Son of Thomas and Prudence (Scott) Bidwell.
Married:
1. Theodosia Colton, 24 Oct. 1752, West Hartford, Connecticut.
(No children)
2. Jemima Devotion, 16 Oct. 1760, Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(First cousin of Theodosia Colton.)
Four children, all born in Tyringham:
Adonijah, Jr., b. 6 Aug. 1761.
Barnabas, b. 23 Aug. 1763.
Jemima, b. 21 Jan. 1765.
Theodosia, b. 19 Nov. 1766.
3. Ruth Kent, 28 Oct. 1772, probably Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(No children)
EDUCATION: Yale Divinity School, 1740.
PROFESSION: In 1741 he "taught school at Hartford and Hartford West Division (now West Hartford). In 1744 he served as Chaplain on the Connecticut Colony sloop for 20 weeks. In 1745 he served in the same capacity 39 weeks . . . In 1746, he kept school at Wintonbury, Connecticut and in 1747 at Simsbury, and in 1747 and 1748 at West Hartford. He was ordained 5 Oct. 1744. He preached at Simsbury, Connecticut between 1747 and 1750, and from his diary we find he preached 29 Sundays at Kinderhook, New York in 1749 . . . Sept. 1750, the church was organized under him with eight members at Tyringham, Massachusetts (now Monterey) and he settled there the same year and remained as pastor until his death." (Joan J. Bidwell: BIDWELL FAMILY HISTORY, 1587-1982. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 1984, p. 25.)
"During the [third] French and Indian War he served as a military chaplain for the Connecticut fleet, which was involved in the [victorious] 1745 Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, expedition to Cape Breton. His diary from that period became the most important historic document of the expedition. At the end of the war, he continued his ministry in Simsbury, Connecticut and later in Kinderhook, New York. In 1750 Reverend Bidwell accepted the pastorate for Township Number One, later to become Tyringham, then Monterey." [SOURCE: BIDWELL FAMILY NEWSLETTER, Summer 2000.] He was the first minister of that church.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE: As a Revolutionary War Patriot, Rev. Adonijah Bidwell did the following: (1) For four years in a row, he lent his salary to the town, so the town could pay the soldiers; (2) He sold beef to the army; and (3) He lent the town another sixty pounds sterling so they could pay the army. (And it appears that the town never was able to repay all the money he had lent them.)
"Despite his fervent patriotism, Adonijah Bidwell hung several portraits of the king in his house. Messengers and soldiers under the king's command would have often stopped by frontier outposts, therefore, pictures were needed to suggest loyalty to the king." [Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adonijah_Bidwell&oldid=919277067"]
Married:
1. Theodosia Colton, 24 Oct. 1752, West Hartford, Connecticut.
(No children)
2. Jemima Devotion, 16 Oct. 1760, Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(First cousin of Theodosia Colton.)
Four children, all born in Tyringham:
Adonijah, Jr., b. 6 Aug. 1761.
Barnabas, b. 23 Aug. 1763.
Jemima, b. 21 Jan. 1765.
Theodosia, b. 19 Nov. 1766.
3. Ruth Kent, 28 Oct. 1772, probably Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(No children)
EDUCATION: Yale Divinity School, 1740.
PROFESSION: In 1741 he "taught school at Hartford and Hartford West Division (now West Hartford). In 1744 he served as Chaplain on the Connecticut Colony sloop for 20 weeks. In 1745 he served in the same capacity 39 weeks . . . In 1746, he kept school at Wintonbury, Connecticut and in 1747 at Simsbury, and in 1747 and 1748 at West Hartford. He was ordained 5 Oct. 1744. He preached at Simsbury, Connecticut between 1747 and 1750, and from his diary we find he preached 29 Sundays at Kinderhook, New York in 1749 . . . Sept. 1750, the church was organized under him with eight members at Tyringham, Massachusetts (now Monterey) and he settled there the same year and remained as pastor until his death." (Joan J. Bidwell: BIDWELL FAMILY HISTORY, 1587-1982. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 1984, p. 25.)
"During the [third] French and Indian War he served as a military chaplain for the Connecticut fleet, which was involved in the [victorious] 1745 Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, expedition to Cape Breton. His diary from that period became the most important historic document of the expedition. At the end of the war, he continued his ministry in Simsbury, Connecticut and later in Kinderhook, New York. In 1750 Reverend Bidwell accepted the pastorate for Township Number One, later to become Tyringham, then Monterey." [SOURCE: BIDWELL FAMILY NEWSLETTER, Summer 2000.] He was the first minister of that church.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE: As a Revolutionary War Patriot, Rev. Adonijah Bidwell did the following: (1) For four years in a row, he lent his salary to the town, so the town could pay the soldiers; (2) He sold beef to the army; and (3) He lent the town another sixty pounds sterling so they could pay the army. (And it appears that the town never was able to repay all the money he had lent them.)
"Despite his fervent patriotism, Adonijah Bidwell hung several portraits of the king in his house. Messengers and soldiers under the king's command would have often stopped by frontier outposts, therefore, pictures were needed to suggest loyalty to the king." [Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adonijah_Bidwell&oldid=919277067"]
Son of Thomas and Prudence (Scott) Bidwell.
Married:
1. Theodosia Colton, 24 Oct. 1752, West Hartford, Connecticut.
(No children)
2. Jemima Devotion, 16 Oct. 1760, Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(First cousin of Theodosia Colton.)
Four children, all born in Tyringham:
Adonijah, Jr., b. 6 Aug. 1761.
Barnabas, b. 23 Aug. 1763.
Jemima, b. 21 Jan. 1765.
Theodosia, b. 19 Nov. 1766.
