Abraham D. Fonda

Abraham D. Fonda was born in March 1733. He was the first child born to the marriage of Douw and Aeltje (perhaps Van Ness) Fonda. We exercise caution here as at least three "Abraham Fondas" are at risk during this individual's lifetime. This profile is based solely on sources for "Abraham D. Fonda."

In August 1771, he married a somewhat younger Hendrickie Lansing at the Albany Dutch church. At that time, both partners were identified as "of colony." By 1781, as many as eight children had been christened in the church where the parents were occasional baptism sponsors.

Beginning in 1775, this Abraham D. Fonda served the crusade for American liberties as an officer in the Third Regiment (known as the Rensselaerswyck battalion) of the Albany County Militia. He was a veteran of the Battle of Saratoga and was sent home wounded. He retained his rank until the end of the war. Afterwards, he was among those members of the regiment who were accorded a land bounty right in conjunction with the third regiment. In 1837, his widow applied for and received a military pension for his service as captain and major in the militia.

He probably was the "Abraham Fonda" whose household was configured on the census in 1790 for Watervliet where he was a lifelong resident.

Abraham D. Fonda died in October 1799. His will passed probate in Albany County on January 4, 1802.

Community-based references to simply "Abraham Fonda" for the middle decades of the century cannot yet be assigned with certainty because of the existence of same-named contemporaries. The widow of this Revolutionary War veteran lived on, probably with family members, at least through 1837.

Sources: The life of Abraham D. Fonda is CAP biography number 3778. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.