Mary Fish Noyes Silliman (1736-1818) was a matriarch in
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.
...
and post-colonial
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
Stonington, Connecticut
The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington (borough), Connecticut, Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and W ...
, to Joseph Fish and Mary (Pabodie) Fish. At the age of fifteen, she entered the school of Sarah Osborn, an accomplished woman and a model of female independence. She married John Noyes, the son of the Rev. Joseph Noyes of the First Church in New Haven, on November 16, 1758. Her new husband was a former rector of the Hopkins Grammar School in New Haven who preached occasionally, engaged in modest dealings in the shipping trade, and suffered from epilepsy. Together, they lived in a house on Elm Street in
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
and had three children who survived to adulthood: Joseph in 1761, John in 1762 and James in 1764. John Noyes father died in the fall of 1767. He was intestate, and Mary became his
executrix
An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used.
Overview
An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...
. All three sons went on to enter the ministry, following in the footsteps of their father and grandfathers.
Mary and Colonel
Gold Selleck Silliman
Gold Selleck Silliman (1732–1790) was a Connecticut militia General during the American War for Independence.
Biography
Silliman was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, graduated from Yale University and practiced law and served as a crown attorney ...
, a lawyer and member of one of Fairfield County’s most influential families, were married on May 24, 1775 in Stonington following a courtship sustained by frequent letters. The new couple moved to Gold’s farm in Fairfield soon after. Their marriage was rooted in lasting friendship, deep affection, and mutual respect.Wilson, Lisa, ''Ye Heart of a Man: The Domestic Life of Men in Colonial New England'' (Yale University, 1999), pp. 75-77. Mary and Gold had two children together: Gold Selleck in October 1777 and
Benjamin
Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...
in August 1779.
Revolutionary War
Knowing that military involvement in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
could rob her of her second husband through absence or death, Mary learned the workings of his farm as well as knowledge of his financial affairs. Mary fell ill with
dysentery
Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
in 1776 but upon recovery, ran the Silliman farm, entertained militia officers, housed refugees of war, managed the labor of several enslaved workers and her adult stepson, drew accounts, and collected rent on her late first husband’s farms, all while her husband led the state militia.Kulikoff, Allan, ''From British Peasants to Colonial American Farmers'', (Univ. of N. Carolina, 2000), pp. 255-256.
On May 2, 1779, a band of Loyalists captured Gold and his son from a previous marriage, Billy, holding them prisoner on a Long Island farm. At the time of their kidnapping, Mary was six months pregnant with their second child; the child Benjamin was held during his father's captivity. Money was a constant struggle, as the family assets suffered from Gold’s indefinite absence and
General Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the ...
’s refusal to offer assistance to Gold who, though an officer, was not on active service at the time of his capture. Gold survived a bout of
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
early in his captivity and often went without the comforts of adequate food and clothing. Correspondence between husband and wife was sparse and delayed.
On the morning of July 7, 1779, a British fleet arrived to mount a full-scale attack on Fairfield, and Mary evacuated her household to North Stratford. Throughout her husband’s captivity, she wrote letters to well-connected men, like Connecticut’s Governor Trumbull, in order to appeal for their help in securing an exchange for Gold. Because the Patriots had no acceptable prisoner to exchange for Gold, some of his friends decided to take one. They chose Tory leader and Chief Justice Thomas Jones of Long Island. On November 6, with the consent of the Governor, Captain
David Hawley
David Hawley (1741–1807) was a captain in the Continental Navy and a privateer during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded in the 1776 Battle of Valcour Island, which is generally regarded as one of the first naval battles of the Amer ...
of Stratford and Captain Samuel Lockwood of Norwalk captured both the Judge and a young man named Willett, whom they hoped to exchange for Billy. Jones was held in Mary's home for a few days before the authorities moved him on. On April 27, 1780, a boat which Mary had hired departed
Black Rock Harbor
Black Rock Harbor is located in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Long Island Sound. The Black Rock Harbor Light on Fayerweather IslandBuel, ''Duty'', 145-170.
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
so that they could benefit from the same education as their brothers and father. Both sons studied law at New Haven. In April 1804, Mary and Dr. John Dickinson of Middletown were quietly married by her son James in Wallingford. After a series of illnesses and misfortunes, Mary died on July 2, 1818.Buel, ''Duty'', 196-213, 223-245, 281.
Legacy
Mary Fish Noyes Silliman possessed influence, authority, and tact, for which she has been remembered in publications and film. She instructed her children in religion and manners in order to develop in them inner grace as well as scriptural knowledge. She commanded moral authority derived from her ability to translate her piety into action, and she was competent in her role as a contributor to the household. As her sons grew independent and had children of their own, Mary assumed the role of family matriarch, advising and nurturing her spreading family circle. Her son Benjamin described her as a “heroic woman.” Ultimately, historians Joy Day Buel and Richard Buel Jr. describe Mary as “less a daughter of the Revolution than a child of the Puritans.” The Silliman Family Papers, housed at Yale University, include a wealth of Mary’s writing in the form of her journal, papers, and letters, and are a rich resource.
The story of Mary’s experience during the American Revolution is depicted in the 1993 film '' Mary Silliman’s War'', produced by Heritage Films. The film, based on the Buels' ''The Way of Duty'', seeks to dramatize three major themes surrounding the Revolution: the war’s divisiveness within colonial communities, the role of women in the struggles of the Revolution, and the role of religion in light of the war. Mary is portrayed as a devout, prosperous matron determined against all odds to reunite with her beloved husband.Mary Silliman's War: A Convincing Social Portrait American Historical Association (from the Film and Media column in ''Perspectives'' magazine, April 1995).
List of plays and films about the American Revolution
This is a list of films and TV films about the American Revolution.
* 1776, or '' The Hessian Renegades'' – 1909 film by D.W. Griffith
* ''1776'' – 1972 film based on the 1969 Broadway musical production, starring William Daniels, ...