Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Aaron & Sarah (Abbott) Abbott - Tombstone Tuesday



Aaron Jr. & Sarah (Abbott) Abbott were my 4X great-grandparents. They were second cousins. His parents were Aaron Sr. & Lydia (Abbott) Abbott. Her parents were Stephen & Mary (Gile) Abbott. The Abbotts seemed to have a quite a few cousin marriages. They are buried in a small private cemetery in Bethel, Maine, It is known as Capen Cemetery and located at the top of Capen Hill on Intervale Road. They were married on January 1, 1800. Aaron was born on April 11, 1778, and died on September 8, 1856 and Sarah was born on June 26, 1780, and died on October 23, 1853.  Included on their stone are at least two of their children, Samuel and Lydia. I have two lines of descent from the children of Aaron & Sarah.

Children of Aaron Jr. & Sarah (Abbott) Abbott:

  1. Aaron III - born on December 20, 1802 and died on August 15, 1878. 
  2. Sarah K - born on March 12, 1806 and died on April 14, 1874.
  3. Lydia - born on July 18, 1809 and died on January 1, 1834.
  4. Stephen - born on February 18, 1812.
  5. Samuel - born on August 1, 1815 and died on July 18, 1823.
  6. John - born on April 27, 1819 and died in 1902. 
Line #1
Sarah (Abbott) Capen
Edward Abbott Capen - married his first cousin, Mary Jane Abbott - see what I mean? 
Fannie May (Capen) Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Line #2
John Abbott
Mary Jane (Abbott) Capen
Fannie May (Capen) Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather


Sunday, October 25, 2015

The First Chief Justice of Maine's Supreme Court - 52 Ancestors #42

"PrentissMellen" by John Brewster, Jr. -
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Licensed under Public Domain via Commons
The first Chief Justice of the Maine State Supreme Court was my 1st cousin, 7X removed.

Prentiss Mellen, son of Rev. John & Rebecca (Prentiss) Mellen, was born on October 11, 1764, in Sterling, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard College with his brother, Henry, from 1780-1784. After graduating from Harvard, he worked as a tutor and studied law with Shearjashub Bourne. He was admitted to the bar at Taunton in October 1788 and practiced in Sterling and Bridgewater, Massachusetts. However, he was still struggling to find his place. In July 1792, he moved to Biddeford, Maine and began his rise through the ranks of Maine's top lawyers, eventually settling in Portland and joining an active group of lawyers.


The Biographical Encyclopedia of Maine of the Nineteenth Century states that:
      When pleading at the bar, Mr. Mellon was fervid and impassioned. His countenance gleamed with bright intelligence. His intuitions were quick, and of necessity not always accurate...His client's cause he made his own. He never forgot or neglected it, nor failed to avail himself of an antagonist's errors or weakness to achieve a victory. His musical voice, tall and imposing appearance, and fascinating manner were all elements of professional power that he well knew how to utilize.

In addition to his work as a lawyer, Prentiss Mellen was involved in the political arena. He served on the Executive Council of Massachusetts in 1808, 1809, and 1817. In 1817, he was also Elector-at-Large to the Electoral College. He was a Representative from Massachusetts from 1817-1820. In 1820, he was appointed the first Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court. He served as Chief Justice until October 1834 when he was constitutionally forced to retire at the age of 70.

"Official medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society (1795)"
 by Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) and either William Hackwood or Henry Webber;
Licensed under Public Domain via Commons 
In 1833, he became the president of the newly formed abolitionist society of Portland. The vice-presidents were Samuel Fessenden and Rev. Gershom Cox.

Prentiss wasn't done, though. In 1838, the Governor of Maine appointed him to be the chairman of the committee overseeing the revision and codification of state laws. This work produced 178 chapters under twelve titles. Once adopted by the Maine Legislature, it became the first volume of the Revised Statutes.


Again The Biographical Encyclopedia of Maine of the Nineteenth Century gives a glimpse into his character.
     Deeply religious, devoutly attendant upon public worship, faithful, and conscientious in the performance of every duty, and true in every relation of life; of cheerful and gay temperament, overflowing with wit and anecdote, social and benevolent - he was a welcome guest in every company, and one of the brightest ornaments of the society in which he lived. Possessed of vivid imagination and nice literary taste, he himself cultivated a seidisant acquaintance with the muses. Poetry, or rather rhyming, was the sport of leisure hours to the very evening of his life...Judge Mellen met death with all the composure that might have been expected from one of his sincere faith and firm religious principles. Perfectly submissive to the Divine will, he was wishful to depart, and yet content to stay. When the silver cord was at last loosened, the golden bowl broken at the cistern, his spirit triumphantly ascended to its celestial home.

