Penuel Pond 1757-1781

Born in Wrentham 23rd of November, 1757.

Descendant of a Salem, Massachusetts Founding Family.

Minuteman, enlisted into the Continental Army.

Died on a British Prison Ship in New York Harbor.

The family history of the Pond’s is plentiful, as there were several Pond families who emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1600’s. This paper will cover one of those families, specifically those relating to Wrentham and Penuel.

The family tree of Penuel Pond in the Massachusetts Bay Colony begins with his 3rd Great-Grandfather: Robert Pond, 1592-1637.

Robert was born on the 10th of September, 1592 in Edwardstone, Babergh District, Suffolk, England and died on the 20th of December, 1637 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, at the age of 45. He married Mary Margaret Kilbourne (1596-1637) on the 18th of November, 1617 in Groton, England. They had six children; Samuel, Mary, Jonathan, Robert, Daniel, William and Ephraim.

In 1630 the family immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony as described in the headstone inscription:

Penuel’s 2nd Great-Grandfather was Daniel Pond (1627-1698) who was born in Groton, Suffolk, England at the age of 3, raised in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts and married his first wife, Abigail Shepard (1627-1661) on the 18th of June, 1651. They had six children; Abigail, Daniel, Ephraim, John, Rachel and Hannah. After Abigail’s death in 1661, he married his second wife, Anne Edwards (1640-1732) and they had seven children; Daniel Jr., Robert, William, Caleb, Joshua, Jabez and Sarah. Daniel died on the 4th of February, 1698 in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Penuel’s Great-Grandfather was John Pond (1656-1734) who was born in Dedham, Massachusetts and he married his first wife, Rachel Stow (1659-1695) and they had four children; John, David, Hannah and Rachel. After Rachel’s death, he married his second wife, Judith (Last named unknown) and they had five children; Judith, Abigail, Israel, Joseph and Ebenezer. John Pond died in 1734 in Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Penuel’s Grandfather was David Pond (1690-1775) who was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts on the 2nd day of April, 1690 and he married Sarah Richardson (1700-?) and they had seven children; David, Hannah, Stephen, Ebenezer, Phoebe, Gideon and Deborah. David died on the 24th day of March, 1775 in West Medway, Massachusetts.

Penuel’s father was Ebenezer Pond (1728-1821) who was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts on the 4th day of July, 1728 and he married Freelove Fairbanks (1734-?) and they had six children; Penuel, Daniel, Ebenezer, Freelove, Adam and David. Ebenezer died on the 21st day of March, 1821 in Oswego, New York.

Penuel Pond

Born: 23 November, 1757, Wrentham, Mass.

Death: 16 December 1781, New York, New York.

Burial: City Mills Historical Cemetery, Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Penuel’s gravestone

As noted on the inscription of the stone, Penuel was capture by the British and kept in one of the many infamous British prison ships in New York Harbor.

The only other record of Penuel’s fate is found in the book “Wrentham 1673-1973 A History” by Jordan D. Fiore published in 1973, on page 74, as follows:

To Penuel:

“Thank you for your service, you gave the ultimate, your life, for your family and country. You will always be remembered as one of many true Heroes here in the Town of Wrentham”

Written by William H. Jones