The Mysterious JOHN ADAMS - 1757-1830

Years before I began doing genealogy, I always heard the name Adams and figured it was important in some way to my family. Why? My father and sister both had the name Adams as their middle name. When I  first began researching, I started with my grandparents and then discovered my grandmother was Marjorie Anderson Adams, and her father Yates Adams committed suicide, I was hooked on genealogy. His father had a sad life but a very patriotic name, Liberty Adams.

One thing I want to do before I put this to rest after 30 years is to connect with an archivist at the Lexington Historical Society who can do a little research on his Revolutionary War service because he enlisted in my old town where I lived for 8 years. I am sharing all that I have for any of the descendants of the 11 grandchildren John Adams had. A four-page list of the descendants is at the bottom.

What do I know about John Adams? Based on reliable information, I have:

John was born abt. 1757, Wintonbury Parish, (now Bloomfield), Hartford Co., Connecticut

Married 15 Aug. 1790 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Connecticut  to Hannah Smith

While residing in Lexington, Massachusetts, he enlisted on March 4, 1782, and served as a private in Captain James Tisdale's company in Colonel Greeton's Third Massachusetts regiment, he was discharged in January 1784."

He had three children:

      John was born January 18, 1792 (my ancestor)

      Horace was born September 25, 1794

      Mary Ann was born September 29, 1811

Died 30 Sep. 1830 in Stafford, Genesee Co., New York

Buried in Pine Hill Cemetery, Elba, Genesee Co., New York, and also with his wife at Tyler Cemetery, Stafford Co., New York.

His wife Hannah Smith has Smith, Drake, Moore, Cone, Gillett, Benton, Brown, Buell, and Mills in her lineage.

I have found a fair amount of information on him, as shown below, but no mention of his parents. Some copies are poor as are the cemetery photos. I wish it wasn't the case. 

__________First Will, doesn't mention wife.

The will.

"In the Name of God Amen

I John Adams of the Town of Elba in the County of Genesee being of sound mind and under the full exercise of my natural reason do make and ordain
This to be my last will and Testament.

Viz

First  I command my Soul to God who gave --

Second  I give devise and bequeath after paying my Funeral Charges and expenses of sickness all my personal property to Roxana Dabgins and to her Heir's families.

Third  I give devise and bequeath all my Real estate which I now have or may have hereafter possess to Roxana Dabgins to have and to hold the same forever

Fourth  I do hereby nominate and appoint Asa Sawtell and Roxanna Dabgins of the Town of Elba the sole Executor of this my last will and Testament in witness where after I have hereunto set to my hand and Seal this 31st day of August 1830.

Signed Sealed Published and Delivered in presence of the Testators and in presence of each other this 31st of his August 1830

John X Adams (His Mark)

E. D. Davis of Elba

Nathaniel Ford     Elba

(The Will documents copied below and typed by me are showing that his lady friend, Roxana / Roxanna Dabgins was to receive most of the estate, and there was no mention of his wife Hannah or their three children. In less than a month, a new document by a new lawyer and wife Hannah is mentioned, and no mention of lady friend Roxanna. The will was prepared a month before he died.)

__________Another legal-sized document is divided into three parts:

Part 1

"We ___ accept services on the within? the estate:

John Adams Jr.

Hannah Adams  X (Her Mark)

Mary Ann King"

Part 2

"Citation to Hannah Adams and Others

John Adams 1----957 (pencil)"

Part 3

"Notice to Hannah Adams

John Adams (pencil)

Filed October 11, 1830"

__________Another document, alerting Surrogate of the widow

To Ebenezer Mix Esquire Surrogate of the County of Genesee

The Petition of Asa Sawtell Herewith that John Adams late of the Town of Elba in the County of Genesee deceased died on or about the twenty-fifth day of September instant in the Town of Elba aforesaid, where he had resided several years that he left assets in said County of Genesee. That he made executed and left a certain instrument in writing purporting to be his last Will and Testament in which he named your petitioner and Roxana Doogin Executor, that Ebenezer D. Davis and Nathaniel Ford were the subscribing witnesses said Will. That he left a Widow___ and three children to wit, John Adams, Horace Adams and Mary Ann King residing in the Town of Stafford in the County of Genesee, the said children being all of full age, they being all the heirs at law of the said deceased known to your petitioner. Now Therefore your petitioner requests that such proceedings may be had as to prove said Will as a Will dividing Real Estate and bequeathing personal property according to the Laws of the State.

