Colonial Homestead
While researching those ancestors in my family tree who actually saw battle during the Revolutionary War, I discovered four ancestors in my family tree that gave me significant problems regarding proof of their service. Plus there were eight ancestors for whom I could find no records at all.
ANCESTORS IN THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER RB MARTINE WHO ARE PROBLEMATIC
THOMAS SAUNDERS/SANDERS was born about 1735 in Goochland or Cumberland County, Virginia, the son of JAMES SAUNDERS Sr & ANN PATTISON of Goochland (later Albemarle) County, Virginia. JAMES SAUNDERS Sr migrated (along with some of his sons) to Orange County, North Carolina, where he established a grist mill. THOMAS SAUNDERS did not accompany his father to North Carolina. He was married to MARY POLLY MITCHELL in about 1758 in Albemarle County, Virginia; she was likely the daughter of ARCHELAUS MITCHELL & ANN REED of Albemarle County (as per DNA evidence). THOMAS SAUNDERS lived in Buckingham County, Virginia (formed from Albemarle) from 1773 until his removal to Davidson County, Tennessee in about 1800, as per land deeds. THOMAS SAUNDERS died 28 Nov 1812 in Davidson County, Tennessee, and left a will. Unfortunately THOMAS SAUNDERS & wife MARY MITCHELL have been listed in DAR records, but with records showing that they died in Bute County, North Carolina. This is clearly incorrect, since the couple never lived in North Carolina (although his father & several brother did). There is also no indication that THOMAS SAUNDERS fought in the Revolutionary War. He may have fought in the French & Indian War, but so far I have found no records.
JONATHAN SCOFIELD II born 27 November, 1748 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, was the son of JONATHAN SCOFIELD I & RACHEL LOUNSBURY. He married JEMIMA FINCH on 17 March 1772 in Fairfield County. This is a case where there appears to be two men of the same name from the same area. There is no doubt that both fought in the Revolutionary War; it's just impossible to pinpoint which of the two is my ancestor! What is known: They both had rank of Private, and both died young. One enlistment notice is for Captain WATERBURY's regiment 13 January 1777 in Stamford, Fairfield County. A second enlistment notice occurred on 18 May 1777 in Capt SILVANUS BROWN's 8th Connecticut Regiment under Col JOHN CHANDLER from Fairfield County. This regiment was at Valley Forge by winter of 1777. The Valley Forge Pvt JOHN SCOFIELD from Fairfield County was hospitalized from Nov 1777-Jan 1778, and died in hospital January 11, 1778 at Valley Forge. Other records show that JONATHAN SCOFIELD II, my ancestor, of Stamford may have died sometime after 1783. Here is a probate record from Stamford: SCOFIELD, JONATHAN, late of Stamford, June 4, 1799, REYNOLDS FINCH SCOFIELD, a son of decedent, made choice of SELLECK SCOFIELD to be his guardian, page 495. SOURCE: Abstracts of Stamford Probate Records - Book One compiled by Spencer P. Mead. (REYNOLDS FINCH SCOFIELD is my ancestor; SELLECK SCOFIELD is his uncle). The probate record seems to suggest that JONATHAN SCOFIELD II was alive as late as 1799!
ANCESTORS IN THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER RUBY BOLTON BROWN MARTINE WHO ARE PROBLEMATIC
DANIEL BOLTON Sr was born 1 July 1747 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, the son of WILLIAM BOLTON II & MARY NURSE. By the time the Revolutionary War broke out, DANIEL was living in Hallowell, Lincoln County, Massachusetts (later Maine). He married (likely as 2nd wife) RELIANCE PRATT HOVEY, the widow of EBENEZER HOVEY, who served in the Continental Army under Col JOSEPH NORTH, and who died 18 August 1777 in Hallowell. DANIEL BOLTON & RELIANCE PRATT HOVEY were wed on 19 November 1778. DANIEL enlisted in Capt TIMOTHY FOSTER's Company, Maj LITHGO's Detachment, Sep 1 1779-Nov 1779, spending 2 months defending the frontiers of Lincoln County. After the war, DANIEL BOLTON Sr lived in York County, Maine, and then possibly Cumberland County Maine. He definitely fought in the Revolutionary War. My problem is that I can't prove that he was actually the father of my ancestor DANIEL BOLTON who was born 1794 in Windham, Cumberland, Maine, and who married THANKFUL MORTON. This DANIEL BOLTON was a joiner & ship's carpenter who later had a business in Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine.
