The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
State of Service: NJ
Qualifying Service: Patriotic Service / Lieutenant
Birth: 17 Aug 1760 / / NJ Death: 18 Feb 1850 Lambertville / Hunterdon / NJ
Qualifying Service Description:
Participated in the transport of George Wshington's troops across the Deleware River in Dec 1777 at his family's "Coryell's ferry"
Militia
Additional References:
SAR Patriot Index Edition III (CD: PP2210, Progeny Publ, 2002) plus data to 2004
Spouse: Nancy Ann Hamilton Children: William; Joseph;
Members Who Share This Ancestor
None*
*This means that the NSSAR has no applications for this Patriot on file.
Instead the information provided is best effort, and from volunteers who have either researched grave sites, service records, or something similar. There is no documentation available at NSSAR HQ to order.
George Coryell was born on 17 August 1760 in New Jersey. His family served an interesting and colorful place in the American Revolution. His grandfather was one of the founders of Coryell's Ferry on the Delaware River, which played a major role in the war's New Jersey campaign.
Emanuel Coryell founded the ferry at what is today Lambertville, New Jersey. In 1764, Emanuel's son John bought the ferry on the opposite Pennsylvania side, and the two sides together became known as Coryell's Ferry. The ferry was at a strategic location, being halfway between New York and Philadelphia. Both sides had an inn where travelers could stay overnight. The whole Coryell family was instrumental in helping the Continental Army during its time in the area.
In the fall of 1776, part of George Washington's army camped at Coryell's Ferry after crossing the Delaware. General William Alexander built earthworks to defend the ferry's landing spot from a possible British crossing. The British did not dare cross there because of the formidable defenses.
George Washington visited the ferry numerous times, using the high ground to watch for British activities on the other side of the river and conducting a war council with his top generals at the inn to plan the attack on Trenton. Cornelius Coryell, another son of Emanuel Coryell, served as a guide to Washington while he was in the area and helped ferry Washington's men across the Delaware just prior to their victory at Trenton. The Continental Army crossed at the Ferry again in 1777 and again in 1778 after the winter at Valley Forge on their way to attack Cornwallis when he abandoned Philadelphia. The Coryells helped them cross each time.
Cornelius Coryell had a son named George, with whom George Washington became acquainted in Philadelphia during his first term as president. George Coryell crafted an impressive gate for Benjamin Franklin, which Washington was very impressed with. He persuaded George to move to Alexandria, Virginia, where he set up shop, became a merchant and official, and did occasional work at Mount Vernon. Both Georges were members of the same Masonic Lodge and knew each other quite well. For Washington's funeral, Martha Washington requested that members of the Lodge serve as pallbearers. Six pallbearers carried the casket at the funeral itself, which was held at Mount Vernon for family and friends. Another four were assigned to carry the casket from the house to the tomb, which was also on the property.
George Coryell was not one of the scheduled pallbearers. Some accounts say that Lieutenant William Moss, one of the four who were to lay the casket in the tomb, got sick, while some accounts say he was not strong enough to carry the casket. Whichever is the actual reason, Lieutenant George Coryell was present and asked to take Moss's place. He was the last living of the ten pallbearers.
George Coryell lived in Alexandria until he retired and moved back to Lambertville. The Patriot died on 18 February 1850 and was buried at the First Presbyterian Church of Lambertville.
Send a biographical sketch of your patriot!
Patriot biographies must be the original work of the author, and work submitted must not belong to another person or group, in observance with copyright law. Patriot biographies are to be written in complete sentences, follow the established rules of grammar, syntax and punctuation, be free of typographical errors, and follow a narrative format. The narrative should unfold in a logical manner (e.g. the narrative does not jump from time period to time period) or have repeated digressions, or tell the history of the patriot's line from the patriot ancestor to the author. The thinking here is that this is a patriot biography, not a lineage report or a kinship determination project or other report published in a genealogy journal. The biography should discuss the qualifying service (military, patriotic, civil) of the patriot ancestor, where the service was rendered, whether this was a specific state or Continental service, as well as significant events (as determined by the author) of the patriot's life. This is the entire purpose of a patriot's biography.
Additional guidelines around the Biography writeup can be found here:
Send your submission1, in a Microsoft Word compatible format, to patriotbios@sar.org for inclusion in this space 1Upon submission of a patriot biography, the patriot biography becomes the property of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and may be edited to conform to the patriot biography submission standards.