) whose testimony I can procure who can testify to my service. That Rufus Bates, a clergyman and Nathaniel ? to whom I am known in my present neighborhood and who can testify as to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension role of the agency of any state. That I am not able from bodily infirmity to attend the court. Signed by John Parish. Sworn to and submitted this day and year aforward mentioned before me. signed by John Mots.

Below is the second half of the second page of Grandpa John's pension application signed by him at the bottom:

Grandpa John's will

Grandpa John Parrish lived for another 14 years after Grandma Elizabeth's death. He died in 1843 at the ripe old age of 92. Two of his sons had died before him: our grandfather Nathan, who died in 1835 and Ezra, who died only a few months before John. Below is a transcript of John's will. He definitely did not die a rich man.

I John Parish of Fort Ann in the County of Washington and state of New York do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following, viz Imprimis, It is my will and desire that all my Just debts and funeral expenses be first paid and that my Executors provide proper and suitable Tomb Stones to be put up at the graves of myself and my wife now deceased.

Item: I give unto my sons John Parrish Junr, Joel Parish and James Parish the sum of Two Dollars to each of them.

Item: all the rest and residue of my Estate and property both real and personal of what name or nature soever either in Law or Equity wheresoever the same maybe is to be equally divided as near as maybe between my two sons, Rufus Parish and William Parish and my daughter Ann wife of Gideon Smith of the county of Jefferson.

Item: In such case my personal property shall prove insufficient for the payment of my debts funeral expenses tomb stones and Salaries then and in such case I do hereby authorize and fully empower my Executors herein after named to sell off so much of my real Estate and landed property as shall be sufficient enable my Executors to pay off all such debts funeral expenses Tumb Stones and Legacies as also to pay my Executors for their services.

Lastly I do hereby appoint my friends Hiram Lawrence and Mathias A Pike of Fort Ann my Executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made. In

testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 25th day of February one Thousand Eight Hundred and forty three.

Signed sealed published and declared by the above named John Parrish as and for his last will and Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as witnesses at the request of the Testators in his presence and in the pressence of each other.

Henry Thorn of Fort Ann

David Rice (1C6X)

John Parrish (4U)

As an afterthought, John added a codicil to his will forgiving debts owed to him by the families of his deceased sons Nathan and Ezra.

Codical onto my last will and Testament. I John Parish being in sound mind but weak in body do hereby add this Item to my heretofore last will and Testament (viz) I hereby will unto heirs of my son Ezra Parish deceased the various claims and obligations I hold against the said Ezra Parish. I also will to the heirs of my son Nathan Parish the claims and obligations I hold against the said Nathan Parish. I also will to my granddaughter Maria Ellis (1C5X) now Maria Packard ten dollars out of my estate. I also will to Susanna wife of my son William Parish the Feather bed on which I now lie. I will to my daughter Anna Smith and my daughter in law wife of my son Rufus Parish whose name is Martha the bedding belonging with above said bed to be equally divided between them. In testimony whereof I have unto set my hand and seal this ninth day of May one Thousand Eight Hundred and forty three. In presence of Reuben Baker, Cyrus B. Sillson

Below is the bottom portion of Grandpa John's will:

Note: By the time Grandpa John wrote his will, our grandfather Nathan's wife, Rebecca Rhodes Parrish (4GGM), and her children were with Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois where Smith would be killed only a year later. On their trek across the United States, I imagine at the time that John's grandchildren had a lot more on their minds than debts that might be owed to their grandfather. Those stories, of course, in future posts.

Sons of the American Revolution application

Ca. 1925, our cousin Charles Lewis Parrish (1C3X) made application to the Sons of the American Revolution on behalf of his (and our) grandfather, John Parrish. Charles was the son of our uncle Henry Edwin Parrish (2U), who was killed by Natives in California in 1866 when Charles was only two years old. Below is the line of descent for Charles who was our grandfather Enoch Kidder Parrish's (3GGF) nephew.

Below are the records of the application:

Charles Lewis Parrish was born in Bridgeport, Mono, CA on 5 Jan 1864, son of

Henry Edwin Parrish, born 18 Dec 1829; died 25 Mar 1866; (wife, Edna Arvilla Ladd); son of

Ezra Parrish (3GGF), born 4 May 1804; died 27 Jul 1883; md. Susannah Sherwin (3GGM) on 8 Apr 1827 (she was born 17 Sep 1808 and died 18 Dec 1894); son of John Parrish Jr. born 14 Mar 1774; died unknown; married Rebecca Rhodes (4GGM) on unknown date (she was born 14 Nov 1774; died unknown); son of John Parrish Sr. (5GGF), born 1747 or 1751 married Elizabeth Rice (5GGM) (born 1750)

Charles Lewis Parrish (age 62)

732 Pine St. – San Francisco

Accountant

Note: There is an error on Charles' application. He has John Parrish, Jr. listed as Ezra's father and married to Rebecca Rhodes. In fact, that should have been Nathan Parrish.

John Parrish Sr.:

Served in the Albany Co Militia, under Col Morris Graham, Col Henry Livingston, Maj Dirch Janson, Samuel Tenbroech, Adj. Phillip Rockefeller. Q M Christian VanValkerburgh, Surgeon, Thos Thompson-Tenth Regiment, and served during the Revolution. The records at Washington will show that the Albany State Militia was among the first to enlist, and that some of the companies were in Quebec in 1776. Refer to a volume entitled “New York in the Revolution,” in the Utah Genealogical Office, at Salt Lake. The War Dept records at Washington will show that John Parrish was allowed a pension Aug 25th 1832, while residing at Fort Ann, Washington County, N. Y. That John Parrish served during the Revolution. His name appears on an undated Abstract, in the Adj Generals Office, showing that he received honorable Certifications for service -rank not stated - in Col Websters Regiment, N.Y. Militia, County of Charlotte, now Washington Co., period of service not stated. His name appears on an undated list under heading:- “Not accounted for by Col Henry Livingston, New York Militia; Certificate No. 27980 – O – 19 – 6 John Parrish” I supposed this relates to a pay or expense warrant, not presented for payment 19 shillings, six pence.

Full name of applicant’s wife:

Ella Ray Hamaker

Names of Children and Grandchildren of Applicant:

Abbie Copeland-Parrish (2C2X), b. 6 Nov 1890, residence 415 O’Farrell St. in San Francisco, CA (Now Mrs. W. Edwin Mason)

Sources:

New York in the Revolution, pps. 85, 239

Records of US Pension Bureau

Pensioner’s Census 1840, p. 100

Senate Documents First Session 23rd Congress, vol. 13

New York Pension Roll, p. 449

Charles' application on behalf of his grandfather was accepted in 1926.