Jonathan Farr was styled the second in 1776. There were four adult Jonathan Farr's in the area at the time so they styled them 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th to avoid confusion on the tax records etc. and it had nothing to do with generation.
I found the original Estate files of Jonathan Farr 2nd on Ancestry.com dated 1972. His estate was administered by Jonathan Farr 3rd who would be his first cousin once removed. Jonathan Farr 3rd was noted on several pages of the estate files as "Jonathan Farr 3d now 2d". This proves that the numbers had nothing to do with generation. On the eighth page of the papers it mentions "Cash paid the deceaseds widow for the support and maintenance of one child under 7 years old from Feby 25th 1791 to March 20th 1793". This would lead one to believe that Jonathan Farr 2nd died abt Feb. 25, 1791. The child under 7 would be Charlotte Farr daughter of Rebecca/Robena the third wife of Jonathan Farr 2nd.
Jonathan sold his homestead Apr 27th, 1768 to Isaac Thomas. It was bounded on the East by the Ware River South by the land of Thomas Farr and west by the highway.
Marriage from the "Chesterfield, N.H. History" it only mentions of his wives that "there were 3 of them". Married Mary Wells 5 Jun 1751 (from Vital Records of Hardwick 974.43/H3, v2b) and had William and Jonathan in Hardwick. Jonathan's Great Grandson, Marshall H. Farr, went to Hamilton, Ontario and built railroads. Marshall's son, Herbert Marshall Farr, went from Hamilton to Hespeler, Ontario to start a factory making alpacca. Later he moved the factory to Holyoke, MA., he employed over 1,000 people. He married Annie Hespeler, daughter of Jacob Hespeler of Hespeler, Ontario. (from "The Farr Genealogy" by Rev. Charlese N. Sinnett)
Book Area US/CAN 973 C4 of Supp. 1 "The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America" Jonathan Farr: he signed the association test.
Jonathan Farr was a Revolutionary War Soldier from New Hampshire. In Vol. XV of New Hampshire Rev. Rolls, reference is made to the service of Private Jonathan Farr who served under Capt. Kimball Carllon and Col. Moses Nichols, enlisted or marched from Chesterfield, N. H. in July 1777.
The following shows all four adult Jonathan Farr's in Chesterfield at the same time: "On April 12, 1776, the Committee of Safety of the State of NH, required that all males above 21 years of age to sign a DECLARATION, which read as follows: "We, the Subscribers, do hereby Solemnly engage and promise that we will, to the utmost of our Power, at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms, oppose the Hostile proceedings of the British Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies." The Selectmen of Chesterfield in 1776, namely Ephraim Baldwin, Michael Cresey and Samuel Hildreth went about obtaining signatures. On June 12, 1776 the selectmen made their return, "In obedience to the within Declaration that we Rec'd from your Honors, we proceeded According to your Directions and the persons Names underwriten are those that Refuse to sign the Declaration on your paper: Capt. Jona. Hildreth. Eseek Earl. Lieut. Ephraim Whitney. Ebenezer Harvey. Ephraim Whitney. Joseph Prentice. Elisha Walton. Sam'l Davis Converse. Eleazer Pomeroy. Silas Bennett. Ebenezer Cooper Sal. Keing [Sam'l King]. Ebenezer Fletcher Jr.----------------------- this was signed by the Selectmen of Chesterfield, Eph. Baldwin, Moses Smith Jr., Michael Cresey, Ephraim Hubbard and Samuel Hildreth. NAMES OF THOSE WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION: Abraham Wood, John Pratt, Simon Davis, Nathaniel Bingham, Isaac Davis, Abel Ray, John Snow, Samuel Farr, Oliver Cobleigh, Nehemiah Merrill, Jonathan Farwell, Samuel Farr Jr., Oliver Farwell, John Haskell, Silas Thompson, Ezekiel Powers, William Farwell, Silas Wood,Jonathan Davis, Obadiah Merrill, Warren Snow, William Henry, Ebenezer Streeter, Daniel Farr, William Thomas, Amasa Colburn, Daniel