Bennington

PUTNAM, Warren Edward

Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the 
Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding 
of a Nation. Carleton, ed. Chicago: Lewis, 1903, pp 404-407

Dr. Warren Edward PUTNAM, of Bennington [Bennington County], Vermont, known 
throughout the state for his professional attainments and his literary 
accomplishments, is descended from one of the earliest New England families, 
which, in its various generations, for nearly seven centuries has contributed 
of its members those who have been signally useful in every honorable walk of 
life. The family comes of old English stock, the original name having been 
De PUTTENHAM. The earliest mention of the family, so far as known, is found 
in the "Domesday Book," compiled by order of William the Conqueror, and is 
seen among the three thousand names there enumerated. Puttenham, Herts 
County, England, was the first known seat of the family and is mentioned in 
the great survey ordered by King William. The village, as is seen, bore the 
family name and does so to this day. The "De" was dropped from the name in 
the thirteenth century, and "PUTTENHAM" was changed into the anglicized form 
of "PUTNAM" in the fifteenth century. The former estate and home of the 
family is in the parish of Puttenham and Aston Abbotts is now owned and 
occupied by the Earl of Roseberry.

The coat of arms which has been borne by the PUTNAMs from early times, prior 
to the visitations, was first granted to Sir George PUTTENHAM, of Sherfield, 
and to Nicholas PUTNAM, of Penne, and is described in the Visitations of 
Bucks, by HARVEY, in 1566 and 1634 and in the Visitations of Hampshire in the 
latter year. These arms are also described by BURKE in his "General Armory." 
They consist of a sable between eight crosses crosslit-fitchee, argent a 
stork of the last beaked and legged gules. Crest, a wolf's head gules.

Dr. [Warren Edward] PUTNAM's genealogical descent, so far as known, is as 
follows: Simon De PUTTEHAM, living in 1199; Ralph De PUTTENHAM, of 
Puttenham, born in 1217; Richard, born in 1263; John, 1291; Thomas PUTTENHAM, 
reign of Edward I; Roger, high sheriff for Herts in 1322; Henry, 1300-1350; 
Sir Roger, 1320-1380; William PUTTENHAM, of Puttenham and Penne, 1370-1452; 
Sir George, 1408-1473; Nicholas PUTNAM, of Penne, born in 1460; Henry, living 
in 1527; Richard, 1523-1556; Nicholas, of Wingrave, died in 1598; his son 
John was the first member of the family to come to America. The names of the 
wives of the English ancestors are not given for lack of space, but several 
of them were of noble blood. The genealogical line here given is all from 
record is believed to be absolutely correct. John PUTNAM, of Ason Abbotts, 
county of Bucks, England, mentioned above, was born about 1580, and came to 
America in 1634. His wife, Priscilla GOULD, to whom he was married in 
England, was admitted to the church in Salem [organized in 1630; then in the 
colony of], Massachusetts, in 1641, and he became connected with it six years 
later, and was made a freeman the same year. In 1644 the town of Salem voted 
that "a patrol of two men be appointed each Lord's Day to walk forth during 
worship and take notice of such as did not attend worship, and who were idle, 
etc.," and to present such cases to the magistrates. All those appointed 
were men of standing in the community, and for the ninth day those designated 
were John PUTNAM and John HAWTHORNE. [Essex County, which contained the 
village of Salem, was established in 1643.] John PUTNAM was a farmer and 
exceedingly well off for that day, and he must have been a man of 
considerable education, for he wrote a fair hand, as is shown by deeds on 
record. On 30 December 1662 he [John PUTNAM] died suddenly, in Salem village 
[Essex County], Massachusetts, aged about eighty years, and the following 
account of that event was written in 1733 by his grandson, Edward PUTNAM: 
"He ate his supper, went to prayer with his family, and died before he went 
to sleep."

