An American Family History

"[L]iberty must at all hazards be supported.
We have a right to it, derived from our Maker.
But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us,
at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood."

Thomas Dwinnell was born in 1752 in Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Benjamin Dwinnell and Mary Estey.

He served as a private in the Massachusetts Militia. He was in  Captain William Perley's company of Minutemen, Colonel James Frye's regiment, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. His service was seen days to April 25, 1775.

Those men who enlisted for eight months in the Cambridge campaign: Jacob Hazen, Asa Smith, John Towne, Andrew Peabody, Allen Perley, Robert Andrews, Joshua Andrews, Samuel Brown, Rufus Burnham, Thomas Dwinnell, Job Davis, Stephen Emery, Edmund Herrick, John Hale, Stephen Perley, Daniel Peabody, Joshua Rea, Jonathan Wood, Moses Wood, Eliphalet Wood, John Wild (or Willet), Seth Burnham, Nathaniel Fuller, Jacob Perkins, Ivory Hovey, Samuel Cole, Eliphalet Cole, Moses Carleton, Nathan Kimball, jr., Enoch Kimball, Benjamin Foster, Asahel Goodridge, John Stiles, John Towne, jr., Elijah Gould, Joseph Simmons, Robert Perkins, Joseph Peabody, Stephen Gould, jr., Daniel Cole, Dudley Foster, Moses Kimball, Ebenezer Peabody, Stephen Merrill, Moses Porter, jr., Jeremiah Robinson,i David Sessions, Elijah Clark, and Jonathan Gilman. (from The History of Boxford)

He married Sarah Hammond. Sarah was born December 8, 1762 in Swanzey, New Hampshire. Her parents were Colonel Joseph Hammond and Esther Pierce. 

Their children were Octavia Dwinnell Leonard (born February 28, 1784, married Calvin Leonard), Sally Dwinnell Ellis (born January 18, 1786, married Samuel Ellis a farmer), Nabby Dwinnell (born March 24, 1788), Thomas Dwinnell (June 13, 1790-July 9, 1866, married Arabella, who died August 26, 1865), Solomon Dwinnell (born July 3, 1792), Artemisa Dwinnell (born December 9, 1794), Abigail Dwinnell Grimes (married Alexander Grimes a farmer), Olive Dwinnell Wilson (married Aaron Wilson a millwright), and Joseph H. Dwinnell (a millwright married Almira Holbrook). 

The family appeared in the 1790 census in Keene.and appeared in the 1800 census of New Hampshire. The household consisted of one boy under ten, one between sixteen and twenty five and one man over 45, three girls under ten, two between ten and fifteen, one between 16 and 25, one woman between 26 and 44 and one woman over 45.

In August 27, 1792, the town of Keene set up a school district that included Timothy Colony, Frederick Metcalf, and Thomas Dwinell's families.

They were still living in Keene in 1810 and in 1820.

Benjamin died in March 31, 1838 in Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. He is buried in Ash Swamp Graveyard in Keene with his wife, his son Thomas and his wife, and other descendants.

Sarah died on November 29, 1848 at age 84.

The Granite Monthly Volume 15 edited by Henry Harrison Metcalf, John Norris McClintock

Col. Joseph Hammond was, in 1744, one of the first settlers of Swanzey, going to that place when a young man from Littleton, Mass. He was a colonel in the French wars, and on receipt of the news of the battle of Lexington was elected captain of the Swanzey company, and with sixty-two men marched, April 21, to the defence of Boston. He was lieutenant-colonel of Col. Ashley's regiment at the second Ticonderoga alarm, but being considered too old for active service, was employed as mustering officer, and also placed in charge of the transportation of supplies for the army. He resigned June 14, 1779, and his letter was accepted with regrets on June 19th, accompanied by a vote of thanks from the Assembly. He was also a grantee of Jefferson, in 1772. Born about 1722; died 1804.