Faunce Hammond was born on May 20, 1737, in Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He was the first child of Jabez Hammond and Abigail Faunce. His forename served as a reminder not only of his maternal lineage but also of his great-grandfather, the famous elder Thomas Faunce who, at age 94, “saved” Plymouth Rock by ensuring future generations were aware of its identity and distinction.
Faunce spent his early years in Rochester with many siblings. Among his generation were two older half-siblings and eventually ten younger brothers and sisters! Faunce’s father, a cooper by trade, was involved in coastal trade with Faunce’s uncles.
In the late winter of 1761, Faunce married 20-year-old Mary Holmes, a sixth-generation descendant of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren. In the first fourteen years of their marriage, the couple had seven children after which time the Hammond family moved to nearby Dartmouth (now New Bedford), Massachusetts.
As the American Revolution gained momentum in the colonies, members of the Hammond family aligned with the patriot cause. Though unconfirmed, perhaps even Faunce’s father, a commissioned captain by the royal crown, believed in independence of the colonies. Likely inspired by a developing threat from the British forces, Faunce Hammond enlisted with the American army in early August of 1780 and immediately was deployed to Rhode Island for what proved to be his brief – but not insignificant – service.
In May of 1787, Faunce Hammond and his family, which then included at least seven living children, joined other Hammond family members (including Faunce’s parents) who had moved from Massachusetts to Woodstock, Vermont. Surely with the intent to farm the land, he and a son purchased 100 acres of land in Reading. The property, which bordered the town line with South Woodstock, was within walking distance of other family members.
Faunce and Abigail continued to reside on the Reading, Vermont, property for twenty-five years. As their ages advanced (to what was well-beyond the average life expectancies of the time), the couple drafted a legal arrangement with their youngest child, Thomas Faunce Hammond, which ensured they were provided with provisions and maintenance to their home for their remaining years. The arrangement contemplated specifics including a continual supply of milk, firewood, flax, wool, sugar, wheat, rye, cider, apples and petty cash for incidentals. In exchange, their son received $548 which may have represented their remaining savings at the time.
In February of 1813, following an outbreak of spotted fever that afflicted the elderly couple, Faunce Hammond and his wife of more than half a century died. Faunce and Mary (Holmes) Hammond were interred in Bailey’s Mills Cemetery with other Hammond family members.
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