Jonathan Harrington (veteran)
Jonathan Harrington | |
|---|---|
Sketch of Harrington in the 1840s/1850s | |
| Born | July 8, 1758 |
| Died | March 26, 1854 (aged 95) |
| Branch | Continental Army |
| Service years | 1775–1782 |
| Rank | Fifer |
| Unit | Captain John Parker's Company |
| Known for | Being the last veteran of the Battle of Lexington and Concord |
| Conflicts | |
Jonathan Harrington Jr. (July 8, 1758 – March 26, 1854) was a chair-maker and a fifer in the Continental Army. He was also the last surviving veteran of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.[1]
Early life
Jonathan Harrington was born to Jonathan Harrington Sr. (1723–1809) and Abigail Moore (1729–1776). Jonathan was a local politician and later fought with the Minutemen like his son.[2] Jonathan worked as a chair-maker in Lexington.[1]
Military Career and Married Life
On April 19, 1775, a 16-year-old Jonathan was awoken by his mother and he was a fifer in Captain John Parker's Company when the British arrived in Lexington. During the battle, his cousin (also named Johnathan Harrington) was mortally wounded and died following the battle.[3] Little else is known about Harrington's military career, but in 1782, he was out of the army and married Sally Banks. The couple continued to live in Lexington and they had seven children together.[1][4][5][6][7]
Later Years
Sally died on July 28, 1847 and Jonathan continued to work as a chair-maker and a repairman and was even photographed in the 1850s. In 1850, a joint 75th year anniversary celebration with Concord was held, Harrington was one of two veterans present for the festivities.[8]
Jonathan died on March 26, 1854 and was buried at Old Burying Ground in Lexington.[1][3][7][9] According to a report in the Boston Liberator on April 7, 1854, Harrington’s funeral drew Governor Emory Washburn and other state dignitaries, and his casket was escorted by eighteen military companies—more soldiers than had been present at the battles of Lexington and Concord. [10]
His former home, built in 1788, still stands at 955 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington and is privately owned, is listed on the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.[11]
A photograph of Harrington, along with his first‑person recollection of the events of April 19, 1775, is featured in the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown as part of its exhibit on the opening battles of the war. [12] [13]
References
- ^ a b c d "Jonathan Harrington". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ^ Hudson, Charles, History of the Town of Lexington, Vol. II – Genealogies (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1915) p. 276
- ^ a b Harrington, Eugene W. (1907). The Harrington Family (PDF). p. 72.
- ^ Coburn, Frank Warren; Lexington historical society, Lexington (1921). The battle of Lexington common, April 19, 1775. The Library of Congress. Lexington, Mass., The author.
- ^ Lexington, Mass. Record of Births, Marriages, and Deaths to January 1, 1898 Part I & II (Wright & Potter Printing Company, Boston 1898) p. 120
- ^ Hudson, Charles, History of the Town of Lexington, Vol. II – Genealogies (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1915) p. 280
- ^ a b Revolution, Daughters of the American (1919). Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daughters of the American Revolution.
- ^ National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet, Minute Man National Historical Park (PDF), National Park Service
- ^ Revolution, Daughters of the American (1919). Lineage Book. The Society.
- ^ "Jonathan Harrington, Fifer". Lexington Minute Men. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ Jonathan Harrington, Jr. House, Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area
- ^ "American Revolution Museum at Yorktown – Gallery Exhibit". YouTube Channel ‘Project Past’. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ Exhibit panel featuring Harrington’s photograph and his recollection of the Battle of Lexington. Yorktown, Virginia: American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Retrieved 2026-02-27.