• General Notes

  Children of Deborah Monroe and Jacob Gillett:
      Joseph Gillett   b. 19-Dec-1770
      Annis Gillett   b. 31-Dec-1772, d. 8-Apr-1849
      Tirzah Gillett+   b. 15-Dec-1774, d. 14-May-1849
      Jacob Gillett   b. 13-Mar-1777, d. 15-Aug-1823
  
  Children of Deborah Monroe and Joseph Arad Knapp:
      Alvin Manrow Knapp   b. 6-Nov-1778, d. 7-Mar-1835
      Asenath Knapp   b. 12-Mar-1781
      Arad Knapp   b. 3-Apr-1783, d. 17-Mar-1835
      Deborah Knapp   b. 23-Apr-1785
      Ezekiel Knapp   b. 1-Mar-1789, d. 1865
      Orinda Knapp   b. 1791
      Cynthia Knapp   b. circa 1793
  
  NOTES: (from HORTON) Deborah was born and spent her childhood in the western Connecticut town of Sharon. She was married when 16 years old, to Jacob Gillett . . .at Salisbury, CT, by Rev. Mr. Smith, Pastor. Jacob Gillett "owned a farm at Canaan, Columbia Co., NY State", located only a few miles westward across the state line (and the mountains).
  
  The Salisbury historian Miss Pettee tells us most of the roads were "hardly more than tracks...the conditions of the highways were 'the pious concern of the Norfolk innkeeper who was in the habit of retaining his overnight guests for morning prayers, explaining that they needed the help of the Lord to negotiate the distressing state of the roads before them.'"
  
  On August 22, 1774, a Salisbury town meeting was convened at the appeal of Massachusetts, following the Boston Tea Party and the closing of the port of Boston to all shipping. Reacting with warmth and unified action, the people of Salisbury made the Salisbury Resolutions at that meeting. They resolved to declare the "solidarity of the people of Salisbury with their brethren in Massachusetts". In "an amazing reservice either in the Continental Line regiments or in the militia." They were all volunteers, not draftees. Jacob Gillet enlisted with the Salisbury men, as a private, and served at Bunker Hill in Captain James Clark's 6th Company.
  
  Deborah was left at home with 3 young children while the Salisbury men, Jacob among them, walked to Boston. On June 17, 1775, the battle of Bunker Hill took place; Jacob was wounded. The family history fails to tell us how Jacob traveled back to Sharon--perhaps he was able to obtain a horse and ride that painful distance. Family history does record firmly the fact that Jacob and Deborah had little more than a year together on the farm in Columbia Co., NY.
  
  Jacob died on Jan 23, 1777, of his wounds. Although he died in then Lebannon Springs, NY, his home town of Salisbury, CT, claimed his as one of their heroic Revolutionary War soldiers. Six weeks later, Deborah gave birth to a son and gave him his father's name--Jacob Gillett, Jr.
  
  Later that year, on November 27, 1777, Deborah was married to Joseph Knapp. "Her children gave her lease of property by a paper in possession of the family" a descendant attested. Joseph and Deborah Knapp lived at Lebannon Springs and had seven children.
  
  Deborah died in 1833, aged 79 years, and was buried at Lebannon Springs, Columbia Co., NY.
  

Details of Deborah's family with Jacob Gillett

Details of Deborah's family with Joseph Arad Knapp