Asa Sawtell

Genesee County.

Asa Sawtell being duly sworn saith that he verily believes the facts set forth in the above petition are true.

Subscribed by and Sworn to

this 29 day of September 1830                              Asa Sawtell

Before me

Ebenezer Mix   Surrogate 

__________Discussion of the Will

THE PEOPLE of the State of New York, by the Grace of God free and Independent: To all to whom these presents shall come or may concern, and especially to Hannah Adams Widow John Adams, Junr, Horace Adams and Mary Ann King wife of Leonard King next of kin of John Adams late of the Town of Elba in the County of Genesee deceased send Greeting.

You and each of you are hereby cited and required, personally to be and appear before Ebenezer Mix, Esquire, Surrogate of our said county of Genesee at his office in Batavia on the Nineteenth day of October, next at Ten o'clock, in the forenoon of that day, then and there to oppose or support as you may see fit, the probate of a certain instrument in writing, purporting to be the last will and testament, of the said John Adams which has been left with our said Surrogate, by Asa Sawtell who claims to be an executor thereof, and which will be at the time and place, aforesaid offered for probate.

In Testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of office, of our said Surrogate, to be hereunto affixed.  Witness Ebenezer Mix Esquire, Surrogate of our said county, at Batavia this twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty.

Ebenezer Mix   Surrogate

Hannah Adams, Widow, John Adams, Junr. Horace Adams and Mary Ann King wife of Leonard King heirs at Law of John Adams late of the Town of Elba in the County of Genesee deceased.

You are hereby notified that it is the intention of the Subscribers, an Executor named in the last Will and Testament of John Adams deceased to apply to Ebenezer Mix Esquire Surrogate of the County of Genesee at his office in Batavia in said County of Genesee in the nineteenth day of October, meet at ten o'clock in the forenoon to have the said Will proved at that time and place.

September, 29th 1830.
                                                       Asa Sawtell"

__________Below was found at the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Library.

White, Virgil D., Genealogical Abstracts of Rev. War Pension Files, Vol. 1  A-E,  (Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Pub. Co., 1990-92).  Vol. 1: 12. I typed it up and the original page is below, see the last paragraph.

"ADAMS, John, Hannah  W23415, MA Line appl 13 Apr 1818 Genesee Cty NY aged 55, enl Lexington MA, sol d 30 Sep 1830, in 1820 wife Hannah was 50 & daughter Mary was 10, wid appl 25 Nov 1843 Genesee Cty NY aged 73, her maiden name was Hannah Smith, m 15 Aug 1790 Hartford Cty CT, wid mentions sister Eunice Wilcox aged 70 in 1843 & living Oswego Cty NY, wid d 22 Aug 1850 leaving 2 children John & Horace Adams, family records; John b Jan 1792, Horace or Horris b Sep 1794 & Mary Ann b 29 Sep 1811, there was a note on the file jacket, "see N.A. Acc. #874, #050000 - John Adams, Not Half Pay"

__________Information from actual records was viewed by me at the NARA in Waltham, Massachusetts (Aug. 12, 2008)

Revolutionary War Pension & Bounty Land Application Files, Revolutionary War Pension Records.  Series: M804  Roll: 12.  File: W23415   John Adams, Wife: Hannah   Service: Mass.  Res. at enl. Lexington, Mass. - in 1820 aged 57 yrs. & res. Stafford, Genesee Co., NY. D. Sept. 30, 1830.

In 1820 John Adams aged 57 yrs. & res. Stafford, Genesee Co., NY.

