Josiah Converse

A Patriot of the American Revolution for CONNECTICUT. DAR Ancestor #: A025182

LIEUTENANT JOSIAH CONVERS,5 (Capt. Josiah,4(12), Maj. James,3 Lieut. James, 2 Deacon Edward,1), born in Woburn, Mass., 2 March 1710: died in Stafford, Conn., 11 September 1775; buried in the oldest cemetery at Stafford Street. He held a commission as a Lieutenant under his father, and was a leading man in Leicester, Mass., whither he removed with his father when about 17 years of age. He was chosen Moderator in Leicester, in March 1733, and was afterwards First Selectman, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, and First Assessor; and, in May 1733, Representative to the General Court. In the dispute between the townsmen of Leicester and their first pastor, the Rev. David Parsons, Lieut. Josiah Convers espoused the cause of Mr. Parsons. The following account of this controversy, especially as to an adjourned meeting held in January 1729, is from Washburn's History of Leicester, Mass., pp. 85, 86: " An adjournment was accordingly had; and then the town being convened and the proposals read, Mr. Moderator and Mr. Parsons, with some others of their company, made some unhandsome reflections, by reason that the proposals did not suit them; and so the moderator dissolved the meeting. These certainly look like rather high handed measures. The moderator who thus played the part of autocrat over this little republic was Mr. Josiah Convers, and the triumph of their company' was short lived. In April 1732 the town voted that they would not raise any money to pay Mr. Parsons' salary for the year 1731. But within a few months the scale turned, and Mr. Convers was again chosen moderator of a meeting, called, among other things, to see what method the town will take to call in the town's money, so that Mr. Parsons' arrears may be paid.' Before reading this article the meeting was adjourned; and the town clerk, who had made so full and circumstantial a record of the action of the moderator at the former meeting, probably anticipating what would be the action of the adjourned meting, staid away from it, and withheld his book of records. The people. came together at ten o'clock, and, in the words of the record, they tarried until one of the clock; and the town clerk, who was Mr. Joshua Nichols, neglecting his duty in bringing or sending the town book and papers that was then in his hands, there could be nothing further done in the affairs, and so the moderator dissolved the meeting. But Mr. Nichols staid away to no purpose. Mr. Convers' star was more than ever in the ascendant, and his popularity was well nigh unbounded; for, at the March meeting in 1733, he was chosen Moderator, First Selectman, Town Clerk (thereby superseding Mr. Nichols), Town Treasurer, First Assessor, and Hog Reeve. In April they voted not to allow any part of the money assessed upon the land for the five years past to be disposed of to any other use than to pay Mr. Parsons, until all his arrears were paid. In May, Mr. Convers' cup of honor was made full by his election to the General Court."

Lieut. Josiah Convers purchased a farm in Stafford, Tolland Co., Conn., 8 December 1735 from James Renolds, and moved there shortly after. He also bought a tract of 50 acres in Stafford, 1 November 1751, from Azariah Dickinson.

He married in Leicester, Mass., 27 December 1732, Eleanor Richardson, who was born in Woburn in 1714, died 6 August 1785, and was the daughter of Nathaniel and Abigail (Reed) Richardson.

Gov. Julius Converse of Vermont, their grandson, said that. Lieut. Josiah was rather below the common size, but that his wife, Eleanor, was of very large size, and "came from a family of giants."

In the possession of Alfred W. Converse of Windsor Locks, Conn., in 1869, was a copy of a Bible printed in London in 1761 by Mark Baskett, and by the assigns of Robert Baskett, which bears Lieut. Josiah's autograph on the fly leaf, and also that of his wife-the name "Elinor Convers Hur book," under the name of her husband. There are also the names Eli, Eli, Jr., and Pamilla Convers on the same page, written, it is supposed, by themselves; while on the opposite page appears the inscription "Jesse Convers, His Holy Bible, April 4-1790," and below it the name of Mary his wife. Therein were also given the dates of birth of the children of Lieut. Josiah and Eleanor as specified below.

Eleanor Convers, widow of Lieut. Josiah Convers, was appointed administratrix of his estate and gave bonds with Jesse Convers, 4 November 1775; and on 3 May 1776 an agreement between the heirs was exhibited and accepted.

Recent visitors to the graves of Lieut. Josiah and his two sisters at Stafford found the tombstones in good condition. The following were the inscriptions on his tombstone and that of his wife:

In Memory of LIEUT. JOSIAH CONVERSE He died SEPT. 11, 1775 In Ye 65 Year of His Age "Mark the perfect man and behold the upright For their end is peace."

In Memory of Mrs. ELENOR, wife of Lieut. Josiah Converse, who died Aug. 6, 1785 in Ye 73d year of her age.

