38. SAMUEL⁵ SEYMOUR (Samuel⁴, Matthew³, Thomas², Richard¹), of Greenwich, Conn., born about 1731, died 11 Apr. 1818, ae. 88; married first, at New Canaan, Conn., 17 Mar. 1750/1, SARAH⁵ BETTS, who died before 1770, daughter of John⁴ (John³, Thomas², Thomas¹) and Sarah (Gregory); married second, ABIGAIL MILLS, born at Greenwich, 23 Feb. 1748, died at Rye, N.Y., 8 July 1831.

Will of Samuel Seymour of Greenwich dated 5 Sept. 1816, proved 18 Apr. 1818, names wife Abigail, son Drake, daughter Hannah widow of Nathaniel Mead dec'd, my grandchildren the children of my daughter Elizabeth Marshall dec'd, the three sons of my son William dec'd, (Here we see that our William, Jr. has not been recognized by his grandfather. The 3 sons of William here would be Drake, Samuel Sands, and William C. Along with the inheritances from William Sr., they must have done quite well), my daughter Sabrina Bush, the two youngest sons of my daughter Rhoda Hobby dec'd, viz. – Nehemiah B. Hobby and Samuel S. Hobby, my daughter Polly wife of Nehemiah Brown of Rye, and my grandson Samuel Seymour Hobby.

Will of Abigail Seymour of Rye, N.Y., dated 22 May 1828, proved 6 Sept. 1831, names my grandchildren, viz. – Lydia Hobby, Phylander Hobby, Amy Husted, Benjamin Hobby (who lived in New York City), Nehemiah B. Hobby and Samuel S. Hobby; my great-granddaughter Mary Hobby daughter of Lydia Hobby, my great- grandson Benjamin Hobby son of Lydia Hobby, my great-granddaughter Abigail Jane Hobby daughter of Lydia Hobby, and my great-grandson James Redfield son of Abigail Jane Redfield late of Rye deceased, these four being under age. Pamelia R. Brown and Nehemiah Brown, Jr., witnesses. Abigail's next of kin were Seymour Hobby and wife Lydia, Philander Hobby, Roswell Husted and wife Amy, Nehemiah B. Hobby, Samuel S. Hobby and Benjamin Hobby.

He served on the committee of Safety of Greenwich, Conn., 1776.

Additional notes added by Paul Carleton Seymour: The Committee of Safety as explained by Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Safety_(American_Revolution)

“Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community. The local militias were usually under the control of the committees, which in turn sent representatives to county- and colony-level assemblies to represent their local interests.

Committees of Safety formed in 1774 to keep watch on the distrusted royal government. By 1775 they had become the operating government of all the colonies, as the royal officials were expelled. Massachusetts took the lead in the appointment of a committee of safety so early as the autumn of 1774, of which John Hancock was chairman. It was given power to call out mandatory militia, with penalties for failing to respond to a call-up, and provide means of defense. It provided many of the duties of a provisional government. Other colonies appointed committees of safety. One was appointed in the city of New York, composed of the leading citizens. In the spring of 1778, the New York state legislature abolished all committees in New York in favor of “Commissioners of Conspiracy”. In North Carolina, the demand for independence came from local grassroots Committees of Safety. The First Continental Congress had urged their creation in 1774. By 1775 they had become counter-governments that gradually replaced royal authority and took control of local governments. They regulated the economy, politics, morality, and militia of their individual communities. After December 1776 they came under the control of a more powerful central authority, the Council of Safety. These Committees of Safety were in constant communication with committees of correspondence, which disseminated information among the militia units and provided a clearinghouse of information and intelligence on enemy activities.”

Interesting note about Norwalk– British forces under General William Tryon arrived on July 10, 1779 and almost completely destroyed Norwalk; only six houses were spared. After the Revolutionary War, many residents were compensated for their losses with free land grants in the Connecticut Western Reserve in what is now Ohio; this later became Norwalk, Ohio. So many of our cousins who had remained in Norwalk found themselves after the War in Ohio. Also included was Greenwich in the so-called “fire lands”, both Samuel and his son Drake Seymour were listed with those who would participate in land grants in Huron and Erie Co.’s Ohio, but it seems that neither would leave and take the land. According to the list Samuel lost 195 pounds, and Drake 123 pounds. I’m assuming that this is Drake’s father, my 6XGreat grandfather Samuel, and not his brother (see tree). His brother Samuel was enlisted as a private in the army, and was not listed on his father's will. He may have died fighting for the country's independence, but I can find no record of him after his enlistment, so can't be sure. http://www.archive.org/stream/historyoffirelan00wil#page/16/mode/2up/search/seymour

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