Deacon Cephas Cone, Revolutionary Soldier and Descendant of Daniel Cone of Haddam

My last three posts on Cones who served in the American Revolution, sparked an interest in further investigating each of those who served. How many of them, I wondered, could be traced back to the man acknowledged as the first Cone in America, Daniel Cone of Haddam. I'll begin by exploring Cephas Cone.

Cephas Cone was born 10 Oct 1756 in East Haddam, Connecticut. I found a reference to him in the U. S. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Collection available at www.Ancestry.com. His great great grandson, Robert D. Cone, had applied for membership in the SAR based on Cehpas' service. Robert had documented his descent beyond Cephas to Jonathan Cone, son of Nathaniel Cone born in 1674 in Haddam, Connecticut and his wife Sarah Hungerford.

I turned to my well-worn copy of William Whitney Cone's "Some Account of the Cone Family in America: Principally of the Descendants of Daniel Cone who settled in Haddam, Connecticut in 1662", for information on Nathaniel's line. On page 13, there is a list of nine children of Daniel Cone, including "Nathaniel, baptized June 4, 1675, m Sarah Hungerford;; d. about 1730." On page 161, the offspring of Nathaniel and Sarah Hungerford Cone are listed including the youngest "Johnathan, b. Jan. 11, 1716, m Ann Chapman; d. June 1, 1757. The children of Jonathan and Ann Chapman Cone are listed on pages 164-5, including "Cephas, b. Oct 10, 1756, m. Sarah Gates; d. Feb. 27, 1834."

Cephas seems to have been a man of some standing in his community. In Sept. 1788 he is listed as a Tax Collector.  He is listed as a Representative to the Connecticut Legislature for Colchester in 1822.  In a notice published in the Norwich Courier, on Wednesday October 2, 1833, his house is listed as the site where taxes for the town of West Chester will be collected at "3 o'clock, P. M.' (These sources were found at Genealogy Bank and are part of their collection).

Cephas is buried in the Westchester Cemetery, New London, Connecticut. Frank Grimes posted a photograph of his headstone at Find A Grave. Normally, I would not post the photo on my blog without receiving written permission from the photographer. Alas, Frank has passed away so I am hoping he will not mind my including his photograph.