Prentiss Mellen married Sarah "Sally" Hudson in May 1795 and they had six children.

Children of Prentiss & Sally :

  1. Caroline A. was born on February 24, 1796, and died on August 25, 1800.
  2. Augusta S. was born on December 27, 1797.
  3. Grenville was born on June 19, 1799, and died on September 5, 1841. He was a lawyer and a poet. He married Mary Southgate. 
  4. Caroline M. was born on March 26, 1801. 
  5. Sally S. was born on January 14, 1803, and died in 1874. She married Nicholas Gilman. 
  6. Frederick was born on December 3, 1804, and died in 1834. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College and practiced law. 


Sally (Hudson) Mellen died on September 10, 1838. Prentiss Mellen died on December 31, 1840. They are buried in Western Cemetery in Portland, Maine. His Findagrave Memorial

Henry & Abigail (Pratt) Mellen
Thomas Mellen - brother of Rev. John Mellen, uncle of Prentiss Mellen
Mehitable (Mellen) Freeland
Frances (Freeland) Carter
Elias Mellen Carter
Augustus Mellen Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Sources:
Findagrave.com
Wikipedia
Biographical Encyclopedia of Maine of the Nineteenth Century. Boston: Metropolitan Pub. and Engraving, 1885. print. Accessed on Internet Archive, 25 Oct. 2015.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

The Accidental Death of Edmund Ingalls - 52 Ancestors #43

Edmund Ingalls died at the age of 60 from injuries sustained when he fell through a bridge. In March of 1648, he was crossing the bridge over the Saugus River on horseback and somehow fell through the bridge. The town of Lynn spent £20 to repair the bridge and Edmund, fearing he would not recover, wrote his will. Edmund's will was proved on September 14, 1648, and his inventory came to a little over £135.


After his death, the family petitioned the town for compensation for the loss of their father. These damages were granted to the family on October 18, 1648.

"The humble petition of Robert Ingalls, with the rest of his brethren and sisters, being eight in number, humbly showeth that whereas your poor petitioner's father hat been deprived of life by the insufficiency of Lynne Bridge, so called, to the great impoverishment of your poor petitioner's mother and themselves and there being a court order that any person so dyeing through such insufficiency of any bridge in the countrye, there should be an hundred pounds forfeit to the next heire, May it therefore please this honorable Court to take your poore petitioner's case into consideration." 


Edmund and his wife, Ann, had the following children:
  1. Elizabeth was born about 1619 and married Rev. Francis Dane. 
  2. Robert was born about 1620 and married Sarah Harker.
  3. Faith was born about 1622 and married Andrew Allen. 
  4. John was born about 1624 and married Elizabeth Barrett. 
  5. Sarah was born about 1626 and married William Bitner.
  6. Henry was born about 1627 and married Mary Osgood. 
  7. Samuel was born about 1632 and married Ruth Eaton. 
  8. Mary was born about 1634 and married John Eaton. 
  9. Joseph, nothing further is known.

Information from The American Genealogist, Volume 52.

Edmund Ingalls
Elizabeth (Ingalls) Dane
Francis Dane
Hannah (Dane) Phelps
Hannah (Phelps) Abbott
Mehitable (Abbott) Abbott
Zerviah (Abbott) Ellingwood
John W. Ellingwood, Jr.
Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Nina (Ellingwood) Gibbs
Annie F. (Gibbs) Cotton
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Friday, October 16, 2015

Drowning Death of Lydia Pickering

From the New England Historic Genealogical Register, Volume 46, page 179. Daniel Epps, Jr. is my 11th great-granduncle. He was the son of Daniel and Martha (Reade) Epps. In 1702, he was the coroner who led the investigation into the death of Lydia Pickering.  Poor Lydia fell into a well and drowned. There's a lot to pick through before you get to the actual findings of the coroner's inquest (emphasis mine).


