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Family/Spouse: Catherine POWELL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Other Events and Attributes:
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Note: Brockville was called 'Elizabethtown' when this ancestor lived there From Payne Kilbourne's history of the Kilbourn family: 'He was esteemed as a man of integrity and sound judgment, and was much employed in settling the estates of deceased persons. In May, 1769, he was commissioned by Gov. Pitkin , as Lieutenant of the first military company in Litchfield. On the breaking out of the Revolution, he, (in common with many prominent and influential men in his native town) steadfastly adhered to the cause of the king. He is spoken of by those who remember him, as a man of uncommon energy of character, and was accustomed to speak with great freedom and often with severity relative to what he considered the 'rebellion;' yet none were more liberal or humane to those who were suffering in the cause of their country. (Kilbourne relates that Benjamin was cashiered by the Conn. legislaturefor speaking against the revolution, and that it ordered the Attorney for the county to prosecute him) 'He continued to reside in Litchfield until some years after the close ofthe war, when he removed with most of his family to Elizabethtown, hear Brockville, Upper Canada - being determined, as he said, to 'lay his bones on King George's soil.' DNA: MKM Note: On the breaking out of the Revolution, he (in common with many prominent and influential men in his native town,) steadfastly adhered to the cause of the king. He is spoken ofby those who remember him, as a man of uncommon energy of character, and was accustomed to speak with great freedom and often with severity relative to what he considered the "rebellion;" yet none were more liberal or humane to those who were suffering in the cause of their country. The following paragraph from the hon. R.R. Hinman's "War of the Revolution," shows the nature of the charges preferred against him, and at the same time exhibits the novel cas of a "King's Attorney" informing against and prosecuting a subject for adhering to the king's cause. "Hon. Andrew Adams, attorney of the king for Litchfield County, informed that Benjamin Kilbourn, who was Lieutenant in the 1st Military Company in Litchfield, had at sundry times declared that he wished there were ten hundred thousand regular troops then landed in the Colony, and that he would join then to subdue the Americans who were in a state of rebellion; that the commanding officer who fired upon the town of Falmouth, treated the inhabitants too mildly and gently, much more so than he would have done if he had had the command; that he would join the regulars, and would kill some of the inhabitants, etc. etc. The Legislature cashiered the said Benjamin for his offences, and an order was given to fill the vacancy in said company. And said Attorney was ordered by said Assembly to prosecute the said Benjamin for his offences." (Proceedings of General Assembly, Special Session, Dec., 1775. He continued to reside in Litchfield until some years after the close of the war, when he removed with most of his family to Elizabethtown, near Brockville, Upper Canada - being determined, as he said, to "lay his bones on King George's soil." As he was making preparations to remove, a neighbor expressed surprise that, at his age, and after the cause of differences between him and some of his fellow townsmen had been removed, he should resolve upon emigrating to so distant a section of the country; to which he responded with characteristic zeal and earnestness - "Blood! Col. B., I want to breathe some of King George's air before I die!"
Lieut. married Lucy BISHOP on 20 Mar 1757 in Litchfield, Litchfield, CT. Lucy was born about 1736 in Litchfield, Litchfield, CT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
DNA: MKM
Captain married Abigail STOCKWELL on 12 Nov 1723 in Litchfield, Litchfield, CT. Abigail was born on 3 Dec 1701 in Suffield, Hartford, CT; died on 20 May 1748 in Litchfield, Litchfield, CT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Note: The settlement of Litchfield was commenced by Captain Jacob Griswold, from Windsor, Ezekiel Buck, from Wethersfield and John Peck, from Hartford, all of whom removed their families into the township during the summer of 1720....The first meeting of the Inhabitants for the choice of Town Officers was held Dec. 12, 1721. The only person "admitted an inhabitant" at this meeting, was Mr. Joseph Kilbourn, from Wethersfield, who had recently purchased one-thirtieth part of the township.
Joseph married Dorothy BUTLER on 4 Jun 1696 in Wethersfield, Hartford, CT. Dorothy (daughter of Deacon Deacon Samuel BUTLER) was born in 1676 in Wethersfield, Hartford, CT; died on 19 Aug 1709 in Litchfield, Litchfield, CT. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]