Saturday, August 27, 2016

1862 Bethel Business Men


Is your ancestor on this list? My 3rd great-grandfather, Elias M. Carter, appears on the left as a farmer in Middle Intervale. Other families are related to me by marriage or as distant cousins.

Handwritten on Title Page: J. P. Boyd January 1862

A Business Directory of the Subscribers to the Map of Maine, with a brief history and description of the state, prepared by William Willis; Also Valuable Statistics and Advertisements.

Portland: Published by J. Chace, Jr. & Co.; Sanborn & Carter, 55 Exchange Street; Bailey & Noyes, 56 and 58 Exchange Street.

Printed by B. Thurston, Steam Book, Job, and Card Printer, proprietor of Commercial News Room, Publisher of "Portland Price-Current" and "Maine Teacher," 79 Middle Street, Portland.


Elias M. Carter
Augustus M. Carter
Edward M. Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Thomas Gardner - Immigrant Ancestor

Thomas Gardner was an early immigrant to Cape Ann and later Salem. It is believed that he arrived in 1624 and from 1626 to his death, he lived in Salem. His estimated birth year, 1592, is based on his testimony given November 26, 1661. He indicated that he was about sixty-nine years old. He died in Salem on December 29, 1674, a month after his third wife died. His sons, George and Samuel served as executors of his estate.

Regarding his education and service to the town, he signed his name, rather than making a mark and he served as a deputy for Salem to the General Court in 1637. From 1641-1658, he served on several juries and was the foreman at least twice. Thomas served multiple terms as a Salem selectman and multiple terms as an overseer of highways.   He was a fence viewer in 1636, constable in 1639, and rater in 1639-1640.

There is no indication of a specific profession practiced until the 1660s. During the 1660s, he was granted a license to be an innkeeper and sell "strong drink." In 1667, his license was amended to forbid him from selling "strong drink" to the local folks. He could only sell it to "strangers."

In 1636, he appears in a list of Salem church members, but a court record calls his commitment into question. In November 1660, among a list of Quakers, the wife of Thomas Gardner, Sr. was one of those fined for frequent absences from church on Sundays. Thomas was never mentioned for having absented himself from church and it is difficult to know his feelings about the matter.

Thomas Gardner was married three times. The name of his first wife is unknown. She probably died around 1636 and possibly in child birth. His second wife was named Margaret, but her maiden name was unknown. His third wife was Damaris, "widow Shattuck," and her maiden name is also unknown. The American Genealogist Vol. 30 has an article about the identities of Margaret and Damaris.

Thomas Gardner and his first wife are my tenth great-grandparents.

Thomas Gardner's children with his first wife were:
  1. Thomas born about 1614. 
  2. George born about 1616. 
  3. John born about 1624.
  4. Sarah born about 1627. Sarah married Benjamin Balch, son of immigrant, John Balch. 
  5. Samuel born about 1629. 
  6. Joseph born about 1630. 
  7. Richard born about 1632. 
  8. Miram born about 1635. 
  9. Seeth (daughter) baptized in Salem on December 25, 1636. 
My Line:
Thomas Gardner
Sarah (Gardner) Balch
Mary (Balch) Stone
Ruth (Stone) Morgan
Luke Morgan
Samuel Morgan
Martha (Morgan) Yates
Moses Yates
Gilbert William Yates
Estes Gilbert Yates
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).

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Aaron & Mary (Day) Abbott - Tombstone Tuesday

Footstone of Aaron Abbott, III
Footstone of Mary (Day) Abbott - wife of Aaron Abbott, III


While exploring the Capen Cemetery in October 2015, I found two footstones for which the headstones were missing. A little sleuthing and piecing together clues and I believe these belong to Aaron Abbott, III and his wife, Mary Day. Aaron was the son of my 3X great grandparents, Aaron & Sarah "Sally" (Abbott), Abbott. The parents are also buried in the same cemetery. 

According to Findagrave, Aaron Abbott, III was born on December 20, 1802, and died on August 15, 1878, in Bethel, Maine. Mary was born on May 8, 1802, in Kennebunk, Maine, and no date is given for her death. Aaron and Mary married on August 17, 1829, in Kennebunk. Findagrave lists her parents as Moses Wentworth Day & Elizabeth Littlefield. 


Aaron Abbott, Jr. - father of Aaron III and my 3X great-grandfather
Sarah K. (Abbott) Capen
Edward Abbott Capen
Fannie M. (Capen) Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Gilman C. Abbott - Tombstone Tuesday

Capen Cemetery, Bethel, Maine


Gilman C. Capen is my first cousin, 4X removed. He was the oldest son of Stephen & Nancy (Goddard), Abbott. He only lived to the age of thirteen and I know nothing about how he died. He is buried with his parents in the Capen Cemetery in Bethel, Maine.

Aaron Abbott, Jr.
Stephen Abbott
Gilman Abbott

Aaron Abbott, Jr.
Sarah K. (Abbott) Capen - sister of Stephen Abbott, aunt of Gilman C. Abbott
Edward Capen
Fannie (Capen) Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather