Nathan Bunnell Barnum

Born and educated in Connecticut. In 1776, at the commencement of the revolutionary war, he moved to New York where he joined the Tories and was employed "in confidential and dangerous services".He was afterwards captured, put in irons, charged with treason against the State of Connecticut, but by means of his wounds, and by inoculating for the small pox, he managed to put off the day of his trial, which he apprehended would prove fatal, until he found an opportunity to escape.

When the war was over in 1783, he fled to Nova Scotia and worked two years, then compelled to return to England where the Government acknowledged him and gave him his full pay up to that time, and established his half-pay for life. He remained in the City of London for seven years.

http://www.barnum.org/nti00117.htm 

GEDCOM Note

From the various petitions and documents that Ensign Nathan Barnum wrote, he was obviously a very well educated man and he signed his name in large letters with a flourish of authority. A 3rd great granddaughter of Nathan, Evelyn Grawburg, said that the Barnums were known to be very tall and have long arms and large hands. Her grandmother, Catherine Barnum ( William Burrage, Wheeler, Ensign Nathan) was 6 feet tall and weighed 200 lbs and was very energetic. Nathan was born at Danbury, Connecticut in 1732. On 11 March 1762 he married Lois Wheeler at New Fairfield, Conn.{LDS film #0003054) They prospered and by the early 1770's he owned a substantial farm at New Fairfield, Connecticut, where he lived with his wife Lois and three sons, Nathan Bunnel, Wheeler, and Eliphalet and two daughters Samantha and Lois. As trouble brewed, leading up to the American Revolution, he was outspoken in his support for the British position. Because of this he was severely criticized by his friends and neighbors and in December 1775 he was forced to leave his home.

Later that same month, while on board the Dutchess of Gordon with General Tyron, he was asked to return to his home area to distribute His Majesty's Proclamations and when he could no longer stay, to bring back a list of those who would support the British cause.

After completing that task successfully, he was sent to Staten Island to further circulate the Kings proclamations and to note Rebel activities. The local authorities became suspicious of his activities and put him in jail, but because of lack of evidence he was released.

Soon after his release, the British Army gave him a warrant as an Ensign to recruit men for the army and he again returned to Connecticut for that purpose. Neighbors noticing his frequent visits to his home informed against his wife for harboring him and on three different occasions she was arrested and put in jail. To protect her, he obtained a pass and took her and the children to Long Island, which was held by the British. A short time after arriving there she died, leaving Nathan with five young children.

After placing the children with friends, he again ventured into the Connecticut countryside on a recruiting mission. In all he recruited nearly 200 men. As he was about to cross over to Long Island at the end of his trip, in January 1777, he was informed against by one of his own recruits, who had been punished in his regiment and had deserted the British army. Nathan was pursued and during his capture his leg was shattered by a musket ball and his thigh pierced with a bayonet. He was taken almost 100 miles on horseback, without medical attention, suffering greatly from the wounds and cold.

In April he was to be tried for high treason, for which the penalty was death by hanging. He inoculated himself with Small Pox and on the day he was to appear in court he broke out with the dread disease. Members of the court not wanting to be exposed to the disease sent him to a remote hospital where he was chained to the floor. He managed to bribe a nurse, who not only gave him a file to cut off his chains but amused the sentinel while he made his escape. Through good fortune he soon met a contingent of the British Army which was driving toward Danbury, Connecticut. Under their protection he was returned to Long Island.

In the spring of 1781 he was on pass to visit his motherless children, who were living in different locations on Long Island, when he was captured again by a roving band of Rebel soldiers. Being in uniform at this time and with his commission in his possession, they had to treat him as a British officer and he spent the rest of the war in a jail at Weathersfield, Connecticut. He was finally released on 9 June 1783, at the end of the war.

During this time his farm, livestock and all of his possessions were confiscated by the courts and sold. (Connecticut Probate records. See LDS films 0004025 & 1016212)

Later in 1783 Nathan and thousands of others who had supported the British cause, fled to Canada. Nathan went to Halifax, Nova Scotia. In December 1783 he gave Mr. Isaac Ogden his Power-of-Attorney to file his claim for losses of about 5000 pounds Sterling to the Commission for losses and Services of the American Loyalists, in London. He was not successful because Nathan had not able to obtain records from the Connecticut government showing the amount of property that he owned before the war started and that it had indeed been confiscated. I presume that because of the animosity generated during the war the government officials resisted helping Loyalists in any way that they could.

