Delano Kindred

05/07/2026

Delano Soldiers in the 1776 New York Campaign -
After the British evacuated Boston by sea in March 1776, General Washington guessed correctly their next target would be New York. Washington marched his troops to Lower Manhattan. There, he strengthened the batteries that guarded the harbor and constructed forts in northern Manhattan and on Brooklyn Heights across the East River on Long Island. Then he waited.

In June 1776, brothers Jabez (1755-c. 1776/77) and Jonathan Delano (1757-1835) [Jonathan, Jabez, Jonathan, Jonathan, Philippe] enlisted for another six months. This time they were accompanied by their brother Philip (1761-1848) and cousin, Barnabus Delano (1753-1792) [Silvanus, Jonathan, Jonathan, Philippe].

Their orders were to reinforce General Washington’s army at New York, and in August, their company sailed from Wethersfield, Connecticut to Governor’s Island in New York. There, they waited.

Meanwhile following his first engagement in Canada in 1775, Barnabus’ brother, Aaron Delano (1756-1823) of Kent, Connecticut had joined Captain Oliver Root’s Massachusetts militia company raised in Pittsfield in spring 1776. Aaron’s company marched to reinforce New York and was stationed in Manhattan awaiting a British attack.

When the British moved in, Jabez, Jonathan, Philip, Barnabus and their unit were forced to evacuate Governor’s Island to Long Island under great confusion and chaos.
Aaron’s company was ordered to support troops on Long Island.

On 27 August 1776, the British attacked the western end of Long Island and laid siege to the American position at Brooklyn Heights. By that evening many Americans had been captured or killed. The most significant action for our Delano cousins’ units occurred on the night of 29-30 August 1776 when they made a daring nighttime evacuation across the East River back to Manhattan that saved the Continental Army from total capture.

Our cousins’ units then retreated north from the city, and the British pursued. On 16 September, Aaron’s company engaged the British in the Battle of Harlem Heights. This was the first time the Continental Army - and specifically the raw militia units - saw they could face British regulars in an open-field firefight and win. The men in Aaron’s unit had gained vital experience that would serve them later at the Battle of White Plains in October.

All five cousins - Jabez, Jonathan, Philip, Barnabus and Aaron – would see action at White Plains on 28 October 1776. This American loss left an estimated 48 killed; and Captain Birge was mortally wounded. General Washington was forced to retreat further north before turning south toward New Jersey.

The retreat through New Jersey in November and December 1776 was a period of extreme hardship for the remaining men of our cousins’ units. British forces under General Cornwallis were often just a few miles behind, sometimes entering a town as the American rear guard was leaving. The soldiers faced deteriorating conditions as a mild autumn turned into a freezing November. Many were without shoes, stockings or blankets. While the two companies belonged to different state militias, they both shared in the harrowing withdrawal that Thomas Paine famously described as "the times that tried men's souls.”

For our cousins, the retreat ended not in battle but in the expiration of their enlistments. Aaron’s company was officially dismissed on 5 December, just as the army reached the safety of the Delaware River. For our other cousins, their term ended on 25 December 1776.

All returned home safely with the possible exception of Jabez. It’s been said he was killed in action in 1777, but there is no record of any additional enlistment.

It’s possible Jabez Delano died sometime during this 1776 campaign, perhaps at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights of the Battle of White Plains.

04/21/2026

The Disappearance of Jethro Delano -
In February 1776, Jethro Delano (1732 - ?) [Jonathan, Jonathan and Philippe] enlisted as a private in Captain David Down's militia company, raised in Sharon and other areas of Litchfield County, Connecticut. His unit was part of Col. Charles Burrell's Battalion, raised to reinforce troops besieging Quebec. After the Americans retreated from that position in April 1776, Jethro’s company was stationed briefly at Ticonderoga and vicinity.

Jethro’s was one of two companies in the regiment sent to reinforce the American garrison at The Cedars, 40 miles above Montreal. On 20 May 1776, this column of roughly 100–140 men, led by Major Henry Sherburne, was ambushed at Quinze-Chênes (about 4 miles from The Cedars) by a force of British regulars and Iroquois warriors. After a brief, sharp engagement, the entire company was forced to surrender.

