Biography
Many records name a Samuel Tufts, most of them from Medford. Medford itself told its Samuels apart as Samuel, Samuel Jr., and Samuel 3d. Each record appears separately below. Matches with Wild's biographical notes are given only where the details agree closely.
Service Record
Town: Medford; Brookline; others not given · Dates: See entries
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, Brookline. Petition dated Camp at Hull, Sept. 17, 1776, signed by said Tufts and others belonging to battalion stationed at Hull, asking for increase and payment of wages; also, Private, Capt. William Warner's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; service from May 19, 1776, 4 days preceding march, to Nov. 1, 1776, 5 mos. 13 days; …”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, Medford. Private, Capt. Isaac Hall's co., Col. Thomas Gardner's regt., which assembled April 19, 1775; service, 5 days.”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL (also given SAMUEL, Jr.), Medford. … Private, Capt. Walton's co.; enlisted Dec. 9, 1776; discharged Dec. 21, 1776; company detached for service at Noddle's Island; also, receipt dated Medford, signed by Joseph Tufts, for wages due his son, said Samuel Tufts, for service at Noddle's Island in Dec., 1776.”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, Medford. List of men raised for the 6 months service … pay roll for 6 months men raised by the town of Medford for service in the Continental Army during 1780; marched to camp July 4, 1780; discharged Dec. 20, 1780; service, 5 mos. 28 days, including travel (220 miles) home.”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, Medford (also given Boston). List of men raised to serve in the Continental Army from 1st Middlesex Co. regt., as returned by Lieut. Stephen Hall; residence, Medford; engaged for town of Medford; joined Capt. King's co., Col. Marshall's regt.; term, 3 years; …”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, Jr. Private, Capt. Isaac Hall's co.; service, 4 days; company marched from Medford by order of Gen. Washington at the time of taking Dorchester Heights in March, 1776; …”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 139 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, 3d, Medford. Private, Capt. Isaac Hall's co., Col. Thomas Gardner's regt., which assembled April 19, 1775; service, 5 days.”
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 139 · page scan
MSS p. 139 also lists a Samuel Tufts in Capt. Benjamin Blaney’s co. of guards (1778), in Capt. Nathan Sargeant’s co. “stationed at Winter Hill” (1778–79), and in Capt. John Metcalf’s co. (1783, “[See Samuel Twist.]”). Page scan
Family Connection
“TUFTS, SAMUEL. Private, Walton's Co. at Noddle's Island, 1776; wages paid to his father, Joseph Tufts. Born 1759 or 1760; his mother's name was Hannah; married Martha Upham; died in Westford, 1818 or 1819; occupation, dyer.”
Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 52 (matches the MSS Noddle's Island entry: father Joseph Tufts) · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL. Enlisted, 1780, for 6 mos.; age 19. Son of Samuel and Hannah (Tufts); born April, 1761; taxed 1781.”
Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 52 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL, 3D. Private, Lexington alarm; paid money for bounty to men going to N. Y. (Called Jr., 1776.) Born 1752; son of William and Mary (Francis); married Margaret Hodgkins of Ipswich before 1779; died Nov. 20, 1815; gravestone in Salem Street Cemetery.”
Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 53 · page scan
“TUFTS, SAMUEL. Private, Lexington alarm, loaned money to pay bounty July, 1776 (archives). Committee of safety, 1779 (town records). Son of Joseph and Lydia (Francis); born Aug. 16, 1732; married Hannah Tufts; died 1818; aged 86; gravestone, Salem Street Cemetery.”
Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 52 · page scan
Spouse(s)
Several men. Spouses are given under each man in Family Connection (e.g. Martha Upham; Margaret Hodgkins; Hannah Tufts).
From Tufts Kinsmen
Vol. II traces several separate Samuel5 lines. These include “Samuel5, William4, James3, Jonathan2, Peter1” (p. 96), “Samuel5, Joseph4, Joseph3, Jonathan2, Peter1” (pp. 107–111), and “Samuel5, Samuel4, Joseph3, Jonathan2, Peter1” (p. 114). (Tufts Kinsmen, Vol. II)
Possible matches only. Wild’s Samuel 3d was the son of William, his Samuel b. 1732 the son of Joseph, and his Samuel b. 1761 the son of Samuel. These fit the three lines above in parentage, but Vol. II gives no service or dates for any Samuel5. None is attached to a specific MSS entry.
