For some reason, the Parmelees often served as drummers, making them also responsible for summoning residents to events
in the days before meeting halls had bells. Note that several members of the family served as drummers during the
Revolutionary War.
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- Abraham 1717-1795
[05-0168] (Abraham, Isaac, John, John)
Ensign, lieutenant; of Goshen, Conn.
He was commissioned an ensign in the East Company of the Goshen Train Band at the
Colonial Assembly's October, 1762, session. At the October, 1766, session he was made a
lieutenant. He also served in the Revolutionary War.
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- Jehiel 1718-1776
[03-0042] (Joshua, John, John)
Lieutenant; of Guilford, Farmington, Wallingford and Litchfield, Conn.
He was commissioned lieutenant of the 2nd Train Band at Farmington in 1759. He had two
sons, Joshua and Joel, who served in the Revolutionary War.
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- Joel 1679/80-1748
[05-0018] (John, John)
Ensign, lieutenant; of Durham, Conn.
Commissioned lieutenant of the Durham Train Band by the Colonial Assembly in the October,
1727, session. At the May, 1729, session he was commissioned a lieutenant. See his
tombstone.
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- John "Jr." 1612/1687/88
[05-0003] (John)
Drummer; Guilford, Conn.
He was hauled into court on Jan. 1, 1656/57 to answer "a common fame or report of his
inordinate drinking upon a Trayneing day of late, appearing in his gestures et&c. ..."
Testimony shows that he managed to upset pails of water set out at a couple neighbors' homes
with his drum. He was fined.
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- Nathaniel 1645-1676
[05-0008] (John, John)
Lieutenant; Guilford and Killingworth, Conn.
On Sept. 28, 1666, the town of Killingworth agreed to pay him 40 shillings per year to beat
the drum on Sabbath days to summon residents to worship services and to maintain the drum at
his own expense. He may have fought in King Philip's War. On a 1994 trip to Clinton, Conn.
[formerly Killingworth], I was told that as late as the 1980s one of his descendants was a bell
ringer at the Congregational church.
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- Nathaniel 1697-1752
[01-0039] (Nathaniel, Nathaniel, John, John)
Lieutenant; of Killingworth, Conn.
He was commissioned a lieutenant in the North Society (today's Killingworth) train band by
the Colonial Assembly on May 10, 1739.
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- Oliver 1734-1816
2nd lieutenant; of Bethlehem and Woodbury, Conn., and Fairfax, Vt.
[03-0084] (Jonathan, Joshua, John, John)
He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in Capt. Samuel Elmore's Company, the 3rd Company
of the colony's 4th Regiment. He later served in the Revolutionary War.
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- Samuel 1737-1807
[05-0185] (Joseph, Isaac, John, John)
Lieutenant, of Guilford, Conn.
Named a lieutenant in the 5th Company of the colony's 7th Regiment at the colonial assembly's
October, 1770, session, and again at the May, 1775, session. He later served in the
Revolutionary War.
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- Stephen 1669-1736
[05-0105] (Stephen, John, John)
Guilford and Newtown, Conn.
A history of Newtown notes that he was hired to beat the drum for church services, village
meetings and other public gatherings until Jan. 9, 1764, "when Abel Bottsford became bell
ringer."
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