John Munroe

Notes:

John moved from Ashburnham, Massachusetts to Westminster, Massachusetts and worked in the chair manufacturing business with his brother, Ebenezer. Later he moved to Cleveland, New York.

Ref: Lexington Munroes, 2nd ed. 11-86-5

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

John married Sophia Gibson on 6 May 1819. Sophia was born on 6 Apr 1800 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Orison J. Munroe was born on 28 Oct 1819; died in in Leominster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA.
2. Sophia H. Munroe was born on 27 Mar 1821; and died.
3. Porter Munroe was born on 23 May 1826; died on 30 Oct 1880 in Brattleboro, Windham Co., Vermont, USA.
4. Sophronia L. Munroe was born on 4 Jun 1831; and died.

Notes:

Ebenezer was a member of the Lexington minute men, ready to do battle on the 19th of April in freedom's cause. He was wounded in the elbow in the morning, but mounted his horse riding from town to town, alarming the people and rousing them into action, until too exhausted by the loss of blood. He claimed to have fired the first gun on the American side. The testimony of others proved that he did return the fire. He performed other duties in the Revolution, being one of those who joined the campaign in the Jersey's in 1776. At the close of the war he moved to Ashburnham, Massachusetts, where he was a lieutenant.

A deposition made by Ebenezer on 2 Apr 1825 reads:

I, Ebenezer Munroe, of Ashburnham, in the county of Worcester and the common- wealth of Massachusetts, in the seventy-third year of my age, on oath depose and say, that I was an inhabitant of Lexington in the county of Middlesex in the year 1775; that, during the night of the 18th of April of that year, I was alarmed by one Micah Nagles, who stated that the British troops were on their march from Boston, and that Lieutenant Tidd requested myself and others to meet on the common as soon as possible. I accordingly repaired to the common, the usual place of parade, where I found Captain Parker, and, I should think, about forty of the company had collected. The weather being rather chilly, after calling the roll, we were dismissed, but ordered to remain within call of the drum. The men generally went into the tavern adjoining the common. In the mean time, persons were sent towards Boston to get some intelligence, if possible, of the regulars. The last person sent was Thaddeus Bowman, who returned between day-light and sun-rise, and informed Captain Parker, that the British troops were within a mile of the meeting-house. Captain Parker immediately ordered the drum beat to arms. I was the first that followed the drum. I took my station on the right of our line, which was formed from six to ten rods back to the meeting-house, facing south. About seventy of our company had assembled when the British troops appeared. Some of our men went into the meeting-house, where the town's powder was kept, for the purpose of replenish- ing their stock of ammunition. When the regulars arrived within eighty or one hundred rods, they hearing our drum beat, halted, charged their guns, and doubled their ranks, and marched up at quick step. Captain Parker ordered his men to stand their ground, and not to molest the regulars, unless they meddled with us. The British troops came up directly in our front. The commanding officer advanced within a few rods of us, and exclaimed "Disperse, you damned rebels! you dogs, run! Rush on my boys!" and fired his pistol. The fire from their front ranks soon followed. After the first fire, I received a wound in my arm, and then, as I turned to run, I discharged my gun into the main body of the enemy. As I fired, my face being toward them, a ball cut off a part of my ear locks, which was then pinned up. Another ball passed between my arm and body, and just marked my clothes. The first fire of the British was regular; after that, they fired promiscuously. As we retreated one of our company, Benjamin Sampson, I believe, who was running with me, turned his piece and fired. When I fired, I perfectly well recollect taking aim at the regulars. The smoke, however, prevented my being able to see many of them. The balls flew so thick, I thought there was no chance for escape, and that I might as well fire my gun as stand still and do nothing. I am confident, that it was the determination of most of our company, in case they were fired upon, to return fire. I did not hear Captain Parker's orders to his company to disperse. When the British came up in front of the meeting-house, Joshua Simonds was in the upper gallery, an open cask of gunpowder standing near him, and he afterward told me, that he cocked his gun and placed the muzzle of it close to the cask of powder, and determined to "touch it off," in case the troops had come into the gallery. After our company had all dispersed, and the British troops had done firing, they gave three cheers. After they had marched off for Concord, we took two prisoners who were considerably in the rear of the main body. I carried their arms into Buckman's tavern, and they were taken by some of our men, who had none of their own. I believed at the time, that some of our shots must have done execution. I was afterward confirmed in this opinion, by the observations of some prisoners, whom we took in the afternoon, who stated, that one of their soldiers was wounded in the thigh, and that another received a shot through his hand.

