Revolutionary War Ancestors: Nicholas Rawlings and Enoch Strout

With 2026 being the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution series by Ken Burns playing on PBS.  I wanted to start adding some of my ancestors who fought in America's War for Independence.  Many of them, I had done some research on their service and others when I began to look at my ancestral lines, I realized I had not been aware of their involvement.

NICHOLAS RAWLINGS (ROLLINS) - 6th Great-Grandfather

Nicholas Rawlings was born on June 15, 1743, in Stratham, New Hampshire, the son of Joshua and Mary (Clark) Rollins.  His father was a farmer like many of the settlers of the town, and it was here that Nicholas was raised with his six siblings.  When he was 19, he married a neighbor, 16-year-old, Abigail Tilton, daughter of Abraham and Abigail (Sanborn) Tilton in 1762.  They would have 11 children over a period of 26 years.

In 1775, Nicholas was 32 years old and father of 6 children.  In the Fall of 1775, there were fears that the town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire might be attacked seaward.  Then defenses were doubled.  Twenty-eight units were stationed at various points around Portsmouth.  Nicholas was put in command of the 10th New Hampshire militia on Pierce's Island at Fort Washington in Portsmouth harbor.

Pierce's Island and Fort Washington

He served as Lieutenant in one of the companies that was sent to Winter Hill in Somerville, Massachusetts (Then part of Charlestown, Massachusetts) to reinforce General John Sullivan in December 1775.  

from Wikipedia Winter Hill

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere crossed over Winter Hill in April 1775 to alert the Patriots that the British were coming.  It is re-enacted every year from Winter Hill.  

In 1777, Nicholas was made a Captain in Col. Abraham Drake's Company, General William Whipple's Regiment of the 4th New Hampshire Militia.  He was participated in the Battles of Stillwater and Saratoga between September 19th to October 7th which resulted in the surrender of General Burgoyne which he was present.  

Portrait of the surrender of Burgoyne painted in 1822 at
U.S. National Rotunda

Nicholas served until January 1778 and returned home to Stratham, New Hampshire.  He would have five more children and served as Selectman for the town for 26 years.  He would serve six years in the New Hampshire legislature representing Stratham.  He was commissioned Justice of the Pease by Governor Gilman in 1795.  Esquire Nicholas Rawlings died November 29, 1826, in Stratham, New Hampshire at age 84.

(Source: John R. Rollins, Records of the Families of Rawlins or Rollins in the United States in two parts, [1874] p. 45)

ENOCH STROUT - 4th Great-grandfather

Enoch Strout was born on December 25, 1761, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine the son of Elisha and Bathsheba (Small) Strout.  His father died when he was about eight years old.  His mother quickly remarried to William Johnson, and he was raised by his stepfather.

Signature of Enoch Strout taken from a Land Deed to his son,
Gilbert for land in Wales on March 27, 1822

When he was 18, he enlisted as a private from Cape Elizabeth in Capt. Joshua Jordan's Company, Col Jonathan Mitchell's Regiment with service from July 7, 1779, to September 25, 1779, of two months and eighteen days on the Penobscot Expedition.  He then enlisted in Isaac Parson's Company, Col. Prime's Regiment on May 4, 1780, and was discharged on December 7, 1780, with of service of 7 months and 4 days under Brigadier General Peleg Wadsworth on the Eastward defense. (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War, p. 201)

After the War, Enoch purchased land in the town of Limington, Maine.  When he was 22, he married Mercy Small, daughter of Daniel and Joanna (Cobb) Small on September 23, 1784, at the Congregational Church in Buxton, Maine.  

1st Church of Buxton, Maine

They settled in Limington and had ten children over 20 years, all born in Limington.  Enoch Strout was living in Little Ossipee, Maine (now Limington) on the 1790 census.   By 1800, Enoch and his family and several other relatives has moved to Wales, Maine where he became Deacon of the Church of the Baptist in Wales.  He was then known as Deacon Strout.  He appears on census records for Wales between 1800 and 1830.

Baptist Church of Wales, Maine

He remained in Wales until his death on April 1, 1832, at age 70.  His widow, Mercy died on 20 October 18, 1842.  Enoch and Mercy were buried in Pond Road Cemetery, Wales, Maine.  After their mother's death, the surviving children of Enoch and Mercy Strout applied for a Widow's Pension through their late mother in 1851.  The survivors listed were Ebenezer Strout, Elisha Strout, Joanna Warren, Daniel Strout, Enoch Strout, William Strout, Gilbert Strout and Isaac Strout.  They received their mother's portion of a widow's pension.  They divided $32.66 their mother would have received per year between March 4, 1836, to March 4, 1842, totaling 195.96 and would have received about $24. (Pension #W25077)

Gravestone of Enoch and Mercy Strout, Wales, Maine

Two of Enoch and Mercy's sons, Elisha and Daniel settled in Penobscot County, Maine where Elisha's son Morrill Strout married Mary Strout the daughter of Daniel Strout.  They were my maternal great-great-grandparents.

The Famous and Infamous Descendants of my Ancestor Rev. John Lothrop

Have you ever used Google to look up information on your ancestors? I recently searched for my 10th great-grandfather, Reverend John Lothrop [Lathrop] of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and most of the biographical details were things I had already discovered about him.

Photo from Ancestry.com

John was baptized on December 20, 1584, in Etton, East Riding, Yorkshire, England, the son of Thomas Lothrop and Mary Howell. He attended Queen’s College, Cambridge, earning his master’s degree in 1609. Ordained in the Church of England, he later renounced his orders in 1623 to join the “Independents,” who favored congregational control over religious matters rather than political or ecclesiastical interference. The group met privately until they were discovered in 1632, leading to Lothrop and others being arrested and jailed. In 1634, he was offered a pardon if he, his family, and as many of his congregation as possible left for New England. He arrived in Boston, later settling in Scituate, Massachusetts. In 1639, he petitioned Governor Thomas Pence for land for his congregation and was granted the area now known as Barnstable, Massachusetts. A strong advocate for the separation of church and state, he died on November 8, 1653, in Barnstable.

A Google search revealed many famous descendants as well the website "Famous Kin."  He was the ancestor of 6 Presidents of the United States, George H Bush, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Ulysses S. Grant, James A. Garfield, and Millard Fillmore.

He was the ancestor of 14 Governors and numerous well-known people.  For example, Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The founder of the Morman Church, Joseph Smith 

Actress Sissy Spacek who has won numerous awards for her acting as well as Grammy.

One of my favorite actors, Clint Eastwood from the

films The Outlaw Josey Wales and Pale Rider!

So many other famous people from history and current events

But then there are those more notable relatives for other reasons

Benedict Arnold, who was at one time a hero in the American Revolutionary War and became a Major General, until he defected to the British side in 1780

Another notable relative Tonya Harding whose ex-husband took part in attack on her rial figure skater, Nancy Kerrigan.  Her part in covering up the assault resulted in her being banned from figure skating for life.

Then you have that relative that you wish you had never known about: Jeffrey Dahmer.  

It can be interesting discovering your connections to famous people from history or who made history but be prepared to find that you may be related to someone more infamous.

[all photos taken from Wikipedia]