Daniel CORBETT, JR.

                   In Mass. "Soldiers and Sailors of the war of the Revolution", a work compiled from the archives of the State, it is stated that Robert Corbett of Mendon, Massachusetts was a private in Captain Gershom Nelson's Company which marched on the alarm of April 19,1775, to Cambridge and Roxbury. He was also of Captain Nelson's Company July 19,1776.  Of his brothers, mention is made of Sergeant Nathaniel, Corporal Peter, Privates Eldad, Daniel and John, although the latter would have been but 14, if he was Robert's youngest brother, at the time of the battle of Lexington. Robert's wife, Elizabeth Daniels, came from a family, which had many representatives in the War, also.  After the close of the Revolutionary War the town of Mendon was divided, and the part where Robert Corbett lived was named Milford.  About 1790 he moved with his family to northeastern Pennsylvania, in the vicinity of the Great Bend of the Susquehanna.  Being disappointed in obtaining title to a track of land for which he had bargained, he went to the Susquehanna Valley.  It has also been claimed that he came to this location through the influence of Judge Cooper, of Cooperstown, and as Robert Corbett named his youngest son after Judge Cooper, this story would apparently be a reasonable one.  It must have been a tedious journey from Massachusetts to northern Pennsylvania probably made in a large wagon on the order of the prairie schooner, with some members of the family on horseback. His first location was in the pleasant valley of the Salt Lick Creek, in the county of Luzerne, on territory which was afterwards a portion of New Milford, Susquehanna County.  As he was the first settler of this section, the name of New Milford was doubtless given by him in remembrance of his old home in Milford, Massachusetts.  "In March 1791, the Court of Luzerne ordered the erection of the township of Willingborough, and Robert Corbett, though then where New Milford now is, was a taxable inhabitant.  As early as 1791, the settlers of Mt. Pleasant began opening a road through to Great Bend.  This highway, after reaching the house of Daniel Leach, ran nearly north to the Salt Lick, then to Robert Corbett's, then north six miles to the ferry at Great Bend."  In November 1792, "the court granted a review of the road different man, among whom, Asaph Corbett, then in New Milford, and Asahel Gregory, in what is now Herrick, must have been disinterested parties." Quotations from "The History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania" by Emily C. Blackman, Philadelphia, 1872. Warner Corbett son of Robert Corbett, died aged seven years in 1795, and his gravestone shows that he was the first one buried in the New Milford Cemetery. In 1801, Robert Corbett was taxed as an Innkeeper, among the ninety taxables in Willingborough, and the amount of the tax raised was $810.59. In that year he sold his holdings to Christopher Longstreet, and settled on the land between the two Snake Creeks, bordering the Susquehanna River, just over the New York state line.  A log cabin, midway between these two creeks, became their home until 1804.  Robert with his sons Sewell and Cooper, built their homestead near the Big Snake Creek. A Sawmill and grist mill had been built on this creek, a foundry was added, and they named the new place Corbettsville.  The grist mill continued to turn out flour and feed for more than half a century, the saw mill converted the logs into lumber for seventy-five years or more, and the foundry was converted into a tannery which manufactured leather long after the Civil War.  A stage coach running from Binghamton, New York brought the mail, which was taken care of in the Corbett homestead, in a desk with compartments specially built for that purpose.  The desk was later used in the post office in the general store,
for many years.  About 1869, when the railroad was built, land was given for the station, which was called Conklin, after the township.  At Corbettsville, the virgin soil of the newly cleared land yielded abundant crops.
Their cattle, sheep and swine and fowls furnished them with meat.  The streams teemed with fish; an eel rack was set in the sawmill raceway.  Their bees made honey and sugar bush furnished sweet for their morning pancakes. They made their own butter and cheese. Their wool was sent to a woolen mill above Great Bend to be made into blankets and coverlets.  Guests were always welcome.  The Corbett home was a regular stopping place for the ministers; divine service was held often.  These were the days of true hospitality, no guest or vagrant ever left the door of the Corbett home hungry.  Cornelia Bayless, Robert's daughter-in-law, said that he was a small man, very much of a gentleman, dressed well, wore something of a Quaker dress, and shoe buckles, which were handed down to his grandson Robert.  He was a good scholar. From all accounts, it must have been the spring or early summer of 1791 before the family arrived in New Milford, as Cooper was not born until Oct. 1790, at Milford, Massachusetts.  (Melvin C. Corbett)
                  

