Nathaniel PARISH (PARRISH)

                   D-Will of John Parish dated 10 May 1843, will made at Forth Ann, Wash.,N.Y.
Bur-Will probated 16 Nov 1843
Sources:Archives Gen. Soc.,Will of Jaohn Parrish Sr. at Salem,Wash.,N.Y.,
Will of John Parish Jr. Watertown, N.Y.
Will William Parish Bk G p 315 Salem, Wash, N.Y.
Rev. Pension File of John Parish Sr., History of Wash. Co. #4821 p.310,
TIB & Archives of Gen. Soc. SLC
Hist. of Wash. co., NY, p. 310
Hist. of Jefferson Co. p.471
Joel bur. Oak Hill Cem, Nashua, Iowa. from Dr. J.G. Parrish
REF: Will of Nathan Parish Watertown BK A-p 193
Troops Furnished to U.S. by Brownville, N.Y. P 215- James Parrish, son of James
and Fanny Dexter Parrish
N.Y. Gen & Bio Recd. V 46 p 278. (William)
Cemetery Inscription - Ft. Ann Cemetery

Note: There may be a dau named Roseanne, who md _____ Ellis.  John mentions gd dau Maria Ellis now Maria Packard.  A Mina Ellis age 26, is living with Rufus
and Patty in 1855 census)

       John joined the Revolutionary War in Columbia County, 1778. He settled in Washington County in 1795 and was a pensioner in Ft. Ann in 1840.  The codicil to his will was written 10 May 1843 in Ft. Ann..


PARISH - PARRISH
History of Jefferson Co. N.Y. Book, p. 471:

       The Parrish family are of English extraction, the original ancestor having come from England previous to the war of the Revolution.  In 1793 John Parrish, --- who was a Revolutionary Soldier settled in Washington Co., N.Y.  John Parrish (his son) was born in Columbia Co. in June 1777.  He lived with his father who was a farmer until he was 23 years of age at which time he married Miss Ruth Farr who was a native of Mass., where she was born July 1783.  In the Spring of 1803 Mr. Parrish left his home in Fort Ann, Wash. Co. for Jefferson Co. to locate ... in the town of Pamelia.


PARISH
Salem, Washington Co. N.Y. Book of Wills, Vol. C p. 255:

       I John Parish of Fort Ann in the County of Washington and State of New York Do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following viz. Imprimis.  It is my will and desire that all of my Just debts and funeral expenses be first paid and that my executors provide proper and suitable Tomb stones to be put up at the graves of myself and my wife now deceased.

Item.  I give unto my sons John Parish Junr Joel Parrish and James Parish the sum of Two dollars to each of them.

Item,  All the rest and residue of my Estate and property both real Equity wheresoever the same may be is to be equally divided as near as may be between my two sons Rufus Parish and William Paridh and my daughter Ann wife of Gideon Smith of the Sounty of Jefferson.

Item,  In case my personal property shall prove insufficient for the payment of my debts funeral expenses tombstones and Legacies then and in such cases I do hereby authorise and fully empower my Executors hereinafter named to sell off so much of my real Estate and landed property as shall be sufficient to enable my Executors to pay off all such Debts funeral Expenses tomb stones and Legacies as also to pay my Executors for their services.

Lastly, I do hereby appoint my friends Hiram Lawrence and Mattheas A. Pike of Fort Ann my Executors of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me made.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 25th day of February one thousand Eight hundred and forty three Signed sealed published and declared by the above named John Parish as and for his last will and Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our names as witnesses at the request of the Testator & in his presence & in the presence of each other.

                                                               /s/ John Parish (L.S.)

HARRY THORN of Fort Ann
DAVID RICE

CODICIL:  1st to my last Will and Testament, I John Parish being in sound mind but weak in body do hereby add this Item to my heretofore last Will and Testament (viz) I hereby will to the heirs of my son Ezra Parish Deceased the various claims and obligations I have against the said Ezra Parish.  I also will to the heirs of my son Nathan Parish the claims and obligations I hold against the said Nathan Parish.  I also will to my grand Daughter Maria Ellis now Maria Packard ten Dollars out of my estate.  I also will Susanna wife of my son William Parish the feather bed on which I now lie.  I will to my Daughter Anna Smith and my Daughter in law wife of my son Rufus whose name is Martha the bedding belonging with above said bed to be equally divided between them.  In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this tenth day of May one thousand Eight Hundred and forty three.

                                                          /s/ John Parish (L.S.)

