Wordless Wednesday - Pine Grove Cemetery

52 Ancestors #13 - Ellen Pell, Marriage Trifecta

It's difficult to find information about female colonial ancestors. However, Ellen Pell is very intriguing because of her three marriages. That is not unusual for colonial times given the illnesses and accidents that befell those trying to make a life in the colonies. What is unusual is that all three of her husbands are connected to my family lines.


Her first marriage was to a tailor, John Boynton, an early immigrant to Rowley, Massachusetts. She and John had seven children. Their oldest child, Capt. Joseph Boynton was born in 1645. John Boynton and Capt. Joseph Boynton are my 11th and 10th great-grandfathers, respectively.

Her second husband was Maximillian Jewett, another early immigrant to Rowley. He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England and died in Rowley on October 19, 1684. They were married on August 30, 1671. Maximillian and his first wife, Ann, are my 9th great-grandparents through their daughter, Faith. This is the signature of Maximillian Jewett from an early deed.

Third time's a charm?

After Maximillian's death, Ellen married Daniel Warner, son of Great Migration immigrant, William Warner. They were married on June 1, 1686. Daniel's sister, Abigail Warner, is my 9th great-grandmother.






Maximillian Jewett & Ann
Faith Jewett
Sarah Dowse
Sarah Pinson
Thomas Capen
Thomas Capen, Jr.
Timothy Capen
Edward Abbott Capen
Fannie May Capen
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather on dad's side

William Warner & unknown wife
Abigail Warner - Sister of Ellen's third husband, Daniel
Thomas Wells
Joshua Bartlett
Lydia Bartlett
Nancy Ripley
Galen Blake
Charles Galen Blake
Harriet May Blake
Clayton Leonard Blake - my grandfather on mom's side

John Boynton & Ellen Pell
Joseph Boynton
Sarah Boynton
Susannah Tenney
Sarah Bailey
Sarah Emerson
Hannah Messer
Micajah Blake
Galen Blake
Charles Galen Blake - see above

52 Ancestors #12 - John Moses

John Moses came to Casco (Maine) about 1631 and later he moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In a deposition on October 5, 1686, John Moses said his age was 70. This would make him born about 1616. He was married twice - his first wife was named Alice and she died before 1667; his second wife was named Anne and was the widow of John Jones. Anne died after January 6, 1680. 

It is believed that John Moses came to Casco as an apprentice. This is based on a grant of land given to him in 1646, “in consideration of seven years service as an apprentice performed unto us.” He became a freeman on October 2, 1666.

In October 1648, John and Alice Moses sued Nicholas and Elizabeth Rowe for slander alleging that Elizabeth said “Alice was George [Ellett’s] whore.” Elizabeth was given a choice of paying a fine of 5 pounds or publicly admitting she did wrong in the public meetinghouse at Dover and at Strawberry Bank. Elizabeth Rowe must have been quite a feisty woman because she said, the “court should kiss her arse,” and when this was reported, she was whipped. 

John Moses was appointed to be a member of the jury for trials being held on June 26, 1666 but he did not show up and was fined. However, the fine was waived after he explained that he was “hindered by wind and weather at the Iles of Sholes.” 

Children with Alice:

Elizabeth was born about 1642 and married Joseph Walker before 1662. 

Daughter (name unknown) was born about 1644 and married Thomas Creber. 

Mary was born about 1645 and married Ferdinando Huff. 

Joanna was born about 1649 and married Timothy Davis. 

Aaron was born about 1651 and married first Ruth Sherborne and second Mary.

Sarah was born about 1653 and was unmarried in 1679. There are no further records for her. 

My line:

John Moses

Aaron Moses

Ruth Moses

John Waterhouse

Lydia Waterhouse

Alice Garland

Richard Hayes

Sidney Hayes

George Hayes

Eva Delphinia Hayes

Linona Yates - my grandmother

The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).