Inquest Upon the Body of Lydia Pickering of Salem, 1702. - (Communicated by Grenville H. Norcross, LL.B., of Boston) - Ess. sc. An Inquisition Indented Taken at Salem within ye said County of Essex ye 16th Day of October Anno 1702, In ye first year of ye Reigne of our Sovereign Lady Anne by ye grace of God of England, Scotland, France & Ireland Queen, defender of the Faith etc. Before Daniel Epes Gent. One of ye Coroners of our said Lady ye Queen within ye County of Essex aforesaid upon ye View of ye Body of Lydia Pickering Lying dead at ye house of mr. Jno Pickering of Salem aforesaid By ye Oaths of Edward Flint Samuel Phippen, Stephen Ingolls, Daniel Grant, Jno Orne Samuel Sibley Samuel West Jno Cook Samuel Shattock, Henry West Joseph Duglas Wm Reeves, Ephr. Kempton & Jno Priest, Good & Lawfull men of Salem aforesaid within ye County aforesaid, Who being charged & Sworne To Inquire for our said Lady ye Queen, when by what means & how, Lydia Pickering came to her death Upon their Oaths do say, That she came to her End or death by falling into a well & being drowned & so, came to her End by misfortune - In Witnes whereof, as well I ye Coroner aforesaid as ye Jurors aforesaid To this Inquisition have put our hands & seals ye Day & Year abovesaid -
Daniel Epes Coroner (Seal)
The mark of
Jno F Cook (Seal)                          Edward flint Foreman (Seal)
Samuel Shattock (Seal)                Samuel phippen (Seal)
Henry West (Seal)                        Stephen Ingalls (Seal)
Joseph Duglas (Seal)                    Daniel Grant (Seal)
William Reeves (Seal)                  John Orne (Seal)
Ephraim Kempton (Seal)            Samuell Sibley (Seal)
John Priest (Seal)                          Samuel West (Seal)


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Running from the Law - 52 Ancestors #41

Henry Jaques, Jr. is my 8th great-uncle. He was born in 1649,  the son of Henry & Anna (Knight) Jaques. In 1666, at the age of 17, Henry got himself into some trouble with the law and fled, possibly with some help from his father. Henry Jr. was found guilty of fornication with Elnor Bryner. 

Elnor was left to face the charges alone and was sentenced to be whipped or pay a fine of £5. Her fine was paid by John Knight. 








The court dealt harshly with Henry Jaques, Jr. He was ordered to appear in court or the penalty would be the forfeiture of 30% of his estate and the loss of the right to vote. Henry ended up with two fines. The first was for £30, six times what Elnor paid! He paid a second fine two months later, but the amount of the second payment is unknown. 



Henry married Anne Trueman, probably about 1673. They had four children.

Sources:
Essex Quarterly Court records
The Ancestry of Phoebe Tilton  by Walter Goodwin Davis

Henry Jaques, Sr. 
Elizabeth (Jaques) Knight
Henry Knight
Eunice (Knight) Sawyer
Hannah (Sawyer) Hilton
Catherine (Hilton) Churchill
Loann (Churchill) Rowe
Anna J. (Rowe) Hayes
Eva D. (Hayes) Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Violating the Sabbath - Elizabeth Eddy

Samuel and Elizabeth (___) Eddy had to put three of their sons out to live and work in other families because they could not afford to bring them up. I wrote about this in 2012: Too Many Mouths To Feed. Here are some other references to the Eddy family.

Samuel Eddy regularly hired one of the cows which were maintained for the town's poor [PTR 1:4, 19, 20, 27, 28]. 

On 7 October 1651 the grand jury presented "Elizabeth Eeddy, Seni[or], of the town of Plym[outh], for laboring, that is to say, for wringing and hanging out clothes, on the Lord's day, in time of public exercise" [PCR2:173]. 

On 1 May 1660, "Elizabeth Eedey was summoned to the Court, and appeared, to make answer for her traveling on the Lord's day from Plymouth to Boston; and affirmed that she was necessitated to go on that day, in regard to Mistris Saffin was very weak and sent for her, with an earnest desire to see her in her weakness, with some other pleas of like nature. The Court considering some circumstances in her answer, although they saw not a sufficient excuse for her fact therein, saw cause to admonish her, and so she was discharged of the Court" [PCR 3:186]. 

Children of Samuel & Elizabeth (___) Eddy include: (There may have been more since both Samuel and Elizabeth are referred to as "senior" but there is no other evidence.)
  1. John was born on December 25, 1637. 
  2. Zachariah was born about 1639. 
  3. Caleb was born about 1643. 
  4. Obadiah was born about 1645. 
  5. Hannah was born in June 1647. 
Samuel Eddy
John Eddy
Alice Eddy
Giles Leach
Elizabeth Leach
Lucy Shurtleff
Calvin Cole, Sr. 
Calvin Cole, Jr. 
Apphia Cole
George Hayes
Eva D. Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Faith Jewett - 52 Ancestors #40


This week's 52 Ancestors optional theme is "October" and it was suggested to choose an ancestor who was born in October.

Faith Jewett was the daughter of Maximillian & Ann (___) Jewett and she was my 8X great-grandmother. She was born in Rowley on October 8, 1652 and died on February 26, 1737. She married Samuel Dowse on March (or January, depending on the source) 7, 1677 in Newbury. She was his second wife. Samuel was the son of Lawrence & Martha (___) Dowse and was a deacon in the Charlestown church. Samuel died on February 26, 1735, and left an estate totalling £347.