After the surrender, some Iroquois warriors, who made up the majority of the British-allied force, sought revenge for their own losses. At least seven prisoners were confirmed to have been killed or tortured to death by Iroquois warriors shortly after the surrender. Those taken prisoner were stripped of their clothing, baggage, and arms, and they were denied food for several days. The prisoners were held for approximately ten days before being exchanged in a controversial agreement negotiated by Benedict Arnold.

What happened to Jethro Delano? Did he survive the Battle of The Cedars?

After appearing on a payroll list for this militia company, Jethro seems to have disappeared from all records. His name is not on the prisoner list, but those rolls are incomplete.

While most prisoners were returned to Fort Anne, New York by 30 May, contemporary accounts suggest some remained in the hands of the Iroquois and were taken to their villages. Because Congress eventually repudiated the exchange agreement, some American prisoners who had not yet been handed over may have remained in British or Indigenous custody indefinitely.

Still others from Jethro’s unit were devastated by smallpox. Fear of the disease caused some soldiers to secretly and improperly self-inoculate, but they failed to quarantine themselves during the process, causing it to spread rapidly. The situation was described as catastrophic.

The company’s term expired 19 January 1777. Did Jethro survive his enlistment?
No evidence has been found to answer this question.

If you know what happened, please let us know.

04/02/2026

Connecticut Cousin Volunteers of 1775 -
Our Connecticut Delano family was heavily involved in the American War for Independence. And in 1775, they took their place on the two primary war fronts – the New England Front and the Canadian Front.

On 9 July 1775 brothers 20-year-old Jabez (1755-77) and 18-year-old Jonathan (1757-1835) [ Jonathan, Jabez, Jonathan, Jonathan] enlisted together into Captain Abraham Filer’s Connecticut militia company for six months. Many Connecticut companies raised in the spring and summer of 1775 were stationed at various points along the Long Island Sound to monitor British shipping and prevent the seizure of livestock from coastal farms. And at first, this is where Jabez and Jonathan were stationed. But in mid-September General Washington ordered their unit to the Boston Camps.

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Americans pursued the retreating British troops back to Boston. Patriot militias quickly blocked the only land routes out of the city - the Charlestown and Boston Necks - effectively surrounding the British. The goal was to force the British to evacuate Massachusetts.

Posted at Roxbury, Jabez and Jonathan were part of the right wing of the American forces during the Siege of Boston. Their primary duty was to prevent a British breakout through the Roxbury Neck. The brothers probably spent most of their time constructing and manning heavy fortifications, and they frequently found themselves targets of British artillery fire from the Boston Neck and floating batteries.

Jabez and Jonathan’s company was officially discharged on 10 December 1775, but they were encouraged to stay until the new Continental Army was organized on 1 January 1776. Jabez and Jonathan complied. This would not be their last enlistment.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Aaron Delano (1756-1823) [Silvanus, Jonathan, Jonathan, Philippe[ was on the Canadian front. Here, the goal was to bring the “14th colony” into the revolution and eliminate the British treat from the north.

In May 1775, Aaron, who lived in Kent, Connecticut, enlisted as a private for nine months into Captain Thomas Lusk’s Massachusetts militia company. His company participated in the first offensive victory of the war - the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga on 10 May 1775 - alongside Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. It was a daring surprise attack that secured vital military supplies and established a strategic foothold in the North.

Following the capture of Ticonderoga, Aaron’s company was one of the primary units that marched from Crown Point, New York into Canada under General Richard Montgomery’s army. Fort St. Johns sat on the Richelieu River, the primary waterway from Lake Champlain into the heart of British Canada. To capture Montreal and Quebec City, the Americans first had to neutralize this fort to secure their supply lines. Aaron’s company was part of the Continental force that surrounded the fort, enduring the swampy and freezing conditions of the Richelieu River valley.
The Siege of Fort St. Johns (F. S. Jean on the map) was a critical 45-day operation from 17 September to 3 November 1775. It served as the first major battle of the invasion of Canada and a testing ground for the newly formed Continental Army. Captain Lusk was later specifically recognized by the Connecticut Council of Safety for his company's service at St. Johns.

As American troops then advanced on Montreal, the British realized the city was indefensible and abandoned it on 11 November. The Governor of Quebec boarded a small fleet of eleven ships to flee downriver to Quebec City, but Aaron’s company helped blocked the British retreat. While the Governor escaped, the fleet commander was forced to surrender the entire flotilla to the Americans on 15 November 1775.

These captured vessels provided General Montgomery with the transportation and winter supplies needed to move his army downriver to join Benedict Arnold for the final assault on Quebec City. Meanwhile, Aaron was probably directed back to Fort Ticonderoga and Crown point to secure the flow of prisoners, wounded men, and captured supplies.

By late December 1775, enlistment contracts for most of the regiment expired. This mass departure of veteran troops, including Aaron’s company, occurred just as the Continental Army was preparing for its ill-fated assault on Quebec City on 31 December.

Interestingly over the next winter, 30 artillery pieces secured by Aaron’s company at Ticonderoga (along with 29 pieces from Crown Point) would make their way to Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston and its harbor. Finally on 17 March 1776, after their eleven-month occupation, the British abandoned the city.

03/23/2026

Connecticut Delanos and the War for Independence -
After the Lexington Alarm of April 1775, numerous Connecticut Delano family members joined the revolutionary cause.

Looking at the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Captain Jonathan Delano Jr. of Tolland ( 1680-1752) provides a snapshot of how the War for Independence impacted one branch of our family.

By 1775, Captain Jonathan and three of his sons - Jabez (1708-52), Nathan (1711-74) and Jonathan III (1715-1758) - had died. The middle sons - Barnabus (1718-91), age 57, and Silvanus (1720-96), age 55, - appear not to have fought in the war. But with the exception of Jonathan who had only daughters, sons and grandsons of the others are listed in various militia regiments supporting the Continental Army.
• Nathan (1738/9-1794) - son of Nathan - 4 enlistments in New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont militias.
• Abishai (1756-1802) - son of Nathan - 1 enlistment in a New Hampshire militia.
• Gideon (1742-1809) - son of Barnabus - 2 enlistments in New Hampshire militias.
• Amos (1747-1828) - son of Silvanus - 4 enlistments in Massachusetts militias.
• Barnabus (1753-92) - son of Silvanus - 1 enlistment in a Connecticut militia.
• Aaron (1756-1823) - son of Silvanus - 4 enlistments in Connecticut and Massachusetts militias.
• Jabez (1755-1776/77?) - grandson of Jabez, son of Jonathan - 2 enlistments in Connecticut militias.
• Jonathan (1757-1835) - grandson of Jabez, son of Jonathan - 3 enlistments in Connecticut militias.
• Philip (1761-1848) - grandson of Jabez, son of Jonathan - 2 enlistments in Connecticut militias.

Jonathan of Tolland’s younger sons - Thomas, Timothy, and Jethro - actively supported the war effort.

Thomas Delano (1726-1803) appears on a “company of householders” list of Sharon, Connecticut minutemen and volunteers in 1776, though there is no record of specific alarms to which he may have responded. Thomas served on the Committee of Inspection in 1776 and 1777. He also was appointed to Sharon’s committee to regulate the price of grain and other articles in 1776 and 1777. At other times during the war period, he was a lister, grand juror and surveyor of highways. Clearly, Thomas’ civil contributions were significant. His sons also served.
• Reuben (1755-1830) - son of Thomas - 1 enlistment in a Connecticut militia.
• Thomas (1760-1835) - son of Thomas - 5 enlistments in Connecticut and New York militias.

As was mentioned in the last post, Timothy (1729-77) was one of 57 Tolland men to march as part of the Lexington Alarm. He also was serving the town as a fence viewer when he died in 1777.
• Calvin Timothy (1756-1832) - son of Timothy - served from about 1775-77 as a surgeon’s mate, physician and surgeon in the Continental Army.