In presence of RUBEN BAKER, CYRUS B. JILLSON
will Probated 16 Nov 1843


       The following account of the Parrish family is copied from "A brief History of My Father and My Mother, Marcus de Lafayette Shepherd and Harriet Editha Shepherd" by Sarah Caroline Shepherd Maeser, wife of Reinhard Maeser.

       My mother, Harriet Editha Parrish Shepherd was born Aug. 17, 1831 in the same little house in which her grandfather, Nathan Parrish lived, near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario in Brownville, Jeff., N.Y.  Her parents were Ezra Parrish and Susannah Sherwin. Their ancestors on both sides were staunch American patriots, most, if not all of the fathers and grandfathers having been soldiers or officers in the Continental Army.
       The Parrish family joined the Church soon after its organization, and passed through all the trials of those early days.  In Nauvoo they lived near the prophet and the two families were intimate friends.  My grandfather (Ezra, son of Nathan) having been raised near the Great Lakes was a good sailor and could handle almost any kind of craft.  Many times when the prophet found it necessary to slip away from his enemies, my grandfather carried him in pitch darkness in his canoe across the raging Mississippi.  My mother said that several times after her family had been driven acorss the river from Nauvoo, she and her father would return in the canoe at night and slip around to their home to get wharever articles might have been left there, including unfinished cloth from the loom.
       Both the Shepherd and the Parrish families started for Utah in 1847.


State of New York, County of Washington:

       On this 25th day of August, A.D. 1832 personally appeared before me, John Moss, a Judge of Washington County Com. Pleas. John Parish, a resident of the town of Fort Ann, County of Washington and State of New York, aged eighty-one, who, being first duly sworn according to the law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
       That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
       "That the first time I entered the service I resided in Livingston Manor in the County of Albany, then called, and State of New York and about the first of August A.D. 1777 I was drafted for three months in the New York Militia and entered the service under the command of Capt. Peter Best and was marched through Kinderhook to Greenbush and crossed the north river into Albany where we drew our arms and ammunition.  From thence we marched up the river where we joined Col. Henry Livingston.  Brig. Major Islestone was an officer in the Reg. and we were stationed near to Gen. Gates' headquarters.  We kept up camp duties.
       After about three weeks I was detached from the company to take the charge of one of the teams belonging to the United States.  I had the care of the team under the command of Cpt. Roderick Burey and was with the army during the first and second battle that Gen. Lincoln was wounded and a large number were killed and was employed in bringing flour and provisions from Half Moon, now Waterford, to the army and providing (?) and bringing forage.
       That at the time Burgoyne surrendered I was after a load of flour at Half Moon point.  After I delivered the load at Stillwater I returned to Half Moon point where Capt. Roderick Burey (or Buby) ordered two teams, myself one, to go to Saratoga at Fish Creek and bring down the cannon which was taken from Burgoyne.  We went up accordingly when Gen. Schyler countermanded the order and commanded us to go to drawing stone and place them on the bank of the river, which we performed.
       I continued this employment until my time expired about the first of November and I was dismissed when I had served three months and returned to Livingston Manor where I resided until in October, A.D. 1778 I was drafted in the New York Militia and went into the service under the command of Capt. Joseph Elliott.
       We marched to Stillwater where we remained and was expecting orders from some of our officers commanding and we were discharged.  I served and performed my duty at Stillwater two weeks and returned to Livingston Manor where I resided until in Sept. A.D. 1779 when I was drafted in the New York Militia for three months and weent into the service under the command of Capt. Bolen and we were furnished with wagons and horses by the Government and I was commanded to take the charge of one.
       We went to Fishkill and was employed to take flour from the landing at Fishkill fifteen miles east and delivered it where out guard was placed and a part of the time we were drawing forage from all parts to Fishkill. I continued in this service until the term for which I was drafted expired which was in December.  I served and performed my duty for three months and was discharged by Col. Hay and I returned to Livingston Manor aforesaid where I resided until the year 1792 when I moved into Fort Ann where I now reside and have resided ever since.
       That I was born in the year 1751 on Philips Patent, Dutchess County, State of New York and that I have no record of my age.  That I have never received a written discharge.That I was born in the year 1751 - That I have no documentary evidence and that I know of no person whose testimony I can procure who can testify to my service - That Rufus Bates, a clergyman and Nathaniel Titchum to whom I am known in my present neighborhood who can testify as to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a soldier of the Revolution.
       I herely relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.  That I am not able from bodily infirmity to attend the Court."

Sworn to and subscribed this day
and year aforesaid mentioned
before me         John Moss                                John Parish