Hi, This seems live a very muddled account and I'd see if you can straighten it out. I'd check the Quaker records and see if these guys were really Quakers. A Quaker wouldn't have fired on another human being but then he didn't fire and maybe he was just threatening the man going over the fence. A Quaker wouldn't have regarded it as acceptable to shoot a prisoner and unacceptable to fight in a war. Both would have been unacceptable. Why would two guys with Loyalists sympathy take someone looking to join the loyalists as a prisoner ? And then why would they threathen to shoot him when he escaped. The story doesn't make sense and so probably isn't very accurate. I'd check the material from the Committee of Suffering for New England Yearly Meeting and see if there is an account there of what happened. (The Committee of Suffering kept track of injustices inflicted on Quakers). There might also be a newspaper account of what happened or an journal or diary from the time. These old histories are often inaccurate since the source material is often oral histories and sometimes two different accounts get merged into one and then become internally inconsistant. You need to see what primary materials you can find, accounts written at the time the incident ocurred to try to sort it out. Jim HTHS57@aol.com wrote: > > I appreciate the wonderful responses to my query.  Following are the notes I > have about the IRISH family.   I do have some records from the State of > Vermont showing seizures. > > Jesse IRISH came to Danby, Vermont from Dutchess County NY in the spring of > 1767 with his family which included seven sons. They erected a log cabin on > the now, Nelson Colvin farm. On March 14, 1769, one of the sons, Peter b 1743 > was appointed the Collector of Danby, Vermont > > Jesse's son, John Irish, was killed in the following manner. "John Irish and > his tragic fate merit some attention from the historian. He and his brother > William lived in the north part of the town on adjourning farms, and built > their houses but a little distance apart and near the road which ran parallel > to the line fence between their farms. When the news of the surrender of > Ticonderoga reached Tinmouth on the 1st day of July, 1777, a great part of > the inhabitants started southward into Arlington, Shaftsbury and Bennington. > Those who did remain on their farms sought protection, as a rule, from > Burgoyne. Among these were the two brothers Irish. A little later the council > of safety sent a scouting party consisting of Captain Ebenezer Alle, > Lieutenant Issac Clark, and John Train and Phineas Clough, private soldiers, > into Tinmouth to learn what was going on amont the "Protectioners" and to > reconnoitre a Tory camp in East Clarendon. > > These men were personal acquaintenances of the Irish brothers. When the party > arrived in the west part of Tinmouth they were informed that it was suspected > the two brothers were about joining the Tories and that the shortest route to > the Clarendon camp would pass their dwellings. They accordingly took that > road. As they approached Irish's clearing, Allen directed Clough to five his > gun to Train, go on and ask William Irish the nearest road to the Tory camp, > at the same time telling him that he {Clough} had decided to go and join the > Tories. When Clough arrived at the house he found both brothers and made the > statement according tohis orders. Clough was told that he must consider > himself a prisoner; that they would see about his joining the Tories. William > then directed John to take Clough home with him, and he would soon follow and > help take care of him. John had an Indian tomahawk in his hand and told > Clough to walk along with him; they walked on toward John's house, he with > the uplifted tomahawk in his hand. > > When Allen saw this from his place of concealment, he said to Train; "We must > get as near as we can to John's house without being discovered." He and Train > started by one path and Clark crawled along behind the brush fence, the three > meeting near the house undiscovered. > > Here Allen gave directions that under no circumstances was either of them to > fire until he did. He then stationed himself about two rods north of the > path; Clark about the same distance south of it, and Train fifteen or twenty > rods farther east, all beinghidden behind trees. They had not waited long > before Clough stepped fromthe door and, after looking about, started for the > woods. > He had got partly over the fence when Irish came out, partly dressed, with a > gun in one hand and powder-horn in the other. > > He called out to Clough to stop or he would shoot him. While in the act of > raising his gun, apparently to carry out the threat, Allen shot him through > his left hand, knowcking his gun from him. Irish then turned around so as to > face Clark, who shot him through the heart. The party after killing Irish, > went on to Clarendon, and after reconnoitering the Tory camp, returned to > Arlington. [remember, Jacob Howe was in Tinmouth in 1824, when he signed a > petition in support of Uriah Hill from Danby > > The party after killing Irish went to the widow Potter's, in the edge of > Clarendon, and took dinner, stating that they had shot Irish; and here a few > days after Mrs. Irish learned all their names, and also that they did not > intend to kill John Irish, but that William Irish was the man they were > after, as they had been offered o30 for his head." 1 > > The following account indicates the Irish family sought protection before > John was killed.  "In July, 1777, Jesse Irish with his sons went to Gen. > Burgoyne's head-quarters at Whitehall and procured protection papers. On > reaching the British Camp he presented himself to Burgoyne, saying "here is > thy servant, Jesse, and his seven sons," whereupon, promising to either join > the British army or remain quietly at home, he received the General's > gracious protection. It is said that he rendered aid to the British army, by > which his property was confiscatedâ*|. The names of his children are as > follows: Jesse, Jr., Jonathan, William, David, Abel, Peter and John, all of > whom came here with their father." > > Jesse's death was in 1778, age 66, presumably not due to war activities. > > According to our research Peter received particularly harsh treatment because > he was tax collector as well as being a Quaker at the commencement of the > war. There are numerous records regarding confiscation of lands and cattle of > William as well as those of John after his death.   > > Peter Irish moved to Canada from Danby, Rutland Vermont, between 1784 - 1793 > and settled in the Township of Ernestown, Lennox and Addington County, > Ontario Canada. Along with his wife Mary Corey and his children at home. He > was joined by his son Abraham(m. Rebecca Cook) and his daughter Sarah (m. > Weeden Walker). > Peter, Abraham, and Weeden are listed among the earliest settlers in > Ernestown about 1784. > > Much of the township was settled by members of the Jessup's Rangers who > fought with the British during the American Revolution. The Jessup family > came from Nine Partners, Dutchess County NY as did the Irish family. One > unresolved issue is whether Peter, who was a Quaker, fought with Jessup's > Rangers and as a result led him to settle in Ernestown. In 1793, he moved his > family to Adolphustown, Ontario, Canada. > > In 1798, Peter submitted a petition for United Empire Loyalist status, which > was accepted, and was granted 200 acres in Haldimand Township, Northumberland > County which was just opening up for settlement. > > In his Will dated May 25, 1810,  Peter states: "That he is of the Township of > Haldimand in the County of Northumberland in the District of Newcastle and > the Providence of Upper Canada". > > I believe David and WIlliam stayed in Rutland County and other brothers moved > elsewhere > > included in the above are exerpts from > THE HISTORY AND MAP OF DANBY, VERMONT. > Author: J. C. WILLIAMS Publication: RUTLAND, VT   1869. > > ==== AMERICAN-REVOLUTION Mailing List ==== > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library