Jonathan was the 5th of 9 children (3rd son) born of Roger Eastman (b. 1682) and his wife Hannah Kimball. Jonathan's siblings were: Roger (b. 1711), Hannah (b. 1712), John (b. 1714), Mary (b. 1715), Nathaniel (b. 1719), Abigail (b. 1721-1725), Miriam (b. 1727), and Samuel.

Jonathan married, July 17, 1744 at Norwich, New London County, Colony of Connecticut, Elizabeth Wood (1724-1800) by whom he had 15 children (9 sons and 6 daughters): Lydia (1745-1796), Bathsheba (b. 1746), Enoch (1748-1829), Cyprian (1750-1798), Bathsheba (b. 1751), Jonathan (1753-1816), Peter (b. 1754), Stephen (1755-1819), Esther (1757-1837), Miriam (1758-1839), Calvin (1760-1856), Oliver (b. 1762), Justin (1764-1772), Amy (1766-1853), and Amos (1768-1864).

Jonathan lived in Norwich, Connecticut where the first four of his children were born. He removed to Woodstock, Connecticut and from there was a member of the company of emigrants who first settled the Mettowee Valley at Bennington on the New Hampshire Grants (now Vermont), about 1767. At this time he was about fifty years of age, the father of a large family, some of whom had arrived at man's estate. He later removed to Rupert, Vermont where he kept a Tavern, and was known far and near as "Landlord Eastman". For more than a century his descendants were numerous and influential, on the valley's east side (Vermont).

References:

(1) "History and Genealogy of the Eastman Family of America - Containing Biographical Sketches and Genealogies of both Males and Females" by Guy S. Rix, 1901, pages 15, 16 and 66.

(2) "Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849 Volume I.-Births" by the Topsfield Historical Society, 1910, pages 102 and 103

(3) "Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849 Volume II.-Marriages and Deaths" by the Topsfield Historical Society, 1911, pages 99 and 389

(4) "Rupert, VT. Historical and Descriptive 1761-1898." by George S. Hibbard, 1899, page 151

(5) "First Book of Records - Norwich, CT: Vital Records, 1659-1848" Vol. 1, page 240

(6) "The Gravestone Inscriptions of Rupert Bennington County, Vermont" by Levi Henry Elwell, 1913, page 51