Sgt. Jonathan Hosmer
Sgt. Jonathan Hosmer
1734-1822
The Hosmer House was 15 years old in April 1775.
100 years plus one - A house, its families and it town
Listed on National Register of Historical Places~ May 2, 2002
Sgt. Jonathan Hosmer
The Hosmer Family in the American Revolution:
A Register of Hosmer in Military Service (1775-1783) page 65
By Henry L. Hosmer, 1998
Jonathan Hosmer was born at Concord on August 28, 1734 and was the eldest son of Jonathan and Martha (Conant) Hosmer. He married Submit Hunt on January 31, 1760, and their eight children were born at Acton between 1760 and 1778. Like his father, Jonathan Hosmer was a brick mason, and his home, built in 1760, has been restored and now houses the Acton Historical Society. Jonathan Hosmer died at Acton on July 10, 1822.
(1) Jonathan Hosmer served as Sergeant, Captain Simon Hunt's company, Colonel Eleazer Brooks' regiment, when the company was called out on March 4, 1776, at the time the Dorchester Heights were fortified. A roll dated Acton records that he served for six days.
(2) Jonathan Hosmer's name appears on a return dated Acton, August 14, 1777, made by Captain Simon Hunt to Colonel Eleazer Brooks, of men under his command drafted from the train band and alarm list to reinforce the Continental Army, pursuant to the Resolve of August 8, 1777.
Jonathan Hosmer served as Private, Captain George Minot's company, Colonel Samuel Bullard's regiment, during the campaign against Burgoyne. He enlisted on August 16, 1777 and was discharged on October 1, serving one month and sixteen days in the Northern Department, including nine days (180 miles) travel home.
Other men in Captain Minot's company were discharged on October 17, 1777.
Jonathan Hosmer's son died at Bennington on October 1, and he may have been discharged early in order to return home with the body.
Jonathan Hosmer is listed in the DAR Patriot: Index (1990).
April 1775
by Betsy Conant
a member of the Acton Historical Society
The Hosmer House was 15 years old in April 1775, and only half the size it is today. Jonathan Hosmer had built it for his bride, Submit Hunt, at the time of their wedding in 1760.
Jonathan Hosmer was born only half a mile from this house in 1734. He was born in Concord, because Acton was still part of Concord then, His father, Deacon Jonathan Hosmer, was a farmer and, of course a Massachusetts colonist, He was not a citizen of the United States of America, because there was no United States, Massachusetts was an English colony and Deacon Hosmer was an English subject.
Jonathan Hosmer was the Deacon's oldest son. When he married and moved to this house, he was a farmer as most men in Acton were, Imagine a simple dirt road In front of this house and} on the other side of the road, Jonathan's fields, which ran all the way to Route 2.
Jonathan was also a brick mason, When he built this house he thought of a clever way to advertise his trade. He plastered the ends of the house a then painted the plaster to look like brick. This was a brick mason's home a reminder to people going by who needed new fireplaces or chimneys.
In 1775 Jonathan and Submit Hunt Hosmer lived here with their six children. It is hard for us today to think of 8 people living in these six rooms but it was not unusual in 18th century Acton, The oldest child also named Jonathan Hosmer was 15 and could help his father on the farm. The next four children were girls: Submit who were 13, Ruth 10. Anne 6, and Mary 3. The older girls were expected to help in the kitchen (called the keeping room) where most of the day was spent cooking, washing), dying, spinning, and weaving, and then there was baby S1mon who would be a year old on the first of May.
For months most of the talk about Acton and the nearby towns had been about trouble with the Mother country. Minutemen groups and militia units which had been formed years before to provide protection from Indians were now in training again, this time in case they needed to defend their own rights from the British regular Army, Submit Hunt Hosmer's father was captain of one such group; Jonathan's brother, Abner Hosmer, was training with another group under Captain Isaac Davis.
Things had become so tense; there was a signal of two shots, which meant the Minutemen were to rally if the British Regulars were to come out as they'd threatened to confiscate the colonist's arms.
On the 18th of April, the signal was given. Two shots echoed across the quiet April night. There must have been no falling asleep after that. We don't know If Jonathan and young Johnny walked with Abner Hosmer as he passed this house on his way to rally at Capt. Davis' home. It must have been a long night, full of worry.
