Person:Mehitable Wing (5)

Historical Monument, inscribed: "Near this spot once lived Mehitable Wing, and Heroine of Quaker Hill. She was the Daughter of Jedediah Wing and the wife of William Prendergast, leader of the Land Rebellion of 1767 in Dutchess County. Mehitable, through heroic efforts, obtained a pardon from King George for her husband, after he had been condemned to death for treason. This Tribute to her Love, Courage and Devotion is erected by the women of the Wing Family of America."

From Rootsweb: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jsorby&id=I18512

701. Mehitable7 Wing (Jedediah6, Elisha5, Stephen4 Wing(e), Rev. John3, Matthew2, [poss.] Rev. Godfr(i)edus1 Wynge)(14608) was born in Rochester, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts 1st month, 27, 1739.(14609) Birth site: now Wareham. Mehitable died 4 September 1812 in Chatauqua, Chatauqua, NY, at 73 years of age. She was buried at Prendergast Burial Grounds in Chatauqua, Chatauqua, NY.(14610) To the memory of MEHETIBEL wife of William Prendergast AND Daughter of Jedediah & Elizabeth Wing of Beekman Dutchess Co. Born March 20, 1738 Died Sept. 14, 1812(14611) She married William Prendergast of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York, about 1755. About 1755, when scarcely seventeen years of age, she married William Prendergast, a young Irishman, born in Waterford, Ireland, Feb. 5, 1727, a shipwright by trade, who had made his way, first to Nova Scotia, and then into Dutchess County.(14612) William was born in Waterford, Waterford, IRE 5 February 1727. William(14613) was the son of Thomas Prendergast and Mary (Unknown). William died 14 February 1811 in Chatauqua, Chatauqua, NY, at 84 years of age. He was buried at Prendergast Burial Grounds in Chatauqua, Chatauqua, NY.(14614) Their burial place is upon a sightly knowll, about five miles from Mayville and about two miles from the original Chatauqua Institute, upon a farm owned by one of the sons.(14615) To the memory of WILLIAM son of Thos. & Mary Prendergast BORN Ireland Kilkany Co. Feb. 5, 1727 died Feb. 11, 1811.(14616) The homestead of the Prendergasts is shown upon the map of Quaker Hill printed in The Owl at page 1520, and a description of the palce was given in The Owl at page 776. It was about one mile from Washington's headquarters while he was operating in the vicinity of the Hill in 1778.(14618)(14617) Prendergast moved from Quaker Hill to rennselaer County soon after the Revolution. He was a lumberman, and built a large saw mill at a place on the Hoosick River called "The Lick." After some years, he disposed of this property to a man named Johnson, and the place now bears the name of Johnsonville.(14620)(14619) Prendergast with his sons and daughters, their wives, husbands and children, together with his negro slave, "Tom," then set out for the West in search of a new location. It was a remarkable cavalcade, fou wagons drawn by four horses each, and brought up by a carriage in which was seated Mehitable and some of the ladies of the party, 29 people in all, wended their way across the States of New York and Pennsylvania to Wheeling, West Virginia, where they purchased a flat boat and drifted down the Ohio River to the "Falls," now Louisville, where they again left the boat and drove across the country to Memphis, Tenn., or in that vicinity. After remaining here some months, they were dissatisfied, and again turned back to the North, going into Canada. Here they remained for about a year. The sons set out again upon a prospecting tour and upon the shore of Lake Chatauqua they built a village and named it "Jamestown," in honor of one of the sons. It is now a flourishing city. The story of the settlement of Jamestown is told in the "History of Chatauqua County," where the portraits of several of the sons of William and Mehitable appear.(14622)(14621) Mehitable became the heoine of a remarkable event which still lives in the tradition and history of Dutchess County and gave her the title, "The Heroine of Quaker Hill." The Anti-Rent war of 1766 greatly excited the people of Columbia and Dutchess counties. The prime cause of the trouble was the granting of large tracts of land to favored proprietors, so that actual settlers became only tenants. The popular discontent broke out in armed refusal to pay rents exacted. William Prendergast was the leader of the movement in Dutchess County. He assembled a band on Quaker Hill so formidable, that the King's forces in Poughkeepsie waited for reinforcement of 200 troopers and two field pieces before proceeding against him. After some desultory skirmishing, the sight of this small army advancing upon them was enough and Prendergast surrendered. He was taken to New York, indicted, and brought back to Poughkeepsie for trial. On the same sloop making the voyage up the river were judges, King's counsel, lawyers and prisoner. The prisoner was assisted in his defence by his wife Mehitable. So ardent was this woman advocate, that the King's counsel forgot himself and moved that she be excluded from the court room. The mothion was denied, and the attorney emphatically rebuked by the court. But there was no lack of proof of treason. Predergast was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged in six months. Then the valiant woman's energy and perseverence rose to the highest. It was a distance of seventy miles from the Prendergast home at Quaker Hill to New York. Mehitable arrayed herself in her best apparel, borrowing her sister Abigail's gown, mounted a horse and sped her way to the city for an interview with the English governor, Sir Henry Moore. She poured forth her soul in such a stream of womanly eloquence that the heart of Sir Henry was softened, and with eyes suffuced with tears, he said, "Madam, your husband shall not suffer." But it was next necessary to secure the King's pardon. It is said that Mehitable drew the petition with her own hand. After a delay of many weeks, King George's pardon finally came across the water. The day following her interview with the Governor, Mehitable again maounted her horse and returned to Poughkeepsie to give her husband the good news. She arrived there just in time, for a company of fifty mounted men had assembled to rescue Prendergast from jail. She convinced them of the folly of such action and sent them home. The King's pardon finally arrived, and Prendergast returned to his home amid great popular rejoicing(14623). Mehitable Wing and William Prendergast had the following children: 2039 i. Matthew8 Prendergast(14624) was born of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York 5 August 1756. He married Abigail Akin. He was a soldier in Revolutionary War from. 2040 ii. Thomas Prendergast(14625) was born of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York 15 September 1758. Thomas died 3 JUN 1842 at 83 years of age. He married Deborah Hunt. 2041 iii. Mary Prendergast(14626) was born of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York abt 1760. She married William Bemis. 2042 iv. Elizabeth Prendergast(14627) was born of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York abt 1762. 2043 v. James Prendergast(14628) was born of Quaker Hill, Dutchess Co., New York 3d month, 9, 1764. He married Agnes Thompson. 2044 vi. Jediah Prendergast(14629) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY 5th mo. 13, 1766. He married Penelope Chase. 2045 vii. Martin Prendergast(14630) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY 4th month, 22, 1769. He married Martha Hunt. 2046 viii. John Jeffrey Prendergast(14631) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY abt 1771. 2047 ix. Susanna Prendergast(14632) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY abt 1773. She married Oliver Whiteside. 2048 x. Eleanor Prendergast was born ABT 1774. Eleanor died ABT 1787. 2049 xi. Martha Prendergast(14633) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY 1775. Martha died 9 DEC 1849 at 74 years of age. Martha never married. 2050 xii. Col. William Prendergast(14634) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY abt 1777. He married Deborah Reed. He served in the military during war time 1812. 2051 xiii. Minerva Prendergast(14635) was born in Quaker Hill, Dutchess, NY abt 1780.