A Patriotic Family

Thomas Freeland, my 6X great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Responding to the alarm at Lexington on April 19, 1775, Thomas and all seven of his sons joined the Patriot cause. Thomas Freeland served as a private in Col. Jonathan Ward's regiment. His sons' service records are listed below:

• Dr. James Freeland served as a surgeon in the United States army. He is listed with the regiments of Col. Ebenezer Learned and Col. Jonathan Holman. 
• John Freeland served as a private in Col. Samuel Bullard's regiment and later in Capt. James Mellen's company, Col. Jonathan Ward's regiment (the same regiment as his father). Later he took part in the expedition to capture Fort Ticondergoa and Crown Point in the company of Capt. Thomas Marshall Baker, regiment of Col. James Denny. He and his wife later moved with other Hopkinton families to Clavarack and formed the settlement of Mellenville, New York. 
• William Freeland served as a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War.
• Joseph Freeland enlisted in 1775 and served as a Sargent in the regiment of Col. Jonathan Ward (with his father and brothers, John and Thomas). 
• Thomas Freeland, Jr. served as a private in the regiment of Col. Jonathan Ward. 
• Abraham & Asa Freeland are also said to have served in the Revolutionary War.

James and John have lineages approved by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since neither Abraham or Asa is supposed to have married it makes sense that they are not included in the DAR index. 

Children of Thomas & Mary (Nutt) Freeland:

1. James was born in Hopkinton in December 1743. He was baptized on Christmas Day, 1743. He became a doctor and married Mehitable "Hetty" Mellen of Hopkinton on October 31, 1770. She was the daughter of Capt. Thomas & Elizabeth (Wood) Mellen. 
2. Elizabeth was baptized on March 24, 1745 in Hopkinton. The History of Sutton says she married a man named Graves. The Sutton Freelands says that she married Nathan Hall and lived in Sutton. This may be a confusion with her sister who did marry a Nathaniel Graves. 
3. John was baptized in Hopkinton on September 28, 1746. He married Mary Mellen, widow of _____ Gibbs. They settled in Claverack, near Hudson, New York. 
4. William was baptized in Hopkinton on September 18, 1748 and married Lucy Claflin. They lived in Hopkinton. 
5. Joseph was baptized in Hopkinton on July 18, 1750 and married Judith Gibson. He was a merchant in Hopkinton.
6. Mary was baptized in Hopkinton on September 24, 1750 and married John Holland, Jr. on April 6, 1775. He was from Sutton. They moved to Dixfield, Maine. 
7. Anna was born in Hopkinton on January 20, 1754 and Nathaniel Graves on November 4, 1774, according to The Sutton Freelands. However, The History of Sutton says she married a Mr. Hall. 
8. Thomas, Jr. was baptized in Hopkinton on June 13, 1756 and married Anna Barrett. They lived in Hopkinton. 
9. Sarah was baptized in Hopkinton on November 26, 1759 and married Joshua Park of Sutton on June 9, 1779. They lived in Hopkinton and later in Milford.  
10. Abraham was baptized in Hopkinton on October 19, 1760 and never married. He lived in Hopkinton. 
11. Asa was born and lived in Hopkinton. Neither the History of Sutton or The Sutton Freelands lists any marriage information for him. 

Thomas Mellen died at the home of his son, Dr. James Freeland. 

History of the Town of Sutton, Massachusetts

The Sutton Freelands: Legends and Letters

Request For Assistance!

Sometimes you just never know who is reading your blog! As I was prepping for my son's wedding, a researcher, Christie Jackson, contacted me because of my posts about the Freeland family of Sutton, Massachusetts. She is preparing a book about cabinetmaker, Nathan Lombard. The book will include relevant information about the community in which he lived and worked. Nathan worked for James Freeland on the Freeland homestead and pictures were included in Roy F. Stone's book, The Sutton Freelands: Legends and Letters. 

Christie is looking for someone with access to these photos and/or any other primary source documents relating to the Freeland family and Nathan Lombard. She has been unable to locate similar photographs in the archives she has visited so far. I found the book at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. I suggested that Christie get in touch with them to see if they have any other sources related to the Freeland family or the Sutton community. Time is of the essence because the manuscript is due at the publisher by the end of July!

Is there anyone out there who knows a relative of Roy Freeland Stone, son of Clifton & Mary (Freeland) Stone? Roy lives or lived in Wilton, New Hampshire. I believe he was born about 1934. I will be doing some sleuthing over the next few days, but I wanted to get this published in case someone has direct access. If anyone has any leads on pictures of the Freeland homestead in Sutton or any documents relating to the Freeland family, please post a comment so I can follow up.