3. Ruth Kent, 28 Oct. 1772, probably Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(No children)
EDUCATION: Yale Divinity School, 1740.
PROFESSION: In 1741 he "taught school at Hartford and Hartford West Division (now West Hartford). In 1744 he served as Chaplain on the Connecticut Colony sloop for 20 weeks. In 1745 he served in the same capacity 39 weeks . . . In 1746, he kept school at Wintonbury, Connecticut and in 1747 at Simsbury, and in 1747 and 1748 at West Hartford. He was ordained 5 Oct. 1744. He preached at Simsbury, Connecticut between 1747 and 1750, and from his diary we find he preached 29 Sundays at Kinderhook, New York in 1749 . . . Sept. 1750, the church was organized under him with eight members at Tyringham, Massachusetts (now Monterey) and he settled there the same year and remained as pastor until his death." (Joan J. Bidwell: BIDWELL FAMILY HISTORY, 1587-1982. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 1984, p. 25.)
"During the [third] French and Indian War he served as a military chaplain for the Connecticut fleet, which was involved in the [victorious] 1745 Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, expedition to Cape Breton. His diary from that period became the most important historic document of the expedition. At the end of the war, he continued his ministry in Simsbury, Connecticut and later in Kinderhook, New York. In 1750 Reverend Bidwell accepted the pastorate for Township Number One, later to become Tyringham, then Monterey." [SOURCE: BIDWELL FAMILY NEWSLETTER, Summer 2000.] He was the first minister of that church.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE: As a Revolutionary War Patriot, Rev. Adonijah Bidwell did the following: (1) For four years in a row, he lent his salary to the town, so the town could pay the soldiers; (2) He sold beef to the army; and (3) He lent the town another sixty pounds sterling so they could pay the army. (And it appears that the town never was able to repay all the money he had lent them.)
"Despite his fervent patriotism, Adonijah Bidwell hung several portraits of the king in his house. Messengers and soldiers under the king's command would have often stopped by frontier outposts, therefore, pictures were needed to suggest loyalty to the king." [Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adonijah_Bidwell&oldid=919277067"]
Married:
1. Theodosia Colton, 24 Oct. 1752, West Hartford, Connecticut.
(No children)
2. Jemima Devotion, 16 Oct. 1760, Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(First cousin of Theodosia Colton.)
Four children, all born in Tyringham:
Adonijah, Jr., b. 6 Aug. 1761.
Barnabas, b. 23 Aug. 1763.
Jemima, b. 21 Jan. 1765.
Theodosia, b. 19 Nov. 1766.
3. Ruth Kent, 28 Oct. 1772, probably Tyringham, Massachusetts.
(No children)
EDUCATION: Yale Divinity School, 1740.
PROFESSION: In 1741 he "taught school at Hartford and Hartford West Division (now West Hartford). In 1744 he served as Chaplain on the Connecticut Colony sloop for 20 weeks. In 1745 he served in the same capacity 39 weeks . . . In 1746, he kept school at Wintonbury, Connecticut and in 1747 at Simsbury, and in 1747 and 1748 at West Hartford. He was ordained 5 Oct. 1744. He preached at Simsbury, Connecticut between 1747 and 1750, and from his diary we find he preached 29 Sundays at Kinderhook, New York in 1749 . . . Sept. 1750, the church was organized under him with eight members at Tyringham, Massachusetts (now Monterey) and he settled there the same year and remained as pastor until his death." (Joan J. Bidwell: BIDWELL FAMILY HISTORY, 1587-1982. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 1984, p. 25.)
"During the [third] French and Indian War he served as a military chaplain for the Connecticut fleet, which was involved in the [victorious] 1745 Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, expedition to Cape Breton. His diary from that period became the most important historic document of the expedition. At the end of the war, he continued his ministry in Simsbury, Connecticut and later in Kinderhook, New York. In 1750 Reverend Bidwell accepted the pastorate for Township Number One, later to become Tyringham, then Monterey." [SOURCE: BIDWELL FAMILY NEWSLETTER, Summer 2000.] He was the first minister of that church.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE: As a Revolutionary War Patriot, Rev. Adonijah Bidwell did the following: (1) For four years in a row, he lent his salary to the town, so the town could pay the soldiers; (2) He sold beef to the army; and (3) He lent the town another sixty pounds sterling so they could pay the army. (And it appears that the town never was able to repay all the money he had lent them.)
"Despite his fervent patriotism, Adonijah Bidwell hung several portraits of the king in his house. Messengers and soldiers under the king's command would have often stopped by frontier outposts, therefore, pictures were needed to suggest loyalty to the king." [Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adonijah_Bidwell&oldid=919277067"]
Inscription
Sacred to the Memory of the Revd. Adonijah Bidwell, AM who was born at Hartford, Octobr. 18th, 1716, received an education at Yale College, was ordained Paſtor of The Church of Chriſt in Tyringham, Octobr. 3rd, 1750, in which [unreadable] character he lived greatly beloved for his Chriſtian friendſhip, candour, charity, induſtry, sound judgment, and strict integrity until June 2nd, 1784, and then calmly expired, in full hopes of a happy immortality, through the merits of the Redeemer.
Go, Reader,
Follow his example,
And live the life of the Rightous;
That your latter end may be like his:
For bleſsed are the dead, who die in the LORD.
FOOTSTONE: Rev. Adonijah Bidwell died June 2nd, 1784, in the 668th year of his age.
[Obviously, this latter is an error. He died in his 68th year - aged 67 years, 7 months, 15 days.]
Gravesite Details
On the tombstone, the letter "ſ," which looks rather like an "f," is the old way of writing the letter "s."
