Esther Sumner Damon
Last American revolutionary war widow (1814–1906)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Esther Sumner Damon (August 1, 1814[1] – November 11, 1906) was cited as the last widow of the American Revolutionary War to receive a state pension.
August 1, 1814
Esther Sumner Damon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Esther Sumner August 1, 1814 |
| Died | November 11, 1906 (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Schoolteacher |
| Known for | The last American Revolutionary War widow to receive a state pension |
| Spouse | Noah D. Damon |
Esther was born in Bridgewater, Vermont.[2] The family had eight or nine children.[1] Esther's father was killed by a falling tree when she was eight years old.[1][2] Esther attended school during the winter and worked during the summers to help support her family.[2] At the age of seventeen, Esther became a school teacher in Plymouth.[2]
Esther Sumner married Noah D. Damon (August 25, 1760 – July 2, 1853) on September 6, 1835, in Bridgewater, when she was 21 and he was 75.[2] The couple had met two weeks prior.[2]
Husband's war service
Noah Damon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Noah D. Damon August 25, 1760 Benton, New Hampshire, British America |
| Died | July 2, 1853 (aged 92) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Continental Army |
| Service years | 1775-1848 (retired) |
| Rank | Private |
Noah Damon enlisted in the Continental Army on April 19, 1775, as a private with the Massachusetts troops.[2] Over the next five years, he served from as little as six days to eight months in various companies and regiments.[1] Noah applied for a war pension, as a resident of Plainfield, New Hampshire on November 13, 1848.[3]
Noah was penniless, though Esther may have thought he was a hardworking landowner.[1] Esther supported him for three years before financial necessity forced him to move in with his daughter in New Hampshire.[2]
Esther supported herself by sewing and nursing.[2] She also leased a farm near Reading.[1]
After Noah's death in 1853, Esther applied for and received his pension from October 1855. The pension was increased to $24 a month by the United States Congress on February 28, 1905.[4]
Towards the end of her life, Esther received additional financial support from the Daughters of the American Revolution.[2]
Esther died on November 11, 1906, aged 92, and was buried at Plymouth Notch Cemetery in Plymouth, Vermont. The gravestone was paid for by the Daughters of the American Revolution.[5]