Name Note: Abraham changed his surname, Fitz-John, and adopted his mother's maiden name, Channell. [Source: see story below]

Age Note: 110 (obit) 107 (gravestone)
105 (Burial Record - Quebec, Vital and Church Records)
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Abraham Fitz-John Channell
By Louise (George) Boulter for her newsletter “Family Gatherings” January 1999

The young lad sat in the fading light through the dirty window of the quiet shop, squinting at the last item he had to finish sewing before he could close the business for the day. How he hated this trade, which his family had apprenticed him, in the Harris Vander Tailor Shop in Whitehorse Yard, Drury Lane, London, England. While he worked he spent a lot of time day dreaming of becoming a sailor like his ancestor Admiral Sir Richard Grenville of the royal navy.

Suddenly the door crashed open and three rowdy sailors tumbled into the shop. “Where’s your master?” demanded the biggest one. As Abraham tried to answer the other two prowled around the shop, looking behind curtains into the storage rooms. “He’s gone for the day, sir, and I’m in charge. What can I do to help you?” The three smiled at each other and quickly threw a blanket over Abraham, knocked him on the head and rushed out the door fleeing to the docks.

This was how Abraham Filch was introduced to his life on the high seas. He had been impressed on board a British Man-of-War and made one or more cruises. The royal navy never had enough men. “Fluxes,” scurvy, and fevers decimated the crews. Of 176,000 men who shipped out between 1774 and 1780, 1,243 were killed in action, 18,541 died of disease, and 42,069 deserted. Short-handed warships stopped merchantmen at sea to search for navy men who had deserted for better treatment. Going to sea was like being jailed, with the added risk of drowning. Life in the wooden walls was harsh. Some 850 officers and men crammed into a ship with little ventilation and no plumbing. Food was deplorable. Any misdemeanor called for flogging. Usually naval seamen were kept aboard while in port, lest they desert. So with the beginning of the Revolutionary War Abraham was transferred on the high seas to a frigate laden with stores for the supply of their forces in America.

At this point Abraham had become a man but was highly incensed to think that his country would do this to him so when the vessel was captured by an American Privateer, and taken into Boston Harbor, he told the authorities his story and subsequently enlisted on board the privateer, “Milford”. At this time he changed his name from Filch to his mother’s maiden name and became known thereafter as Abraham Fitz-John Channell. He remained in the Continental service during the Revolution and was engaged in several battles against his former countrymen, and was severely wounded in the battle of Sullivan Island. Records show that he also served as a Private under Captain Robert Dodge’s Company in Col. Jonathan Titcomb’s Regiment for over two months in 1777.

After his discharge from the service he then engaged in the merchant service for a while but in the course of a few years found himself in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Mass., where for many years he successfully carried on the business of tailoring and inn keeping. Here he married on December 9, 1779, Abigail Burnham, born April 17, 1755, daughter of Nehemiah and Elizabeth (?) Burnham, who suited Abraham in every way and they had a very happy marriage. They resided for many years in that part of Ipswich now called Essex. They had two sons and four daughters. Abigail died June 21, 1794, of consumption at age 39. She was buried in the Essex Spring Street cemetery.

It is stated in the “History of Weare, N.H.” by William Little that “Abraham had wanted to marry Col. Nathaniel Fifield’s daughter but had to marry” secondly on January 1, 1795 in Ipswich, Elizabeth Cleveland, born in 1757, daughter of Rev. and Mr. John Cleveland of Newbury, Mass. He and his young family had recently relocated, to a farm in Weare, New Hampshire where he carried on his trade of tailoring. They had one daughter in 1796. We can only assume he divorced Elizabeth Cleveland as she didn’t die until November 23, 1828. We next find Abraham marrying Mary Smith of Boston, Mass., on November 19, 1807. Abraham’s third marriage didn’t last very long as Mary Smith’s supposedly “missing at sea” husband showed up shortly to claim her. This marriage was annulled on December 6, 1807.

By now Abraham had become quite disenchanted with the way things were going for him in his adoptive country. Having had three wives and his children were now old enough so they were marrying and setting out on their own he began to give some thought to taking advantage of the English giving out free land in Canada to those who had served England in the Revolutionary War. Didn’t they owe him something for forcing him to serve in their navy? Therefore he applied for and received land in Quebec on the southeastern shore of Lake Memphremagog. Abraham went to Canada in 1810 and commenced business at Georgeville. His eldest daughter, Abigail, who had married Moses George, was already living in the area in Potton. Four years later he bought the first hotel on Lake Memphremagog, which later became known as “Camperdown”, which he ran until his death some 47 years later. In 1815 he married fourthly, Wealthy Cox, born in 1782 in Hanover, New Hampshire. They had two sons and a daughter. Wealthy was a free spirit and dressed rather radically for the times, making a poor appearance as an innkeepers wife. Therefore family legend has it that Abraham was fond of saying that he had married first honorably, then abominably and finally damnably.

Around this time Abraham decided to build his own tomb. He owned the land on the highway as you enter Georgeville and it became known as Channell Hill. In the field adjoining this hill he built himself a brick tomb, with marble slabs provided, on which the day, month and year of his demise could be cut. The mausoleum never served its purpose, for it fell into decay long before he died at the patriarchal age of 110 years.

Tradition has it that Abraham did not use tobacco and was very temperate in regard to spirituous liquors. His appearance was most patriarchal, with a long, heavy white beard and moustache, and skin wrinkled over thin cheeks, forehead, and well onto his bare head. He was compared to an apple about two years old, not decayed but dried up and wrinkled. His vigor was something remarkable.

On his 75th birthday he took a run across the barroom and giving a jump, planted his heels against the door as high as his shoulder and on his 100th birthday he danced a jig to the accompaniment of a violin to show what he could do, though admitted that it was rather violent exercise for a centenarian. Abraham was a man of great activity, energy and enterprise, and his uniform habits of temperance doubtless contributed many a year to his long life. There is also an anecdote about the old gentleman jumping over a broomstick at age 105.

Abraham died on January 9, 1858 and is buried in the Georgeville Cemetery on Channell Hill, where his gravestone gives the dates of 1748 - 1858. He had four wives and ten children and descendants down five generations whom his own eyes had looked upon, and whom his arms had held. His widow, Wealthy, died March 19, 1862 at 80 years of age.

In Bay City, Michigan is a jewelry store named Channell’s, so named by his fifth great grandson, Andrew George Boulter. When a little horse-trading is done at the store I like to think that old Abraham, who fought on both sides in the Revolutionary War and benefited from both, would approve.

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