Jabesh Caleb Squires

     Jabesh Caleb Squires was born in 1775 at near Stratford, Fairfield Co, Connecticut.¹ He married Martha Hammond, daughter of Zebedee Hammond and Martha Bennett, in 1798.¹ Jabesh Caleb Squires died on 4 March 1863 at Carleton Co, New Brunswick; Jabesh was noted as 88 years old on his gravestone.² He was buried at Upper Kent Cemetery, Carleton Co, New Brunswick.²
     When the King's Regiment was recruited, Jabesh joined. Later, when war was again threatening with the United States, he joined what was to become the 104th Regiment, serving as Sergeant, colour sergeant and sergeant major. He took part in the famous Snowshoe March from Fredericton to Quebec and Kingston during February and March 1813. Son Zebedee was attached as a boy of ten to the Regiment. All accounts of this mission show this one was very difficult. During the first stage of the march the men were making from 15 to 22 miles per day or two to three miles per hour...in snowshoes. They both returned to New Brunswick about 1817 when the regiment was disbanded.²
     The family first settled in Fredericton, York County as daughter Elizabeth was born there and then moved to Upper Kent, Carleton Co by 1825 when he received a land grant there.^1,2 He and Martha Hammond appeared on the census of 1851 at Kent, Carleton Co, New Brunswick; Jabish Squires, 76, arriving New Brunswick 1783, infirm; Martha, 68, b. NB, also infirm; daughter Julia Squires, 31 and granddaughter Harriet Cox, 8.³