Jonathan Harrington (veteran)
Jonathan Harrington | |
|---|---|
Sketch of Harrington in the 1840s/1850s | |
| Born | July 8, 1758 |
| Died | March 26, 1854 (aged 95) |
| Branch | Continental Army |
| Service years | 1775–1782 |
| Rank | Fifer |
| Unit | Captain John Parker's Company |
| Known for | Being the last veteran of the Battle of Lexington and Concord |
| Conflicts | |
Jonathan Harrington Jr. (July 8, 1758 – March 26, 1854) was a chair-maker and a fifer in the Continental Army. He was also the last surviving veteran of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.[1]
Early life
Jonathan Harrington was born to Jonathan Harrington Sr. (1723–1809) and Abigail Moore (1729–1776). Jonathan was a local politician and later fought with the Minutemen like his son.[2] Jonathan worked as a chair-maker in Lexington.[1]
Military Career and Married Life
On April 19, 1775, a 16-year-old Jonathan was awoken by his mother and he was a fifer in Captain John Parker's Company when the British arrived in Lexington. During the battle, his cousin (also named Johnathan Harrington) was mortally wounded and died following the battle.[3] Little else is known about Harrington's military career, but in 1782, he was out of the army and married Sally Banks. The couple continued to live in Lexington and they had seven children together.[1][4][5][6][7]
Later Years
Sally died on July 28, 1847 and Jonathan continued to work as a chair-maker and a repairman and was even photographed in the 1850s. Jonathan died on March 26, 1854 and was buried at Old Burying Ground in Lexington.[1][3][7][8]
References
- ^ a b c d "Jonathan Harrington". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ^ Hudson, Charles, History of the Town of Lexington, Vol. II – Genealogies (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1915) p. 276
- ^ a b Harrington, Eugene W. (1907). The Harrington Family (PDF). p. 72.
- ^ Coburn, Frank Warren; Lexington historical society, Lexington (1921). The battle of Lexington common, April 19, 1775. The Library of Congress. Lexington, Mass., The author.
- ^ Lexington, Mass. Record of Births, Marriages, and Deaths to January 1, 1898 Part I & II (Wright & Potter Printing Company, Boston 1898) p. 120
- ^ Hudson, Charles, History of the Town of Lexington, Vol. II – Genealogies (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1915) p. 280
- ^ a b Revolution, Daughters of the American (1919). Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daughters of the American Revolution.
- ^ Revolution, Daughters of the American (1919). Lineage Book. The Society.