Jethro (1732-1776?) - Jonathan of Tolland’s youngest son – served in a militia raised in Sharon, Connecticut in 1776 that saw action on the Canadian front. This is the last known documented reference to Jethro.

Future posts will highlight some of these individuals.

Did one of your Delano ancestors fight in the Revolutionary War?
Tell us about them.

03/14/2026

A Connecticut Delano Answers the Alarm -

The first battle of the American Revolution occurred at Lexington, Massachusetts on Wednesday, 19 April 1775. News reached Tolland, Connecticut early the next morning. As word spread, county militia members were ordered to gather at the meeting house, and 56 men from Tolland enlisted for the relief of their brethren in and near Boston. By nine o’clock Friday morning, they were on the march.

Among their number was Captain Timothy Delano (1729-77) - son of Jonathan Delano of Tolland, grandson of Jonathan and great-grandson of Philippe.

At 47 years old and a veteran captain of the French and Indian War, Timothy was an experienced soldier and quick to act. After nearly four days marching, his company reached Cambridge on Monday in time to parade in the town square that afternoon. But before long, he was marching back to Tolland; the immediate crisis was over.

Militias from Massachusetts (which included Maine), Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire had answered the call. While many companies served only a few days before returning home to their farms, by the end of April, a make-shift army of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 men had surrounded the City of Boston, trapping the British inside.

Timothy was paid for 10 days of service. While he was the first in our Connecticut family to serve, he would not be the last.

03/02/2026

Jonathan Delano Jr. of Tolland, Connecticut-
It was Jonathan Delano Jr., the son of Lt. Jonathan and Mercy Warren Delano, who carried the Delano name to Connecticut in 1722.

Born 30 January 1680/81, Jonathan Jr. grew up on his parent’s farm in Old Dartmouth (today Fairhaven). On 20 June 1704 at the age of 23, he married Amey Hatch in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Amey, the daughter of Captain Joseph Hatch and his wife Amey Allen, was not quite 17. Like Jonathan’s father, Amey’s father was a distinguished veteran of King Philip’s War.

Jonathan Sr. probably gave Jonathan Jr. land around the time of their marriage. Years later Jonathan Sr. willed Jr. 20 shillings, in addition to what he’d already given him. This included an estimated 165 acres, once part of the old homestead. While Jonathan Jr. owed land in Old Dartmouth on the east side of the Acushnet River, he and Amey lived in New Bedford on the west side.

In addition to farming, Jonathan was the clerk for the Old Dartmouth Propriety from about 1709 until 1722. It was his job to keep Propriety meeting minutes and the official records documenting the apportionment of thousands of acres of land purchased in 1652 by the original Purchasers of this vast territory. Over the years, shares were sold, divided and sold again. Jonathan maintained these important records.

But in April 1713, Amey’s brother, Joseph Hatch, moved to Connecticut. His wife was Mercy Delano, Jonathan’s sister. Another of Jonathan’s sisters, Susannah Delano, and her husband, Ebenezer Nye, followed a new years later. Certainly, news of growing opportunities in Tolland, Connecticut must have appealed to Jonathan and Amey, as well as other members of their extended family.

In 1722, Jonathan purchased land in Tolland, and they packed up their 10 children and moved 85 miles west to Tolland. Families often moved and settled in groups, so it’s not surprising that Amey’s brother Ichabod, sister Elizabeth and sister Ruth moved to Tolland around the same time. And after a few years, her brother Barnabus and sister Rebecca followed.

In Tolland, Jonathan became a leading citizen of the town. He served 12 years as Town Clerk (1724-36) and 11 years as Selectman (1724-35). In his 1861 “The Early History of Tolland,” Judge Loren P. Waldo, wrote, “To judge from his records he possessed a superior English education.”

Jonathan and Amey had 14 known children. Those born in Dartmouth were Sarah, Jane, Jabez, Patience, Nathan, Amey, Jonathan, Barnabus, Silvanus and Elizabeth. Those born in Tolland were Susannah, Thomas, Timothy and Jethro. Amey must have been a strong, healthy woman. All these children survived to adulthood.

