Patriot Spotlights: Abraham Wellman, Massachusetts

Abraham Wellman, my 4th great-grandfather, was born 12 Jan 1762 in Lynde Borough, New Hampshire, and died 21 Oct 1829 in Russia Township, Lorain County, Ohio.

Abraham’s parents were Capt. Jacob Wellman (b. 24 Apr 1720 in Lynn, Essex County, MA; d. 22 Sep 1797 at Lyndeborough, Hillsborough County, NH) and Jane/Jenne Johnson (b. abt 1723 in Lynn, Essex County, MA;  d. 11 Nov 1783 at Lindeborough, Hillsborough County NH). Abraham had three brothers, Jacob Jr., James, John, and two sisters, Anne and Elizabeth.

On 17 May 1781 in Medford, Middlesex County, MA, Abraham married Rebecca Pearson (b. 29 Oct 1762 in Billerica, Middlesex County, MA; d. 1848 at Russia, Shelby County, OH). She was the daughter of James Pearson and Bathsheba/Bathshua Pearson. Her father James served in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War (A087052). The family moved to Belgrade, Lincoln County, ME about 1784 and to Russia, Lorain County, OH in 1825.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), as of Summer 2021, recognizes daughters from Jane, John, and Samuel.

Children of Abraham Wellman and Rebecca Pearson:

•  Abraham (b. 20 Feb 1782).
• Anne (b. 31 Mar 1785 d. abt 1812) married Bunker Clark.
• John (b. 22 Apr 1787).
•  Lois (d. 1 Aug 1825) married James Braley.
• Fanny married (1) Chauncey Remington; (2) --- Washburn.
• Emeline married John Young.
• Jane (b. 26 Oct 1791 d. 26 Mar 1873) married Daniel Axtell.
• James.
• Samuel married Rebecca Tyler.
• Rebecca married Russell Taylor Braley.
• Ruth (b. 22 Feb 1806 d. 27 Jan 1840) married Lewis Delano Boynton
• Eliza married Benjamin Haskell.

On 10 Apr 1777 Abraham enlisted for the town of Lynn for three years, the muster roll gives his residence as Lynn and it was dated at Van Schaick’s Island. Abraham Wellman served in Capt. Joshua Brown’s Company of Col. Timothy Bigelow’s Regiment of the Continental Army from 10 Apr 1777 to 31 Dec 1779. For two months in 1779, the payroll shows that he was sick and absent. At that time, he appears in Lieut. Osgood Carleton’s Company of Col. Lewis Nicholas’s Regiment of invalids, stationed at Boston. In Oct 1779 he was reported as doing duty in Boston. He also appears to have served in the Continental Army from the First Essex County Regiment, serving as a private for four months and as a corporal for eight months. He was then in Capt. Moses McFarland’s corps of invalids and received pay from 1 Jan to 31 Dec 1780. Abraham applied for a pension at Belgrade ME 27 Apr 1818 stating that he was severely wounded in the leg at Monmouth and was in the hospital for nine months.

Female descendants of Abraham Jenkins are eligible for membership in the DAR.

Sources:

Ø  Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War: A Compilation From the Archives. Boston, Massachusetts: Wright and Potter Printing Co. 1896-1908.

Ø  Revolutionary War Pension File (1835). National Archives, #W, 4385.

Ø  “Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 Feb 2020); entry for Jacob Wellman and Jenny Jane’s 1743 marriage.

Ø  Joshua Wyman Wellman. Descendants of Thomas Wellman of Lynn, Massachusetts. Boston, Massachusetts: Arthur Holbrook Wellman, 1918, pp. 120, 125, 180-184.