The Revolutionary War Patriots of the Amos Tidd Family
By Susan LeBlanc, AG
The founding families of New England were unique in their perseverance and determination to start fresh in an untamed land. The family of Sargeant John and Margaret Tidd probably arrived in Massachusetts about 1637, possibly with his brother Joshua who is known to have had a ship the Swallow. They were both at Charlestown by 1637 and John was in Woburn in 1640. John Dane Jr. mentions John in his journal, "A Mr. Tead or Tidd, who afterwards settled in Charlestown, Mass., was, about the year 1630, a tailor in business at Hertford, Hertfordshire, Eng. He was a young man then." And in his Narrative, he mentions, "I then Rout with M" Tead, that Liues at Charlostoune. He was a young man then. He and I was goint to a dansing on nite, and it began to thunder, and I tould him I doubted we ware not in our waie; and he and I went back againe."1
The ancestral lineage of Amos Tidd is as follows:
1. Sergeant John Tidd and Margaret, married in England. He had a will.
He died 24 Apr. 1657, Woburn. She died 16 Oct. 1651, Woburn.
2. John Tidd and Rebecca Wood, married 16 Apr. 1650, Woburn. He had a will.
He died 13 Apr. 1703, Lexington. She died 10 June 1717, Lexington.
3. Daniel Tidd and Lydia Carter/Carley, married 21 Dec. 1694, Woburn. Probate record.
He died 26 Sep. 1696, Lexington. She died 14 June 1727, Lexington.
4. Ensign Daniel Tidd and Hepzibah Reed, married 9 Apr. 1724, Lexington. He had a will. He died 16 Jan. 1776, Lexington. She died 11 Apr. 1777, Lexington.
5. Amos Tidd and Elizabeth Smith, married 17 May 1750, Lexington.
No death information has been found for them.2
Amos and Elizabeth Tidd were the parents of seven sons:
Amos Tidd born 27 Nov. 1751, baptized 11 December 1751, in Lexington.
John D. Tidd baptized 15 July 1753 in Lexington.
Nathan Tidd baptized 31 August 1755 in Lexington.
Oliver Tidd baptized 26 March 1758 in Lexington.
Daniel Tidd baptized 10 February 1760 in Lexington.
Abijah Tidd baptized 4 September 1763 in Lexington.
Thaddeus Tidd baptized 30 October 1768 in Lexington.3
In the 1771 Massachusetts Tax Valuation List4 appear the following:
304 Bedford Status Polls 42/20
319 Nathan Tidd 16 1 16 Ringe:Amos Tidd
321 Lexington
506 Daniel& William Tidd 35 2 1 house, property, 1 servant508 Sam’ll Tidd 31 1 1 house, property
528 Joseph Tidd 3 1 house, property
All of those recorded in the 1771 tax record are descendants of Sergeant John Tidd. This seems to indicate that Amos, the father or brother, was living in Ringe, New Hampshire, but was not a permanent resident. Nathan, his son or brother, was living in Bedford, Massachusetts, but not a permanent resident. Samuel and William, brothers of Amos the father, were living in Lexington.5 There were no listings for Holliston or Hopkinton.
The impact of the Revolutionary War on the Tidd family has been felt by succeeding generations for over 200 years. Those who fought to guarantee our freedoms from 1775 to 1783 are honored as courageous patriots. Yet many of those who fought were only mere boys, who their families sent off to war with little hope of ever seeing them again. The Tidd family was no different than others of that day who sent their sons to fight the British. What did make this family unique was that they had seven sons and no daughters, and they sent all but the youngest off to war. All of them were born in Lexington and their ancestors had lived there since 1650. It is the place where the shot was fired that was heard around the world and the Tidd family was there to witness those events. A John Tidd was listed among the injured that day in Lesington.
In the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War Index there are thirty listings for men of the Tidd families who served, but some are for the same person.6Of the seven sons of Amos Tidd six served in the war along with their father. They are listed as:
Abijah, Holliston
Amos, Holliston (Father)
Amos, Westford (listed in town record, probably the son)
Daniel, Holliston
John, Cambridge and Westford
Nathan, Lincoln (also given Holliston)
Oliver, Holliston (also given Hopkinton)
From these records it appears that the parents moved to Holliston/Hopkinton between 1771 and 1776. Many families relocated to the area surrounding Holliston for the safety of their families at the outbreak of the war. Holliston and Hopkinton are neighboring towns and the family records show them living in both locations. Later property records indicate that they held land on the common border of the two towns.