Jonathan acquired lands in both Tolland and Coventry, and in 1632, he began giving lands to his sons.
• 1732 – 65 acres in Tolland to oldest son Jabez.
• 1734 – 50 acres in Tolland to second son Nathan.
• 1742 – 85 acres in Tolland to fourth son Barnabus.
• 1742 – 65 acres in Tolland to fifth son Silvanus.
• 1746/47 – 25 acres in Coventry to third son Jonathan.
• 1750 – 51 acres in Tolland to sixth son Thomas.

Jonathan Delano Jr. died on 25 March 1752 in Tolland at the age of 71. He willed his remaining lands in Tolland and Coventry (including 90 acres in Coventry) to his seventh son Timothy and eighth son Jethro. They also received his farming tools and livestock.

Another notable bequest was a gun Jonathan Sr. had given Jonathan Jr. that now went to Jonathan III. Son Jabez received his sword. Jonathan also willed Barnabus his joiner’s tools and sons Silvanus and Thomas his carpenter’s tools – perhaps a clue that Jonathan Jr. practiced a woodworking trade.

Amey received her widow’s third of all land holdings for her lifetime, the household goods and furnishings, one riding horse, one cow and 10 sheep.

Their five surviving daughters (Patience had died in childbirth) Sarah West, Jane West, Amey West, Elizabeth Chamberlain and Susannah Grant (great grandmother of Ulysses) had received their portions, probably when they married. They would divide the remaining household goods after Amey died.

Jonathan was buried at South Yard Cemetery in Tolland. His gravestone reads “Capt.” Jonathan Delano. I have found no military record for Jonathan and suspect it relates to some previous militia service.

Amey spent the rest of her life in Tolland. She died in her 75th year on 27 June 1762 and was buried at South Yard Cemetery too.

Do you descend from Jonathan and Amey? If so, from which of their children?

02/23/2026

Into Connecticut:
Who was the first member of our Delano family to settle in Connecticut?

Mercy Delano, daughter of Jonathan Delano.

Like his father Philippe who left home for a new world in America, Jonathan moved from the established settlement of Duxbury to a new frontier at Dartmouth (Fairhaven today). In Dartmouth, he married Mercy Warren, daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah Walker Warren (and granddaughter of Richard and Elizabeth Warren); and here, they raised their family. But in the early 18th century, three of their children headed off for a new frontier of their own.

The first English settlements in Connecticut were founded along the Connecticut River by Massachusetts Bay colonists. Windsor was started in 1633, and seven miles to the south, Hartford was established three years later. Following King Philip’s War in the 1670s, the native people were pushed west. This opened up Rhode Island and the land east of the Connecticut River for settlement.

In the early 18th century, groups of men from Hartford and Windsor initiated claims on lands to the east of their respective towns. Coventry was established 18 miles east of Hartford in 1706, and in 1715, the General assembly granted the men of Windsor six square miles to the east called Tolland. The Governor and Secretary of the Colony appointed the Tolland Trustees who then deeded the northern part to 51 persons on 11 May 1719. Some lived on the land already; among them were Joseph and Mercy Delano Hatch.

Mercy Delano had married Joseph Hatch, son of Joseph and Amey Allen Hatch, in January 1713 and they moved to Tolland in April. They are thought to have been the first permanent settlers here. On 10 October 1716, Mercy gave birth to their first child, Amey. A son, Joseph, followed in 1715. These were the earliest recorded births in Tolland. Joseph and Mercy became the town’s first tavern keepers. Joseph also was its first military officer and served as selectman for two years. The couple would have four more known children – Mercy, Jonathan, Lois and Alice.

Other Delano family members soon followed.

Mercy’s younger sister, Susannah Delano, and her husband, Ebenezer Nye, arrived before 1718. Sadly, Susannah died there on 20 January 1718/19, likely from complications giving birth to her only child, Susannah, four days earlier.

In 1722, Mercy Delano’ older brother, Jonathan, and Joseph Hatch’s older sister, Amey purchased land in Tolland. Jonathan Delano and Amey Hatch had married in 1704, and now they joined their siblings on the frontier, bringing along their first ten children.

