James Avery (American colonist)

James Avery (b. 1620 – April 18, 1700) was an American colonial landowner, legislator, and a military commander in King Philip's War.

James Avery
Bust of James Avery
Born1620 (1620)
Cornwall
DiedApril 18, 1700 (aged 79–80)
Groton, Connecticut, U.S.
Spouse(s)Joanna Greenslade (1622–1697)

Early life

Avery was born in Cornwall, England and emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony as a child with his parents.[1] As an adult he received several land grants in the vicinity of New London, in Connecticut.

Pioneer

Avery was among Stonington, Connecticut’s early settlers, for whom Avery Point is named. A monument stands on the location of his 1656 home in Groton, called The Hive of the Averys. The home burned down in a fire started from an ember of a passing train on July 20, 1894.

Home of James Avery built in 1656

General Assembly

He was Deputy to the General Court 12 times from 1656 to 1680.[2] He also served for 20 years as a town selectman.

Military service

Avery was a captain in the colonial militia. In the Great Swamp Fight, a battle at Kingston, Rhode Island on December 19, 1675, Avery commanded a group of allied Pequot Indians.

Avery served as a captain in command of forty Englishmen from Stonington, Lyme, and New London in 1676. He also served as captain of one of four companies which protected the frontier.[1]

Descendants

Avery has thousands of living descendants. Among his descendants are John D. Rockefeller Sr., Governor and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Academy Award-winning screenwriter & director Roger Avary.

References
  1. Benjamin Tinkham Marshall (1922). A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut. Lewis Historical Printing Company.
  2. Avery, Elroy McKendree (1893). The Groton Averys, Christopher and James. pp. 9–10.


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