James Avery (American colonist)
James Avery | |
|---|---|
 Bust of James Avery | |
| Born | 1620 |
| Died | April 18, 1700 (aged 79–80) |
| Spouse(s) | Joanna Greenslade (1622–1697) |
James Avery (b. 1620 – April 18, 1700) was an American colonial landowner, legislator, and a military commander in King Philip's War.
Early life[]
Avery was born in Cornwall, England and emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony as a child with his parents.[1] As an adult he received several land grants in the vicinity of New London, in Connecticut.
Pioneer[]
Avery was among Stonington, Connecticut’s early settlers, for whom Avery Point is named. A monument stands on the location of his 1656 home in Groton, called The Hive of the Averys. The home burned down in a fire started from an ember of a passing train on July 20, 1894.
General Assembly[]
He was Deputy to the General Court 12 times from 1656 to 1680.[2] He also served for 20 years as a town selectman.
Military service[]
Avery was a captain in the colonial militia. In the Great Swamp Fight, a battle at Kingston, Rhode Island on December 19, 1675, Avery commanded a group of allied Pequot Indians.
Avery served as a captain in command of forty Englishmen from Stonington, Lyme, and New London in 1676. He also served as captain of one of four companies which protected the frontier.[1]
Descendants[]
Avery has thousands of living descendants. Among his descendants are John D. Rockefeller Sr., Governor and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Academy Award-winning screenwriter & director Roger Avary.
References[]
- ^ a b Benjamin Tinkham Marshall (1922). A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut. Lewis Historical Printing Company.
- ^ Avery, Elroy McKendree (1893). The Groton Averys, Christopher and James. pp. 9–10.
External links[]
- Harris, William (1882). The Battle of Groton Heights. New London, CT: Charles Alyn. pp. 256–257.
- John Frederic Randall, Member of...
- More About Capt. James Avery
- Biography of Captain James Avery...
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- 1620 births
- 1700 deaths
- People of colonial Connecticut
- People from Groton, Connecticut
- Kingdom of England emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Deputies of the Connecticut General Court (1639–1662)
- Deputies of the Connecticut General Assembly (1662–1698)
- King Philip's War
- Cornish emigrants
- United States history stubs