STEPHEN GALE II was born 8 June 1736 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, the son of STEPHEN GALE I and EDNAH LITTLE. His father died at age 36, and his mother married twice after, 1st to JACOB ELA and then EBENEZER GAGE. STEPHEN GALE II may have fought in the French & Indian War in 1757, and ended up in New Hampshire before 1770 (no records so far). He married 1st to PHEBE PIPER in 1770 in Sanbornton, Strafford County, New Hampshire; and 2nd to MEHITABLE PLUMER, as per DAR records and the dates of the birth records of their children. According to certain local New Hampshire history books, STEPHEN was one of the first men to scale the walls at Fort Ticonderoga on May 10 1775, and was promoted to the rank of Major for his gallantry. Was he one of the Green Mountain Boys under ETHAN ALLEN & BENEDICT ARNOLD? There doesn't seem to be a record of him fighting with ETHAN ALLEN. And here's another problem: A different STEPHEN GALE who married SUSANNA FLANDERS and who died 10 September 1813 in Laconia, Belknap (formed from Strafford) County, New Hampshire is purportedly the private who scaled the walls at Fort Ticonderoga and was promoted to Major. I now strongly suspect that my ancestor was not the man of this name who at Fort Ticonderoga. I do know that he was a town Selectman for Sanbornton for many years. In his will, my ancestor STEPHEN GALE II names his wife PHEBE, two daughters EDNAH & ELIZABETH, and indicates that his "daughter MEHITABLE GALE (daughter of MEHITABEL PLUMER) to have as much and in the same manner as my two other daughters". This leads me to believe that he was not actually married in 1776 to MEHITABLE PLUMER (no marriage record has been found), and that their daughter MEHITABLE GALE was illegiitmate. STEPHEN PLUMER II died 9 July 1815 in Sanbornton, Strafford (now Belknap) County, New Hampshire. More research to come!
LIST OF MY ANCESTORS FOR WHOM NO REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS COULD BE FOUND
-GABRIEL PALMER m ABIGAIL LOUNSBURY; lived Fairfield Co Connecticut & Dutchess Co New York; died bf 1820
-DAVID BRUTON Sr m 1st Unknown; 2nd SUSANNA; died 1816 Spartanburg, South Carolina. Two of his brothers fought in the Rev War; he did not.
-JACOB SHERRILL m 1st MARGARET LOWRANCE, 2nd SARAH SALLY MASSEY; d 8 March 1831 Lincoln Co North Carolina. His father & brothers fought in the Rev War in NC, but apparently he did not.
-ROBERT SCOTT m GRACE; born in Virginia, migrated to Pulaski Co Kentucky; died abt 1835 Connorsville, Fayette, Indiana; local genealogies & histories indicate that he fought in the Rev War in Virginia. But I can't verify. Too many with the name Robert Scott!
-NICHOLAS JONES born Bertie County North Carolina; married MARTHA PATSY MOORE, daughter of ARTHUR MOORE; migrated to Madison & Pulaski County Kentucky, then Tennessee; died bef 1830 in or near Fayetteville, Lincoln County Tennessee.
-JACOB HUBER Sr may have been a German Immigrant; m 2nd MAGDALEN; died 18 October 1803, Berlin, Somerset, Pennsylvania. Only one child named in his will, son WILHELM/WILLIAM HUBER
-JOHANN JACOB KEFFER German Immigrant, m ANNA MARIA NASS; died June 1802 Berlin, Somerset, Pennsylvania. His wife & some of his children migrated to Ontario, Canada
-FREDERICK WILLIAM SHRIVER m MARIA ELZABETH BEYERLE, died 27 February 1830 Frederick County, Maryland. No records.
Have a great day!
Betty
© Betty Tartas 2026
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