Stephen AVERY

Stephen AVERY
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Stephen AVERY, born 13 Jan 1756 was a Revolutionary War soldier. He served in the 4th Connecticut Regiment 1780.

He died April 1, 1828 and is buried in Great Plain Cemetery in North Stonington, New London, CT. He married twice and had 14 children. His last child, Frances Mary AVERY was the first wife of Judge Richard WHEELER, author of the History of Stonington.

He was the son of the Rev. Nathan AVERY and his wife Hannah STODDARD. They are buried in the same row of gravestones as their son. Rev. Nathan AVERY's gravestone can be found in the Farber Gravestone Collection, which makes it an example of early New England gravestones.

Stephen was "a prominent man in Stonington, and held various public offices of trust, particularly town clerk, which he held a number of years before and at the time when the town was divided and the town of North Stonington was established in 1807, again being elected town clerk of North Stonington, which he held until his death." [Source: Judge Richard Anson Wheeler's History of Stonington #159, p. 207, 208, 209.]

Mr. Stephen Avery, as a justice of the peace, married Edward Stewart and Rebecca Noyes {my 3rd great grandparents] in 1801. It is his signature on the hand written marriage certificate that piqued my interest to seek out his gravestone. His perfect handwriting can be seen in the ledgers for the town of North Stonington. It is a genealogist's dream to have records that are so legible.

Rest in peace, Mr. AVERY