Descendants of Captain Arthur Fenner

Capt. Arthur Fenner

 

[b 18 June 1741 at Cranston, RI; d 23 Aug. 1827, aged 86 yrs., at Fairfield, Herkimer Co., NY] Captain Arthur Fenner m Rachel (Corpe) Westcott [b 28 Apr. 1737; d 16 Feb. 1803] as her second husband. Rachel, the widow of Samuel Westcott and daughter of John Corpe, died “after about 22 years sickness in full Faith, Fear, and Love of her Redeemer,” says her tombstone, which was erected by her son Edward. Samuel Westcott was the grandson of Freelove Fenner and Samuel Westcott.

Arthur enlisted at age 19 in Col. Henry Babcock’s regiment and went to Canada in 1759 during the French and Indian War. From 1 July 1775 to 26 August 1776, he served as a lieutenant in Col. Hitchcock’s regiment, under Capt. Williams’ company. In 1775, his regiment accompanied General Benedict Arnold in the ill-starred expedition against Quebec, called the Army of Observation. They traveled in snow, and waded in water up to their armpits. For thirty two days they did not meet a human being, and arrived opposite Quebec on November 9. “Four days afterward, the intrepid Arnold, with only 750 half-naked men, not more than 400 muskets, and no artillery, ascended to the Plains of Abraham and boldly demanded a surrender of the city and garrison.”

Arthur was commissioned as a captain in General Hitchcock’s brigade, Seventh Company, Col. Christopher Lippet’s Second Regiment, which marched to New York to join Washington’s army after the disastrous battle of Long Island on 27 Aug. 1776. Arthur fought in the tremendously successful battles at Trenton, 26 Dec. 1776, and Princeton, 3 Jan. 1777. After Trenton, Washington took Hitchcock by the hand and wished him to communicate his thanks to his officers and men.

Around the turn of the century, Arthur suffered severe financial losses. He moved in with son Arthur Jr. and followed them to Fairfield, NY, in 1806 or 1807. He applied for a military pension on 10 April 1818 as a resident of Fairfield, Herkimer Co., NY. On 26 Dec. 1827, the administration of Arthur’s estate was granted to his son Arthur Jr.

Children of Rachel Corpe and Samuel Westcott:

  1. Uriah [b 19 Mar. 1757; d 08 Feb 1800 at New Bern, Craven, NC].

  2. Anna [b 02 Jan. 1759; d 12 Nov 1795].

Children of Rachel Corpe and Arthur Fenner:

  1. Robert [b 18 Sept. 1767; d 4 Apr. 1866 in NY aged 98 yrs. 6 mos.] m 1st Sally —, m 2nd Abigail —.

  2. Mary [b ca. 1768; d 18 Oct. 1850] m Stephen Fenner [1754–1823].

  3. Samuel Westcott [b ca. 1770] m 1st Sally Burton in 1805, m 2nd Thankful Kimball on 6 Oct. 1811.

  4. Arthur [b 19 Dec. 1776; d 6 Nov. 1864] m Mary Baker. As of 2022, Arthur’s family Bible was in the possession of Rick Buckingham.

  5. Alice [b 2 Sept. 1777; d 16 Oct 1858] m Caleb LaValley.

  6. Amey [b ca. 1778] m Oliver Knight. She is buried in Crantson, RI, near her mother.

  7. Edward Fenner [b 22 Feb 1779; d 24 Aug. 1840] m Hannah H. Barden [1782–1870].

Family Bible records in the possession of Rick Buckingham. Click to enlarge.

Lineage:
Arthur | Arthur | Edward | Arthur

Sources:
1. S.G. Arnold, History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1859), p. 269.
2. Martha Benns, Notes on the Fenner Family of R.I. (1941), p. 12.
3. Arthur’s date of death is from his gravestone inscription, and a family Bible that belonged to his son, Arthur. In the same family Bible, Rachel’s death is shown as Feb. 9, 1803, but her tombstone inscription reads Feb. 16, 1809, possibly an error when the stone was transcribed in 1890.
4. Jim Fenner, Fenner–Broughton Family History (Apollo, Pa.: Closson Press, 1995), pp. 17–18. Jim shows Mary, Arthur, and Samuel. He specifies that Arthur Jr.’s dates are unknown.
5. Rick Buckingham, The Book of Begats, Line 49: 11-12; Cafferty, 38; and Benns, 26.
6. Email from Richard Arthur Fenner to Chris Fenner, 27 Aug. 2004.
7. Arthur’s memorial at FindaGrave, no. 20509225
8. Other children listed in Eva Fenner’s family tree:

Edward;
Sarah; m Timothy C. Kendall on 20 Apr. 1823 at Providence.
Zephaniah B. [b 1793; d 29 July 1882 at Providence].
Alice; m Caleb LeValley (Descendant of Mrs. Maria Minnick Keplinger of Philadelphia, No. 55321 DAR).
Harriet E.; m Seth Adams Jr. on 26 Feb. 1823 at Providence.

Sarah, Zephaniah, and Harriet are actually children of Arthur Fenner (1766–1837).

Many conflicting dates surround this Arthur and Rachel. Here are several possibilities:

Capt. Arthur:
b ca. 1741, d Aug. 23, 1827. Jim Fenner, p. 254.
b 1736, d 1803. Jim Fenner, p. 15.
b 1736, d 1827. Jim Fenner, p. 17.
b 1736, d Aug. 23, 1827. J.P. Root, et. al., p. 2.
b 1738, d 17 Nov. 1827. Eva Fenner, p. 62.
b 1735/6, d Nov. 19, 1827. Eva Fenner, p. 109.
b 1736, d Nov. 19, 1827, in his 92nd yr. Martha Benns, p. 12.
b 18 June 1741, d 23 Aug. 1827. Rick Buckingham, Genealogy, 6.

RachelWestcott:
b 1738, d 16 Feb. 1803. Jim Fenner, p. 15.
b 1738, d Feb. 16, 1803 in her 65th yr.. Martha Benns, 26.
b 1738. J.P. Root, et. al., p. 2.
b 1743, d 16 Feb. 1809. Eva Fenner, pp. 62, 109.
b 28 Apr. 1737, d 9 Feb. 1803. Rick Buckingham, Genealogy, 6.

Samuel Westcott:
b 1747, d 16 Feb. 1803. J.P. Root, et. al., p. 2.