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51-161 Col. Timothy
BIGELOW of Worcester, Mass., the fifth child of Daniel and Elizabeth (Whitney)
Bigelow, of Worcester, was born in that town Aug. 2, 1739, and married,
July 1, 1762, Anna Andrews, daughter of Samuel and Anna (Rankin) Andrews;
she was born April 11, 1747 in Worcester, and at the time of her marriage
was an orphan and an heiress to a considerable fortune. Her mother was the
youngest daughter of James and Rachel Rankin, who emigrated from Ireland
with the Scotch Presbyterians of 1718, and her father established a tannery
near Lincoln Square, and built the old Bigelow Mansion opposite the Court
House. Col. Timothy Bigelow early commenced life by being apprenticed to the
blacksmith trade, and afterward carried on the business, and soon ranked
as one of the most energetic and prosperous of the young men in Worcester.
Endowed by nature with keen observation and a desire to posess the advantages
of education, he worked ardently to supply the want, and soon became acquainted
with some of the best English works, and early gained the art of writing and
speaking with directness and accuracy. These acquirements were destined to
be soon called into full exercise by the rapid approach of the clouds of
revolution, which were spreading themselves over the colonies, and by his
ability to debate, he was early placed in a prominate position among the
whigs of the town. At this time the best educated and most influential of
the citizens were adherents of the king, and dedicated tories. And it will
be seen that it required far more than ordinary courage for men to openly
espouse the cause of the cause of the colonists, but he was not to be deterred.
Early in March, 1773, we find him a member of the local Committee of Correspondence,
and in December following, he organized the "Political Society," and meetings
of these bodies were often held in his dwelling, and it was in these bodies
that measures were concocted in secret which broke the control of the tories
in the town.
At the meeting of the citizens in 1774, the adoption of the bold (and then
treasonable) resolutions was due to the vigorous and able support of Mr.
Bigelow, and from that day the "Sons of Liberty" were victorious in a town
where toryism had its strongest hold. As a member of the "Whig Club"of Boston,
he became an associate of Warren, Otis, and other prominent men of those
times. He was a delegate to the Provincial Congress during the first and
second sessions, and upon the organization of the Minute Men in Worcester,
he was chosen its commander by a unanimous vote, and by his unceasing instruction,
his company became one of the best drilled companies in the service, and
at the first review at Cambridge Gen. Washington is said to have used the
expression, "This is discipline, indeed." On the memorable 19th of April,
he marched with his company to the scene of action (Battle of Concord
and Lexington.....ROD), arriving in Cambridge the day following, he immediatly
reported for service, and soon after received from Congress a commission
as Major. In the September following he volunteered in the famous expedition
to Quebec under Benedict Arnold, going by way of the Kennebec river through
the wilderness. It was on this expedition that Major Bigelow was ordered
by Gen. Arnold to ascend a mountain near the headwaters of the Kennebec,
in order to make observations, and with a few men in attendance, they are
said to be the first white men to ascend the mountain, which has since been
known as Mt. Bigelow. He participated in the hardships of that ill fated
expedition, and on the night of Dec 31st, in the assault on the city, he
was taken prisoner with many others.
The following is a copy of a letter to his wife written while on the march:
October 25th, 1775
"On that part of the Kennybeck called the
Dead river, 95 miles above Norridgewock
Dear Wife. I am at this time well, but in a dangerous situation, as
is the whole detachment of the Continental Army with me. We are in a wilderness
nearly one hundred miles from any inhabitants, either French or English,
and but about five days provisions on an average for the whole. We are this
day sending back the most feeble and some that are sick. If the French are
our enemies it will go hard with us, for we have no retreat left. In that
case there will be no alternative between the sword and famine. May God
in his infinite mercy protect you, my more than ever dear wife, and my dear
children,
"Adieu, and ever believe me to be your most affectionate husband,
"Timo. Bigelow."