Lieutenant Thomas PUTNAM, eldest son of John and Priscilla PUTNAM, was 
baptized 07 March 1614 at Aston Abbotts, county of Bucks, England, and died 
05 May 1686 at Salem village [Essex County], Massachusetts. It is of record 
that he participated in the famous "Narragansett fight," being lieutenant of 
a troop of horse. He [Thomas PUTNAM] was married 17 August 1643 at Lynn 
[Essex County], Massachusetts, to Ann, daughter of Edward and Prudence 
(STOCKTON) HOLYOKE, who came from one of the most prominent and aristocratic 
families in the colony, and were founders of the present city of Holyoke 
[Hampden County], Massachusetts. She occupied in the church the "principal 
pew" reserved for women, the leading church distinction in that day. Her 
[Ann (HOLYOKE) PUTNAM's] death occurred 01 September 1666. Lieutenant Thomas 
and Ann (HOLYOKE) PUTNAM were the grandparents of Major General Israel 
PUTNAM, and great grandparents of Major General Rufus PUTNAM. Ann HOLYOKE 
was also the great aunt of Edward HOLYOKE, president of Harvard University 
from 1737 to 1769. After the death of his first wife, Lieutenant [Thomas] 
PUTNAM married 14 September 1666, [Mrs.] Mary VEREN, widow of Nathaniel 
VEREN, a wealthy merchant of Salem [Essex County, Massachusetts]. She [Mary 
PUTNAM] died in March 1694. On 11 November 1672 Lieutenant [Thomas] PUTNAM 
was made chairman of the committee to carry on the affairs of the parish. He 
was the wealthiest citizen of Salem.

Sergeant Thomas [PUTNAM], son of Lieutenant Thomas and Ann (HOLYOKE) PUTNAM, 
was born 12 January 1652 in Salem [Essex County, Massachusetts]; on 02 
February 1652 he [Sgt. Thomas] was baptized in the First church, and he 
[Sergeant Thomas PUTNAM] died in 24 May 1699 in Salem. On 25 September 1678 
he [Sgt. Thomas PUTNAM] was married to Ann, youngest daughter of George and 
Elizabeth CARR, of Salisbury [Essex County, Massachusetts], where she [then 
Ann CARR] was born 15 June 1661; she [Ann (CARR) PUTNAM] died 08 June 1699 at 
Salem [Essex County, Massachusetts]. Thomas PUTNAM received a liberal 
education and wrote a fine, clear hand. Many of the records of the 
witchcraft trials, in which he took a prominent part, were written by him. 
He was the largest taxpayer in Salem, and a man of great influence in the 
Massachusetts colony.

Seth PUTNAM, son of Sergeant Thomas, was born in May 1695 in Salem [Essex 
County], Massachusetts, and died 30 November 1775 in Charlestown [not yet in 
Cheshire County], New Hampshire. [The town of Charlestown was established in 
1735, but Cheshire County was not created until 1769.] On 16 September 1718 
he [Seth PUTNAM] married Ruth, daughter of John WHIPPLE; she [Ruth (WHIPPLE) 
PUTNAM] was born in 1692, and died 01 February 1785 in Charlestown [then in 
Cheshire County; the state of New Hampshire not created until 1788]. Seth 
PUTNAM aided in forming the first church in Charlestown, and was one of the 
first ten members. On 14 August 1753 the first town meeting was held in that 
place, and he was chosen a tithing man. He was highly respected in the 
community, and his tombstone bears he inscription, "The memory of the just is 
blessed."

Thomas PUTNAM, the sixth son of Seth and Ruth PUTNAM, was born 22 October 
1728 in Billerica [Middlesex County, Massachusetts; the town of Billerica 
organized in 1655; Middlesex County formed in 1643; states of Massachusetts 
and New Hampshire not created until 1788], and died 20 August 1814 in 
Charlestown, [then in Cheshire County, state of] New Hampshire. He [Thomas 
PUTNAM] was married 24 January 1754 in Lunenburg [sp Lunenberg? organized in 
1728?; not yet in Worcester County, created in 1731 from parts of Suffolk and 
Middlesex Counties], Massachusetts, to Rachel, daughter of Captain Ephraim 
and Joanna (BELLOWS) WETHERBEE, of Charlestown, Massachusetts; she [Rachel 
WETHERBEE] was born 03 April 1733, and died 12 June 1812. Thomas PUTNAM took 
part in the French and Indian Wars as soon as he was able to bear arms, for 
in 1750 we find him the fourth name on the rolls of Captain STEVEN's company. He [Thomas PUTNAM] was 
prominent in both civil and religious affairs; he was 
one of the first members of the church in Charlestown and was afterwards a 
deacon; in Acworth he was the first justice of the peace; was moderator of the 
town meetings there in 1775 and 1779, and selectman from 1772 to 1778, with 
the exception of 1774 and 1777, his service being during the most important 
years of the Revolutionary War period. [Acworth was organized in 1767, and 
became part of Cheshire County when that county was created in 1769, and 
became part of Sullivan County, in 1827 when that county was formed from part 
of Cheshire.]

