Posted on January 26, 2026 by Jenny ONeill
Westport’s Revolutionary Stories A well educated young man’s conflicted response to the war, attracted by the promise of promotion and admiration, and yet constrained by his Quaker beliefs. The story of Abner Brownell (1756-1851) – “Westport’s Paul Revere” – has been handed down through the generations. Its origin and authenticity remain unknown but it first […]
Continue ReadingPosted on January 15, 2026 by Jenny ONeill
This Brownell family bible, printed in 1811, has an unusual cover. A note inside the bible reads “cover made from Grandpa Benjamin Brownell’s leather breeches.” The bible includes Brownell genealogy beginning with Abner Brownell born 1756. Abner is known as Westport’s Paul Revere. WHS 2003.181.001 Who was Benjamin Brownell? This story of Benjamin Brownell (1734-1816), […]
Continue ReadingPosted on January 9, 2026 by Jenny ONeill
Are you a descendant of a Revolutionary War soldier from Westport? This year Westport Historical Society embarks on a year of highlighting Revolutionary War stories. The first hurdle is to identify Revolutionary War soldiers who came from Westport, or who were closely associated with Westport. Remember borders changed frequently and Westport was incorporated in 1787 […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 28, 2025 by Jenny ONeill
Beginning in 1780, the Militia Act (St. 1780, Ch. 21) allowed Quakers to be exempt from military service in the Revolutionary War on the grounds of their religious pacifism. However, because of their exemption, they were required to pay the expenses for raising men in their place for military service along with an additional 10% […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 25, 2025 by Jenny ONeill
Have you been watching Ken Burn’s documentary on the American Revolution? Has this sparked curiosity about how Westport responded to these tumultuous events? This winter, our community’s own revolutionary story will be explored through an effort to transcribe the town meeting records dating from 1760 – 1790. “In Our Own Words: The Path to Independence” […]
Continue ReadingPosted on December 6, 2024 by Jenny ONeill
Two Rivers of Resistance By David C. Cole[1] During the Revolutionary War the South Coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island were largely controlled by the British Navy which had local headquarters in Newport and patrolled the length of Buzzards Bay. The British assault on Dartmouth in September 1778, that included raids on settlements and […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 16, 2020 by Jenny ONeill
Until the 1770s, Paquachuck Point (now known as Westport Point or The Point) was little more than open pasture. It was a North-South peninsula surrounded by an estuary with a narrow opening to Buzzards Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at its southwestern most extremity. There was a “way” now known as Main Road that ran […]
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