They were kept prisoners until the following August,
when they were taken to New York, where an exchange was effected and he returned
to his home, but soon re-entered the service with the rank of Lieut-Col.
On Feb. 8, 1777, he was commissioned Col. of the 15th Regt. of the Mass.
line in the Continental Army. He, with his regiment, was with General Gates
at the surrender of Burgoyne, at Saratoga, and afterwards in the Rhode Island
Expedition, at Verplank's Point, Peekskill, Valley Forge, and West Point;
he remained in the field until the close of the war, and his reputation for
intrepidity and discipline was maintained throughout; after the army was
disbanded he was stationed for a time at West Point, later was assigned to
the command of the national arsenal at Springfield, and later he left the
service to return to his family; leaving with the reputation of a meritorious
officer and a much depleted purse, owing to irregular payments and the depreciated
currency of that time, with his health impaired by the hardships and exposures
of eight years' active service in behalf of his country. He returned to find
his property seriously diminished by the many sacrifices of his martial service.
With a resolute spirit he set to work to repair his shattered fortune, and
resumed, his old occupation of a blacksmith, but times had changed, as also
he himself, hard money had ceased to circulate, and a depreciated currency
was in its place; credit existed only in name, and eight years of exciting
service in field and camp, together with the long disuse of his old avocation,
had produced an inaptitude for business, a condition of which, parties, who
should have been sincere friends, but in their desire to gain in their worldly
possessions, were not slow in taking advantage of for their own benefit and
to his injury.
With others he obtained a grant of land in Vermont
consisting of a township of 23,040 acres, Oct. 21 1780, upon which
was founded the town of Montpelier, VT, but he never went to live on the
grant. In 1787, his son Andrew fell victim to quick consumption which affliction,
together with his business reverses, tended to depress his energy and cast
a gloom over his mind. Through the machinations of false friends, who owed
much to his patriotism of former days, he found himself tangled in debt,
unable to extricate himself, or satisfy their shylock demands, and to their
shame and disgrace he was thrown into jail, where, overwhelmed by his adverse
circumstances, he died March 31, 1790. His widow died at Groton, Mass., July
9, 1809.
He was of fine personal appearance, over six feet in
height, his bearing erect and martial. He possessed a vigorous intellect,
ardent temperament, and a warm and generous heart. His children were born
in Worcester, and were:
517. Nancy, b. Jan. 2, 1765; m Jan. 7, 1784, Hon. Abraham
Lincoln of Worcester; he d. July 2, 1824; was selectman, 1809 to 1824;
representative to the General Court,
1809 to 1823; and member of the Council, 1823, 1824.
518. Timothy, b.
April 30, 1767; d. May 18, 1821; m. Lucy Prescott.
519. Andrew, b Mar. 30, 1769; d. Nov 1787.
520. Rufus, b. July 7, 1772; d in Baltimore, Md., Dec. 21,
1813; unm. He was a prominent merchant in that city.
521. Lucy, b. May
13, 1774; m. June 19, 1805 Capt. Luther Lawrence of Groton, he was b. Sept.
28, 1778 and d. April 17, 1839; They had:
i. Anna Maria, b March 25, 1806; m. Dec. 1, 1829, Norman Seaver of
Boston.
ii. Emily, b. June 24, 1807; d. 1808.
iii.
Elizabeth Andrews, b. June 29, 1809; d. Aug. 19, 1830.
iv. Katherine, b. April 26, 1811; m. Charles T. Appleton; d. April
18, 1846.
v. Rufus Bigelow, b. July 13, 1814; graduated at Harvard University
1834; d. Jan.13, 1841 at Peu in the south of France.
522. Clarissa, b. Dec. 29, 1781; m. Tyler Bigelow.
Source:
Howe, Bigelow Family of America; pg 76-79;
Gilman Bigelow Howe does go on a bit, but I thought his actual entry
would be useful...............ROD 09/12/05
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