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Jonas FAY, patriot, was born at Hardwick, MA, 28 January 1737; son of
Stephen
and Ruth (CHILD) FAY; grandson of John and Elizabeth (WELLINGTON) FAY, and
great-grandson of John and Mary (BRIGHAM) FAY, who came from Wales to
Boston,
arriving on the Speedwell, 27 June 1656. The FAYs were of French origin,
having fled to Wales during the Huguenot persecution. Jonas served in 1756
in the French war as clerk in Capt. Samuel Robinson's company of
Massachusetts troops at Fort Edward and Lake George. He afterward studied
medicine and in 1766 was among the early settlers of Bennington, VT, where
he
practiced his profession. In 1772 he was appointed a delegate from
Bannington and neighboring towns to appear before Gov. William Tryon of New
York and urge him to discontinue his violent proceedings against the Vermont
settlers. In March 1774, he was clerk of the convention of settlers which
drew up resolutions to defend their cause and their leaders by force, Allen,
Warner and others having been threatened by the New York assembly with
outlawry and death. In 1775 he accompanied Ethan Allen's expedition to
Ticonderoga as surgeon. In January, 1776, he was clerk to the convention at
Dorset and drew up the petition to congress to be allowed to serve the
patriot cause independent of New York. He was secretary of the convention
of
July, 1777, that framed the constitution of Vermont and during the summer of
that year was a member of the council of safety. Between 1777 and 1782 he
was four times an agent of the state to the continental congress. He was a
member of the governor's council, 1778-85; judge of the supreme court in
1782, and judge of probate, 1782-87. He then returned to the practice of
medicine at Bennington, removing to Charlotte in 1800, to Pawlet a few years
later and finally returning to Bennington. He was twice married: first, 1
May 1760, to Sarah [FASSETT], daughter of Capt. John FASSETT, and secondly,
20 November 1777, to Mrs. Lydia SAFFORD. He was joint author with Ethan
Allen of A Concise Refutation of the Claims of New Hampshire, Massachusetts
and New York to the Territory of Vermont (1780). He died at Bennington, Vt,
6 March 1818.
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20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Vol IV
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