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Maj John Arms Jr.

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Maj John Arms Jr. Veteran

Birth
Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA
Death
6 Mar 1770 (aged 47)
Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont, USA
Burial
Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont, USA GPS-Latitude: 42.8633806, Longitude: -72.5923778
Memorial ID
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John Arms was the third child (1st son) born of John Arms (1679-1753) and his wife Hannah Nash (1689-1751). John married, in December 1743, Susannah Willard (1720-1793) by whom he had 6 children (3 sons and 3 daughters) all born in Deerfield, Massachusetts: Willard (1744-1751); Susannah (1747-1775); Josiah (1750-1803); Hannah (1753-1830); Lucinda (1757-1813); and John Willard (1759-1783).

John and his father were original proprietors of Westminister, Vermont, on 11 November 1752. John, Jr. was an original proprietor for Putney, Vermont, on 22 December 1753; Guilford, Vermont, on 2 April 1754; Salt Ash (now Plymouth), Vermont, on 6 July 1761; Rutland, Vermont, on 7 September 1761; and Pittsford, Vermont, on 12 October 1761.

In 1762, John and his family settled in Brattleboro on the New Hampshire Grants (now in Vermont). Here he established and operated the first tavern until his death from the kick of a horse in March 1770. He owned the extensive meadows which were later in the possession of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane. He was Brattleboro's first Postmaster. The Town's first post office was at his tavern.

On July 20, 1764, the Province of New York declared that Brattleboro and the other lands west of the Connecticut River and north of the Province of Massachusetts Bay laid within the Province of New York. Soon thereafter a New York Provincial Regiment of Foot was formed in the same area. The Regiment was placed under the command of Colonel Thomas Chandler, Esquire. John Arms was appointed Major of that Regiment of Foot on January 20, 1766.

Less than six months later, July 3, 1766, a portion of the said area west of the Connecticut River was partitioned off of Albany County and erected Cumberland County, Province of New York. On July 16, 1766 the Civil Authority for Cumberland County was established. Thomas Chandler was appointed Surrogate and one of three Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Justices of the Quorum in ye Commission of ye Peace. John Arms was appointed one of six Assistant Justices of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Justices of ye Quorum in ye Commission of the Peace. About this same time, John Arms, his wife Susannah, and his brothers-in-law Nathan and Wilder Willard joined fourteen other persons in a petition to the Province of New York for Brattleboro to be incorporated or erected into a Town vested with the privileges of that Province. That petition was honored by the Province of New York granting a Confirmatory Patent, July 22, 1766.

At the first recorded Brattleboro Town Meeting held the first Tuesday in March 1768 agreeable to the time prefixed by the New York Patent, John Arms, Esquire was chosen Moderator, one of three Assessors, one of three Commissioners for Laying out and Regulating Highways, one of two Overseers of the Poor, and one of four Overseers and viewers of Fences. Less than a month later, on March 31, 1768, John Arms was appointed Sheriff of Cumberland County, Province of New York. He was again appointed Cumberland County Sheriff, October 13, 1769.

References:

(1) "Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784" (Original Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society by Scott Andrew Bartley, Lead Genealogist), 2015, Vol. Major John Arms, Fort Dummer, pages 1-6.

(2) "A Genealogical Record of the Arms Family in this Country, embracing all the known descendants of WILLIAM FIRST, who have retained the family name, and the first generation of the descendants of other names." by Edward W. Arms, 1877, pages 6-8

(3) "Annals of Brattleboro 1681-1895" Vol. II., by Mary R. Cabot, 1922, pages 35-36 & 101

(4) "Vital Records of Deerfield Massachusetts, to the year 1850." by Thomas W. Baldwin, 1920, pages 17, 152 & 257

(5) "Cemetery Records - 1785-1896 - Brattleboro" page 4

(6) "Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont." by Henry Burnham, 1880, pages 46-47

(7) "The Documentary History of the State of New York." Vol. IV., by E. B. O'Callaghan, 1851, large printing pages 363-364

(8) "State Papers of Vermont - Volume VII - New York Land Patents 1688-1786 Coverning Land now Included in the State of Vermont" by Mary Green Nye, 1947, pages 48-54

(9) "Calendar of New York Colonial Commissions 1680-1770" by Edmund B. O'Callaghan, 1929, pages 67, 70 & 75
John Arms was the third child (1st son) born of John Arms (1679-1753) and his wife Hannah Nash (1689-1751). John married, in December 1743, Susannah Willard (1720-1793) by whom he had 6 children (3 sons and 3 daughters) all born in Deerfield, Massachusetts: Willard (1744-1751); Susannah (1747-1775); Josiah (1750-1803); Hannah (1753-1830); Lucinda (1757-1813); and John Willard (1759-1783).

