Joseph was the 1st of 7 children (5 sons and 2 daughters) born of Joseph Learned and his wife Hannah Cheever. Joseph's siblings were: (1) Nathan (1756-1776), (2) Betty (b. 1759), (3) Israel (b. 1763), (4) Thena (1766-1768), Israel (b. 1769), and John (b. 1773).

In 1775, Joseph (Larnord) joined from Hebron as a Private and detached from the 12th Militia Regiment of the State of Connecticut to join the Continental Army for 3 years. About 3 years later, in 1778, he again detached as a Private from the militia of Hebron to serve in Captain Thomas Terril's Company of the Continental Army until January 1779.

Joseph married 1st Mehitabel Merritt (1753-1783) by whom he had 3 children: (1) Joseph (1779-1867), (2) Asa (1781-1851), and (3) Merritt (1783-1845).

He married 2nd, 10 Feb 1785 at Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut, Lydia Treadway (1769-1855) by whom he had 16 children: (1) Lydia (d. Young), (2) John (b. 1788), (3) Cynthia (1790-1862), (4) Fanny, (b. 1792), (5) Lewis (b. 1794), (6) Polly (d.1832), (7) Laura, (8) Isaac Newton (1800-1877), (9) Charles (1802-1887), (10) Maria (1804-1895), (11) Hiram (b. 1806),(12) Franklin (b.1807), (13) Heman Alan (1810-1882), (14) Almira, (15) unnamed infant son, and (16) Alanson T. (1815-1841).

The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, Thursday, July 5, 2001: "Family reclaims burial site

Descendants mark Revolutionary War cemetery in Fairfax

FAIRFAX - The tiny family cemetery had become little more than a legend in town, described by old-timers as sitting up on a hill in the woods, just off a field on the old Learned Farm. The stone markers had fallen down or been stolen. Some had vanished, buried under half a foot of dirt and leaves. Wednesday, on the 225th anniversary of American independence, the plot was restored. About 70 people stood flags and video cameras in hand at a ceremony to honor Joseph Learned, a Revolutionary War Soldier and Fairfax farmer who is buried there. Most of those gathered were Learned's descendants. Sixteen of the relatives present were from a non-Vermont branch of the family that spent six months planning the ceremony. Others were locals, who had read about the grave dedication the day before and thought they might as well check it out. The oldest known living relative of Learned, 93-year-old Albert Rich of Fairfax was there, as were a number of babies who cried quietly during the speeches. John Rooney was born on the farm and still lives in town. He stumbled upon the decrepit cemetery 35 years ago while hunting and said he's wondered about it ever since. "It's had my curiosity for a long time." he said. He learned of the dedication at the last minute, but said he plans to return with his three children, aged 11 to 15, to show them the grave. The hour-long ceremony included a military salute from the Vermont National Guard, a discussion of Learned's personal history, and the dedication of a grave marker from the Sons of the American Revolution, a group to which two of the Learned family men belong.
Joseph Learned was born in Connecticut in 1753. He enlisted in the Army in 1775 to fight for the emerging nation's independence and re-enlisted in 1778. A few years later, his wife died in childbirth. In 1790, Learned and his new wife came to Vermont. He bought a 100-acre farm on Huntsville Road in Fairfax in 1800. Learned had 19 children, which translates into at least 800 known descendants, explained Fred Learned, who helped research the family line along with his brother Alan. Fred Learned, who traveled to the event from Florida, said he was amazed by Wednesday's turnout. "We're honored for Joseph." he said. "Joseph is the reason we're here." The family chose to recognize their patriarch on Independence Day in order to honor his service as a soldier. "It took a lot to bear arms for this country." Fred Learned said, adding that Learned's only brother, Nathan, was killed in the war. "July Fourth is a day for him." Six years ago, Alan Learned rediscovered the cemetery Learned shares with a son and a number of grandchildren. Alan Learned was working on a family history and had heard about the plot from a local relative who had only a sketchy sense of where it was. The two men set out to search the woods, walking back and forth over the area where they believed the plot to be. Then, Alan Learned spotted the graves. "As soon as I saw it, I got goose bumps." he said. "I'm getting goose bumps right now talking about it. ...I was giddy." Alan Learned later used a long metal rod to probe the ground for head stones, finding two small ones about six inches down that had been used to mark the graves of Learned's infant grandsons. Alan Learned believes more markers are buried in the area and plans to keep searching. He also hopes to find the large stone column that once stood atop Learned's grave marker, but is missing. Tuesday, much of the out-of-town family traveled to the cemetery to prepare it for Wednesday's event. The fragile markers had once again fallen over, so the family propped them up, washed them off and swept away the leaves that had gathered at their edges. Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Learned, a seventh-generation descendant, spent a particularly long time scrubbing the grave of one of Learned's granddaughters. The woman, Elizabeth realized was her namesake. Elizabeth, who lives in Connecticut, said she has loved being so close to her family's roots. The extended family is spending the week in the area, and has driven around to other sites of interest, such as old family farms and homes. Everywhere they go, it seems someone is pointing out another building built by a Learned, Elizabeth said. "It's really cool," she said. "We have nothing like that at home."

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Received from Alan D. Learned on April 1, 2016:

"Joseph was of Village Hill in Lebanon, Connecticut and married (first) Mehitabel Merritt of Hebron, Connecticut Nov. 28, 1776. She was one of four daughters of Jonathan and his successive wife, Mary Merritt of Hebron. The location of their farm was on the town boundary with Lebanon very near present the western side of Andover Lake. Joseph and Mehitabel owned their portion of the farm by coverture following the post mortem property dissolution on April 5, 1777. The Merritt daughters and their spouses then each sold their shares to Joseph and Mehitabel. The area is now a part of the town of Andover, CT. Mehitabel died in childbirth Dec. 15, 1783. Joseph and Mehitabel had three sons, Joseph, Jr b. July 14, 1779 who became a State Representative in Montpelier, Asa b. July 30, 1781, and Merritt, born one day before his mother's death. These three sons helped their father to settle a 100 acre parcel in the town of Fairfax, Vermont in 1801. Merritt later removed to Patchogue, Long Island."

Received from Alan D. Learned on June 2, 2021:

Joseph was NOT of Village Hill, Lebanon. His father Joseph Learned, Sr's farm was in the Lebanon First Society, one mile as measured from the Lebanon Meeting House, on what is now known as the Norwich-Hartford Turnpike (Coordinates: 41.64646037924601, -72.23149187381377). This house still stands.

Joseph, the younger, lived on the Lebanon-Hebron town line, originally the farm of his wife Mehitable's late father's second family. That property is now on Lake Road in Andover, Connecticut (41.71375535136274, -72.36165447618987).

Joseph's farmstead in Fairfax, Vermont was located at the terminus of Owens Road in 1810 named "the road to Joseph Learned's house" (Coordinates: 44.68597246751874, -72.98916346020808). This farmstead is within walking distance from the Learned Family Cemetery.

References:

(1) "The Learned Family (Learned, Larned, Learnard, Larnard and Learned) Being Descendants of William Lerned who was of Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1632" by William Law Learned, 1898, pages 59, 96-98 and 179-188

(2) "Connecticut Vital Records Lebanon Births - Marriages - Deaths 1700-1854" Barbour Collection Connecticut State Library 1920, page 100

(3) "Lists and Returns of Connecticut Men in the Revolution - 1775-1783" by the Connecticut Historical Society, 1909, pages 139-142

(4) "Connecticut Vital Records Hebron Births - Marriages - Deaths 1708-1854" Barbour Collection Connecticut State Library 1922, page 74