The following are the individual service records of this family:
Amos, probably the father, born January 12, 1729 in Lexington, was a private in Capt. John Leland’s company of Minute-men, Col. Abijah Pierce’s regt., which marched at the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Cambridge. He was 46 years old. His place of residence was Holliston..
Tidd, Amos, Holliston.
Private, Capt. John Lealand's co. of Minute-men, Col. Abijah Pierce's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Cambridge; service, 6 days; reported enlisted into the army April 25, 1775; also, Capt. Lealand's co., Col. Ephraim Doolittle's regt.; receipt for advance pay, signed by said Tidd and others, dated Cambridge, June 24, 1775; also, Private, Capt. Jacob Miller's co., Col. Doolittle's (24th) regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775; enlisted April 24, 1775; service, 3 mos. 16 days; also, company return dated Camp at Winter Hill, Oct. 6, 1775; also, order for bounty coat dated Charlestown, Winter Hill Camp, Oct. 31, 1775.7
Amos, probably the oldest son, born November 27, 1751. His place of residence was Westford.8 Tidd, Amos, Westford. Private, Capt. Timothy Underwood's co. of Minute-men, Col. William Prescott's regt., which marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, 9 days.
John, was born July 15, 1753, and he enlisted May 6, 1775. He is listed as being of Middlesex County. He was 21 years old. There are nine records for a John Tidd, all of which may be his. As noted from the pension file there was no clear understanding if they were all his service records, but they concluded by witness testimony that he had indeed served. Localities considered include Cambridge, Holliston, Hopkinton and Westford.
Tidd, John, Cambridge
Corporal, Capt. Benjamin Lock's co., Lieut. Col. William Bond's (late Col. Thomas Gardner's) 37th regt.; company return dated Camp at Prospect Hill, Oct. 6, 1775; enlisted May 4, 1775; age, 22 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 11 in.; also, company receipt for wages for Oct., 1775, dated Camp Prospect Hill; also, order for bounty coat dated Prospect Hill, Dec. 13, 1775.9
Nathan, born August 31, 1755, marched on the alarm as a private in Capt. William Smith’s company of Minute-men, Col. Abijah Pierce’s regt. on April, 19, 1775. He died in battle on October 28, 1778. He was 20 when he enlisted and died at age 23. His place of residence was listed as Lincoln and also Holliston.
Tidd, Nathan, Lincoln (also given Holliston).
Private, Capt. William Smith's co. of Minute-men, Col. Abijah Pierce's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, 5 days; also, Capt. Smith's co., Col. John Nixon's regt.; receipt for advance pay, signed by said Tidd and others, dated Cambridge, Jan. 10, 1775; also, list of men probably returned as serving on main guard under Lieut. Col. L. Baldwin at Prospect Hill, dated July 3, 1775; also, Private, Capt. William Smith's co., Col. Nixon's (5th) regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775; enlisted April 24, 1775; service, 3 mos. 15 days; also, company return dated Sept. 30, 1775; also, Capt. John Hartwell's co., Col. Eleazer Brooks's regt.; service, 5 days; mileage (40 miles) allowed from Lincoln to camp and return; company called out at the time of fortifying Dorchester Heights March 4, 1776; also, Gunner, Capt. James Swan's (1st) co., Col. Thomas Crafts's (Artillery) regt.; abstract for advance pay, etc., sworn to at Boston, June 8, 1776; also, Bombardier, same co. and regt.; service from Aug. 1, 1776, to Dec. 1, 1776, 4 mos.; rolls dated Boston; also, Capt. Philip Marett's [p.733] (1st) co., Col. Crafts's regt.; service from Dec. 1, 1776, to May 8, 1777, 5 mos. 7 days; roll sworn to at Boston; also, list of men mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., dated Boston, May 25, 1777; Col. Crane's regt.; reported received State bounty; also, Corporal, Capt. Burbeck's co., Col. John Crane's (Artillery) regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from June 1, 1777, to Oct. 28, 1778; credited to town of Lincoln; reported died Oct. 28, 1778; also, Capt. David Briant's co., Col. Crane's regt.; pay rolls for Jan.-Sept., 1777; said Tidd allowed wages from May 21, 1777; also, Capt. Henry Burbeck's co., Col. Crane's regt.; muster rolls for Oct., Nov., and Dec., 1777; enlistment, during war.10
Oliver, born March 26, 1758, was a private in Capt. John Stone’s company of militia, which marched on the alarm April 19, 1775 to Roxbury. It was reported that he received a state bounty. He was 17 when he enlisted and his place of residence was listed as Hopkinton and also Holliston. These towns are next to each other and the family lived in both at different times.
