William Lyon Pynchon

1831 - 1868  (36 years)

• Name	William Lyon Pynchon  [1, 2]
  Birth	23 Jun 1831	New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut   [3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Death	18 Jun 1868	Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut   [3, 4, 5]
  Burial	Plainfield Cemetery, Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut   [4, 6, 7]
  Person ID	I44125	Ancestry of PNH, TNH, and others
  Last Modified	5 Oct 2025

  
  

  Father	William Henry Ruggles Pynchon,   b. 16 Feb 1786   d. 11 Dec 1831 (Age 45 years)
  Mother	Mary Murdock
  Marriage	2 Nov 1819	Schenectady, Schenectady, New York   [4]
  Family ID	F25801	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Annie Payne Cogswell,   b. 21 Mar 1832   d. 25 Feb 1888, Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut (Age 55 years)
  Marriage	23 May 1859	Connecticut   [8, 9]
  Children	+ 1. William Harry Chichele Pynchon,   b. 16 Apr 1867, Plainfield, Windham, Connecticut d. 2 Jan 1910, Oyster Bay, Naussau, Long Island, New York (Age 42 years)
  Family ID	F25772	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Oct 2025

  
  

• Notes

  He graduated from Union College, Schenecdaty, in 1850, with a degree in civil engineering. From Robert Charles Anderson (citation details below): In the summer of 1860 William L. Pynchon, age 28, civil engineer, born in Connecticut, and Annie C. Pynchon, age 27, also born in Connecticut, were residing at Independence, Missouri, in the household of George Neet, age 56, born in Kentucky. During the Civil War William L. Pynchon served as Assistant Paymaster in the United States Navy, doing duty on the gunboat Aroostook and the sloop of war Ossipee. On 8 February 1862, in a letter addressed to Plainfield, Connecticut, W. L. Pynchon was ordered to report to Boston "for duty on board U.S. Gun Boat Aroostook." On several lists of officers of the Aroostook between 21 February 1862 and 31 December 1863, "W. L. Pynchon" appears as Acting Assistant Paymaster. 50 On 20 August 1864, in a letter addressed to Hartford, Connecticut, W. L. Pynchon was ordered to sail to Pensacola, Florida, and "report to Rear Admiral D. G. Farragut for duty on board the U.S. Steamer Ossipee." On several lists of officers on the Ossipee between 31 December 1864 and 28 June 1865, W. L. Pynchon appears as Acting Assistant Paymaster.

  
  

• Sources

  [S8767] Windham County, Connecticut, Cemetery Index, 1698-1968, on ancestry.com. [S8772] "Harry C. Pynchon." Norwich (Connecticut) Bulletin, 6 Jan 1910, p. 7. [S8602] Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934 on familysearch.org., date only. [S5932] Robert Charles Anderson, "The Literary Pedigree of the Author Thomas Pynchon." New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 146:165, 2015. [S8157] Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955, on familysearch.org., date only. [S8602] Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934 on familysearch.org. [S8157] Connecticut, Charles R. Hale Collection, Vital Records, 1640-1955, on familysearch.org. [S2822] Connecticut Marriages, 1630-1997, on familysearch.org. [S5932] Robert Charles Anderson, "The Literary Pedigree of the Author Thomas Pynchon." New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 146:165, 2015., date only.