General Ebenezer Mead, 1748-1818
Ebenezer I, 1663-1728
Ebenezer Mead was born in Greenwich in 1663, the fourth child of John Mead and Hannah Potter.
The first time he appears in the records is in 1684, when he was granted a home lot in Greenwich. In 1686 he bought almost the last acre of land still owned by the Indians in the town of Greenwich. The land was at the mouth of the Mianus River, on the western bank. He appears on a list of landowners of May 1688.
In 1691, he married Sarah Knapp, the daughter of Caleb Knapp. They had nine children: Ebenezer, Caleb, Sarah, Hannah, Jabez, David, Abigail, Susanna, and Jemima.
On a tax list for the town of Greenwich in 1697, his taxable property was worth £103 and 10 shillings, the highest value of any Mead's and the 6th highest in the town.
In 1696 Ebenezer Mead was appointed by the town to keep "a place of public entertainment for man and beast." The old tavern stood on the same site for nearly two hundred years. On September 27, 1700, Ebenezer Mead "manifested his desire to lay down his keeping of a house of publick entertainment" and Robert Lockwood look his place.
Ebenezer actively took part in the public life of the town of Greenwich. He was the Justice of the Peace for Fairfield County in 1703, 1705 to 1709, and 1714 to 1728, and was a deputy to the assembly for Greenwich eleven times between 1694 and 1716.
He died in 1728.
Ebenezer II, 1692-1775
Ebenezer Mead II was born in Greenwich on October 25, 1692, the eldest son of Ebenezer Mead and Sarah Knapp.
He was married on December 12, 1717, to Hannah Brown, the daughter of Peter Brown of Rye NY, and they had Ebenezer, Silas, Abraham, Jonas, Solomon, Deliverance, Amos, Edmund, Hannah, Jabez, Jared and Abraham.
On May 9, 1728, Ebenezer was commissioned a Lieutenant of the East Company, or Train-band, at Horseneck. On May 11, 1738, he was commissioned a Captain of the same company.
He was a Justice of the Peace for Fairfield County from 1733 to 1758, and was a deputy to the assembly in 1733, 1734, 1737 and 1738.
Late in life, in 1759, when he was approaching 70, he was married for a second time, this time to Naomi Weed, the daughter of Abraham Weed. She was about twenty years old at the time.
Ebenezer Mead's will was dated June 3, 1772, and probated June 15, 1775. In it he mentions his wife Naomi and children Deliverance, Jared, Silas, Jonas, Solomon, Amos, Abraham, Jr.; his grandson Enoch Mead, granddaughter Hannah, and grandson Ebenezer, the children of his son Ebenezer, who had predeceased him. His executor was his son Jared. The witnesses were Daniel Smith, Joshua Smith, and Jesse Parsons.
Ebenezer III, 1718-1758
Ebenezer Mead III was born in Greenwich on October 18, 1718, the eldest son of Ebenezer Mead and Hannah Brown.
He married Amy Knapp, the daughter of Caleb Knapp, in 1747, and they had Ebenezer, Hannah and Enoch.
Ebenezer was a deputy to the assembly for Greenwich in 1744, 1745, 1747 and 1751.
The will of Ebenezer Mead is dated February 11, 1758, and probated April 3, 1758. In it he mentions his wife Amy and their children Hannah, Ebenezer, and Enoch. His executor was his brother Amos Mead. The witnesses were Silas Betts, Marshall Mead, and Nathan Sackett. An inventory of his property was taken on April 8, 1758, by Peter Mead and Obadiah Mead, and filed July 7, 1758.
Ebenezer IV, 1748-1818
Ebenezer Mead IV was born December 12, 1748, the eldest son of Ebenezer Mead and Amy Knapp.
On April 6, 1769, he married Nancy Mead, the daughter of Eliphalet Mead, and they had Nancy, Hannah, Marilda, Ebenezer, Rheumah, Jabez and Amy.
On October 13, 1774, Ebenezer was commissioned an Ensign of the Middle Company, or train-band of Greenwich.
Ebenezer Mead served in the Revolutionary War in the 8th company, 7th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, under Colonel Charles Webb in 1775 at the siege of Boston. Later he served as a private in Captain Joseph Hobby's Company of the 9th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, during the latter part of 1776 and the early part of 1777. The regiment was ordered to Westchester County, New York, and employed in guarding its borders. During a skirmish he was shot through one of his lungs by a musket ball, which incapacitated him for some time.
In 1779 Ebenezer Mead witnessed General Israel Putnam's famous ride down a steep hill in Greenwich. Ebenezer was standing in his doorway, just beyond the foot of the hill, and saw General Putnam come tearing down the cow path, turn in his saddle just as he reached the bottom to holler "damn ye" at the redcoats who stood at the top firing their muskets down at him.
After the war Ebenezer gained distinction as a training master in the militia, being promoted to Brigadier General in 1801. As a result of his meritorious service in connection with the Connecticut Militia, he was afterwards promoted to Major General.
The will of Ebenezer was dated March 15, 1817, and probated March 3, 1818. In it he mentions his wife Nancy, and children Marilda, wife of Samuel Bouton, Ebenezer, Reuma, wife of Timothy Walker, and Jabez; and granddaughter Angelina Amy Mead. His executors were his son Ebenezer and son-in-law Timothy Walker. The witnesses were Jabez Mead, John Mead, Jr., and Joseph Wright. An inventory of his property was taken on March 25, 1818, by Isaac Holly and Jabez Mead, and filed April 7, 1818.
He was buried under a stone inscribed "Major-General Ebenezer Mead, died Feb 7, 1818, aged 70 years."
Ebenezer V, 1778-1845
Ebenezer Mead V was born in Greenwich on March 2, 1778, the eldest son and fourth child of Ebenezer Mead and Nancy Mead.
He married Zetta Mead, the daughter of Jared Mead, on November 29, 1798, and they had Hannah, Almira, Ebenezer and Emaline. He was married a second time, on October 28, 1807, to Elizabeth Holmes the daughter of Jabez Holmes, and they had Mary, Enoch, Zetta, Lydia, Nancy, Nancy, and Theodore.
Ebenezer Mead was a major during the War of 1812, in the 9th Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. At the appearance of the British fleet under Commodore Hardy off the eastern end of Long Island Sound, Major Ebenezer Mead was detailed to guard the coast. He had his forces stationed at several of the most strategic points near Greenwich. Through his diligence the enemy was unable to effect a landing and finally withdrew from the Sound. He was a Colonel of the 9th Regiment from 1816 to 1820.
The will of Ebenezer Mead, colonel, late of Greenwich, is dated November 3, 1842, and was probated Oct. 13, 1845. It mentions his second wife Elizabeth, and children Hannah, wife of Seely Mead, Almira Mead, Emeline, wife of Daniel Krutzer, Zetta, wife of Ebenezer Day, Rev. Ebenezer Mead, Rev. Enoch Mead, and Theodore H. Mead. The executor was his son Theodore Mead. The witnesses were James Waring, Robert Clark, and Joseph Ferris. An inventory was taken by Titus Mead and Jabez Mead, and filed Dec. 6, 1845.