Thomas Putnam

Notes:

Thomas (4), youngest son of Seth and Sarah (Harding) Putnam, was born in Delaware, Upper Canada, October 28, 1804, and died at Hamilton, Ontario, March 26, 1880. In 1825 he located in Dorchester, Upper Canada, which town was later (1839) named Putnam in his honor. He was largely engaged in mercantile and lumbering enterprises and became one of the most prominent men in private life in western Ontario. During the "patriot" rebellion of 1837-38 he became an object of suspicion to the Tory party, and was obliged to remain in concealment many weeks to avoid imprisonment and possibly a worse fate. He had a secret chamber in his house constructed to enter only by a sliding panel, where he lay while British soldiers searched the house. He greatly aided the rebel cause by money and influence. He was appointed a magistrate in 1838 by the governor-general of Canada, a life office and carrying the title of "Esquire." He refused all other public office. By the dishonesty of a partner, Squire Putnam met with severe business reverses late in life, which left him only a moderate competence after satisfying in full every creditor. He married (first) Nancy; daughter of Nicholas Dygert, a niece of General Nicholas Dygert, and granddaughter of John Dygert, who fought with General Herkimer at the battle of Oriskany. She was a sister to Eleanor Dygert, wife of William Putnam, who was killed at the battle of Windsor, Canada, previously mentioned. She bore him two children:

Harriet Ann, born July 24, 1833; married Hugh Duncan Cameron, a grand-nephew of the Duke of Athol and Earl of Graham. He was born in Perthshire, Scotland, July 26, 1833, came to Canada in 1852, was treasurer of the Hamilton Provident Loan Association at Hamilton, Ontario, where he died May, 1895.
Marshall Spring Bidwell, born October 25, 1837, died at Hamilton, March 13, 1880. Squire Putnam married (second), in 1844, Nancy, born 1822, died 1884, daughter of Rev. John Harris and his wife, who was also a daughter of Sylvanus Dygert.

Children of second marriage, all born at Putnam, Ontario:

Ephraim, born October 12, 1845, accidentally killed at the age of twenty-two years.
Rev. Alanson Harris, born December 20, 1847; a minister of the Baptist church, Toronto, Ontario.
Dr. Thomas Job, born December 25, 1848, graduate of Cleveland Medical College, 1877; now a practicing physician at Springfield, Massachusetts.
Dr. William Byron, of whom further.
Dr. Warren E., born May 6, 1857, graduate of Cleveland Medical College, 1881; now a practicing physician of Bennington, Vermont; he is surgeon-general on the staff of the governor of Vermont, and is now serving his second term (1910).

Thomas married Nancy Dygert. Nancy (daughter of Sylvanus Dygert and Magdalena Herkimer) was born about 1822 in Canada. [Group Sheet]