Tidd, Oliver, Holliston. (also given Hopkinton).
Private, Capt. John Stone's (Holliston) co. of militia, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Roxbury; service, 10 days; also, Capt. Jacob Miller's co., Col. Ephraim Doolittle's (24th) regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775; enlisted April 25, 1775; service, 3 mos. 16 days; also, company return dated Camp at Winter Hill, Oct. 6, 1775; also, order for bounty coat dated Charlestown, Winter Hill Camp, Oct. 31, 1775. Gunner, Capt. William Treadwell's co., Col. John Crane's (Artillery) regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from April 10, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1779; residence, Holliston; credited to town of Holliston; also, same co. and regt.; pay rolls for Sept.-Dec., 1777; enlistment, 3 years; reported on command with Colonel's baggage; also, same co. and regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780, to Dec. 31, 1780; said Tidd credited with 3 mos. wages as Gunner in Capt. Treadwell's co. and with 9 mos. wages as Matross in Capt. Cook's co.; also, descriptive list made up for the year 1780; Capt. David Cook's co., 3d Artillery regt.; rank, Gunner; age, 23 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 7 in.; complexion, dark; residence, Hopkinton; engaged for town of Hopkinton; engaged March 2, 1780, by Col. Crane; term, during war. Capt. Callender's co., Col. Crane's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from March 10, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1780; residence, Hopkinton; also, Capt. Lieut. John Callender's co., Col. John Crane's (Artillery) regt.; muster roll for April, 1779, dated Providence; enlisted Feb. 15, 1777; enlistment, 3 years. List of men mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., dated Boston, May 25, 1777; Col. Crane's regt.; reported received State bounty.11
Daniel, born February 10, 1760, enlisted May 25, 1777 and was mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., on May 25, 1777. He served in Capt. William Treadwell’s co., Col. John Crane’s (Artillery) regt. and served as a Bombardier. It was reported that he received a state bounty. He was 17 when he officially is listed as enlisting, but if his brothers fought in 1775, it is possible he did also. His place of residence was listed as Holliston.
Tidd, Daniel, Holliston.
List of men mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., dated Boston, May 25, 1777; Col. Crane's regt.; reported received State bounty; also, Bombardier, Capt. William Treadwell's co., Col. John Crane's (Artillery) regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from April 10, 1777, to April 10, 1780; residence, Holliston; credited to town of Holliston; also, same co. and regt.; muster roll for Sept., 1777; enlistment, 3 years; reported sick at Bethlehem; also, Private, Capt. Ezra Emes's (8th) co., Col. Abner Perry's regt.; enlisted July 28, 1780; discharged Aug. 7, 1780; service, 14 days, including 3 days (60 miles) travel home; company marched to Rhode Island on an alarm.12
Abijah, born September 4, 1763, and was mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., on May 25, 1777. He was 14 when he enlisted, which is difficult to imagine. His place of residence was listed as Holliston. He died March 30, 1778 at the age of 15.
Tidd, Abijah, Holliston.
List of men mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk Co., dated Boston, May 25, 1777; Capt. Warren's co., Col. Bailey's regt.; term, 3 years (also given during war); reported received State bounty; also, Private, 6th co., Col. John Bailey's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from May 21, 1777, to March 30, 1778; residence, Holliston; credited to town of Holliston; reported died March 30, 1778; also, Capt. Isaac Warren's (6th) co., Col. Bailey's regt.; company return dated Camp Valley Forge, Jan. 24, 1778; mustered by a County Muster Master.13
Amos also had two brothers who served in the war, Samuel and William.
Tidd, Samuel, Lexington.
Private, in a detachment from Lexington militia co. commanded by Capt. John Bridge; service, 5 days; detachment reported on command at Cambridge from May 11 to May 15, 1776, by order of Committee of Safety; also, pay roll of a detachment from Lexington militia co. commanded by Capt. John Parker; service, 2 days; detachment reported on command at Cambridge from June 17 to June 18, 1775, by order of Committee of Safety.
Tidd, William, Lexington.
Lieutenant, in a detachment from Lexington militia co. commanded by Capt. John Bridge; service, 5 days; detachment reported [p.734] on command at Cambridge from May 11 to May 15, 1775, by order of Committee of Safety; also, Lieutenant in a detachment from Lexington militia co. commanded by Capt. John Parker; service, 2 days; detachment reported on command at Cambridge from June 17 to June 18, 1775, by order of Committee of Safety.14
It is interesting that Abijah, Daniel, Nathan, and Oliver all mustered at the same time by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master for Suffolk County, Massachusetts on May 25, 1777. That may have been the last time these four brothers were together. It is hard to imagine the hardship this was for the poor parents.
