Abner Hollister was born October 28, 1754, in Glastonbury, Connecticut to Captain Francis Hollister and Betty nee McKee.

Captain Francis Hollister died at the age of 37 in 1770. He became fatally ill on his ship and died in Havana, Cuba. He left his wife and young family of seven. Abner was underage and his uncle Robert McKee became his legal guardian.

In 1775, Abner, age 21, joined the early beginnings of the revolutionary war. A military force of 1100 led by Benedict Arnold trampled through the wilderness of what is now the state of Maine on an expedition to invade the British Province of Quebec. Abner was wounded and lost many of his comrades. {Arnold's route to Quebec is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the state of Maine}

On January 27, 1777, Abner Hollister married Sarah Elizabeth Betty in Tyringham, Massachusetts. {record of Tyringham marriages}

Abner and Sarah were members of the Buckingham-Eastbury Church in Glastonbury, Connecticut {membership entry of 1778, page 152}

The first census taken by the United States in 1790, shows that Abner was living in Tyringham, Berkshire, Massachusetts with his family.

Abner's youngest and last child was born November 6, 1800 and family trees point to Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut, although no documentation has been sited to verify his birth location. Sarah would have been 42 when giving birth.

There are two 1800 U.S. censuses for Abner Hollister.

In the first 1800 U.S. census, Abner and his family are living in Washington, Litchfield, CT, and the total family count is over 18. The second 1800 U.S. census for Abner Hollister is in Deerfield, Oneida, New York and has a female and a male over the age of 44. The dates for when these census were taken are not provided. It is possible Abner and family are in both census as he was living in Washington, CT for the first census and then was counted again when he relocated to Deerfield, NY.

Between 1800-1802, Sarah Elizabeth Hollister dies. Her burial and cause of death are unknown.

In 1802, Abner, a widower with 12 children, married Elizabeth Granger in Oneida, who was also widowed. No children were born to this union.

By 1810, Abner had moved his family to Cato, Cayuga, New York {1810 census}.

By 1812, age 35, he had once again joined the military as a lieutenant with Captain Solomon Woodworth's Company in the New York-Light Infantry. Captain Solomon Woodworth also lived in Cato, Cayuga, New York and is attributed as an early settler of that town.

In searching Capt. Woodworth's New York Light Infantry, not much is found. His company is only acknowledged as having served in the war of 1812 via service records.

A Bounty-Land Warrant was applied for by Abner in 1812, # 55-120-32396. The Federal Bounty-Land act granted soldiers one hundred-acre warrants from the federal government for their revolutionary service.

On September 13, 1813, Abner Hollister died. His cause of death is unknown.

Abner was first buried in the Dutton Cemetery also known as Cato-Meridian cemetery and has a headstone. When the new cemetery, named Monumental Grove Cemetery, (now named Meridian Cemetery) was established, Abner, Jr. bought a family plot . He wanted his father with his family, so he moved him to his plot. This is why there are two Abner Hollister's cemetery locations on findagrave. {This information of his burial relocation was provided by the Maine Historical Society. They researched all the veterans that served under Benedict Arnold when applying his route to Quebec to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.}

Bio by Shirley Conley