• Lieut. Col. John Gorham, the fifth child of Capt. John and Desire, was brought up to work at the trade of his father. His tannery was near his father’s grist mill. He inherited a part of his father’s estate, and became wealthy, ranking second in town, next to his brother James. He was with his father in the King Philip war. He was afterwards much engaged during the French and Indian wars, from 1689 to 1704, on the eastern coast, under Col. Benjamin Church. Connected with these expeditions there was a whaleboat fleet, manned by whalemen, sailors and friendly Indians, which during most of the time was under the sole management and command of Col. Gorham.
During the fourth and fifth of these expeditions, he was commissioned Lieut. Colonel and second in command, and in case of accident was named as commander. This fleet was of great service in transporting supplies, and in moving troops from point to point when marching through the wilderness, which was nearly impassable. Lieut. Col. Gorham ranked as a captain in the unfortunate Canada expedition in 1690, under Major Walley. In this expedition he commanded the whaleboat fleet, without which it would have been still more disastrous. Subsequently he was a Lieut. Colonel in the militia. He was a man of sound judgment, good business capacity, much employed by his fellow townsmen as a conveyancer, writing wills, and in drawing public documents. He married, Feb. 16, 1674, Mary Otis, daughter of Mr. John Otis. Their children were born in Barnstable. Col. John Gorham died Dec. 9, 1716, in the 65th year of his age.15

• Lt. Col. John Gorham was second in command in the fourth and fifth expeditions against the French and Indians. His monument is near the Unitarian meeting house in Barnstable.4918

• Lieutenant Colonel John Gorham, born Feb. 20, 1652; married Feb. 16, 1674, Mary Otis. He died Dec. 9, 1716. His wife, Mary, died April 1, 1733.
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The second son was John, named after his father, and working at his trade as a tanner. He also accompanied his father in King Philip’s War, and inherited from him part of the homestead with the dwelling.
John Gorham, Jr. born in Marshfield, Feb. 20, 1651, married in 1671, Mary, the daughter of John Otis. His service to the colony, like that of his father, was of a military nature, and besides that previously stated he held the rank of captain in the expedition under Sir William Phips to Canada in 1690, and before his death, which occurred Dec. 9, 1716, he had attained the rank of major in 1702, and of lieutenant colonel in 1703, having had active service in expeditions in 1696-97 and 1702-04; and held office as representative to the General Court from 1688 for several years.19