Thankful Avery

THE GROTON AVERY CLAN, Vol. I, by Elroy McKendree Avery and Catherine Hitchcock (Tilden) Avery, Cleveland, 1912. p. 132-3, 143

She lived to be 101 years of age. Other geneology sources list her birthplace as New London, CT and date of death as January 11, 1814

She is recorded as No. 28 on page 406 of Sweet's The Averys of Groton. Mr. Sweet said that this Thankful Avery was born in 1712, the daughter of Benjamin Avery, whose record appears as No. 14 on page 406 of his book. But careful search has failed to show that there was any such Benjamin, son of John Avery. The whole record that appears as No. 14, on the page in question, should be cancelled. The family 'historian has taken care of the children; the alleged father is a myth. According to the Rev. David Avery (whose aunt she was and whom he often visited), this Thankful Avery was a daughter of John\ the son of John".

When fifteen years of age, Thankful Avery was married in a lemon-colored, brocaded, silk dress, one of three patterns brought from Paris by the captain of a merchant vessel. Two of the patterns were lemon and one was lavender in color. The captain's wife chose one of the lemon-colored ones, to the disappointment of Thankful' s father who wished his two daughters to be married in gowns of the same color. The older daughter chose lavender, so Thankful had the lemon-colored one. It is supposed that the two sisters were married at the same time and that the older sister was the Sarah who married Bebee Denison , January 10 1734.

As Thankful is said to have been about fifteen years old when married and as her first child was born September 9, 1735, she also probably was married January 10, 1734. Her daughter, Thankful, wore the dress when she married Elihu Avery, and in turn, her daughter, Cynthia, wore it when she married Ebenezer Lester. At that time, the dress was altered to conform to the fashion of that day. From that time to this, the dress has been unchanged; it is now in the possession of Cynthia's g-randdaughter, who guards it with great care.