                   In the Massachusetts "Soldiers and Sailors of the War of the Revolution", a work compiled from the archives of the state, mention is made of Private Eldad Corbett, among others from his section of the state.  After the Revolutionary War was over, Eldad went with his wife to Bridgewater, near Utica, New York, where he bought a farm and remained for the rest of his life.  Eldad and Lydia Barre Corbett raised their large family on the farm in Bridgewater.  (info from Melvin C. Corbett)
                  

                   He was a Revolutionary Soldier.  Nathan and Lucy Hayward had a son born Nov. 30,1764, out of wedlock, who was named Nathaniel Corbett (Census Records, and Ballou's "History of Milford, Massachusetts")

Nathaniel sold his patrimonial land near Milford about 1771 and moved to Myrifield, later called Rowe, Massachusetts in northwestern Mass., where he resided the rest of his live.  From there he led a company of soldiers to Bennington, Vermont, fighting there under General Stark in Aug. 1777, and later gained the rank of captain in the State Militia. ("History of Rowe, Massachusetts" and "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution".) Captain Nathaniel and his brother Eldad were in Rowe during the American Revolution and both saw service at various times.  Nathaniel later became a Captain in the State Militia. Captain Nathaniel died in Rowe, Massachusetts, April 12, 1812, according to records in the town clerk's office.  There is a stone in the North Cemetery marking his grave.  According to town records, Nathaniel and Lucy had 14 children, 7 of whom died in childhood. Probate records in Greenfield, Massachusetts, list the heirs as: Lucy his widow, Josiah, Joha, Moses, David, Nathaniel, Daniel and Phillip. (Gordon Corbett)

In 1948, #725 Clyde8 H. Corbett (Peter7, Nathaniel 6-5-4, Daniel 3-2, Robertl) of North Canton, Ohio, published a book on his branch of the descendants of Robert Corbett entitled, Genealogy of the Descendants of Robert Corbett. In his introduction, he describes his search for his ancestors and says: "Of course, one never knows what he will find in such a search. As one wag said: 'Is it true that it costs $100 to have your family tree looked up?' The other retorted, 'Well not exactly. I paid $25 to have it looked up, and $75 to have it hushed up. When he came to Nathaniel 4, he wrote:
"Here we come to a thorny branch in our family tree. Two days after his marriage to Lucy Thayer [Nov. 28, 1764] a son, born Nov. 30, out of wedlock, to Lucy Hayward, 20 years old, and the daughter of prominent citizens of Milford, was named Nathaniel Corbett. It may be presumed that [our] Nathaniel was the father since he was 22 years old, and the only Nathaniel Corbett recorded as living in Milford at that time."
                  

                   There was at least one son in this family, is shown by the following, from a letter written by Emma Sheldon to Melvin I. Corbett May 5, 1889: A Mr. White died near Auburn, New York last year (1888).  He was a cousin of father's, and his mother was Mary Corbett.  Mr. White was aged over 90 years.
                  

                   Another possible death location: She died on 22 Feb 1841 in Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire
                  

                   In his "History of Milford,Massachusetts", Adin Ballou says: "I knew this family well.  The parents and most of their children were my parishioners on coming into the town in 1824 and during the ensuing year. They were most substantial and worthy people.  The husband and father was one of the old Revolutionary Soldiers.  He died Dec. 8, 1833 aged 72.  Mrs. Lydia died Feb 23, 1865 aged 97 years, 9 months". John ran away from Milford to join the Continental Army, at the age 13. He fought at Bunker Hill and was captured along with Jonathan Stearn.

They were allowed to escape, but they became lost in the woods for days. They made some primitive weapons and finally killed an animal. They pounced upon the carcass and devoured it raw. After this episode, John decided to end his warrior days, and returned home.  As he grew older he became one of the prominent figures of Milford. He was one of the twelve proprietors who built the Brick meetinghouse which served Milfordiands of the 18 century. (Tri-County Advertiser May 13, 1985 Milford, Massachusetts)
                  

                   RESEARCH NOTE:  History of Peter Corbett in notes.

Peter Corbett, with his wife and three little boys, came to Winthrop, Maine, in 1781. They remained there while he came to the township of Farmington to make arrangements for their removal. Mr. Corbett was one of the Colburn Associates, and drew river lot no. 40, east side, which includes the farm of William H. Pearson and a part of Reuben Winslow's farm. His family, who came to the township in 1782, was one of the first eight families to spend a winter here. In the autumn of 1786, he built the first framed house in the township, and manufactured the bricks for the chimney, on his farm, said to be the first in the settlement. Mr. Corbett was highly respected by his townspeople and upon the incorporation of the town in 1794 was elected Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, a position he held for seven consecutive years. (from History of Farmington, Maine.)