John and his father were original proprietors of Westminister, Vermont, on 11 November 1752. John, Jr. was an original proprietor for Putney, Vermont, on 22 December 1753; Guilford, Vermont, on 2 April 1754; Salt Ash (now Plymouth), Vermont, on 6 July 1761; Rutland, Vermont, on 7 September 1761; and Pittsford, Vermont, on 12 October 1761.

In 1762, John and his family settled in Brattleboro on the New Hampshire Grants (now in Vermont). Here he established and operated the first tavern until his death from the kick of a horse in March 1770. He owned the extensive meadows which were later in the possession of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane. He was Brattleboro's first Postmaster. The Town's first post office was at his tavern.

On July 20, 1764, the Province of New York declared that Brattleboro and the other lands west of the Connecticut River and north of the Province of Massachusetts Bay laid within the Province of New York. Soon thereafter a New York Provincial Regiment of Foot was formed in the same area. The Regiment was placed under the command of Colonel Thomas Chandler, Esquire. John Arms was appointed Major of that Regiment of Foot on January 20, 1766.

Less than six months later, July 3, 1766, a portion of the said area west of the Connecticut River was partitioned off of Albany County and erected Cumberland County, Province of New York. On July 16, 1766 the Civil Authority for Cumberland County was established. Thomas Chandler was appointed Surrogate and one of three Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Justices of the Quorum in ye Commission of ye Peace. John Arms was appointed one of six Assistant Justices of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Justices of ye Quorum in ye Commission of the Peace. About this same time, John Arms, his wife Susannah, and his brothers-in-law Nathan and Wilder Willard joined fourteen other persons in a petition to the Province of New York for Brattleboro to be incorporated or erected into a Town vested with the privileges of that Province. That petition was honored by the Province of New York granting a Confirmatory Patent, July 22, 1766.

At the first recorded Brattleboro Town Meeting held the first Tuesday in March 1768 agreeable to the time prefixed by the New York Patent, John Arms, Esquire was chosen Moderator, one of three Assessors, one of three Commissioners for Laying out and Regulating Highways, one of two Overseers of the Poor, and one of four Overseers and viewers of Fences. Less than a month later, on March 31, 1768, John Arms was appointed Sheriff of Cumberland County, Province of New York. He was again appointed Cumberland County Sheriff, October 13, 1769.

References:

(1) "Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784" (Original Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society by Scott Andrew Bartley, Lead Genealogist), 2015, Vol. Major John Arms, Fort Dummer, pages 1-6.

(2) "A Genealogical Record of the Arms Family in this Country, embracing all the known descendants of WILLIAM FIRST, who have retained the family name, and the first generation of the descendants of other names." by Edward W. Arms, 1877, pages 6-8

(3) "Annals of Brattleboro 1681-1895" Vol. II., by Mary R. Cabot, 1922, pages 35-36 & 101

(4) "Vital Records of Deerfield Massachusetts, to the year 1850." by Thomas W. Baldwin, 1920, pages 17, 152 & 257

(5) "Cemetery Records - 1785-1896 - Brattleboro" page 4

(6) "Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont." by Henry Burnham, 1880, pages 46-47

(7) "The Documentary History of the State of New York." Vol. IV., by E. B. O'Callaghan, 1851, large printing pages 363-364

(8) "State Papers of Vermont - Volume VII - New York Land Patents 1688-1786 Coverning Land now Included in the State of Vermont" by Mary Green Nye, 1947, pages 48-54

(9) "Calendar of New York Colonial Commissions 1680-1770" by Edmund B. O'Callaghan, 1929, pages 67, 70 & 75

Inscription

In Memory of Majr. John Arms Esq.
Who Departed this Life
Mar. ye 6th 1770 in the 48th
Year of his age.
----------------
Beneath the sacred Honours of the Tomb,
In awful Silence and Majestic gloom,
The man of mercy here conceals his head,
Amidst the awful mansions of the Dead.
No more his liberal hand shall help the poor
Relieve Distress and scatter Joy no more.



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