Justus Munn Family History Collection

The lineages of the people mentioned here are on our RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project Site
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=rossbus.

Our Munn Research file is HERE. Remember this is only a research file. There will be dead ends and incomplete sections that were abandoned when we decided that avenue did not go where we wanted to be.

Justus Munn has been an enigma for many years as we were unable to find out who his parents were and knew little about him. He apparently was born about 1750 in Connecticut but we were unable to find birth or baptism / christening records to support this.

This collection of bits of information includes three marriages for a Justus Munn and one for a Robert Justus Munn -- all consecutive, so it could be one man, but we haven't been able to find out what happened to two of the wives and most of the children. We have chosen to assume there was only one man with four wives. See our reasons below. We invite anyone who may have supporting or dissenting information to contact us.

If our man is indeed Robert Justus Munn, then we also know more about his ancestors and siblings. See our Munn Research file, link above.

October 17, 1771, Justus Mun married Mercy Dunham in Sharon, Litchfield, Connecticut. [Connecticut Church Records, Vol 101, Sharon, Litchfield, CT]

June 13, 1776. Death of Jonathan Dunham Munn son of Justus and Mercy Munn, "in ye 2nd year of his age". He was buried in the Cande-Sage Cemetery, Sheffield, Berkshire County, MA. Gravestone on Find-A-Grave.

We have so far found no record of the birth of Jonathan Dunham Munn or any other children of Mercy Dunham and Justus Munn.

April 15, 1777 or 1778, Justus Mun enlisted in 2nd Regiment, Light Dragoons, Continental Troops under Colonel Elisha Sheldon.
- Copied from Rolls: Justus Mun, Date of enlistment April, 1777, Corporal Dec. 1, 1778, reduced Oct. 22, 1781
- Copied from Size Roll (undated): Justice Munn, Private, 3rd Troop, time of enlistment April 15, 1778, Pronoted Corporal Oct. 1778, Term of service D. W. [duration of war], State: Connecticut, Town Sharon, Trade Weaver, Stature 5 feet, 8 inches, complexion light, eyes dark, hair dark, reduced to the ranks.
- From a return of recruits in Captain Stoddard's troup, undated, Justus Munn, state Connecticut, Town Sharon, term of enlistment: during the war.
- Justus Munn, Pvt., appears on a roll of 3rd Troop, Capt. Jeronemus Hoogland, 2nd Regiment Light Dragoons
- On a list of orders received for 1782 and 1783, Justus Munn to Tallmadge & Co -- the whole [Benjamin Tallmadge was a Major, 2nd Regiment, Light Dragoons]
- On a list of orders received for 1782 and 1783, Charles Buzzet (sp.?) to Justus Munn to be paid to Lewis Hart (sp.?) 2 years pay
- Jan. 8, 1783, Justis Munn appears on a Return of the number of men belonging to 3rd Troop, 2nd Regiment, Light Dragoons for shirts and stockings
Justus Munn was mentioned in Jared Tozer's Declaration for Pension, which was formerly available in its entirety at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=surnames.tozer&m=148 in a message by Sharon McMahon, Date: 12 Feb 1999.
The relevant excerpt: "That on the 1st day of February and (AD?)1781 he again entered the service of the United States, that he was enlisted in that part of the town of Simsbury now called Granby by Justus Munn a Corporal in the company of troop commanded by Captain Hoogland, and that he enlisted during the war and joined the company at Hadley, Massachusetts, that there were four companies of horse and two of foot that belonged to the regiment to in which he served and was commanded by Col. Elisha Sheldon of Simsbury, Conn. and one Jimmason from Virginia was Lieutenant Colonel and Benjamin Talmage then of Smithtown, Long Island but recently of Litchfield, Connecticut was Major. Jedediah Rogers of New Haven, Ct. who was a Lieutenant of one of the companies and also acted as adjutant of the Regt. and Thomas Coney was Sergeant Major of the Regt. that at Hadley, Massachusetts he was transferred to a company of foot belonging to the Same regiment and commanded by Capt David Edgar of Woodbridge, New Jersey and Gideon Holley of New Haven, Connecticut was Lieutenant in said company."
June 20, 1781, Gustus Munn married Esther Phelps [Merriman], in East Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut, and had two children according to this transcription of the Granby, CT Town Records.

