William Dawes
William Dawes | |
|---|---|
Portrait of William Dawes | |
| Born | April 6, 1745 |
| Died | February 25, 1799 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Tanner |
| Spouse(s) | Mehitable May (m. 1768; died 1793) Lydia Gendall (m. ca. 1796; died ca. 1809) |
| Children | 3 with Mehitable May 1 with Lydia Gendall |
| Parent(s) | William and Lydia Dawes |
William Dawes Jr. (April 6, 1745 – February 25, 1799) was an American soldier, and was one of several men who, in April 1775, alerted minutemen in Massachusetts of the approach of British regulars prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the outset of the American Revolution. Dawes' role in this action – as well of that of Samuel Prescott – has long been overshadowed by the attention given to Paul Revere.