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files Index, 1800-1900, we learn that the following received pensions:
Anna Chapin, former widow of Daniel Tidd, Continental, Massachusetts, W. 23795, BLWt. 18003-160-55, 1846 1stapplication/1855 2nd application, 31 pages.
Abigail Tidd widow of John Tidd, Massachusetts, W. 19455 1851 2nd application, New York, 72 pages.
Oliver Tidd 1818, of Vermont, Massachusetts, survivor’s pension, S. 41257, 10 pages.15
Pension record for Daniel Tidd Cont. and MA lines by widow Anna Stedman Tidd Chapin both of Holliston, they married 5 May 1791, sol. died there 21 Jun 1806, widow applied 19 May 1846 at Holliston at age 80, son Daniel Tidd witnessed the re-application in 1855, W23795 BLWt. 18003-160-55. It included the pension application, marriage affirmation of Daniel Tidd and Anna Stedman both of Hollliston 1791, death document for Daniel Tidd 1806, marriage record of Anna Tidd widow to Ephraim Chapin 1808, his death on 27 March 1812 in Milford. Military records of the town of Holliston, enlisted 4 March 1776, payment for service 1779,1780, and 1781, pension payment records for 1846 and1848 and reapplication in 1855 with statement by her son Daniel Tidd Jr. The widow received a bounty land warrant of 160 acres and later sold the warrant.
Pension record for John Tidd notes his death place was Eaton, Madison County, New York. He was a Blacksmith and learned his trade as an apprentice in Cambridge. The apprenticeship expired in June 1774. Widow Abigail Tidd received a pension and bounty land of 160 acres. In the pension there are many documents referring to several terms of service, with a conclusion that he served from Cambridge 1775, Holliston 1776, Hopkinton 1778 and Westford. Susannah Sanford gives sworn testimony in the pension application for John Tidd that his father and his father’s family occupied part of their house in Hopkinton during the Revolution and that son John returned there after war.
The land records of the family provide additional context to their lives. There were fifty deeds for the Tidd family found in the Middlesex court records.
In a quit claim deed, dated 12 March 1784, Amos and Elizabeth sell their dwelling house. Witnesses to the deed are their sons John and Thaddeus.16 It is interesting to note that Amos is a cordwainer (shoemaker) as that is the occupation carried on by several of his descendants, including his son Daniel Tidd, my direct ancestor..
“To all people to whom these presents shall come Greetings –know yes
that Amos Tidd of Hopkinton in the County of Middlesex and State
of Massachusetts Bay ye Cordwainer send greetings – know ye
that I the said Amos Tidd for and in consideration of the sum of
nine pounds to one in hand paid Before the Ensealing home of
have remised, released and forever quit claimed and by these
presents for my self and my heirs do remise, release and for
ever quit claime unto Samuel Crooks of Hopkinton in the County
and State aforesaid yeoman a Certain Dwelling House Standing
on Common Land, belonging to Mr. John Crooks in Hopkinton
near the Road leading from Mr. John Crooks to Mr. Salitiah
Biscbys …”
It would seem that Amos and Elizabeth sold their interests in the town of Hopkinton following the war and may have moved to Vermont, with their sons Daniel, Oliver and Thaddeus. Their son John, who married in 1780, remained in Hopkinton for some time. He is listed there in the 1790 Census.17 Daniel Tidd was in Wardsborough, Windham County, Vermont in 1787.18 Daniel returned to Hopkinton/Holliston about the time he married in 1791. No other members of the family members were found in these census.
In the 1790 US Census there are thirty-one listings for the Tidd surname and seven for Teed, which seems to be an unrelated group. None of the other variant spellings for this surname appear. Of these seventeen are in Massachusetts, eleven are in New York, two are in Pennsylvania, and one is in South Carolina. For the descendants of Sergeant John Tidd one hundred and fifty years after his arrival in New England in 1637, they represent a small portion of the population following the Revolutionary War.
At the Valley Forge National Historical Park website there is an index of those who served there. This site is the result of thousands of hours of research by the National Park Service staff and volunteers from the NOVA association of the Lockheed Martin Corporation at Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is important to note that records kept during the American Revolution were not always complete or detailed. Some were lost during the war and others were destroyed when Washington D.C. was burned during the War of 1812. Due to this fact, some individuals may have been overlooked or missed.