Like most women of the time, Faith doesn't show up in many records. She is mentioned in her father's will. He left her £40 that he had already paid her and also half of his ninety-six acres of land in Bradford, about two and a half acres of salt and rough marsh in the place called Cowbridge, and an additional £10 to be paid to her by her brother, Joseph.



Children of Samuel & Faith (Jewett) Dowse - All the children were born in Charlestown.

  1. Anna was born on December 19, 1677. 
  2. Samuel was born on November 19, 1679. 
  3. John was born on November 10, 1681, and died of fever on January 30, 1703. 
  4. Martha was born on November 18, 1683.
  5. Mary was born on April 17, 1686, and married Thomas Harris. 
  6. Maximillian was born on October 12, 1688, and married Sarah Fosdick. 
  7. Sarah was born on March 19, 1691, and married William Pinson. 
  8. Ebenezer was born on September 10, 1693, and died in 1781. 


Samuel & Faith (Jewett) Dowse
Sarah (Dowse) Pinson
Sarah (Pinson) Capen
Thomas Capen
Thomas Capen, Jr.
Timothy Capen
Edward Abbott Capen
Fannie May Capen
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Onesipherous Marsh - 52 Ancestors #39

The optional theme for 52 Ancestors this week is "unusual" and I can't think of a better name to write about than Onesiphorus Marsh. The name Onesiphorus comes from the New Testament and is found in Second Timothy. Onesiphorus was one of seventy disciples chosen to preach and Onesiphorus was a bishop in Asia Minor and later in Corinth. He died a martyr in the city of Parium, near Ephesus. Both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches consider him a Saint.



Onesiphorus Marsh was the second son of George & Elizabeth (__) Marsh. The other children had very common names: Mary, Thomas, and Elizabeth. Onesiphorus was born about 1630 and died on May 15, 1713 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He was married three times. His first marriage was to Hannah Cutler, his second marriage was to Elizabeth Parrott (Parrat), and his third marriage was to Sarah Travers. Elizabeth was the widow of Samuel Worcester and Sarah was the widow of Nicholas Wallingford.


While living in Haverhill, the town came under attack on March 15, 1697. Nine houses were burned, twenty-seven people were killed, and thirteen people were taken prisoner. One of those prisoners was *Hannah (Emerson) Duston. Although she was taken prisoner after her baby was killed, her husband was able to take the other children to safety in the garrison house of Onesiphorus Marsh. Hannah would later kill and scalp her captors and escape. She has been both praised and condemned for her actions. Onesiphorus Marsh's daughter, Hannah (Marsh) Kimball, and young grandson, John Kimball, also lost their lives in the attack.




Children of Onesiphorus & Hannah (Cutler) Marsh

  1. Onesiphorus was born on November 5, 1655, and married Sarah Ladd. He died in 1732. 
  2. Hannah was born on June 28, 1657, and married Henry Kimball. It is reported that she and her son, John, were killed in the attack on March 15, 1697. John would have been about five and a half years old and Hannah would have been just shy of her 40th birthday. 
  3. Mary was born on May 12, 1659, and married Cornelius Page on January 16, 1684. She had five children before she died on November 12, 1697.  
  4. John was born on August 19, 1663, and married Lydia Emerson. Lydia died in February 1720. John married second, widow Mary Eaton. 
  5. Thomas was born on October 20, 1666, and died in November 1690.
  6. Sarah was born on February 26, 1669, and married a man named Pike. She died on July 9, 1738. 
  7. Abigail was born on February 21, 1671, and married Abiel Mercer. Abigail was raised by her uncle, John Page. Abiel was the of Richard & Hannah (Shatswell) Mercer, another set of ancestors. 
Onesiphorus & Hannah (Cutler) Marsh
Abigail (Marsh) Messer

Thomas Messer
Daniel Messer
Hannah (Messer) Blake
Micajah Blake
Galen Blake
Charles G. Blake
Harriet May Blake
Clayton Leonard Blake - my grandfather

Richard & Hannah (Shatswell) Mercer
Abiel & Abigail (Marsh) Mercer/Messer - see above

*Hannah (Emerson) Duston - 6th great-aunt of Clayton Blake - my grandfather. Her brother, Joshua Emerson was my grandfather's 6th great-grandfather. Joshua Emerson - Joshua Emerson, Jr., Sarah (Emerson) Messer, Hannah (Messer) Blake - see the rest of this line above.