Gardner Wait

     Gardner Wait was born on 30 July 1759 at Exeter, Washington Co, Rhode Island. He was the son of Samuel Wait and Ann Gardiner. Gardner Wait married Lucretia Fillmore, daughter of Henry Fillmore and Thankful Downer, circa 1782. Gardner Wait died on 10 August 1846 at Isle La Motte, Grand Isle Co, Vermont, at age 87.
     When Gardiner Wait was 17 years old, he volunteered to serve as a substitute in the Continental Army in 1776 for his father. He enlisted from Hardwick, Massachusetts and served as a private in Capt. Stone's Company and Colonel Sparhawk's Regiment, being discharged after over five months service. In 1777, he volunteered again and served for a month under Ensign Nathan Leonard of the Massachusetts troops. He again volunteered in April 1778 and served three months under Captain Whipple, as a guard at Rutland, Vermont. That August, he enlisted for six months under Lt. John Dinsmore on General Sullivan's Rhode Island expedition.
While residing at New Britain, New York, he enlisted in August 1781 one more time as a substitute for his uncle, Benjamin Wait, who had been drafted. He served a little more than one month as a private in Captain Hale's New York troops in the fort at Schoharie and at Albany, being discharged and returned to New Britain (Canaan), New York.
By 1791, he and his family had removed to Isle La Motte, Grand Isle Co, Vermont. By this time he had four sons under the age of ten. By 1800, he had three sons under ten, three sons between ten and sixteen, one son over sixteen, and only one daughter who was under ten.