Valley Forge Muster Roll: 30,000 plus men served at the Valley Forge Encampment under General George Washington during the period of Dec 1777 to Jun 1778, including these sons of Amos and Elizabeth Tidd.19
ID Number Last Name First Name State Rank Regiment Please Select
MA19205 Tidd Abijah MA PRIVATE 1 MA MA19205
MA14977 Tidd Abijah MA PRIVATE 2 MA MA14977, Died March 20, 1778
MA12935 Tidd Daniel MA BOMBARDIER 3 ART MA12935
MA12936 Tidd Nathan MA CORPORAL 3 ART MA12936, Died October 28, 1878.
In summary Amos Tidd, six of his seven sons, and two of his brothers served in the Revolutionary War. The sense of honor and patriotism for that service has been passed on to current day descendants. Daniel Tidd is my fourth great grandfather. Two keepsakes passed on to me are his powder horn and an original newspaper announcing his death in 1806. At his burial site there is a metal grave marker signifying his service, SAR 1775.
There is still much to be done in compiling this family history. The military records provide wonderful clues to enhance the story. Family tradition continues to pass on the great sacrifice this family made in the founding of the freedoms of this country. How precious are the lives of those who fight for the right to have liberty. It is hard to imagine sending young boys 14 and 15 years old to do what we consider a man’s work. The young people who serve our country today seem just as vulnerable. Many would like to see war never happen again, but it is a part of our culture to defend our freedoms and provide liberty for all. When in a cemetery, it is with great pride that we note the markers of those who have fought in battle in the wars since this country was founded. May we always show our respect and honor for those who have fought valiantly in our behalf. It is with great pride that we remember the Tidd family who sent forth their six sons and to have only four return, over 200 years ago. Knowing our family history provides for us a basis for the future we build together.
1 English Origins of N.E. Families, Emigrants from Hertfordshire 1630-1640: some corrections and additions by Peter Walne, page 787.
Cambridge, Massachusetts History, Supplement, ancestry.com, accessed 4 July 2010.
History of Woburn from the grant of its territory to Charlestown in 1640 to the year 1860,by Samuel Sewell, Boston, 1868, page 645.
2 Woburn Woburn Transcripts of Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths and also of Intentions of Marriage, from 1641-1843 begun Jan. 1847 and completed Nov. 1850 by Samuel Sewell of Burlington, Mass. LDS Film, Fiche #6046840, births 1645-1666, marriages 1641-1655, deaths 1649-1660.
Lexington Births, Marriages and Deaths to January 1, 1898 – BYU Book 929.3744 L591, Part I from earliest period to 1853.
3Lexington/Cambridge Farms Church Records, First Parish Society Records (Lexington, Massachusetts: Congregational), 1690-1844, LDS Film #0927926.
4 The Massachusetts tax valuation list of 1771 by Bettye Hobbs Pruitt, Camden, Maine : Picton Press, c1998 , 924 pages, ISBN: 0897253183, book 974.4 R4, Family History Library Catalog, familysearch.org..
In July, 1771, the Massachusetts General Court passed "An Act for Enquiring into the Rateable Estates of this Province." Each town then elected assessors who prepared a list of all taxpayers and taxable property within that town. Printed tax forms listed 27 categories of taxable property and recorded all males 16 years of age and older. http://guides.library.umass.edu/content.php?pid=9449&sid=90929, accessed 24 September 2011.
In U.S. practice, a poll tax was used as a de facto or implicit pre-condition of the exercise of the ability to vote. Wikipedia, accessed 24 September 2011.
5 The Massachusetts tax valuation list of 1771.
6Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War –LDS Old Film #31092 Pt. 15, also Ancestry .com database, pgs. 730-734.
7Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 730.
8 Edwin R. Hodgman. "History of the Town of Westford in the County of Middlesex, MA: 1659-1883."
9 Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 731.
10Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 733.
11Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 733.
12Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 731.
13Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 731.
14Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution War, page 733 and 734..
15Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, Ancestry.com, 2010, accessed 24 September 2011.Original data: Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
16 Hopkinton Deed for Amos and Elizabeth Tidd 12 March 1784, LDS FHL Film 0901511.
17 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.. Accessed September 24, 2011.
18 Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Vermont Census, 1790-1860 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
19 Valley Forge National Historical Park, Valley Forge Muster Roll, http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/, accessed 25 September 2011. Provides a good historical background for the events that occurred there.
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