Melick, "Descendants of John Archer of Fordham," 1951, Typescript in WCHS Library, p.84).

ARCHER, William

William Archer was the brother of interviewees Samuel Archer and Elizabeth Tuttle. He is listed as a 64-year-old farmer in the Town of West Farms, New York, in the 1850 United States Census. According to historian Harry C.W. Melick, William was born on June 1, 1785, and died on January 27, 1866 (Harry C.W. Melick, "Descendants of John Archer of Fordham," 1951, Typescript in WCHS Library, p.84).

BARKER, William

John Macdonald indicated that William Barker was 87 years old at the time of his interview on October 20, 1850. He is listed as an 86-year-old farmer in the Town of White Plains, New York, in the 1850 United States Census. His tombstone in the White Plains Rural Cemetery in White Plains indicates that he was born on September 10, 1764, and died on March 26, 1859 (WCHS Book #39, p.15).

[page break] The McDonald Interviews: Interviewees

BATES, Jonathan

Jonathan Bates is listed as a 77-year-old farmer in the Town of Darien, Connecticut, in the 1850 United States Census. His tombstone in the Old Darien Cemetery in Darien indicates that he died on October 31, 1854, aged 82 years. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11920807/jonathan-bates

BATTIN, John

Jonathan Bates is actually John Battin, who is listed as a 99-year-old native of England and a resident of the 3rd Ward of New York City in the 1850 United States Census. Battin told John Macdonald that he was in his 98th year at the time of his interview on October 23, 1849. He served in the 17th Light Dragoons of the British army during the Revolutionary War but remained in New York after the end of the conflict. He died on June 29, 1852. According to historian Benson Lossing, Battin was aged "one hundred years and four months" at the time of his death and was "probably… the last living relic of the British army in America." See Benson J.