Japheth Washburn - Revolutionary War Patriot

Japheth Washburn was a blacksmith in Rochester, MA. He was born in Plympton, MA, on 11 Sept. 1746 to Ephraim and Mary (Pollard) Washburn.   He married Priscilla Coombs, daughter of Ithamer and Hannah (Andrews) Coombs, of Rochester, MA, in 1768 in Rochester. Priscilla was born on 1 Nov. 1742 in Rochester, a granddaughter of Anthony and Dorcas (Wooden) Coombs, of Wells, York Co., ME.


 Plympton Massachusetts.


On 8 Apr. 1773 Japheth Washburn, blacksmith, purchased land in Rochester from John Matthews, of Rochester, which he sold to Hopestill Bisbee on 11 Feb. 1780. By 1783, Japheth and Priscilla Washburn had moved to Middleborough, MA. On 3 Sept. 1783 Joshua Raymond, of Middleborough, sold land in Middleborough to Japheth Washburn, of Middleborough, blacksmith, which he sold to Jonathan Shaw in ca. 1787. On 26 Mar. 1787 Japheth Washburn, of Middleborough, blacksmith, sold one acre of meadow in Plympton to Benoni Lucas, which had been set off to him in the division of the estate of his father, Ephraim Washburn.  On 28 Jan. 1788 Japheth Washburn, of Middleborough, blacksmith, sold land in Middleborough to Foxwell Thomas that had been set off to his brother, John Washburn, in the division of the estate of his father Ephraim Washburn, of Plympton.

During the Revolutionary War Japheth Washburn served as a private in Capt. Jabez Cottle’s Company from Plymouth County in 1778, then as a private in Capt. Jonah Washburn’s Company from Middleborough in 1780, and they moved to Wayne, Kennebec Co., ME, after 1788. He was not listed as a head of household in either Massachusetts or Maine in the 1790 federal census. He was living in Wayne, Kennebec Co., ME, in the 1800 federal census, next door to his son, Zalmuna Washburn, in Fairfax, Kennebec Co., ME, in the 1810 federal census, and in China, Kennebec Co., ME, in the 1820 federal census, where he was a farmer.

Japheth Washburn died in 1828, probably in China, ME, and Priscilla (Coombs) Washburn died in 1830. They had chil­dren:
   i   Polly Washburn, born on 9 Mar. 1770 in Wayne, Kennebec Co., ME, marriage not found.
  ii   Zalmund/Zalmuna Washburn, born on 11 Sept. 1772 in Wayne, ME, married Deborah in ca. 1795.
 iii   Abisha Washburn, born on 8 June 1775 in Wayne, ME, married 1) Jane Burrill on 21 July 1799 in China, Kennebec Co., ME, and 2) Sally Sturtevant in 1808 in Leeds, ME.
 iv   Cloe/Chloe Washburn, born on 28 June 1777 in Wayne, ME, married Nathaniel Dexter on 12 July 1796 in Winthrop, ME.
  v   Japheth Coombs Washburn, born on 28 Jan. 1780 in Wayne, ME, married 1) Betsey Lowney, daughter of William and Abra (Merrill) Lowney, on 18 Apr. 1802 in China, ME, and 2) Sarah Blish, daughter of Stacy and Mary (Barker) Blish, on 17 Sept. 1818 in China or Vassalborough, Kennebec Co., ME.
 vi   Priscilla Washburn, born on 18 Apr. 1786 in Wayne, ME, married Asa Burrill, of Albion, Kennebec Co., ME, son of Abraham and Hannah (Cushing) Burrill, on 25 May 1806.
(Birth Records, taken from Town and Vital Records of Wayne, Maine, 1800-1891, from FHL microfilm #0012302 
Marriage Records, taken from Town and Vital Records of Winthrop, Maine, 1772-1890, from FHL microfilm #0012299.)