It would be Jonathan who carried the Delano surname to Connecticut.

02/19/2026

COUSINS TRIVIA – ANSWERS

Who was a skilled artist?
ULYSSES

Who dropped out of law school after flunking a few classes?
FRANKLIN

Who had a pet rabbit named Rebecca?
CALVIN

Who is the only President born on the 4th of July?
CALVIN

Who did the DC police stop for driving too fast down the city streets?
ULYSSES

Who was suspicious of the number 13?
WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO.

Got a Minute? with Jeff Urbin - FDR and SuperstitionsWas Franklin Roosevelt superstitious? Or did he simply not want to test fate? The FDR Library's Jeff Urb...

02/16/2026

Remembering Three Cousins
Presidents Day is a time to acknowledge and remember our cousins who became President of the United States.

First is Ulysses S. Grant.
Renowned General and Commander of the Union Armies during the late years of the Civil War, Grant served as our 18th President from 1869 to 1877. At age 46, he was the youngest serving President to-date. Cousin Ulysses was the 4th great-grandson of Philippe and Hester de Lannoy and a descendant of Jonathan Delano and Mercy Warren. That also makes him a descendant of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren.

Second is Calvin Coolidge.
Known as “Silent Cal” for his reserved, calm demeanor during the “Roaring Twenties,” he was our 30th President from 1923 to 1929. Calvin also is remembered for overseeing a massive economic expansion in the United States and for restoring public confidence after the scandals of the Harding administration. The 7th great-grandson of Philippe and Hester, Cousin Cal descended from Thomas Delano and Rebecca Alden. Thus, his line traces back to Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscilla Mullins Alden.

Third is Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
FDR is best remembered for leading the nation through the Great Depression with his “New Deal” programs and for guiding the United States through most of World War II. As our 32nd and longest-serving President, he was in office from 1933 to 1945. Cousin Franklin was the 5th great-grandson of Philippe and Hester. Like Ulysses, he descended from Jonathan Delano and Mercy Warren – another great-grandson of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren.

COUSIN TRIVIA –
Can you answer these questions about our three cousins?

Who was a skilled artist?

Who dropped out of law school after flunking a few classes?

Who had a pet rabbit named Rebecca?

Who is the only President born on the 4th of July?

Who did the DC police stop for driving too fast down the city streets?

Who was suspicious of the number 13?

Tell us what you think. Answers to follow in a couple days.

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine Days, Cousins!
On Valentine’s Day, let’s remember some of our ancestor loving couples.

Philippe de Lannoy and Hester Dewsbery who married 19 December 1634.

Widower Philippe de Lannoy and Mary Pontus Glass who married in 1653.
Mary was the daughter of William and Wybra Hanson Pontus, and the widow of James Glass.

Our great aunt Mary Delano and Jonathan Dunham who married 29 November 1655,
Jonathan was the son of weaver John Dunham.

Philip Delano and Elizabeth Sampson who married in 1668.
Elizabeth Sampson was the daughter of Abraham Sampson.

Hester Delano and Samuel Sampson who married by about 1670.
Samuel was the son of Abraham Sampson.
Widow Hester Delano Sampson and John Soule who married in 1678.
John was the son of neighbors George and Mary Beckett/Bucket Soule.

Thomas Delano and Rebecca Alden who married by 30 October 1667.
Rebecca was the daughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins.

John Delano and Mary Weston who married by 1679.
Mary was the daughter of Edmond Weston of Duxbury.

Jonathan Delano and Mercy Warren who married on 28 February 1678.
Mercy Warren was the daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah Walker Warren and granddaughter of Richard and Elizabeth Walker Warren.

Rebecca Delano and John Churchill IV who married on 28 December 1686.
John was the son of John and Hannah Pontus Churchill. Hannah was Mary Pontus Glass Delano’s sister, making Rebecca and John first cousins.

Samuel Delano and Elizabeth Standish who married about 1683.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Alexander and Sarah Alden Standish, and the granddaughter of Myles Standish, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins Alden.

Tell us who you descend from.