Parshall Adam Terry

Excerpt from Terry Family historian - March, 1985 (http://www.terry-family-historian.com/TFHMAR1985.htm)

I have always been intrigued by the story of one Parshall Terry Jr. and his father Parshall Terry Sr. Both of whom found themselves on different sides of the fence during

the Revolutionary War.

Parshall Terry Jr., baptized 22 Feb 1756, was the son of Parshall Terry Sr. and Deborah Clark. He was noted to have been at the battle of Wyoming, known as the Wyoming Massacre, in July, 1778. He is said to have been a member of the First Westmoreland Independent Company in 1776 and served with Washington's army for some time.

The story, as it goes, is he stopped to tie his shoe and was reprimanded by an officer. He was struck with a sword by the officer and as a result knocked the officer down and

fled. It was noted he deserted January 11, 1777.

Later he joined the British Army and became a Lieutenant in Butler's Rangers, Royal Greens. The story further indicates that Parshall Terry, Sr. and his other sons were on the side of the Colonials in the same battle; reports were later generated that he had killed his father, mother and brothers and sisters during the battle.

Captain Jonathan Terry, his brother, later testified that these reports were false and his brother, Parshall Jr., had come to the Fort to save their lives..."My father, has

survived many years, and died among his friends in this place [Terrytown, PA?] in good old age."

His sister, Deborah Terry Horton, spoke of him in less kind words and noted she saw her "Tory" brother stand by while Indians cut her father's shoes off his feet. A more moderate view of the family differences was noted in 1914 by a J. Washington Ingham, a great grandson of Parshall, Jr. who opined: "In justice to him it ought to be said that between him and the rest of the family, there were only political differences."

At the close of the Revolutionary War [1783 or 1789 by some accounts] Parshall Terry Jr. moved to Upper Canada, now Ontario, where he was given some large holdings by the Crown.

Tradition is, he was a member of the First Parliament for upper Canada, but this has not been verified.

Later descendants of this particular Terry Family clan migrated to Michigan, Illinois, and Utah. Several were prominent early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the

Latter Day Saints.

Source: Parshall Terry Family History. Reprint 1963. Mr.

and Mrs. Terry Lund. Salt Lake City Utah. Page 12-13.

PARSHALL7 TERRY (PARSHALL6, JONATHAN5, NATHANIEL4, NATHANIEL3, RICHARD2, THOMAS1)21,22 was born

February 22, 1756 in Mattituck, Suffolk, New York22, and died July 23, 1808 in Don River, Ontario, Canada22.

He married AMY STEVENS23,24 1777 in Wyoming Valley, Luzerne, Pennsylvania24, daughter of WILLIAM

STEVENS and ALICE WEAVER. She was born April 20, 1758 in Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut24, and died

1789 in Fort Niagara, Niagara, New York24.

More About PARSHALL TERRY:

Burial: 180824

Christening: February 22, 1756, Southold, Suffolk, New York24

Source: Wikipedia

Parshall Terry (February 22, 1756-July 20, 1808) was a political figure in Upper Canada.

He was born in Mattituck, New York in 1756 and served with Butler's Rangers during the American Revolution. He settled at Kingston after the war, later moving to Newark and then York (Toronto). He was elected to the 1st Parliament of Upper Canada in the riding of 4th Lincoln and Norfolk. With his father-in-law, Timothy Skinner, and his two brothers-in-law, Isaah and Timothy Jr., he built and operated a large sawmill on the Don River north of York. His home has been preserved as part of the Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum near the former site of the mill.

He drowned in 1808 while crossing the Don River.

His son William later represented Lincoln in the Legislative Assembly.