Ref: Clan Munro files - Coombs, Judith
- Elder, Charlotte
- Mady, Ashley Nicole
- Yard, Prof. F. L. Dixon

Mackenzie p. 564 places Ebenezer as a child of Jonas and his first wife, Joanna Locke.

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Ebenezer married Lucy Muzzey on 10 May 1781 in Woburn, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA. Lucy was born about 1762 in , , Massachusetts, USA; died on 28 May 1839 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Lucy was the widow of Mr. Simonds when she married Ebenezer. After Ebenezer's death, Lucy married John Adams.

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Notes:

Ref: Clan Munro files - Coombs, Judith
Elder, Charlotte
Mady, Ashley Nicole

References:

(1) "Charles Monroe (1823-1873) of Posey, Vanderburgh & Gibson County, Indiana - His Ancestors and Descendants" by Kendyl K. Monroe - (1997) - p. 4

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Jonas married Rebecca Watts. Rebecca (daughter of Daniel Watts and Elizabeth Mason) was born on 17 Apr 1727 in Chelsea, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, USA; died on 9 Mar 1799 in Ashburnham, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Notes:

Married:
Marriage int. dated 7 Feb 1751

Notes:

John Munroe was admitted to the church 1 Feb 1699 together with his father, and sisters Martha Commee, Elizabeth Rugg and Hannah Pierce. He was subscriber for the meeting-house in 1692, and was taxed for the purchase of ministerial land in 1693. He was one of the assessors in 1699, 1714 and 1720; constable in 1700, selectman in 1718, 1719 and 1726; also treasurer in 1718, 1719 and 1720. He was employed several years to ring the bell and sweep out the meeting-house, which shows that he did not consider it derogatory to perform this type of work.

On 13 May 1709, he bought ten acres of land adjoining his farm in Cambridge. On 22 Feb 1723, he gave 20 acres in Lexington to his son, John. This land was sold back to John Sr. in Dec 1725 when John Jr. migrated to New London. John Sr. continued to acquire property in Lexington. In the last deed found for him, he bought land adjacent to that of his deceased father, William.

According to the Andrews reference, John and others had 900 acres granted to them in 1735 for services rendered in an Indian fight at Lamprey River on 6 Jun 1690.

John was honored with the office of Lieutenant in the military. He along with others, had nine hundred acres of land granted to them in 1735, for services rendered in the Indian fight at Lamprey River, 6 Jun 1690.

Lucius R. Paige in his "History of Cambridge, Mass. 1630 to 1877," speculates that Hannah Marrett was John's second wife, but R. S. Munroe argues convincingly in his book about the Lexington Munroes that she was John's first wife.

John's estate was administered by his son William, appt. 25 Nov 1753. No distribution is included in surviving documents. The total value of the inventory of 1 apr 1754 was £791.15.00.

References:

(2) "Charles Monroe (1823-1873) of Posey, Vanderburgh & Gibson County, Indiana
- His Ancestors and Descendants" by Kendyl K. Monroe - (1997) - p. 3-4

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

John married Hannah Marrett in 1692 in Lexington, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA. Hannah (daughter of John Marrett and Abigail Richardson) was born on 17 Aug 1668 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA; died on 14 Apr 1716 in Lexington, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Hannah's headstone reads: "here lyes the body of Hannah Munroo wife to John Munroo aged 42 years 4 months and 19 days died April ye 14th 1716." Lexington vital records shows this same date for her death. Paige gives her birthdate as 17 Aug 1668 in his "The History of Cambridge." There is about a 5-year discrepancy between the life span given on her headstone and that calculated using these birth and death dates.

The Furbush reference says that John's wife was named Hannah Mooer, daughter of Jonathan and Constance Mooer and that they named two of their children after Hannah Mooer's parents.

References:

(2) "Charles Monroe (1823-1873) of Posey, Vanderburgh & Gibson County, Indiana
- His Ancestors and Descendants" by Kendyl K. Monroe - (1997) - p. 3



Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Birth:
Estimate: This birth date is an estimate based on the birth dates of nearest relatives or contemporaries, or based on other clues such as christening date, marriage date, birth order, etc.

Daniel married Elizabeth Mason. Elizabeth was born about 1704; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

Birth:
Estimate: This birth date is an estimate based on the birth dates of nearest relatives or contemporaries, or based on other clues such as christening date, marriage date, birth order, etc.