Gaspee Virtual Archives
Research Notes on Amos Sylvester (c1745-1827) 

The Gaspee Days Committee at www.gaspee.COM is a civic-minded nonprofit organization that operates many community events in and around Pawtuxet Village, including the famous Gaspee Days Parade each June. These events are all designed to commemorate the burning of the hated British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee, by Rhode Island patriots in 1772 as America's 'First Blow for Freedom'®.  Our historical research center, the Gaspee Virtual Archives at www.gaspee.ORG , has presented these research notes as an attempt to gather further information on one who has been suspected of being associated with the the burning of the Gaspee. Please e-mail your comments or further questions to webmaster@gaspee.org.

This web page presents research notes on Amos Sylvester.  None of the information is considered authoritative at the present time.

Evidence implicating Amos Sylvester:

During a 2005 database search of the term "Gaspee" at the New England Historic Genealogy Society website <http://newenglandancestors.org> we came across the following entries;
SYLVESTER, Amos, aged 82 years, at Scituate; was one of those who captured the Gaspee, in Narragansett Bay, in 1772.; he died suddenly while returning to his house from the field for refreshmnet, March 24, 1827

SYLVESTER, Amos, at Scituate, aged 82 years.  He claimed he was one of those who destroyed the Revenue Cutter  Gaspee, in Narragansett Bay, in June, 1772.; March 24, 1827

The sources are apparently the Providence Journal and the American and Patriot newspaper obituaries.

Using the NEHGS portal to the American newspapers on-line, we find that the Providence Patriot & Columbian Phenix of May 19, 1827 says nothing new except that Amos Sylvester was "an honest, temperate, and industrious citizen through life."

 This individual had been previously unknown to fellow Gaspee researchers.  We have no reason to doubt Sylvester's claims to have been a raider, most of whom were well known in Rhode Island. Amos Sylvester would've been 27 years old when he took part in the raid on the Gaspee.

Biographical and Genealogical search notes on Amos Sylvester:


From the NEHGS website there are many returns on an Amos Sylvester, but these mostly relate to one with different dates and who was living in Scituate, MA, not Scituate, RI, now called North Scituate, RI.  This may create some genealogical confusion.  Since the obituary was printed in Providence papers we assume that we're talking here of North Scituate, RI.  We do get him living in Providence at the 1782 census under a misspelt Amos Silvestor: 1-3-0-0-1-0-0-0-6.  This indicates that he had at three sons under 16 and no current wife. We also get a Freelove Sylvester, daughter of Amos of Scitiuate, having married in 1803 a John Luther in Johnston, RI; (Johnston being an adjoining town to North Scituate).  Nothing is found in HeritageQuest in their RevWar pension files.

A search of the Gaspee Virtual Archives reveals no incidences of "Sylvester":  From a deep Googling of the name we get references to many Amos Sylvesters in Scituate, MA, and in ME, PA, and MN. We also get one born in 1790 in Providence who later married a Merendy Stowe, then a Sally Humes. Nothing specifically turns up on our Amos Sylvester, however.

The RI Historical Cemeteries Database curiously gives nothing on any spelling variation of Amos Sylvester or even Sylvester Amos, even though we know when and where he died.

 Nothing else is returned in a  search of LDS, Whipple, Ancestry.com, RIHistSoc and the NEHGS sites. .
The Gaspee Days Committee recognizes Amos Sylvester as a Gaspee burner, and therefore, a true American patriot.

That's all the evidence we have for now folks. If you know more, please e-mail us at webmaster@gaspee.org.  Thanks!

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Originally Posted to Gaspee Virtual Archives 3/2005    Last Revised 4/2006    AmosSylvester.html