First wife Catherine Gould

Wife Susanna Graves b.1769 d.1859

The children of 2nd wife Susannah and Nathan Parsons were

1. Bud Parsons 9/8/1787 - 1/14/1864/1854 Oconomowoc, Wisc.
2. Sparhawk Parsons 7/14/1789 - 8/13/1861 ME.
3. Catherine Gould Taylor 11/17/1791 - 7/7/1865 NY
4. Sherlock Parsons 10/17/1793 - 12/3/1879 MA.
5. Susan Graves Burrill 8/27/1795 - 8/20/1875 ME.
6. Electa Lyman Parsons 8/6/1797 - 5/23/1879 ME.
7. Elijah Graves Parsons 3/10/1799 - 2/8/1885 ME.
8. Pliny Dwight Parsons 2/1/1801 - 12/3/1873 ME.
9. Penolope Graves Colburn 1/13/1803 - 12/17/1885 ME.
10. Fidelis Philo Parsons 3/2/1805 - 1/2/1852 CA. wife Rachael Ann Bowker d.ME
11. Mary Vose Parsons 3/7/1807 - 11/5/1896 ME.
12. Park Holland Parsons 3/7/1809 - 8/17/1893 ME.
13. Emma Gould Morse 11/2/1812 - 1/1892 ME.∼Nathan Parsons Jr (Nathan4, David3, Joseph2, Joseph1) was of the fifth American generation of his family.

Nathan was first married to Catherine Gould "granddaughter of Dr Budd of New Jersey, who was Ad't Gen'l in the Revolutionary Army" (PARSONS FAMILY, Henry Parsons (1912, Vol 1 p 121; but no earlier source has been located that substantiates these two statements).

Nathan Parsons was (second) married to Susanna Graves (1769-1859) on Jan 4, 1787, daughter of Joseph Graves (1735-1796) and Eunice Dwight (c 1742-1807) of Belchertown, MA .

The children of Susannah and Nathan Parsons were

1. Bud (Sept 8, 1787-1854, in Oconomowoc, Wisc)
2. Sparhawk (July 14, 1789-Aug 13, 1861)
3. Catherine Gould (Nov 17, 1791-July 7, 1865)
4. Sherlock (Oct 17, 1793-?)
5. Susan Graves (Aug 27, 1795-?)
6. Electa Lyman (Aug 6, 1797-?)
7. Elijah Graves (Mar 10, 1799-?)
8. Pliny Dwight (Feb 1, 1801-?)
9. Penolope Graves (Jan 13, 1803-?)
10. Fidelis Parsons (Mar 2, 1805-Jan 2, 1851)
11. Mary Vose (Mar 7, 1807-?)
12. Park Holland (Mar 7, 1809-?)
13. Emma Gould (Nov 2, 1812-?)

Their daughter Catherine Gould Parsons (1791-1865), was the wife of Oliver Swayne Taylor (1784-1885) of Auburn New York; Catherine and Oliver Taylor were the triple great grandparents of this contributor.

Nathan's father was Nathan Parsons Sr (1721- 1806). The mother of Nathan Parson Jr was Amy (Brewster?) Gould (1725/8-1798). Nathan and Amy Parsons lived in Belchertown, MA.

According to a family history written by a descendent, Nathan Parsons "was a soldier in the Revolution from the beginning to the end of the war. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Saratoga when Burgoyne surrendered, and was quartered with Washington at Morristown, N. Y." (PARSONS FAMILY, Henry Parsons (1912, Vol 1 p 121). Is this reference to Nathan Sr or Jr?

Additional archives (credit given here to researcher David Eckert) indicates that service "from beginning to end" can be assigned to the son while the rank of "Major" more likely belongs to the father. A way is found through the thicket by assuming references to officer's rank must be assigned to Nathan Sr, while lower rank belongs to Nathan Jr.

Therefore, the Nathan Parsons, of Hampshire County, MA, recorded as "Corporal, Capt. Aaron Coe's co., Col. John Moseley's regt.; from 21 Sep to 23 Oct 1777" when the "company marched by order of Gen. Gates to reinforce Northern army" are taken as referring to Nathan Jr. (See "Participants in the Battle of Saratoga" (posted at a Saratoga County website.)

The references which assign the rank of Ensign and Adjutant, mistakenly refer to Nathan Jr and ought to be seen correctly as referring to Nathan Sr: "Parsons, Nathan (Mass). Ensign 10th Massachusetts, 1st January 1777; Regimental Adjutant, 1st Sept, 1777, retired 1st March, 1779 (name also spelled Persons.) (Died 1824.)" (Source: "Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution," Francis B. Heitman (Rare Book Shop Publishing Company Inc. Washington, 1914, p. 428)

Nathan Jr's service "from beginning to end" refers to militia call-ups, to which he responded:

"Parson, Nathan. Private, Capt. Gideon Stebbens's co., 4th Hampshire Co. regt.; service, 3 days; reported as belonging to the alarm list; company marched to Northampton in June, 1782, to suppress the mob. Roll dated Belchertown."

"Parsons, Nathan. Private, Capt. Benjamin Barns's co., Col. David Moseley's (Hampshire Co.) regt.; service, 2 days; company marched to quell the mob at Northampton June 12, and June 16, 1782, and was allowed horse rations."

"Parsons, Nathan. Corporal, Capt. William Cooley's co., Col. John Mosley's (Hampshire Co.) regt.; enlisted Aug. 17, 1777; discharged Aug. 19, 1777; service, 4 days, including travel (40 miles) home; company marched towards Bennington on an alarm. Roll sworn to at Granville."

"Parsons, Nathan. Corporal, Capt. Aaron Coe's co., Col. John Mosley's (Hampshire Co.) regt.; entered service Sept. 21, 1777; discharged Oct. 23, 1777; service, 33 days; company marched by order of Gen. Gates to reinforce Northern army on an alarm."
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Much additional data about the family of Nathan Parsons Jr may be found in the book ALL OF THE ABOVE I, by Richard Baldwin Cook (Nativa, 2007, revised 2008). For further details, please see this contributor's main page.