Agnes Thornton Wasson, sister of Hon. Matthew Thornton, had a daughter, Catherine, born in Leicester, MA April 28, 1737. Agnes Thornton's husband is believed to have been Thomas Wasson (or Wason) who, with his brother James, came from County Antrim, Ireland, to American in 1736. The Wasson family came originally from the north of England. Thomas Wasson settled in Chester, NH prior to July 1738. He had a son, Thomas, who is thought to have been the Thomas Wasson who served in the Revolutionary War as Captain, 5th Co., 2d Regiment, Schenectady, NY division. John Thornton, son of Hon. Matthew's brother Willaim, served as a 1st Lt. in this company. Catherine Wasson has several brothers, and Thornton and John Wasson (who were grantees of Orford, NH in 1761) were probably two of them. It is also probable that George Wasson, who married Agnes Sullivan and had eight children (the youngest, John Duane, born at Duanesburg, NY on April 24, 1792) was also a brother of Catherine's. The family of Agnes Thornton Wasson were among the early settlers of the New York frontier, where their home was at Amsterdam. Catherine Wasson was married, in 1761 at Schenectardy, NY to Capt. Samuel Clyde.

Clyde or Cloyd Family

This family was of Scotch origin. The Clyde or Cloyd appears frequently in the early records of the parishes of Glasgow and Lanark. Fmaily tradition has it that three brothers named Clyde left Scotland on account of religious troubles and settld in the north of Ireland. The subsidy and Hearth rolls of Londonderry, Ireland show that there were in Glendermott parish, in 1662, one Jo. Clyde; in Ballykelly, a James Cloyd; in Kearne or Carn, a John Clyde in 1663; in Drumboe, a Munyon Clude; and in Glasteele a Robert Clide. Tradition in Ireland is that some of the family of John Clyde of Carn emigrated to America. John Clyde, whose farm was on Carn Hill near Londonderry, was probably the grandfather of DAniel Clyde, who emigrated to American from Londonderry about 1732, and settled in that part of Londonderry, NH which is now known as Windham. This Daniel Clydeis said to have been born in 1683. He had a brother Michael (b. 1710) who settled in East Allen,PA. Daniel Clyde married Esther, daughter of Hugh Rankin, an emigrant from County Antrim, Ireland to Londonderry, NH. Esther Rankin was born in 1706; was a woman of worth and of a strong religious character. Daniel and Esther Clydehad nine children, five of whom were born in Ireland: 1. Joseph, b. 1772 2. Hugh, b. 1724 3. John, b. 1726 4. Daniel, b. 1728 5. Ann, b. 1730 6. Samuel, b. April 11, 1732 in Windham; 7. Mary, b. 1735 8. Nancy, b. 1740 9. Agnes, b. 1744.
Daniel Clyde was a selectman in Windham in 1747. He died June 4, 1753.

It is not known when Samuel Clyde left Windham and settled in New York, but it was probably shortly after the death of his father Daniel.

By a commission dated at Albany, NY on May 25, 1758, under the hand of Samuel James Abercromby, Samuel Clydewas appointed captain of a company of Rangers.

In 1762, Samuel Clyde and his wife moved to Cherry Valley, NY where they lived for 10 years on the James Ritchie farm, which was the place of birth of their four eldest daughters and of their son, Matthew. In 1768, Samuel Clyde purchased a farm about one mile from the Village of Cherry Valley, the title to whichfarm has ever since remained in the family, the present owner being Dr. James D. Clyde [as of 1905].

Both Colonel (sic) Clyde and his wife bore prominent parts in the Revolution. They and their eight children were survivors of the massacre of Cherry Valley in 1778. After the destruction of Cherry Valley, Col. Clyde moved with his family to Canajoharie, where they resided until spring with a Mr. Van Alstyne. They went to Currys' Bush, near Princetown, NY, where they lived with some relatives (Thorntons) until 1783, when peace was declared. The Thorntons referred to were the sons of William Thornton, of whom Major John Thornton was one. Col. Clyde and his family returned to Cherry Valley in 1784. He was appointed sheriff of Montgomery County, which office he held until his death on November 30, 1790. Catherine Wasson Clyde died on May 31, 1824.

The children of Col.Samuel Clyde and Catherine Wasson Clyde, born between 1762 and 1778 were as follows: 1. Agnes 2. Ann 3. Jennie 4. Catherine 5. Matthew 6. George 7. Joseph 8. Esther. Of these children, Agnes and Jennie married members of the Schermerhorn family and Catherine married Major Leslie Holt. Their descendants have not been traced.

Matthew Clyde married Jane Clark. They resided in Cherry Valley and Medina, NY. Their children were: 1. Melinda 2. Samuel 3. Steuben 4. William 5. Thornton 6. Joseph 7. Keziah 8. Jane 9. Esther. Thornton Clyde had two sons who were killed in the Civil War: Alvin, 121st NY Vols, killed a Chancellorsville, aged 21; and Arthur, 90th NY Vols, died at Key West, age 19.

Steuben Clyde married Susan Sherman. They resided at Maine, NY and had eleven children, born between 1826 and 1847. Of these, Alfred served in the Civil War in the 89th NY Infantry and the 50th NY Engineers.