Captain Robert Abell

Captain Robert Abell was born on November 11, 1721 in Rehoboth, MA to Joshua Abell and Rebecca Carpenter. On August 20, 1746, he married Mary Thompson, daughter of John and Hannah (Ormsbee). Together they had six children: Sarah, Preserved, Robert Jr, Joanna, Dolly, and Caleb. All three of their sons served their country in the military. Preserved and Robert Jr served in the Revolutionary War. At the age of 24, Robert Jr was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. He died while fighting in the siege of Boston and although he was a resident of Rehoboth, he is buried in Walnut Street Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts. His brother Caleb went on to serve in the War of 1812 as a captain.

Robert Abell Sr served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War with the rank of private. He enlisted in Captain John Perry’s Company of Minute Men to answer the alarm of April 19, 1775. The colonists marched from Rehoboth to Lexington and Concord and fought in what was the first major military action of the Revolutionary War. His service lasted ten days as the role of Minute Men was to be ready at a moment’s notice to be deployed to specific battles. Once the battle was over, soldiers returned home.

After the battle, Captain Robert returned to his homestead in Rehoboth. Descended from one of the oldest families in the area, the property that is currently 66 Greenwood Ave in Rumford, RI had been occupied by an Abell ancestor as early as 1675. Between 1770 and 1788, Robert Sr. owned the property, having inherited it from his father Joshua. His son Caleb then inherited the property.

Robert Abell Sr died in Rehoboth on September 22, 1800 at the age of 79. He is buried in Newman Cemetery in Rumford, RI. His burial is marked with a slate stone in the family plot. Arunah Shepardson Abell, the proprietor of the Baltimore Sun and grandson of Robert, left orders to erect a family monument in Newman cemetery. He visited East Providence sometime around 1880 to complete arrangements for the enclosure for the graves of his parents and grandparents and for building the monument. The obelisk of polished Millstone Point granite is 12 feet tall.

Captain Robert Abell is remembered for his service in the fight for American independence. His contribution helped secure freedom for future generations.