A Signed Document by Revolutionary War Patriot Dr. Amos Mead

Today’s mail brings news of a relic from the American Revolution involving Dr. Amos Mead. He is interred in the New Burial Grounds Association Cemetery next to the Second Congregational Church off East Putnam Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Scott Winslow, a dealer in historical documents in New Hampshire writes, “I am a dealer in historical documents from New Hampshire. I'm forwarding a scan of a document signed by Dr. Amos Mead during the American Revolution which I thought you might have an interest in. I recently sold an early Connecticut pay order issued to (not signed by) Dr. Amos Mead but frankly, can't remember who I sold it to and thought it might be someone in your family.” The document image is provided here.

Historian Spencer P. Mead provides some interesting information found in the family genealogy book. On page 59:

“Dr. Amos Mead, of Greenwich, Connecticut, who was ye Surgeon of ye 3^rd Connecticut Regiment in the expedition against Crown Point and Ticonderoga in 1759, and also one of the committee of Safety, was so chased and hunted by these men as to be obliged to travel about back in the country for a whole winter. He retraced by night the tracks he had made by day, and then moving off a short distance in another direction, spent the night in the first sheltered place that could be found. In the early spring following the winter of 1780, he came down to look at a field of wheat growing some distance back of his house, but, on arriving at a certain point in the road, he turned back, for he was impressed with the idea that he must not go any farther, but how to account for the impression he knew not. A few days after a neighbor met him and told him that five men bent on taking his life were in that very wheat field with their loaded muskets aimed at a certain point in the road where he must have passed had he proceeded. Dr. Mead, wisely acting on this timely warning, retired again into the country.”

This text is also found on page 145 of Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich, also authored by Spencer P. Mead, published in 1911. Both the town history and Mead family genealogy book feature more interesting background on Dr. Mead.

If you are interested in acquiring this wonderful piece of family history please contact Mr. Winslow at 800-225-6233, or e-mail him at Scott@scottwinslow.com.

Nehemiah Mead House, Cos Cob

This is a picture of the Nehemiah Mead House. It stood where Cos Cob Elementary School is today. As mentioned in my previous blog post, Nehemiah Mead was one of those disinterred from the family cemetery off Relay Place and the Cos Cob Mill Pond. His remains and those of others were reinterred at Putnam Cemetery.

Whitman Bailey and the Cos Cob Mill Pond

Pictured here is a sketching by the late Whitman Bailey of the Cos Cob Mill Pond. It is dated 1933.

Look closely at the left side of the print where the two tall pine trees are featured. The stone wall of the family plot as well as the granite obelisk are visible.

A Mystery Solved: Disinterments at the Cos Cob Family Plot

For as far back as anyone alive today can remember the family burying ground at Cos Cob has posed a mystery. 

Upon ascending up into the cemetery visitors notice a small downswing off to the right side closest to the Mill Pond. Why was it there? It certainly did not appear to conform to the rest of the landscape.

I was going through my collection of 35mm slides for donation to the Greenwich Historical Society’s archives. This collection mostly consists of research I conducted on the cemeteries in Greenwich, Connecticut during the 1980s and early 1990s. I had some of these professionally scanned. 

While going through them I noticed the image pictured above.

The area in question was the site of graves that were disinterred in the 1880s. The image is one taken of records kept at Greenwich’s Town Hall showing that a number of graves were disinterred from this cemetery and reinterred in Putnam Cemetery. 

The name ‘Thomas Young’ is the sexton who, by definition, is someone employed or perhaps a church officer whose responsibility is to care for church property, including the digging of graves.

This is where the graves are today in Putnam Cemetery off Parsonage Road:

The names and dates of those disinterred are:

Samuel H. Mead, son of Nehemiah and Ruth Mead, b. December 2, 1796, d. October 15, 1854:

Henry Richards, son of James and Ruth Richards of Norwalk, d. September 28, 1800, aged 17 years and 9 months:

Nehemiah Mead, Jr., d. March 21, 1826, aged 54 years, 3 months and 17 days:

Nehemiah Mead. Sr., d. August 16, 1791, aged 70 years:

Mrs. Ruth Mead, wife of Nehemiah Mead, b. April 25, 1770, d. February 13, 1854:

Mrs. Sarah Mead, d. August 20, 1808, aged 74 years, 3 months and 27 days:

Sarah Mead, daughter of Nehemiah and Ruth Mead, d. May 12, 1871, aged 72 years, 10 months and 9 days.

Aside from the list of names, the genealogical information was taken from Spencer P. Mead’s Abstract of Records of Tombstones of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, 1913. 

As to why the graves were disinterred, that remains a mystery. I suspect it always will be.

Jeffrey Bingham Mead

Back to Historical Blogging!

I am please to report that I have not fallen off the side of the Earth, as some have pondered recently. I just recently moved to a new home with a decidedly country air to it. My hope is that my career in condominium living is over.

I also had some 35mm slides scanned which relate to the family cemeteries. These will be posted with historical commentary in the days ahead.

It's nice to be back. Cheers!

Historically yours,

Jeffrey Bingham Mead