Col. Frederick Drown

Col. Drown lived in what is now "South Rohobeth" on the corner of Wood/Brook Street.

During the Revolutionary War, Frederick appeared on a list of men from Col. Carpenter's Co. - 1st Bristol Regiment, stationed at Brookline for 6 weeks. dismissed 1-15-1776.

rank: 1st Lieutenant

-appears as an officer commissioned 3-28-1776 in Col. Carpenter's Co, 1st Bristol Regiment

-appears in the list of Col. Carpenters Co. Field and Staff Officers who served the alarm at Bristol, RI, December 1776

-appears on the Payroll at Tiverton RI by given alarm of the Order of Council 7-22-1780, engaged 8-1-1780 listed rank: adjunct

-appears commissioned Major of the 1st Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 5th division- Bristol County 4-20-1785

-appears commissioned Lieutenant Colonel by Gov. John Hancock (1780-1785, 1787-1793) of the above 1st Reg. 2nd Brigade, 5th Division of Bristol Co.

-appears commissioned by Gov. Samuel Adams (1793-1797) to Colonel of the above regiment

Frederick was a great man, he served his Town in the capacity of Selectman for 23 years; He served in the General Court of Massachusetts (the house) in 1787-1788-1789-1790-1791; 1799-1800-1801; 1802-1803-1804. He was active in Veteran's affairs and was a compassionate man to those who needed financial help of veterans' who served during the Revolutionary War; He secured several pensions for those men and those widows in need.

There was strong support in the town of Rehoboth for

in 1788 he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Massachusetts for the Ratification to the new US Constitution. He voted nay, but the motion passed and Massachusetts became the 6th state to ratify the constitution.

..."November 26 1787 The town chose Capt Phanuel Bishop, Maj Frederick Drown, and William Windsor Esq delegates to the State Convention to meet at Boston the second Wednesday of January 1788 to consult on the Federal Constitution recommended by the late Federal Convention which sat at Philadelphia the summer past."

At his funeral a memorial was read:

"At Rehoboth on the 6th September, Colonel Frederick Drown in the 62 year of his age. He has left a wife and ten children to lament the loss of a kind husband and tender father, a numerous friends single their tears with his family on the solemn occasion. He was a gentleman much esteemed by his fellow citizens. Many posts of honor that he held to the entire satisfaction of his constituents, 20 years he held commissions in the Military, 23 years he served as the Town of Rehoboth as a selectman, and overseer of the poor, and Assessor 14 years. He represented the Town in general court, and the flame of Liberty which anirnated? him in our struggle for Independence, was fanned by virtue until the close of his life from the resignation to the divine will which he manifested during 10 weeks of sickness.

We trust that he has gone to that abode where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. Rehoboth September 6, 1804.

Will:

Will of Frederick Drown-In the year of our Lord,Amen,I Frederick Drown,of Rehoboth in the cou nty of Bristol Commonwealth of Massachusetts Esquire who weak of body the rough the goodnes s of God of sound deposing mind and memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of life believ ing it is appointed for man to die.I do ,ake and establish this my last will and Testament i n manner and form following first principally I commit to the Earth to be decently nuried a t the discretion of my Executrix and much wordly estate as hath pleased God to help me wit h I will and order unto my wife Martha two chairs and the one half of all my household good s and indore moveables commonly used for housekeeping and all my provisions for eating and dr inking and all my wool and flax yarn and cloth not made up to be her disposal forever.I als o give to my said wife the use and improvement of the helaf part of my real estate that she r emain after the payment of my debts and charge of securing my estate for her improves as sh e shall remain my widow and no longer all which in her power..... Thirds in my estate I giv e unto my sons Syrell Drown and the land that I own in the town of Savoy,County of Berkshir e to him to be the same and his heirs and assigns forever.I give unto my daughter Anstrey an d her heirs and assigns forever one acre of cedar swamp in the Squanakunk Swamp as it is undi vided with my brother Nathaniel Drown. I give unto my sons Ezra Drown an George Drown and the ir heirs and assigns forever one half of all real estate to be equally divided between them e xcepting the swamp given to Anstrey.I also give to my two sons Ezra and george and to their h eirs and assigns the one half of the real estate I have given to their mother to improve the m for her to come into improvements of the same when their mother leaves to be my widow.I giv e unto my said son Ezra a two year old steer and to my son George my colt. I give unto my dau ghter Lydia one fifth part of the part of real estate given to my wife to improve and the rem aining half of the real estate given to my wife to improve I give equally divided to my daugh ters namely Polly Philana Patsey,Anstrey,and Nancy to be them my said daughters and to thei r heirs and assigns forever after their mother ceases to be my widow. I give unto my childre n namely Syrell Drown,Lydia Packerd, ....,Philana Cobb,Polle Martin,Sally Wheeler,Patsey Drow n,Anstress Drown,and Nancy Drown the one half of all my household goods and indore moveable s commonly used for housekeeping and my waring apparel of every sort to be equally divided be tween them.I give unto my daughter Lydia ten dollars Philana ten dollars Patsey ten dollas An stress ten dollars to be paid to each one of them by my son Ezra Drown when he shall arrive t o the age of twenty-one years for the payment of which the real estate given to him is hereb y chargeable and liable to pay.I give unto my daughter Nancy Drown fifty dollars to be paid t o her by my son george Drown when he shall arrive to the age of twenty one yers of which th e real estate given to him is hereby chargeable and liable to him. I hereby nominate and cons titute and appoint my said wife to be sole executor to this my lst will hereby directing an d fully improving of her to make sale of all my personal estate but notwithin this will give n away and so much of my real estate where she shall think best either at private sale or pub lished vendor or shall raise a sum of money suficent to pay all my just debts and the charge s of settling my estate and to give good deed or deeds to the...... to purchase or purchaser hereby revoking and making viod all other former wills......... dated;10 Aug 1804. "

!In 1840 ,a cache of cannon balls and artillery stores were found in a cellar of Frederick Drown's house;the family was unaware of its existence. See personal files for pictures of Gravestones; Frederick's military records;services to the Town Of Rehoboth;memorial written at his death,etc .

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1st Lient, Capt Carpenter's Co.: list of men stationed at Brookline for six weeks; dismissed Jan 15, 1776; also Adjutant, Col. Thomas Carpenter's (1st Bristol Co.) regt. of Mass. militia; list of officers chosen in said regimentl ordered in council, March 26 (also given April 23) that commissions be issued; reported commissioned April 23, 1776; also Adjutant Col. Thomas Carpenter's regt.; marched from Rehoboth to Bristol, R.I. on the alarm of Dec. 8, 1776; service sixteen days; also petition dated Rehoboth, June 26, 1778, signed by said Drown and other officers in 1st Bristol County regt., asking for a new choice of officers; also, Adjutant Col. Thomas Carpenter's regt.: engaged Aug. 1, 1780; discharged Aug. 8, 1780; service, eight days on alarm at Tiverton, R.I.

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution (Vol 4: p981)

"In Rehoboth Antiquarian Society's possession are documents formerly belonging to Frederick Drown, showing (1) his appointments as Major of 1st Reg. of Militia in the County of Bristol, 20th, April, 1785. (2) his appointment as Lieut. Col. of the same, 19 July, 1761-(3) his resignation as Lieut. Col. accepted Jan. 20, 1796.

He was a representative to the General Court from Rehoboth in the years 1787 to 1791 and from 1799 to 1804."