Benjamin Brown Dow

• General Notes
  • Benjamin's youth was spent in Kensington, New Hampshire. He was apprenticed on February 13, 1774 for six years and seven days to Asahel Blake of Northwood, New Hampshire. His middle name seldom appears. His apprenticeship ended abruptly at the beginning of the war, he making his subsequent home with Walter Bryant of Newmarket, New Hampshire. He received four pounds, ten shillings bounty for his first enlistment and re-enlisted at least twice. On July 1, 1777 he participated in a five day march toward Ticonderoga under Captain Duncan and Lieutenant Colonel Moses Kelly. In 1781 he received $182.60 allowance for depreciation of currency, the Continental paper falling to about 1 1/4 per cent of it's face, later becoming worthless. On February 14, 1781 he was serving under Captain Sartwell.
    After the war, Benjamin became the subject of considerable litigation between the towns claiming credit for his services. In his last muster roll he is entered as of Northwood. Kensington and Newmarket claimed him as well. Simon, his brother, deposed that Benjamin had been apprenticed by their father to one Blake of Northwood, whence he went to Cambridge and "listed for one year"; that when he was not in service he always stayed with Walter Bryant, for whom Simon worked, and that he never went to Northwood except for one night to settle with his master [for his broken apprenticeship] and one short visit to Hampton, where he had been born.
    The deposition of Walter Bryant, of lawfull age, testifieth & Saith that Benjamin Dow, a soldier in the army, having a brother a Sarvent with the Deponant, soposed that he made his house his home and accordingly always looked for him to come to his the Depoonant's house as he hath from time to time and staid about six weeks at a time. About four years ago the Deponant and said Benjamin hath conversed about his belonging to Newmarket; said he expected Newmarket would do something for him, as he was returned for Newmarket; and he had Cloaths made in my house & washed there & Cloths Left there and there now: Walter Bryant sworn July 18, 1781.
    It seems easy to read between the lines that Benjamin was a simple-hearted, likable youth who failed to inherit his share of the abilities of his grandsires. He was entitled to, and presumably received 160 acres of land under the act of 1783. He may still be found among disconnected Dow of some interior town, but so far no record known can be attributed safely to him.