     Children of Lieut. Josiah and Eleanor (Richardson) Converse:

MARY CONVERSE,6 born, in Leirester, 12 July 1733; married Maj. John Phelps of Stafford. She and her two sisters are mentioned in the Reed Ma. as beautiful. (37)
ELEANOR CONVERSE,6 born, in Leicester, 21 March 1735; married Col. Stephen Moulton She was grandmother of the wife of Gen. Wool, of Trov, N.Y. A son SALMON MOULTON,7 married Susannah Johnson and had AURORA MOULTON,8 who by wife Rebecca Maynard had JULIA A. MOULTON,9 wife of Charles G. Riggs, whose daughter, LOUISA M. RIGGS,10 married Chauncy W. Colton avid had JULIA HELEN COLTON,11 who married Hon. George A. Willard of Boonville, N. Y.
JOSIAH CONVERSE,6 CAPTAIN, born, in Stafford, 4 June 1737; died, in Stafford, 25 Oct. 1814; married Elizabeth Lewis. (38)
JOSHUA CONVERSE,6 born, in Stafford, 21 May 1739. The Reed MS. queries.-Was this the Joshua mentioned in Washburn's History of Leicester, pp. 234, 353? If so he had three children, Francis, Chloe and Henry, by his wife, Mehitabel Wicker, of Worcester, Mass., whom he married in 1772, and he lived in Leicester, Mass." But Miss Amelia Converse says that he died in the Old French War, unmarried.
DOROTHY CONVERSE,6 born, in Stafford, 11 June 1741; married, 1st, Dr. Staunton, who died 28 March 1806, and she married, 2nd, James Steele of Randolph.
ISRAEL CONVERSE,6 COLONEL, born, in Stafford, 7 Aug. 1743; died in Randolph, Vt., 28 Mar. 1806 ; married, 1st, Sarah Lewis; married, 2nd, Hannah Walbridge. (39)
JESSE CONVERSE 6 born, in Stafford, 1 Sept. 1745; died there 8 July 1805; married Mary Moulton. (40)
NATHANIEL CONVERSE,6 born, in Stafford, 1 May 1748; died in Troy, N.Y, 18 Oct. 1810; married Abigail Lawrence. (41)
JUDE CONVERSE,6 born, in Stafford, 11 June 1750; died in East Randolph, Vt., 23 Oct. 1816; married Abigail. (42)
JOSEPH CONVERSE,6 born 22 April 1752 in Stafford, died aged three weeks.
HANNAH CONVERSE,6 born 22 April 1752 in Stafford, lived to be 19, and died unm.
BENJAMIN CONVERSE,6 born 22 April 1752 in Stafford, died in 1756, aged 4 years.
Above three are Triplets. They were carried to the baptismal font by their three elder sisters, Mary, Eleanor and Dorothy.
JOSEPH CONVERSE,6 born, in Stafford, 28 December 1754; died in Randolph, Vt., 10 December 1826; married Mary Johnson. (43)
Source: Charles Allen Converse

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From 1727, the time he was seventeen years old, and until 1734, Josiah lived at Leicester, CT. Here he served in the Colonial Army under his father and became a Lieutenant by 1733. He lived in the western part of the town, on a farm, which he exchanged with Christopher Lawton, Esq., in 1735, and removed to Brookfield, MA. Late this same year, he removed again, this time to Stafford, CT.

While acting as a moderator in 1732/3, he became very admired by the way he handled a stormy controversy caused by the town minister, the R ev. David Parsons, who had erred in handling his own salary and town funds. Also this year, he variously served the town as treasurer, clerk ( in place of Mr. Nichols, who had neglected his duties), selectman, first assessor and “hog-reeve.” He also was appointed to the General Court. Some of the meetings that he was chairman of were held at the tavern of Nathaniel Richardson, of this genealogy.

On this date, December 8, 1735, land records indicate that Lieutenant Josiah Converse purchased the farm of James Renolds of Stafford, Tolland County, Connecticut. Soon after this date, he was living here. During the month of May 1750, Josiah was confirmed as a Lieutenant in Stafford's 7th company or Trainband, which was in the 5th Connecticut regiment.

Stafford records indicate that Josiah bought more land on November 1 , 1751-50 acres from Azariah Dickinson of Stafford. When the Lexington Alarm of the Revolutionary war was sounded on April 19, 1775, three o f Josiah's sons were among those from Stafford who responded-marching t o the relief of Boston. They were; Lt. Josiah, who served 10 days, Sgt . Israel Converse, who served 7 days as a Drummer and Jude Converse, who served nine days.

Josiah's grandson, the honorable Julius Converse, Governor of Vermont, says of him; “He was a small man, but his wife Eleanor was of a very large size, and had to come from a family of giants.”

Josiah may have died intestate, because it appears the court appointed his wife Eleanor as executrix of his estate. She and her son Jessi e provided bonds on November 4, 1775, and on May 3, 1776 his heirs agreed to and accepted the determination.

Their graves are located in the North Cemetery of Stafford. The inscriptions read:

in memory of i n memory of

lieut. josiah converse Mrs. elenor

he died sept. 11. 1775 wife of

in ye 65 year of his age lieut. josiah converse

“Mark the perfect man and behold the upright who died AUG . 6 1785

For their end is pease.” i n ye 73D. year of her age

See also: Josiah Converse. Says he's the husband of Eleanor, and the father of Mary, Eleanor, Capt. Josiah Converse, Joshua, Dorothy, Col. Israel, Jesse, Nathaniel, Jude, Joseph, Hannah and Benjamin.

Citations

• link to Kith and Kin : Containing Genealogical Data of the Following Families, 1922 Page 46