And it ended with terrible news. Captain Isaac Davis had been killed at the North Bridge in Concord in the first organized resistance against the British. Killed with him} in that first volley} was Abner Hosmer. Later they learned that the schoolteacher, James Hayward had been mortally wounded and died before nightfall.
The effects of that day on the world will never be forgotten. It was the flrst of a series of steps, which would create the United States of America. But in this house no one was thinking that far ahead. The children knew that their Uncle Abner was dead} shot by British Regulars. Perhaps it was then that young Jonny decided he would become a solder as soon as he could. He was almost 16.
Two years later Jonathan Hosmer, Jr. (Whom we have called Jonnny) marched off to war. He joined the troops at Bennington. He never returned, dying October 1, 1777 "in the service of his country" as the family put it.
Back in this house life went on. There was another baby, Lucy, in 1778. The older girls married and moved away. When Simon declared that he wanted to marry Sarah Whitcomb of Bolton, Jonathan and Submit suddenly' realized that they had too much room. In 1790 Jonathan and his son Simon came to a decision: they would build another house, attached to this one for Simon and his bride. The two men could work the farm together and one day all the property would be Simon's as long as Submit and Jonathan could spend the rest of their lives in the house.
Simon and Sarah had eight children in this house. There were of course many days of excitement} many memorable days. But the 19th of April 1775 was perhaps the one remembered most clearly.
Descendants of Jonathan Hosmer
Generation No. 1
1. JONATHAN6 HOSMER (JONATHAN5, STEPHEN4, STEPHEN3, JAMES2, STEPHEN1) was born August 28, 1734 in Concord, Middlesex, MA., and died July 10, 1822 in Acton, Middlesex, MA.. He married SUBMIT HUNT January 31, 1760 in Concord, Middlesex, MA., daughter of SIMON HUNT and SUBMIT HAGER. She was born October 26, 1737 in Concord, Middlesex, MA., and died June 03, 1812 in Acton, Middlesex, MA..
Notes for JONATHAN HOSMER:
Like his father , Jonathan Hosmer was a brickmason
More About JONATHAN HOSMER:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
Military service: Revoluntionary War
More About SUBMIT HUNT:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About JONATHAN HOSMER and SUBMIT HUNT:
Marriage: January 31, 1760, Concord, Middlesex, MA.
Children of JONATHAN HOSMER and SUBMIT HUNT are:
i. JONATHAN7 HOSMER, b. September 24, 1760, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. October 01, 1777, Bennington VT..
ii. SUBMIT HOSMER, b. July 20, 1762, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. February 16, 1783, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; m. JONAS BARKER, April 24, 1781, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; b. November 06, 1757, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
More About SUBMIT HOSMER:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About JONAS BARKER:
Minuteman: September 29, 1774, Acton, Middlesex, MA.
More About JONAS BARKER and SUBMIT HOSMER:
Marriage: April 24, 1781, Acton, Middlesex, MA.
iii. RUTH HOSMER, b. March 25, 1765, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. December 18, 1821, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; m. JOHN WHEELER, May 20, 1784, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; b. January 23, 1761, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
More About JOHN WHEELER and RUTH HOSMER:
Marriage: May 20, 1784, Acton, Middlesex, MA.
iv. ANNE HOSMER, b. March 23, 1769, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
v. MARY HOSMER, b. July 27, 1772, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. March 10, 1814, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; m. PETER TENNEY, November 30, 1797, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; b. September 10, 1765; d. April 27, 1835, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
More About MARY HOSMER:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About PETER TENNEY:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About PETER TENNEY and MARY HOSMER:
Marriage: November 30, 1797, Acton, Middlesex, MA.
vi. SIMON HOSMER, b. May 01, 1774, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. December 04, 1840, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; m. SARAH WHITCOMB, January 26, 1796, Bolton, Middlesex, MA.; b. September 26, 1777, Bolton, Middlesex, MA.; d. February 24, 1853, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
More About SIMON HOSMER:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About SARAH WHITCOMB:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
More About SIMON HOSMER and SARAH WHITCOMB:
Marriage: January 26, 1796, Bolton, Middlesex, MA.
vii. LUCY HOSMER, b. November 11, 1778, Acton, Middlesex, MA.; d. June 24, 1838, Acton, Middlesex, MA..
More About LUCY HOSMER:
Burial: Woodlawn Cemetery, Acton, MA.