52 Ancestors #11 - Edward Doty

Edward Doty came on the Mayflower as a servant to Stephen Hopkins but he must have been close to the end of his indenture and likely an adult since he signed the Mayflower Compact. This means he was probably born around 1599. He died in Plymouth Colony on August 23, 1655.

Edward may have been married twice but nothing is known of his first wife, if indeed she existed. Her existence is implied by a comment made by William Bradford that Edward had a “second wife.” He married Faith Clarke, daughter of Thurston Clarke on January 6, 1634/5 in Plymouth. Faith outlived him and married John Phillips after Edward died. Faith was buried in Marshfield on December 21, 1675.

Edward was a planter.

He fought a duel shortly after his arrival. William Bradford recorded “ …the first duel fought in New England, upon a challenge at single combat with sword and dagger, between Edward Doty and Edward Leister, servants of Mr. Hopkins. Both being wounded, one in the hand, the other in the thigh, they are adjudged by the whole company to have their head and feet tied together, and so to lie for twenty-four hours, without meat or drink; which is begun to be inflicted, but within an hour, because of their great pains, at their own and their master’s humble request, upon promise of better carriage, they are released by the governor.”

The duel was just the first of Edward's trips to court. He was frequently in court for fighting, slandering, trespass, and debt. He was the defendant in three civil suits, all involving hogs.

On January 2, 1633/4, the Court settled a dispute between Edward Doty and his apprentice John Smith, reducing the time of apprenticeship from ten years to five.

On March 24, 1633/4, Edward Doty was fined for breaking the peace and drawing blood from Josias Cooke.

On March 28, 1634, Edward Doty won a suit against Francis Sprague.

On March 7, 1636/7, Edward Doty was found guilty of a “deceitful bargain” over a lot of land, and restored the lot to George Clarke. The controversy continued and George Clarke won damages from Doty in October 1637. The same day as that judgment, Doty was charged with assault and battery on Clarke and fined additional moneys.

He was sued and lost all four cases of debt and trespass between 1638 and 1651. He won a trespass suit against James Luxford on December 7, 1641.

On February 1, 1641/2, Edward Doty was charged with carelessly allowing cattle put in his hands to “break into men’s corn” endangering the cattle and other property. He was ordered to put his cattle in a “keep.”

Children of Edward & Faith (Clarke) Doty
  Edward was born about 1636; married Sarah Faunce.

John was born about 1638; married Elizabeth Cooke and second, Sarah (probably Rickard).

Thomas was born about 1640; married Mary Churchill and possibly another wife named Mary.

Samuel was born about 1642; married Jeane Harman

Desire was born about 1645; married three times. First marriage was to William Sherman, second was to Israel Holmes, and third was to Alexander Standish.

Elizabeth was born about 1646; married John Rowse

Isaac was born February 8, 1647/8; married Elizabeth England, widow.

Joseph was born April 30, 1651; married Deborah Ellis and Sarah Edwards, widow.

Mary was born about 1653; married Samuel Hatch in 1677 and Eleazer Churchill in 1685. 

Edward Doty

Mary Doty

Mary Churchill

Mary Stevens

Eleazer Cole

Calvin Cole

Calvin Cole

Apphia Delphinia Cole

George Hayes

Eva Delphinia Hayes

Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).

Witness to Assassination - 52 Ancestors #10

Octavius K. Yates was my first cousin, 4 times removed. He was the son of James & Emma (Cole) Yates and the grandson of William & Martha (Morgan) Yates (my 4th great-grandparents). The Yates Book relates that Octavius was born on September 25, 1833 and after graduating from high school in Bethel, Maine, he enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. Octavius was at Ford's Theater on the night of April 15, 1865 when Abraham Lincoln was shot.

The following information comes from the web site www.fordstheater.org.

Ford's Theater was transformed from a church to a theater in 1861. The theater benefited from the influx of population as thousands of soldiers and wartime visitors passed through the city. The sloping ground level had about 600 wooden chairs. These could be removed for dances. The second floor balcony held 420 people in the same type of wooden chairs. The upper balcony seated 600-700 on wooden benches. There were four private boxes, two on either side of the stage.

