John Wheatley

• BIRTH 15 Nov 1718 Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
• DEATH 30 Jul 1786 (aged 67) West Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA
• BURIAL Old Pine Tree Cemetery, West Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA
• MEMORIAL ID 54606101

John Wheatley was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1718; died in Lebanon, N. H., July 30, 1786. His father was a surgeon in the British navy, where he died in 1731. His mother and a younger sister resided in Dublin, where he was kept in school until 14 years old, when, as his mother intended him for the navy, he was bound to the commander of a vessel for the term of seven years, thus fitting him to be a mariner. The commander agreed to take him to Dublin to see his mother once each year.

They sailed directly to America, landing at New London or Norwich, Conn. The captain sold his indentures to
a farmer in that vicinity, with whom John was bound to remain until he attained his majority. Here, at first, he suffered much hardship, not being accustomed to physical labor. However, it is believed that he remained with this farmer until the expiration of the indenture, and that he received as kind treatment as could be expected. It is related that on sending him to school the teacher returned word that he could not instruct a pupil so advanced.

John soon began teaching school himself, and followed the sea during intervals between terms. He intended sailing to England to visit his relatives, but never found it convenient, Finally business associations and family ties completely weaned him from his old home. In 1742 he married Submit Peck Cooke, widow of Aaron Cooke, daughter of Benjamin Peck, a wealthy resident of Franklin, Conn.

He commanded a company in the French war during the campaign at the North in 1759, when Ticonderoga, Crown Point and other forts in that vicinity were captured by the English. During the French war Spain had become an ally of France, and in 1761 an English force of ten thousand men was sent to capture Havana, Cuba. A Spanish force of twenty-seven thousand soldiers and a large squadron in the harbor withstood the attack.

From military orders and state papers of Massachusetts and Connecticut we find that Capt. John Wheatley, with a company of marines from Connecticut, joined the expedition against Havana, commanded by Gen. Phineas Liman, with Lieutenant Colonel Israel Putnam of Danvers, Mass., in charge of marines from Connecticut. He was Capt. Wheatley 's immediate superior officer. Before the expedition returned Capt. Wheatley became paymaster of the Colonial troops. His family, except John Wheatley 2d, who accompanied him to Cuba, lived in Boston during their absence, (from 1760 to 1762). His family lived in Boston, Mass., and Norwich, Conn., until after the close of the French war, 1753, when in the spring of 1754 they moved, except Mary and John Wheatley 2d, to Lebanon, NH

Captain Wheatley was moderator of the first town meeting held there, Sept. 12, 1755; the first town clerk, which office he held for nearly twenty years; the first civil magistrate, the first schoolmaster, of whom many anecdotes are told showing his fertile originality in developing the best qualities of his pupils; the first representative of Lebanon in the New Hampshire Legislature, and the first and only representative of Lebanon in the Vermont Legislature, at the time the sixteen border towns gave allegiance to Vermont. He was clerk of the company of proprietors of Lebanon in 1755; and in 1785 drew up a petition to the New Hampshire Legislature, asking for a new charter to replace their first one, that had been partially destroyed by mice. He acted as liason at the legislative committee on boundaries and was appointed justice of the peace for the county September 5,1774, and reappointed two additional times.

He did not serve in the revolutionary army, but sent his four sons. Two, John and Luther, were killed fighting for the independence of their country. He died at Lebanon, N. H., in 1786, of a violent fever, being 67 years of age. His widow survived him several years. [2]

Spouse
Submitt Peck Wheatley 1722–1806 (m. 1743)

Children
Andrew Wheatley 1750–1836
Nathaniel Wheatley 1752–1824
Lydia Wheatley Sprague 1758–1837

References

[1] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54606101/john-wheatley

[2] Wheatley Genealogy by Hannibal Wheatley (1902)