In any case Nathan continued to send off claims to London until finally, in August 1785, he went to London to present his claim in person. He was put on half pay as a former British officer (About 33 pounds/year) and one document indicates that he received about 1/7th of the amount that he claimed. That appears to be all that he received for all of his suffering and losses.

He returned from England sometime between mid-1790 and late 1792. It appears that he had decided, before he left England, to settle in Upper Canada instead of Nova Scotia or New Brunswick because, in a Land Petition written 22 July 1793 at Newark, Upper Canada (Now Niagara on the Lake, Ontario) he said that he "purchased in Britain and brought with him farming utensils to a considerable amount, all of which are now at Kingston". He requested a total of 2900 acres as a Loyalist officer and for his 3 sons and 2 daughters, in the Long Point area (Now Norfolk County, Ontario). He received a partial grant of 200 acres at Long Point and a one acre lot in Newark. The rest of his land was granted in 1806, about 10 years after his death. The land went to his oldest son Nathan Bunnel Barnum.

Ensign Nathan Barnum departed this life 13 January 1795. Thus ended a life of turmoil and disappoint for a loyal British subject.

Following is a list of Nathan's claims and petitions, with a very brief description of each. It may be possible that there are others that were missed.

1 - 6 May 1782 - 20 day pass from Weathersfield Goal as a prisoner of war. (A.O.-13/41/524) 2 - 9 June 1783 - Release from Weathersfield Goal - End of war. (A.O.-13/41/529) 3 - 10 Dec 1783 at Annapolis, Nova Scotia - Inventory of losses (Total 5020 pounds) and request for payment. Also appointment of Isaac Ogden as Power-of-Attorney. Ogden was traveling to England to present the claims of Nathan and others. (A.O.-13/90/57) 4 - 17 May & 20 June 1783 - Affidavits of 3 men attesting that Nathan was whipped and severly abused and refused pen & ink to contact his family while in jail at Litchfield, Conn. from June to October 1782.A.O.-13/41/510 & 532) 5 - 6 March 1784 at Halifax, N.S. - Asked Gov. Parr for land. Was granted Warrant of survey for 500 Acres with his regiment.(NSLP-1784-18) 6 - 26 Feb 1785 Prob at N.B. - Council denies land on Darling Island. Already granted. 7 - 26 May 1785 at Carlton, N.B. - Requests lot in Parr Town, N.B. Denied- No water lots to be granted.(NBLP-PANB F-1030/213) 8 - 16 Aug 1785 at St. John - John O'Dell certifiey Nathan has not received any land.(NBLP-PANB F-1024/43) 9 - 26 Aug 1785 at St. John, N.B. - Will be leaving for England on first ship. Request hold on final decision ref. Darling Island. Grant cannot be delayed. (NBLP-PANB F-1024/197) 10 - 23 Dec 1785 - Granted pension of 50 pounds/year. To cease if he returns to Nova Scotia and subject to being reduced if he receives officiers half pay. (A.O. 12/101/288) 11 - 23 Oct 1787 at London - Affidavit of Lt. Col. Wightman that Nathan had recruited near 200 men to the British army, had been imprisoned several times by the Rebels and lost considerable property by confiscation.(A.O.-13/41/552) 12 - 1788 - Outlines his war service and requests continuation of his pension. (A.O. 13/41/547) 13 - 11 Dec 1788 at Kentish Town, England - Outlines his accomplishments and perils while serving The Crown during the war, 1775- 1783, efforts to obtain documentation of the confiscation of his property and requesting payment for his losses.A.O.-13/41/550) 14 - 8 Mar 1789 at London - Affidavit of John Rane - Attests to Nathan's war service and losses. (A.O. 13/41/522) 15 - 10 May 1789 at Kentish Town, Eng. - Pleaded poverty and asked for renewal of pension.(A.O. 13/41/492) 16 - 15 June 1789 - Submitted proof that his property had been confiscated, restated his service during the war and requested additional compensation for his losses and/or reinstatement of the yearly pension he had been receiving. (A.O. 13/41/543) 17 - 24 Dec 1789 - Post office, Kentish Town, Eng. - Above request was denied by Commission for American Loyalists Claims. This petition to Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury restates service and requests rejections and requests reinstatement of yearly pension.(A.O. 13/41/535) 18 - 12 March 1790 - Treasury Dept rules: Having received compensation for his losses and being in receipt of half pay we cannot grant temporary support. (A.O. 12/102/226) 19 - 31 May 1790 - Appeals to Parliment for compensation. Other commissions have turned him down, he has 5 children to support and Royal Proclamation promised Loyalists compensation. He asked Parliment for relief.(A.O. 13/90/44) 20 - 22 July 1793 at Newark, U.C. - Requests 2 lots in Toronto & other land for his children.(UCLP-B1/102) 21 - 24 July 1793 - Approved for land but held pending his selection of available waste land.(Book "A" 125) 22 - 22 Sept 1793 - Requested 200 acres 4 miles above Turkey Pt, with land adjoining for 2 daughters and 1800 acres on both sides of Big Creek and 900 A for 3 sons on Patterson Creek. (UCLP-B1/21) 23 - 28 Sept 1793 - Received grant of Lot #278 in Newark (1A) 24 - 13 Nov 1793 - Requested permission to transfer Lot #278 to Thomas Ridout. (Apparently never transfered)UCLP-"B" Misc/40) 25 - 3 June 1794 - (Ref #21 above) 200 A only granted at this time. Not expedient to make settlement in that district at this time.(UCLP-Book "A"/158) 26 - 10 Nov 1794 - Recd. formal Crown Grant for Lot #278 in Newark. 27 - 26 Nov 1796 - Nathan Bunnel Barnum, son & heir of Nathan Barnum, sold Lot #278 in Newark, to Thomas Ridout. 28 - 5 June 1806 - A deed to Ensign Nathan Barnum for 2000 Acres in Charlotteville and Walshingham was inpounded bacause grantee was dead prior to date of Patent. (UCLP-Book "G"/73) 29 - Date unknown - A deed to Ensign Nathan Barnum for 2000 acres in Beverly was impounded because grantee was dead prior to date of Patent.