Deposition of Hannah Adams (wife) on Nov. 25, 1843, of Stafford, aged 73.  Stated her husband died on September 30, 1830.

Deposition of Horace Adams (son) on Nov. 25, 1843, of Stafford, aged 49.  Stated he was a son of John Adams and Hannah and that his father died Sept. 30, 1830, in Stafford.

Deposition of John Adams (son) on Oct. 23, 1843, aged 51.  Stated he was born Jan. 18, 1792, and his father died Sept. 30, 1830.  Their parents moved from the Parish of Wintonbury, Ct when he was about 4 years old.

The deposition of Nathan Smith stated John Adams resided at Lexington for several years.

Enlisted March 4, 1782, for 3 years  Co. commanded by Capt. James Tisdale in the 3rd Massachusetts Regiment.  He enlisted in the Continental Service on the 4th day of March A.D. 1782 in a company Commanded by Col. Mansfield.  Discharged at West Point Jan. 1784 by Gen. Knox.

      He was allowed pension on his application executed on April 13, 1818, at which time he was living in Genesee County, New York, and was about fifty-five years of age.

      In 1820 he was living in Stafford, New York, and he died, on September 30, 1830, in Elba, New York.

      He married on August 15, 1790, in the Parish of Wintonbury, Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, Hannah Smith, who was born in January 1771.

      The widow, Hannah, was allowed pension on her application [sic] application executed November 25, 1843, then a resident of Stafford, New York.

      She died on August 22, 1850, in Stafford, New York.

      The following are the names of their children as found in the claim:

      John was born January 18, 1792

      Horace was born September 25, 1794

      Mary Ann was born September 29, 1811

Eunice Wilcox, a sister of the widow, Hannah Adams, was living in 1843 in Palermo, New York.

There are no data as to family.

__________I have no recollection as to where the below information came from, but probably the NARA as above, it is very similar to what was written.

May 4, 1932

BA-JAWF  John Adams  W23415

Letter to Miss Loura L. Brooks of 82 Chestnut Street, Gardner, Massachusetts.

Dear Madam:

      Reference is made to your letter in which you request information in regard to John Adams, a soldier of the War of the Revolution, from Lexington, Massachusetts.

      The data contained herein were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, W. 23415, based upon the Revolutionary War service of John Adams.

      While residing in Lexington, Massachusetts, he enlisted March 4, 1782 and served as a private in Captain James Tisdale's company in Colonel Greeton's Third Massachusetts regiment, he was discharged in January, 1784.

      He was allowed pension on his application executed April 13, 1818, at which time he was living in Genesee County, New York, and was about fifty-five years of age.

      In 1820 he was living in Stafford, New York, and he died, September 30, 1830 in Elba, New York.

      He married August 15, 1790 in the Parish of Winterbury, Wndsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, Hannah Smith, who was born in January, 1771.

      The widow, Hannah, was allowed pension on her application [sic] application executed November 25, 1843, then a resident of Stafford, New York.

      She died August 22, 1850 in Stafford, New York.

      The following are the names of their children as found in the claim:

      John  born January 18, 1792

      Horace  born September 25, 1794

      Mary Ann born September 29, 1811

      The following children survived their mother:  John, who in 1850 was living in Stafford, New York; and Horace.

      Eunice Wilcox, a sister of the widow, Hannah Adams, was living in 1843 in Palermo, New York.

      There are no further data as to family.

                              Very truly yours,

                              A. D. Hiller

                              Assistant to Administrator

__________See the original letter to Miss Loura L. Brooks I typed above.

__________Additional Information:

From Pine Hill Cemetery, Elba, Genesee Co., New York "John, d. 9-25-1830, 73y, Rev. War soldier. Photos taken by my 5th cousin, Claire A.

Above photos were taken at Pine Hill Cemetery, Elba, New York.

John Adams was buried behind his wife Hannah at Tyler Cemetery in Stafford, New York.

Six generations of John Adams