Mary Silliman – A Woman of Courage

The Sarah Riggs Humphreys-Mary Silliman Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution celebrates America 250! In anticipation of the July 4, 2026, 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the 13 Colonies, the DAR wishes to remind everyone of the sacrifices and heroism of the men and women who fought for our freedoms that we enjoy today.

March is Women’s History Month and the members of the Sarah Riggs Humphreys-Mary Silliman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, take this opportunity to commemorate and encourage the celebration of the vital role women played in our American history by highlighting our chapter’s namesakes – Sarah Riggs Humphreys and Mary Silliman.

The Sarah Riggs Humphreys Chapter was formed on Oct 11, 1893 and the Mary Silliman Chapter was organized on January 15, 1894. The two chapters merged in October 2009 with the chapter members voting to retain both names for the new chapter. The two women probably represented much of the women in Colonial times - they could read and write, they were gracious and considerate women, and they influenced those around them. We know of them because their lives were written about whereas other women were the unsung heroes of our nation’s history. Sarah Riggs Humphreys, who lived in what is now Ansonia, was 25 years older than Mary Silliman. Mary lived in Fairfield which was a hot bed of loyalists and patriots. Because of where she lived Mary Silliman, and her neighbors, probably lived a more stress-filled life than Sarah Riggs Humphreys.

Mary Silliman was born May 30, 1736 in North Stonington, CT. She was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Joseph Fish, Pastor of the North Stonington Church and his wife Rebecca Peabody. Rebecca died in 1783 at the Silliman home on Holland Hill. Mary’s mother often told the story of the Mayflower and their sacrifices at Plymouth Rock. Mary’s great grandmother was Elizabeth Alden, daughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullens. Mary loved to write and kept a daily journal, which she hoped would prove “instructive and entertaining to my dear children when the hand that writes can move no more.” In 1758 at the age of 22 she married the Rev. John Noyes and lived in New Haven. Nine years later she became a widow with three young sons and remained a few years in New Haven. During that time she met Gen. Gold Selleck Silliman, a widow with a 19 year old son William. They married on May 21, 1775 and lived about two miles from the town of Fairfield on a hill called Holland Hill overlooking Long Island Sound.

General Gold Selleck Silliman (1732-1790) was born in Fairfield, CT, graduated from Yale and practiced law. He served as a crown attorney before the American Revolution. In 1777 the war came close to home when the British landed on Compo Beach marching towards Danbury where munitions and supplies were stored. General Silliman, commander of the militia for southwestern CT, sent out an Alarm and gathered 500 militia men joining Major General Daniel Wooster and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold in the Battle of Ridgefield. When General Silliman was out in the field of battle, Mary Silliman prayed for her husband’s safety. During those times she took on all the responsibilities of the home and farm besides accommodating officers, soldiers, and others who looked to her for hospitality.

1779 was a year of crisis for the town of Fairfield and the Silliman household. In May 1779 General Silliman was kidnapped and taken to Long Island as prisoner. Two months later in July 1779 the British landed in Fairfield and burnt the town. Mary and her household fled inland until it was safe to return.

May 2, 1779 Loyalists raiders broke into the Silliman home around midnight and kidnapped General Silliman. He was kept prisoner on Long Island for almost a year while the British waited to use him in a prisoner exchange. During that year Mary Silliman petitioned the CT Assembly, sought help from Governor Jonathan Trumbull, and eventually met with a privateer, Capt. David Hawley, who with his men in the dead of night, rowed across Long Island Sound and captured Thomas Jones, a highly respected Loyalist and Judge of the Supreme Court of NY. In May 1780 the exchange was made and Mary was reunited with her husband.

Gen. Gold Selleck Silliman died in 1790. In 1804 Mary became the wife of Dr. John Dickenson of Middletown who died in 1811. She then went to live with her son Rev. Joseph Noyes in Wallingford where she July 2, 1818 at the age of 83.

The DAR is a non-profit women's service organization dedicated to historic preservation, education and patriotism. Any woman over 18 who can prove lineal descent to an ancestor who served in the American Revolution is a prospective member. For more information on the DAR visit http://www.sarahriggshumphreysDAR.org

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution asks everyone to celebrate the 250th Birthday of the United States of America and the Patriots that achieved American Independence. For more information visit https://honoringourpatriots.dar.org/