Sion Martindale

Sion Martindale (1732-1785) was a sea captain originally from Newport. He moved to Bristol in the  late 1750s when he got married to Sarah Peck. Sion and Sarah had three daughters: Sarah, Nancy, and Patty. During the Revolution, Sion commanded a company in the Army of Observation. While in the Boston area, he was placed in command of a vessel, called the Washington, which was captured by the British in December of 1775. He and the rest of his crew were sent to England for trial. He was then sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and escaped from that place to New Hampshire in July, 1776. Upon his return to Rhode Island, Sion was promoted to major in command of Bristol’s fortifications. During the British raid on Bristol and Warren in 1778, he was captured. After his release, he commanded a privateer boat named for Deputy Governor William Bradford. At the time of his death, Sion was an insolvent debtor.