The above documents can be found at Archives of Ontario, Toronto and/or Archives of Canada, Ottawa.

In the Conn., Fairfield Co., Danbury Dist., Probate Records, found the folowing in ref. to confiscation of Ensign Nathan Barnum's property:

Pg. 129 - Inventories of the effects of James Leach, Simon Leach, Ebenezer Leach, Joseph Vaughn, Benjamin Vaughn, Nathan Barnum and John Comwell, late of New Fairfield, which by the County Court _______ at Fairfield in and for tghe County of Fairfield by adjournment on the last tuesday of December, 1778and on the tuesday of September 1778 was adjudged confiscated to and for the use of the state of Connecticut, they having joined the enemies of the United States of America by us the sub , being and on oath as the law directs. At a Court of Probate held in Danbury for the District of Danbury February 18th 1779, Col. Nehemiah Beardsley of New Fairfield is appointed administrator on the estate of Nathan Barnum, Simon Leach, Benjamin Vaughn, Joseph Vaughn, James Leach, John Comwell and Ebenezer Leach all late of New Fairfield, whose estates were by the County ourt for Fairfield County adjudged forfeited to the use and benifit of this state and hath given bonds as the law directs. Jeseph P. Cooke, Judge

Inventory of the estate of Nathan Barnum: 1 dwelling house L200, 1 ditto L40, barn L20 L 260 About 110 acres of land 1340 1 table 50s, 1 iron kettle 40s, ______ ditto 30s 6.0 Double foot wheel 55s, 1 ____30s, bedstead & ___ 30s, _?_ 40s 7.15 1 feather bed & pillows L9, 1 __ L6.10, 1 Putter platter 20s 16.10 _____ ____ 12s, chest 15s, coverlet(?) 70s 4.17 _________

L 1635.02 New Fairfield February 26th 1779 John Page & Phinhas Beardsley, Appraisers

Followed by inventories of the estates of each of the above men including that of Nathan Barnum as follows:

Following are additional notes furnished by J. Tappero.

There was a daughter born to a Nathan Barnum Jr. at New Fairfield and bapt. 3 Nov 1760. If it was this Nathan he would have to have been married twice.

Married in New Fairfield to Lois Wheeler. FHL Film #002883 and New Fairfield Ecclesiastical Society Records photocopied in New Fairfield city library.

A Nathan Barnum, of Danbury married Hannah Bonnell or Bunnell, 10 Aug 1738 in New Milford, Connecticut. Hannah could have been his mother instead of Rebecca Lockwood, and that is why he named a son Nathan Bunnell

He is shown in Ontario records as having 5 children (petition to Governor, 22 Sep 1793 mentions 3 sons and 2 daughters). This coincides with a letter written to him in England, by his son Nathan Bunnell, that names the following brothers and sisters: Wheeler, Eliphilet, Samanatha and Lois.