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: MA
Qualifying Service: Private
Birth: abt 1756 bpt Andover / Essex / MA Death: 05 May 1821 Andover / Essex / MA
Qualifying Service Description:
1778, he served as a private in Captain Pierce’s Company, Colonel Michael Jackson’s Regiment of the Massachusetts Continental Line, committing to nine months' service. He entered active duty on 1 July 1778 and served primarily at West Point, New York, until his discharge on 1 May 1779.
Additional References:
Revolutionary War Pension file W6734
Spouse: Mrs Rosanna/Rose Hooper Children: 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.
Titus Coburn was born about 1756 and was baptized on 16 October 1763 in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts. Noted in the church baptismal records as “belonging to Captain Timothy Holt.” Enslaved as a youth, he was described in life as a freeman man of color.
In June 1778, Titus enlisted as a private in Captain Pierce’s Company, Colonel Michael Jackson’s Regiment of the Massachusetts Continental Line, committing to nine months' service. He entered active duty on 1 July 1778 and served primarily at West Point, New York, until his discharge on 1 May 1779. His military service was confirmed by affidavits from fellow soldiers Nathaniel Duntler and Benjamin Berry, who testified to his faithful service and poor financial condition after the war.
Following his service, Titus continued to live in Andover, where he worked as a laborer. In 1818, at the age of 62, he applied for a pension under the Act of 18 March 1818, citing his poverty and inability to work due to health issues, including a severe rupture. He was awarded a pension of eight dollars per month, beginning on 18 April 1818. In 1820, he provided a detailed inventory of his possessions, which totaled only $5.32, and testified to his ongoing need due to age and infirmity.
Titus married Rosanna “Rose” Hooper on 6 September 1792 in Wilmington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The marriage was performed by Samuel James, Esq. Rosanna, the daughter of Jubea “Booz” Chickering and Phillis Frye, was also of African descent, born into a family with a history of enslavement. At the time of her marriage to Titus, Rosanna brought a daughter from a prior relationship, Colley Hooper, who lived with them and referred to Titus as her stepfather.
The Patriot died on 5 May 1821 in Andover, Massachusetts; his place of burial is now forgotten. His Will left all of his estate to his beloved wife, Rosanna.
Following Titus's death, Rosanna Coburn successfully applied for a widow's pension under various acts of Congress, receiving $96 per annum for her husband's Revolutionary War service. In 1855, she also applied for bounty land, affirming her marriage and long-standing residence in Andover. She remained a respected member of the community, known for her integrity, and continued to receive pension support until her death.
Rosanna “Rose” Coburn died on 19 March 1859 in Andover, Massachusetts. Her daughter Colley Hooper was born about 1786.
Sources:
Revolutionary War Pension File W6734, National Archives.
Andover, Massachusetts Vital Records, Baptisms, 16 October 1763.
Widow’s Pension Application of Rosanna Coburn, affidavits dated 1854–1855, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Probate Records of Titus Coburn, Essex County, Massachusetts, 1821.
Death Record of Titus Coburn, Andover, Massachusetts, 5 May 1821, Andover Vital Records 1646–1850.
Death Record of Rosanna Coburn, Andover, Massachusetts, 19 March 1859.
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.