MUNN, MUN (also see MANN)
Caterine, dau Gustus & Ester, b Dec 2, 1781
Gustus, m Ester PHELPS, June 20, 1781
John G, son Gustus & Ester, b Mar 29, 1785

This is one of the confusing bits of information: other sources state that Esther's surname was Merriman. Her mother's maiden name was Phelps, but it is a mystery to me why Esther should have been using it.[See the second paragraph of the Autobiography of Ezra Simmons, a great grandson of Justus Munn. Note that the family story about Justus having received a large grant of land where Cleveland was later built is wrong. Justus sold his 100 acre land warrant, February 11, 1800, to Samuel Dick. Ancestry.com, U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858, images 104 & 361]

December 2, 1781, Catherine Munn was born in Granby Township, Hartford County, Connecticut. She died 1842 in Stockdale, Ontario, Canada
March 29, 1785, John G. Munn was born in Granby Township, Hartford County, Connecticut.

November 17, 1785, Robert Justus Munn, of New York, married Lydia Ingraham, in Old Saybrook, Middlesex, CT. The couple had 6 children, and Lydia died May 23, 1799. See the relevant page from the Connecticut Church Records Vol 86 here.

Able Stiles Munn, died Nov 27, 1790, aged 4 years
Benjamin Ingraham Munn, son of Robert Justus, was baptized May 17, 1799, 6 days before his mother's death.
Four children of Robert Justus Munn were baptized August 18, 1799:

Abigail Lydia Munn
Samuel Abel Munn
George Washington Munn
Elizabeth Stiles Munn

Robert Justus Munn renewed his baptism August 18, 1799

All other genealogies of Justus Munn omit this marriage and family, presumably assuming this is a different man. Our reasons for assuming that Robert Justus Munn and Justus Munn are the same person are as follows:

Robert Justus Munn does not appear anywhere else as far as I have been able to find.
There is no conflict in dates.
In the Connecticut Probate records, Dorcas Munn post a bond as Administrator of the estate of Justus R. Munn, February 5, 1807.
I have been unable to find any records of Robert Justus Munn or Justus Munn after 1807.

Jan 28, 1790, Bounty Land Warrant Record Card #6225 for Munn, Justice (Justus), Private from Sheldon's Dragoons (Connecticut)

March 4, 1793: Justus Munn, Private, began receiving pension payments of $30.00 per year. This is from the 1835 list of Connecticut Pensioners. This list notes that he received a total of $414.50 and died January 27, 1807.
March 13, 1800, Justus Munn married Dorcas Allen, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut. I believe that this date originates from "A genealogy of Samuel Allen of Windsor, Connecticut", page 8, "Dorcas, b. Dec. 17, 1762 ; m. Justus Munn, of Saybrook, Ct. Resided in East Windsor. He was a Revolutionary pensioner. Had one child." I have not found a primary source.

October 2, 1803, Justus Allen Munn was christened in Windsor, Hardford, Connecticut. He married Martha Wortendyke April 3, 1828 at the Madison Avenue Dutch Reformed Church, New York, New York.

January 27, 1807, Justus Munn died according to the Pension Roll of 1835: "Justus Munn, Private, Allowance 30, Sums received 414.50, Revolutionary Army, Pension commenced - Mar 4, 1793, Law under which pension granted - April 20, 1796, Died January 27, 1807"
February 5, 1807, Bond of administration to Dorcas Munn of East Windsor, and Solomon Allen and Christopher Bullen, both of Enfield, all in Hartford, for the estate of Justus R Munn of East Windsor.