Vol. I
Samuel Tufts (15-3): born 16 Aug. 1732 in Medford; died 31 Dec. 1818; married Hannah Tufts; answered the Lexington alarm; Committee of Safety. Profile (Tufts Kinsmen, Vol. I, p. 119, family no. 15-3)
Samuel Tufts 2nd (41-2): born 19 Aug. 1752 in Medford; died 29 Nov. 1815; Lexington Alarm; Canada 1776; West Point 1780. Profile (Tufts Kinsmen, Vol. I, p. 160, family no. 41-2)
Samuel Tufts 3rd (44-3): born 16 Apr. 1761 in Medford; died 29 Aug. 1803; private at West Point and in Canada. Profile (Tufts Kinsmen, Vol. I, p. 166, family no. 44-3)
| Source | Says |
|---|---|
| Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 52 | “died Nov. 20, 1815” (Samuel 3d) |
| Tufts Kinsmen, Vol. I, p. 160 | died 29 Nov. 1815 (Samuel 2nd, 41-2) |
Wild’s Samuel b. Aug. 16, 1732 (son of Joseph and Lydia, married Hannah Tufts, died 1818) is a clean match to 15-3. Wild’s Samuel b. April 1761 (son of Samuel and Hannah) is a clean match to 44-3. Wild’s Samuel 3d b. 1752 is a possible match to 41-2: the year agrees, but the death day differs and Vol. I numbering (“2nd”) differs from Wild’s (“3d”). The individual MSS entries on this page are still not assigned to any one man.
Authoritative IDs / Index Numbers
| Source | ID / status |
|---|---|
| Perseus person index (auth=) | auth=tufts,samuel. This is a name-level key shared by every Samuel Tufts in Perseus, not a personal ID. Use it with the passages cited on this page. |
| Find a Grave memorial | Note: Pending further work. |
| Brooks, History of Medford (1855) register no. | Checked, no entry confidently matched |
| Mass. Soldiers and Sailors | vol. XVI, p. 138; vol. XVI, p. 139 |
| DAR ancestor no. | Note: Pending further work. |
| FamilySearch ID | Note: Pending further work. |
| Geni profile | Note: Pending further work. |
| WikiTree ID | Note: Pending further work. |
| Town / vital records | Medford VRs not yet checked by volume and page |
Only IDs confirmed against dates and family are given as matches. “Not yet checked” means the source has not been searched; “Checked, not found” means it was searched without a match.
⚑ Unverified
Which Medford Samuel is which across sources. Wild p. 53 says Samuel 3d was “Called Jr., 1776,” so the MSS “Samuel, Jr.” and “Samuel (also given Samuel, Jr.)” entries could belong to different men. They are not merged.
Pictures
Links and Resources
Every source, record, map, survey, marker and artifact tied to this person, gathered in one place. Page numbers are given where a book is cited.
Maps, Surveys and Artifacts
- Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 138 · page scan
- Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, vol. XVI (1907), p. 139 · page scan
- Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 52 (matches the MSS Noddle's Island entry: father Joseph Tufts) · page scan
- Helen Tilden Wild, Medford in the Revolution (1903), p. 53 · page scan
- — Noddle’s Island and Chelsea Creek, 1775 map detail. Detail of J. De Costa’s map of Boston and the country around it, published 29 July 1775, showing Noddle’s Island and Chelsea Creek. Image: J. De Cos
- Source: Wikimedia Commons — Noddle’s Island and Chelsea Creek, 1775 map detail. Detail of J. De Costa’s map of Boston and the country around it, published 29 July 1775, showing Noddle’s Island and Chelsea Creek.Image: J. De Costa. Public domain.
- — …and Chelsea Creek, 1775 map detail. Detail of J. De Costa’s map of Boston and the country around it, published 29 July 1775, showing Noddle’s Island and Chelsea Creek.Image: J. De Costa. Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons
- Source: Wikimedia Commons — West Point on the Hudson, about 1780. A watercolor view of West Point on the Hudson River, about 1780, from the National Archives.Image: Unknown artist (National Archives). Public domain.