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.
Author: Henry M. Curtis
Josiah Sparrow was born in Eastham, Massachusetts on February 10, 1759 to Isaac Sparrow and Rebecca (Knowles) Sparrow. In 1777, at the age of seventeen, Josiah joined the 1st Barnstable Regiment under Colonel Nathanael Freeman for the purpose of a secret expedition to Rhode Island which was later dubbed Spencer’s expedition for General Joseph Spencer. Militia units from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut in conjunction with the French Navy were tasked with driving the British from Newport, RI. The 1st Barnstable returned to Cape Cod after 31 days of service. On January 11, 1782, Josiah married Mercy Smith of Eastham, MA and they had eleven children, seven of which survived until adulthood. Josiah earned his living as a farmer, but also opened a factory that sold items manufactured from marble. During the early nineteenth century he manufactured salt from his salt works in Rock Harbor in Orleans. During the War of 1812, the British demanded a ransom from the town of Orleans in exchange for not landing troops on shore and destroying the salt works. When the town refused to pay the ransom Josiah, as a member of the local militia, helped defeat the British in the battle of Orleans. He lived out the remainder of his life in Orleans and passed away on July 13,1849 at the age of 90. He and his wife are buried in Orleans cemetery. An SAR grave marking was held in May, 2016.
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