My New England Ancestors
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Links

The Association Test of New Hampshire, 1776

7/4/2018

3 Comments

 
Week 27 of the #52Ancestors Challenge - "Independence"

​On the 14th of March, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution, recommending that all persons "​who are notoriously disaffected to the Cause of AMERICA, Or who have not associated, and refuse to associate, to defend by ARMS, the United Colonies, against the Hostile Attempts of the British Fleets and Armies." be disarmed.

In response to this, the Committee of Safety in New Hampshire passed a resolution on 12 April, 1776, requiring the selectmen of each town to gather signatures from all males above 21 years of age, excepting "Lunaticks, Idiots and Negroes", and to report to the Committee or the General Assembly all those who refused to sign. Those opposing this ASSOCIATION TEST were not necessarily pro-British, but included ministers and Quakers whose religious beliefs were anti-war. Some men who were currently serving in the army may have been missed as well, and the reports for some towns are fragmentary or missing (or never turned in).

Below are the names of my ancestors found in these Association Test lists. Some were already veterans of the war, and others would later enlist. A lack of information and/or common names will prevent me from knowing what, if any, service, the others may have been involved in.
​
WE, the Subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage, and promise,
that we will, to the utmost of our Power, at the Risque of our
Lives and Fortunes, with ARMS, oppose the Hostile Proceedings
of the British Fleets, and Armies, against the United American
COLONIES.
Picture
BARRINGTON - John Blake (1716-1816), my 7th Great-Grandfather

Picture
BRENTWOOD - Samuel Lock (Locke), my 6th Great Grandfather (1740-1818)

Picture
HAMPTON - John Taylor (1711-1796)

Picture
Picture
NEW CASTLE 
Christopher Amazeen, 5th Great Grandfather (1737-1823)
David Mitchal (Mitchell) Jr, 5th Great Grandfather [a "Jr", but his father David isn't seen on the list]
Isaac Pridham, 5th Great Grandfather (1746- )
Benjamin Yeaten (Yeaton), 5th Great Grandfather (ca 1724-1785)
Richard Yeaton and son Richard Junr (under list of refused, but he was serving in the army at the time)
[Missing from the list are 6th Great-Grandfather Henry Tredick, and 5th GGF Joseph Amazeen (ca 1736-1825)]

Picture
NORTH HAMPTON - "Frances" (Francis) Page, 6th Great Grandfather (1724-1802). Son Coffin Page would have aged 21 at this time, so should have been a signer. He had already served in the army, and would reenlist.

Picture
NORTHWOOD - William Blaake (Blake), 6th Great Grandfather, and son of John Blake (on Barrington list above)

Picture
PORTSMOUTH - Nathaniel Lear

Picture
WAKEFIELD - Only one "Joseph Leavitt" was found on the list of this town, so the other one (either the father or son) was probably still in Exeter (listing for this town not complete), or was serving in the army.


Sources:
New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, Volume 30 [on archive.org]
Wilson, Emily S. Inhabitants of New Hampshire, 1776. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993 [on Ancestry.com, this is same data as above NH State Papers, but listed in alphabetical order by surname]

3 Comments

    Author

    Steve Dow

    Archives

    January 2022
    June 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    "1820 Census"
    52Ancestors
    Alaxis Stewart
    Allerton
    Amazeen
    Athens Maine
    Blake
    Bowles
    Brown
    Canaan Maine
    Chamberlain
    Chandler
    Chelmsford
    Chelsea
    Civil War
    Colchester CT
    Compton
    Concord MA
    Condon
    Cornville Maine
    Curtis
    Danvers MA
    Deering
    Dow
    Downing
    "East Eliot"
    Eliot Maine
    Erskine
    "Father's Day"
    Fedder
    Fernald
    Gilmanton NH
    Gloucester MA
    Goble
    Gray
    Griffin
    Groton
    Hallisey
    Hampton NH
    Hessian
    Hobbs
    Ireland
    Jerusalem Maine
    Kittery Maine
    Knight
    Kramer
    Lambert
    Lancaster MA
    Lear
    Leavitt
    Lewis
    Locke
    Lowell
    Madison ME
    Maine
    Malden
    Marblehead
    Marr
    Massachusetts
    Maverick
    Mayflower
    Medal Of Honor
    Meloon
    Middleton MA
    Milburn Maine
    Minnesota
    Mitchell
    New Castle
    New Castle NH
    New Hampshire
    Newington
    North Hampton NH
    Oklahoma
    Page
    Penn
    Pepperell
    Portsmouth NH
    Pridham
    Revere
    Revolutionary War
    Riley
    "Rumney Marsh"
    Sale
    Salem MA
    Scituate
    Scotland
    Shattuck
    "Six Flags"
    Skowhegan Maine
    Smith
    Solon Maine
    Somerset County
    Steward
    Stewart
    Taylor
    Townsend
    Tredick
    Tuttle
    Vietnam
    Waitt
    Wakefield NH
    Waldron
    Walford
    Whitcomb
    World War 1
    Wyman
    Yeaton
    Young

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.