Baldwin, Thomas Harris, William Simonds, Douglas Robbins, Amos Smith, Ullainell Merrill, Josh Smith [prob. Jos. Smith], Sherebiah Fay, Zur Evans, Jonathan Farr (4th), William Farr Jr.,Jonathan Farr (3d), Ithamar Chamberlain, Thomas Farr, Caleb Johnson, Benjamin Judson, Amos Streeter, Moses Smith, Abner Johnson, Josiah Streeter, Kimball Carlton, Michael Woodcock, Theodore Bingham, Jonathan Cobleigh, John Pierce, Jonas Stearns, Benjamin Colburn, Samuel Fairbanks, Ephraim Farr, Jonathan Farr (2d), Isaac Farr, Josiah Lamb, Thomas Darby, Samuel Walker, Joseph Metcalf, Archibald Robertson, Martin Warner, Andrew Colburn, David Stooder Jr.[David Stoddard Jr.] Lawrence Walton, Phineas Brown, Samuel Peacock, John Sanderson, John Peacock, William Fisher, Ephraim Baldwin ,Jonathan Hildreth Jr., Michael Cressey, James Wheeler Jr., Samuel Hildreth, Josiah Hastings, Moses Smith Jr., Andrew Hastings, William Aires, Noah Emmons, David Stone, Jonathan Cressey, John Grandy, Ephraim Wheeler, John Grandy Jr., John Cobleigh, Increase Lamb, Joseph Higgins, Abner Albee, James McElroy, Ebenezer Taft, Joseph Wheeler, John Richardson, James Wheeler, David Kinnison, Zenas Fairbanks, Joel Whitney, Nathan Bishop, David Farr, Isaac Hildreth, James Mansfield, Israel Johnson, Amos Hubbard, James Robertson, Jonathan Farr (1st), Elisha Rockwood, Patrick McMichael, Dan Cobleigh, Abijah Kingsbury, Aaron Farr, Ebenezer Gail, Peter Wheeler, Sylvanus Battey, Moses Ellis, Ebenezer Faver, Ephraim Hubbard, Abijah Stearns, Amos Davis, Matthew Gray, John White, William Hildreth, Nathan Metcalf, James Reed, John Bishop, John Ellis, Jonathan Cobleigh, Oliver Hubbard, Nathan Thomas, Michael Metcalf, Abel Emmons, Charles Johnson, William Robertson, Benjamin Smith, Edward Hildreth, Samuel Fletcher, James Davis, Abraham Farr, and Enoch Streeter.(One hundred and thirty-nine persons signed the declaration and thirteen refused to sign). The declaration was known as the"Association Test," and according to the returns that were made, was signed by eight thousand one hundred and ninety-nine persons in the colony of New Hampshire, while only seven hundred and seventy-three persons refused to sign."
From Vanessa Herring:
Mr. Farr,
I've been doing an analysis of the land records for the 4 Jonathan Farrs of Chesterfield, to see if I can approximate the death year of Jonathan 1st. Here's what I've found:
First, we know that Jonathan Farr first was alive at the 1790 census, as were 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Jonathan 1st moved from Lot 5 11th Range, likely to be close to his sons in his old age. He purchased from Samuel Davis part of Lots 13 and 14 in the 14th Range on 5 Apr 1781. (He sold his Lot 5 11th Range land to Jonas Davis in 1785.)
Jonathan 2nd died about 25 Feb 1791.
Jonathan 3rd moved to Dummerston VT a little after his purchase of land there on 8 Mar 1791.
In administering Jonathan 2nd's estate in 1792, Jonathan 4th calls himself Jonathan 3rd, now 2nd in court papers. (The judge seems to ignore this, and always calls him Jonathan 3rd.) This would seem to indicate that the original Jonathan 3rd is no longer counted, since he has removed to Dummerston VT.
Likewise, Jonathan 4th does not take into account Jonathan 3rd, who is still living, but located in Dummerston VT by 1792. Selling estate land on 5 Dec 1793, he calls himself "Jonathan Farr 2nd, administrator of Jonathan Farr 2nd".
This would seem to indicate that Jonathan 1st is still living in 1793.
Jonathan 4th last called himself Jonathan 2nd in a deed on 8 Jan 1794. He first calls himself only Jonathan on a deed of 24 Apr 1794. It would appear that Jonathan 1st probably died during this time period.
By 1802, Jonathan 4th calls himself Esqr in his land transactions, and after his death in 1807 is referred to as Major Jonathan Farr by the administrator of his estate, John Kneeland.
Land transactions by John Kneeland reveal that Jonathan 4th's wife's name was Mary.