Seth PUTNAM, son of the last mentioned parents [Thomas and Rachel (WETHERBEE) 
PUTNAM, assuming Rachel was not previously married], was born 16 September 
1756 in Lunenburg [Worcester County], Massachusetts [not yet a state], and 
died 03 September 1827 in Putnam, Upper Canada [now Province of Ontario, 
Dominion of Canada]. He [Seth PUTNAM] was married 14 February 1790 to Sarah 
HARDING, who was born 14 May 1763 in Nova Scotia, and who died in 1827. When 
Seth PUTNAM was seventeen years old he was a private in Captain Samuel 
WETHERBEE's company in Colonel Isaac WYMAN's regiment, which marched to 
reinforce the northern army in June 1776. He [Seth PUTNAM] afterwards became 
an officer in the Revolutionary army. He was also a member of the famous 
"Boston Tea Party." He became a pioneer in Canada, where he purchased a 
large tract of land, and was a successful farmer up to the time of his death. 
He built the great macadam highway for the government, one hundred and sixty 
miles in length, from Hamilton, Upper Canada, to Chatham, Upper Canada.

Thomas PUTNAM, the son of Seth and Sarah (HARDING) PUTNAM, was born 28 
October 1804 in Delaware, Upper Canada, and died 26 March 1880. In his 
youth, in his father's house, he witnessed the historic interview between 
General PROCTOR and Tecumseh, the night previous to the battle of the Thames, 
in which the great Indian chief was killed. General PROCTOR made the house 
of Seth PUTNAM his headquarters at that time. In 1825, the year he attained 
his majority, Mr. [Thomas] PUTNAM located in Dorchester, Upper Canada, where 
he laid the foundation of an extensive mercantile and manufacturing business, 
and became so prominent a citizen that the name of the town was changed to 
"Putnam" in his honor.

Mr. [Thomas] PUTNAM first married Nancy DYGERT, daughter of Sylvanus DYGERT, 
a prominent citizen of his county; by her he had a son and a daughter: 
Marshall S. B. PUTNAM and Harriet A. PUTNAM. He [Thomas PUTNAM] next married 
Nancy HARRIS, daughter of the Rev. John HARRIS, of Boston [Suffolk County, 
Massachusetts], one of the best known clergymen of his day, who never had but 
one pastorate and held that for forty years. She [Nancy HARRIS] was also the 
grand niece of General Nicholas HERKIMER, who commanded the American forces 
at the battle of Oriskany [Oneida County, New York], one of the pivotal 
battles of the Revolution, where, having received a fatal wound, he still 
continued to command his troops while calmly smoking his pipe, saving he one 
thousand men from utter annihilation at the hands of overwhelming numbers 
under command of Sir John JOHNSON, Joseph BRANT, the famous Indian chief, and 
the notorious BUTLERs. Congress erected an imposing monument to his memory a 
few years ago. It is placed over his grave two miles east of Little Falls 
[Herkimer County], New York, and may be seen on the south side of the New 
York Central Railroad, near a large red brick house, his home. Nancy HARRIS 
was also kin to the VAN RENSSALAERs, as was his [Thomas PUTNAM's] first wife 
[Nancy (DYGERT) PUTNAM], and also, by marriage, grand niece of General Philip 
SCHUYLER. Thomas PUTNAM had six sons and one daughter. Dr. [Warren Edward] 
PUTNAM, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest son of the second wife. 
[Dr. Warren Edward PUTNAM was the son of Thomas and Nancy (HARRIS) PUTNAM.]

During the troublous times incident to the Canadian rebellion of 1837-1838, 
Mr. [Thomas] PUTNAM sympathized with the supporters of responsible 
government, and thus became an object of suspicion to the Tory party then in 
power, so much so in fact, that he was obliged to remain in concealment many 
weeks to save himself from imprisonment and probably a worse fate. He had 
previously, in anticipation of trouble, constructed a secret chamber in his 
house which could be entered only through a concealed sliding panel. He 
remained in this room six weeks, during which time British soldiers searched 
the house more than once. This chamber was still to be seen in the old 
mansion a few years ago, and may be there still. He greatly aided he rebel 
cause with both money and influence. Mr. [Thomas] PUTNAM was appointed a 
magistrate by the governor and held the office for forty-two years; this is a 
life appointment in Canada. He refused all other public offices which were 
frequently tendered him. Mr. PUTNAM, always known in his county the 
"Squire," met with business reverses late in life which left him only a very 
moderate competence after honorably satisfying the honest demands of every 
creditor in full, although not compelled to do so by law at the time, his 
losses having been due to the dishonesty of a partner whom he trusted.