It's hard to imagine what it was like for those in the theater on that night. The country was celebrating the end of the Civil War. They must have felt that the worst of the hard times was behind them.

After the Civil War, Octavius moved to Canada and was engaged in the oil business before returning to Maine and studying medicine. He became a respected physician in West Paris.

Bethel's Revolutionary Soldiers

From Centennial Celebration at Bethel, August 26, 1874 pg. 33 - Are any of your ancestors here?

"At the close of the revolution forty-five of the soldiers sought the new lands of Sudbury Canada for a home.

Lieut. Jonathan Clark served as a commissary. He was taken by the Indians, but afterwards released.

Isaac T. York served five years.

Capt. Eli Twitchell was at Bunker Hill immediately after the battle, where he became crippled for life by carrying too heavy of a gun.

Zela Holt was in the French war, where he kept a diary. He was at the capture of Burgoyne.

Moses Mason was in the battle of Bennington.

Jonathan Bean served three years.

John Grover was at Dorchester Heights.

Ebenezer Eames was at the capture of the Hessians.

Benjamin Brown was born in Lynn, Mass., and was in the army five years. He was at the battle of Lexington and Bunker Hill, where he received a bullet wound in the top of his head.

Amos Hastings (brig. general) assisted in digging the trench at Bunker Hill. He was present at the capture of Fort Edward, and Burgoyne.

Absalom Farwell, a native of England, was in the French war. He was taken prisoner and carried to England, where he was in the king's service nineteen years. He returned and was present in the battle of Bunker Hill and Bennington.

Ezra Twitchell marched into Boston when the British evacuated it. He was at the battle of Saratoga.

John Walker was in a privateer which was chased up the Penobscot and abandoned.

Benjamin Russell, sen., was in the French and Indian wars, and in the revolution. He was well versed in Indian warfare.

Rev. Daniel Gould was an orderly sargeant.

Nathaniel Segar was in the revolution two years and nine months, and sixteen months a prisoner. He was at the retreat at Bunker Hill, and assisted in fortifying Ticonderoga.

Samuel Barker was a tailor. He boasted of mending Gen. Washington's clothes.

John Russell went in a privateer.

Isaac Russell was a clerk in the army. He perished in a snow storm in Westbrook.

Dea. John Holt was in the army three years.

Solomon Annis was in the French war.

Other names, of which I have no account are James Mills, Amos Gage, Jesse Dustan, Moses Bartlett, John Holt, Daniel B. Swan, Joseph Kilgore, Jeremiah Andrews, William Staples, Elhanan Sprague, Samuel Ingalls, Thaddeus Bartlett, Jeremiah Russell, James Swan, Simeon Sanborn, ______ Powers, Job York, John York, Jonathan Conn, James Mills, Capt. Peter Twitchell served under Gen. Lincoln in quelling Shay's rebellion, Jonathan Bean, James Barker, Jacob Russell went in a privateer, Sergeant Daniel Gage was in the battles of Monmouth and Trenton. The personal history of these soldiers would form a volume of no mean pretensions.

April Fools

I have to admit that I've never been a fan of April Fool's Day. It seems to bring out the worst in people who use it as an excuse to behave in ways that would otherwise be unacceptable. I like a good joke but the the best pranks are those that don't bring distress to others. This example of a distressing "prank" was found on the web site Genealogy Bank. Published in the Maine Cultivator and Hallowell Gazette (Hallowell, ME) on April 15, 1843. 

"An Unpleasant Joke. - On April-fool day the downward train of cars from Nashua came suddenly in sight of a man reposing on the track. The shriek was let off and the engine reversed but to no purpose. The cars passed over the man and came to a halt. The passengers rushed out with alarm depicted on every countenance, when suddenly the train of feeling was reversed by the discovery that the man was stuffed with straw. Haw! haw! They crawled into the cars and podged along."