Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 30.

Two articles have appeared in the Register regarding him. In Vol. XXII, p. 77, ‘A Romance of Old Medford,’ and in Vol. XXIV, p. 31, ‘Henry Putnam of Medford.’

He lived near Meeting House brook, but whether on the site of the present ‘Home for Aged Men and Women’ or in the valley of the brook is not certainly known. [p. 58]

The following extracts concerning him are taken from ‘The Putnam Lineage,’ by Eben Putnam, published in 1907, p. 70.

Henry Putnam b. 14 Aug., 1712; bapt. Salem Village, 17 Aug., 1712; killed 19 Apr., 1775. Son of Eleazer and Elizabeth Rolph Putnam of Salem Village.

There is considerable difficulty in tracing the history of this family (Henry), as the father left Danvers and his son Henry seems to have remained there, causing some confusion in regard to localities; added to this are various contradictory statements received from descendants now scattered throughout the United States and who are limited somewhat in their knowledge by the tradition which variously states that Henry, senior, and Henry, junior, were killed at Lexington.

The whole life history of both father and son would undoubtedly prove interesting, as they seem to have had the same love of adventure, the reckless bravery and patriotism of General Israel Putnam, with whom they were allied by marriage as well as blood.

There is a romantic story concerning the courtship of Henry Putnam. It is related that on one of his journeys from Medford to Connecticut, he stopped over night at Bolton, fell in love with his host's daughter, proposed in the morning, was immediately married and with his bride drove back—her dowry consisting of two cows and twelve sheep.

He is said to have been at the capture of Louisburg, being in command of a company there; his son Henry was also there from Danvers.

In 1738, he united with his brother, Samuel Putnam of Topsfield, and their mother, Elizabeth, in a deed of sale of land in Danvers to Benjamin and Joseph Knight. In or about the year 1745, he sold his father's homestead to Phineas Putnam, but had not disposed of all his property in Danvers, as he was on tax list in 1752, and on the fourth of March of that year was one of the three [p. 59] tellers at the first town meeting in Danvers to collect and count the votes for selectmen. At this meeting he was chosen surveyor of lumber. Probably about this time he removed to Charlestown, as the name of Henry Putnam does not occur on the Danvers tax list until 1757, when we may suppose it is the son and not the father who is mentioned.

Henry Putnam¹ was taxed in Charlestown from 1756– 1765 (he had purchased of J. Hartwell, forty-five acres in 1753), kept school without the neck. He was then styled ‘Gentleman,’ and, according to Wyman, from Danvers.²

On May 9, 1763, Henry Putnam of Charlestown, ‘Gentleman,’ was appointed administrator on the estate of his son John, late of Charlestown. It appears from extracts that he was more or less of a soldier, a scholar, and a man of some consequence, else he would not have had the title of gentleman. Some time, soon after 1763, he probably removed to Medford and was perhaps there when the alarm of the 19th of April was sent out and may have joined his old friends among the Danvers minute men. It is worthy of notice that the Danvers militia marched from Danvers to West Cambridge, a distance of over sixteen miles, in four hours. It was at West Cambridge that the greatest loss was met with by the Americans; it was at that point that the Danvers companies, hoping to intercept the retreating British, took possession of a small, walled enclosure and with shingles attempted to form a breastwork. There were nearly two hundred men from Danvers and Beverly. Henry Putnam, senior, of Medford, was killed, his son Henry badly wounded, Perley Putnam was killed, and his brother Nathan wounded, all but the first being [p. 60] members of the Danvers company. Another son of Henry, Eleazer, who went out with his company from Medford, was near or among the Danvers men. There Henry Putnam gave up his life for his country at the age of sixty-three years; he had volunteered his services, as he was exempt from military duty. I have seen it stated that five of his sons were there. His son Henry remained in Medford wounded, probably at the home of his brother Eleazer; but was at the battle of Bunker Hill.

Henry Putnam married Hannah Boardman.

children:

Henry, b. 1737 (by a curious error the record dates his birth as 1747), bapt. at the church in Salem Village, 2 Dec., 1753.

Eleazer,³ b. 5 June, bapt. 13 Aug., 1738. Was in Capt. Isaac Hall's company, and received credit for five days service on the Lexington alarm.

Elijah, b. 23, bapt. 26 July, 1741. Probably the Elijah who was graduated from Harvard College, 1766.

Roger, b. 10, bapt. 16 Oct., 1743.

John, b. 11 Oct., bapt. 13 Oct., 1745; administration on his estate granted to his father, with Caleb Brooks and Thomas Reed as bondsmen, 9 May, 1763. (According to the Perley Putnam Mss., this John had removed to St. John.

Billings, b. 11 May, 1749.

Benjamin, b. 26 Aug., bapt. in Salem Village, 15 Sept., 1751, d. Savannah, Ga., 1801.

Henry Putnam's father, Eleazer Putnam, lived in Danvers. He settled on a farm north of the Gen. Israel Putnam house and near the Topsfield boundary on the present Preston place. He was a farmer and probably well off. Here Henry was born.

In 1690 Eleazer Putnam had been one of Capt. William Raymond's company, enlisted for the ‘Canada Expedition.’ The General Court thought so well of this command that in 1725 a grant of land was made to the [p. 61] officers and soldiers, or their heirs, in Merrimack. Afterward this grant, being found to be in New Hampshire, was located on the Saco river.

During the witchcraft delusion, Eleazer Putnam ‘drew his rapier’ and punched at an imaginary devil or two which seemed to be torturing one of the afflicted girls. According to the ancient depositions his thrusts were as effective against the witch as against the French and Indians a couple of years before.