Thomas PUTNAM's eldest brother, General William PUTNAM, whom the historian 
THELLIER, in his "History of the Canadian Rebellion," speaks of as "the brave 
and chivalrous, although too daring PUTNAM," commanded the rebel troops at 
the battle of Windsor, where he fell at the head of his men, shot through the 
brain. His career for he last two years of his life to quote the words of a 
prominent writer, was one of "the most romantic" in the annals of the 
country. He served as an aide de camp to General Sir Isaac BROCK at Lundy's 
Lane, and was with that gallant soldier when he fell mortally wounded at Queenstown Heights, holding his head 
upon his knee until BROCK breathed his 
last. He was afterwards commissioned captain of the London Guards, which 
position he held ten years previous to the Canadian rebellion of 1837-1838.

It is from this long line of distinguished ancestors that Dr. [Warren Edward] 
PUTNAM has come, and he was born 06 May 1837 in Putnam, Canada [formerly 
Dorchester, Upper Canada], to the last named parents [Thomas and Nancy 
(HARRIS) PUTNAM]. He acquired his preliminary education in the village 
schools, and afterward graduated from the Brantford Collegiate Institute in 
Canada. He studied medicine in the Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College [in 
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio], from which he was graduated with honors, 
and he subsequently took post graduate courses, attending lectures and 
clinics in St. Thomas Hospital, London, England, hospitals in Paris, France, 
and later in Chicago [Cook County, Illinois]. After his return from aboard 
he practiced his profession for twelve years at Hoosick [Rensselaer County], 
New York.

In 1893 he [Dr. Warren Edward PUTNAM] moved to Bennington [Bennington 
County], Vermont, where he has built up a large and lucrative practice. His 
high professional standing is attested by his connection with the leading 
medical societies, among which are the Vermont state Homeopathic Medical 
Society, the Vermont State Sanitary Association, the Peekskill Medical 
Society [Peekskill, Westchester County, New York], the Medical Society of 
Northern New York, the Cleveland Homeopathic Alumni Association, and the 
American Institute of Homeopathy. In 1896 Governor GROUT appointed him to the 
position of surgeon general of the state of Vermont, with the rank of 
brigadier general, a splendid testimonial to his professional ability and 
personal worth; he did not serve, however, as he was not a member of the 
National Guard. He is loyally devoted to the interests of his town, and an 
active participant in all movements having for their end the advancement of 
the community. He is an influential member of he executive committee of the 
Bennington board of trade. His political affiliations are with the Republican 
party, but his has had little ambition to hold office; he has been village 
trustee and in March 1902 was elected by a large majority to he office of 
president of Bennington. He is also president of he Bennington board of 
health. Through his distinguished ancestry he holds membership in a number 
of patriotic organizations: the Bennington Battle Monument and Historical 
Association, Vermont Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and the 
Vermont Society of Colonial Wars. He is also an honorary member of Custer 
Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Bennington. He delights in literature 
and kindred avocations, and is the possessor of a valuable collection of 
curios, among them many rare and ancient coins which he gathered while 
traveling in Syria, Asia Minor and Africa.

On 07 October 1887 Dr. [Warren Edward] PUTNAM was married to Miss Anna 
Sherwood HAWKS, a member of one of the most highly respected families of 
Brooklyn [Kings County], New York. Her father, who died in that city at the 
age of fifty-four, was a member of the firm of Knowlson & Company, bankers 
and brokers in Wall Street; her mother, who was Miss Annie SHERWOOD, is 
widely known as a writer of much ability, being the author of the hymn "I 
Need Thee Every Hour," and of many others; she now makes her home with her 
daughter, Mrs. [Warren Edward] PUTNAM. The members of the PUTNAM family are 
highly regarded for their excellence of character and their usefulness in the 
community, and their home is the center of many pleasant gatherings.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly