AUTOBIOGRAPHY
OF MAJOR-GENERAL DANIEL
DENISON.
Communicated
by daniel. denison slade, M.D.,
of Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The
following
document, written by Major-General Daniel Denison to his
grandchildren, and lately found among the effects
of the Rev. Daniel Rogers of Exeter, is of historical
importance, inasmuch as it
substantiates facts heretofore problematical,
while it supplies knowledge upon points
which were very uncertain or entirely wanting.
Heretofore
we have been unable to state from what portion of
England the family came, nor were we sure of the
exact date of emigration. Denison states
that his brother John and himself
were bred scholars at Cambridge and that his
father suddenly "
unsettled '* himself,
recalled them from Cambridge and removed to New England; that his father brought with him a very good
estate, settling himself at Roxbury. The General
gives us the date of hid marriage to Patience Dudley—of which no previous
record has been known to be in existence;
and furnishes us many particulars in regard to
kith and kin. There can be no doubt of the authenticity of the document, and its
discovery is a happy circumstance.
To
my Dear Grandchildren John, Daniel, and Martha
Denison
That
you being left fatherless Children might
not be altogether ignorant of your ancestors,
nor strangers to your near relations, I thought
meet to acquaint yon with your predecessors, and
your decent from them.
Your
Great Grandfather Denison
was born in England at Bishops Stratford in
Hertford shier, in which Town lie
Married and lived till the Year of our Lord 1631, with two brothers Edward and
George, who all of them had Children. George the youngest Brother had a son
named also George, my cousen German, who was living
in Stratford in the year 1672 as your uncle Harlackenden
Symonds told me, who was that year in England, and spoke
with him. My uncle
Edward had also Children and in the
year 1631, removed himself and family into Ireland,
where he died and left a son called John Denison
who was a souldier and a Major
of a Regiment in the
time of the Wars, and Deputy Governor of Corke,
where Mr. Wainwright saw him. * I have received divers
Letters from him. He was living in Dubline in the
year 1670, your great Grandfather my Dear father
whose name was William, had by my dear Mother whose name was Chandler six sons,
and one Daughter, two of which (viz) one son and
the Daughter died in their Childhood, one son who was the second named William
about 18 years of age would needs goe
a Souldier into Holland,
in the year 1624 at the famous
Seige of Breda when it was taken by Spinola
and Count Mansfield had an army out of England, to
have raised the
seige, but the army miscarryed and
my Brother William was never heard of since.
We
were now but four Brothers left (viz.) John,
Daniel, Edward and George. John and myself were bred schollar
at Cambridge, where I
continued till after
I had taken my first Degree,*
your Grandfather my father though very well seated
in Stratford, hearing of the then famous
transplantation
to Kew England,
unsettled himself and recalling
me from Cambridge removed himself and family
in the year 1631 to New England, and brought
over with him myself being about 19 years of age,
and my two younger Brothers.
Edward, and George, leaving my eldest Brother John
behind him in England, Marryed
with a good portion, who was a minister, and lived
about Pelham or in Hartford shier, not far from
Stratford where we were born.
My
father brought with him into New
England a very good Estate and settled himself at
Roksbury, and their Lived (though
somewhat weakening his Estate) till the
year 1653 in January when he died, having buried
my Mother about Eight years
before.
My
two brothers Edward
and George (who were your great uncles) had all
the Estate my father left between them, being both
marryed long before my father's death; my Brother
George buried his first Wife
in the year 1643. went into England was
a Souldier there above
a year, was at the Battle of York or Marston Moor,
where he did good service, was afterward taken Prisoner,
but got free and having Married a second Wife he
returned to New England. the year before our Mother died, and not long after
removed himself to New London near whereunto (viz)
at Stonington he now lived. having
8 sons John, William,
and George, 4 or 5 Daughters his eldest son John is married, and hath
Children which are your Cousens,
and 3 of his Daughters
are Marryed to Stanton, Palmer, and Cheesebrook,
all living at present in the same Town.
My brother Edward (your great uncle) also was Married about the same time with your uncle George about the beginning of the year 1641 and lived the rest of his Days at Rockshury in the same House my father built lived and died in, he to my great grief and loss departed this life in April in the year 1669, and left behind him but one son William of about a years old having buried four sons in their Infancy, he left also five Daughters of which one was married in his lifetime to Jachin Reiner who liveth a< Rowley.
I
was the eldest of the 3 Brothers that were brought
to New England; and the next year after our
arrival (viz.) in the year 1632, on the 18^ day
of October on which day twenty years before I was Baptized at Stratford and
7 years before I was admitted into the university
of Cambridge,] Married your Grandmother, who
was the second daughter of Mr." Thomas Dudley,
who was a principal undertaker of this
Plantation of the Massachusetts and one of those
first commers in the year 1630 that brought over
the Patent, and settled the Government here he
came over Deputy Governor, and was
afterwards diverse times Governour, he then lived
at Cam bridge, removed lo Ipswich, where he stayed
but one year, being recalet again to live
in the Bay. which then could not but want his help, he settled
(himself at Rocksbury, where he lived until
he departed this life
about the< 30'" Day of July,
in the year 1653 having buried your great Grandmother; about 10 years before,
about the latter end of December 1643. She was a
fine vertuous woman who loved your father in his childhood, and was
born in her house) she had by her Husband
one son—your great
uncle Sam" Dudley* who liveth
at Exeter, and by 3 wives
hath had many Children
Cousen germans to your father,
And beside your Grandmother Denison she
had three Daughters (viz.)
your Aunt Bradstreet who died in September 1672 who left 4 sons and 3 Daughters
liveing, beside her daughter Cotton who died
before her, and left many children then
your Aunt Woodbridge now living at Newberry who
hath five sons and
five daughters
living your fathers Cousen
Germans as also were your aunt Bradstreet
Children, the last was your aunt Sarah marryed
to Mr." Keane§ both dead long since,
and left one only daughter Hannah. Married to Mr.'
Paige, and is now
living at Boston your great Grandmother
being dead your sweet Grandfather Dudley married a second Wife and by her had a
daughter marryed to Mr. Jonathan Wade, who liveth
at Mistick, and two sons Joseph Dudley who now liveth
at Rocksbury, in his fathers House, and Paul
Dudley a Merchant who is upon a voyage
to Ireland, these were your fathers uncles by
their fathers side.
For
myself after I was married to your Grandmother I
lived about two years at Cambridge, and in the
year 1685 I removed to Ipswich, where I have lived
ever since with your Grandmother,
we lived together without Children above 7 years till the sixteenth of January
being Thursday your dear father was born at
Rocksbury, whether your Grandmother went to lye in at her mothers,
and two years and a quarter after your aunt Rogers
was born at Ipswich, on the 10 day of April 1642
about nine years
after your Grandmother had
another Daughter named Mary, who died about a quarter
old, and three years after we had another our last named Deborah who died within
a fortnight.
In
the year 1645 I was made Major of the Regiment of Essex, and in the year 1653
was Chosen an Assistant or Magistrate and about a year after was
made Major General and continued so for about 7 or eight years
after. La the year 1660 my only Daughter and your Aunt Elizabeth was
Marryed
to M" John Rogers*
who hath ever since
lived at Ipswich,
and hath now living
five children, your Cousen
Germans (viz.): Elizabeth, Margaret, John), Daniel
and Nathaniel, She had another Daughter
named also Elisabeth that died about a year and
quarter old.
Your
Dear father my Dear and
only son was Married to your Mother who was named
Mrs." Martha Simonds on the 2^ or 3^
February 1663, and lived at the farm at Ipswich
the remainder of his days, being above four and twenty years of age when he
Marryed. and living sweetly and comfortably with
your Mother near seven years, by whom he had 3 Children John the eldest,
born the '2'2*
of September 1665, Martha born the first of March
1668, and Daniel born the 14^ day of April 1671.
But about 3 Months before
poor Daniel was born (viz) on the ninth of January
1670 it pleased the alwise God to take your dear
father my dear and loving son to himself, thereby
bereaving you and me of our greatest comfort and
support he was taken with a most violent flux the first of January which held
him nine days, with
grievous torment,
which lie endured with admirable patience,
committing himself to God. with assured confidence
and took his last leave of me who was with him all
the time of his sickness
and of his loving Wife, and of his '2 Children John. and Martha, without
any Perturbation, Blessing his Children and commending them to God the father
Son and Holy Ghost, and Committing that
which was unborn to my care. at his death he was not
one and thirty, but wanted six
days and about 15 hours, so early had lie
finished his Course and dune his work, and if his work had then to have been
done (as lie then said) he had
been Miserable but he had lived a Godly
and exemplary life, being a constant seeker of God. I have heard your Mother
since say lie used to pray five times a Day, a Dutiful
Child a loving husband and father, a loving friend a good man in all his
ways, and he departed most Christian like, and comfortably to the unspeakable
grief and loss of me and all his friends, about 8
months after his
death was Daniel born at the farm whose name his
father ordered before his death, desiring his wife
if she were delivered of a son it might he called
Daniel, and if a daughter
it should be called Patience, after the name of your Grandmother, more of your
fathers sickness and gracious speeches I committed to Writing and left them with
your Grandmother.
And
now dear Children though
God hath taken away your dear and loving father, yet lie
hath not left you fatherless,
but according to your dear fathers desire and Blessing Commending you to God
whom in his sickness he often called his Covenant
God. Who is also your Covenant God and hath covenanted
with every one of you in your Baptism, be hath been a father to you and
mercifully provided for you and cared for you,
when you could not care for not help your selves,
as I shall acquaint
you. And therefore dear children Let your chief
care be as you grow to understanding
to know the God of your fathers, and to serve him
with a perfect heart and the Blessing of God will
be with you both in life and Death, according to
the blessing and Prayers of your dear father and
Godly Ancestors.
Your
father had not a present Estate Settled on him,
but upon his Marriage with your Mother, I engaged
to provide for him, and after mine and your
Grandmothers decease to give him my Farm at Che [bacco]
where you were all born and also a ffarm 600 acres
at Merrimack River, and accordingly during his
life he partaked of all that I had and we lived
with great Corwin all these
are your Mothers Cousen Germans, and your
Cousens and so are their
children. *
I have done as much as I intended by which Dear Children you may} perceive you need not be ashamed of your progenitors, who have in many respects been eminent in their times, It behoves you that you take care to be imetators of their piety and goodness, and that you doe not degenerate ( from those Roots from whence you are sprunge, in 60 doing the blessing and Prayers of your Godly Ancestors will fall upon you, and the God of your fathers will be your Covenant God who only is able to bless you hen and make you happy hereafter, which is and hath been the Continual Prayer of all your godly Ancestors and particularly of your tender ancestors loving Grandfather who wrote this the 26*'' Day of December in the year of our Lord 1672, in the sixtieth and one year of his age. daniel denison.