I will post an update - hopefully, telling you that a connection was made! Thank you in advance for helping.

The Sutton Freelands

James Freeland, my 7X great-grandfather, was born in the late 17th century in Ireland. However, the Freeland family were Scottish Presbyterians who fled to Ireland to escape persecution. According to The Sutton Freelands: Legends and Letters by Roy Freeland Stone, in 1718, James Freeland and his family came to Massachusetts and settled in Lexington. His family included a wife, Mary, and four children. One son, Joseph, remained in Scotland. This information is new to me and I'm still trying to track down and verify the details. The History of the Town of Sutton, Massachusetts places James Freeland and his family in Sutton by 1725. The list of family members agrees with The Sutton Freelands. I have not yet confirmed the fact they lived in Lexington, but the History of Sutton traces the family from Lexington to Hopkinton to Sutton. The book Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer estimates that about 200,000 Scots-Irish came to America between 1715 and 1775.

Children of James & Mary Freeland: (order unknown except for the oldest and youngest)

1. Joseph was born in Dublin, Ireland and remained there when his parents and younger siblings came to Massachusetts. His occupation is listed as barrister. 
2. James was born in Dublin and came to Massachusetts with his parents. He married Sarah Watson on January 8, 1741 in Hopkinton. He lived in Blandford and Brookfield. He married a second time to Elizabeth Wiley, widow of John Thomas of Worcester. They lived in Oxford. he married for a third time, Martha Smith on November 20, 1770. He had children with all three of his wives. 
3. Anna (or Jane) was born in Dublin and came to Massachusetts with her parents. She married Robert Black and lived in Blandford, Massachusetts. 
4. Rachel was born in Dublin and came to Massachusetts with her parents. She married Jonathan Knox on September 28, 1741 in Hopkinton, Massaschusetts and lived in Blandford. 
5. Thomas was born about 1715 probably in Dublin and came to Massachusetts with his parents. He married Mary Nutt (or McNutt) of Hopkinton. 

My descent from Thomas:

Thomas & Mary (Nutt) Freeland

Dr. James & Mehitable "Hetty" (Mellen) Freeland

Frances (Freeland) Carter

Elias Mellen Carter

Augustus Mellen Carter

Edward Mellen Carter

T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

2015 Veterans in my Family Tree

I started this list last year, inspired by Bill West. I think I will try to do an update each year. If you're looking for your veteran ancestors, check out the Honor Roll Project by Heather Wilkinson Rojo. 

Happy Veterans Day! A heartfelt thank you to all who are currently serving and all who have served our country! 

Francis Ackley - My 6X great-grandfather - Boston Tea Party Participant
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/08/surname-saturday-ackley-of-boston.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-real-tea-party.html


Samuel Ackley - My 5X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War Artillery
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/06/52-ancestors-22-samuel-ackleyakley.html

Asa Alden Barrows - My 5X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War - Responded to alarm at Lexington and Concord
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-shot-heard-round-world.html

Eleazer Cole - My 6X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War Drummer
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/07/drummer-eleazer-cole-52-ancestors-29.html

Samuel Dennen - My 6X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War Privateer
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/09/prisoner-exchange-samuel-denning.html

Dr. James Freeland - My 5X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War Surgeon
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/09/52-ancestors-35-revolutionary-war.html

Enoch Spurr - My 4X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War - Discharged by General Henry Knox
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/03/military-monday-enoch-spurr.html

Elisha Houghton - My 6X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War - Was at Bunker Hill
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/05/simpler-times.html

Lazarus Rand - My 5X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-wall-of-fire.html

Dominicus Smith - My 5X great-grandfather - Revolutionary War - Crossed the Delaware with Gen. George Washington
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/holy-history-jackpot.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/remembering-our-veterans.html

Uriah Thayer - My 4th cousin, 7X removed - Revolutionary War Minuteman
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/aftermath-of-shot-heard-round-world.html

Oliver Philbrick - My 4X great-grandfather - Aroostook War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/aroostock-war.html

Simeon Brown - My 3X great-grandfather - Civil War - Died in Louisiana
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/06/military-monday-he-died-easy-and-happy.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/04/military-monday-affidavit-for-widows.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/02/tombstone-tuesday-where-is-body.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-simeon-f-brown.html

John H. Cotton - My 3X great-grandfather - Civil War - Lost an Arm at the Battle of the Wilderness
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/01/surname-saturday-john-h-cotton-wounded.html

Asa Freeman Ellingwood - My 3X great-grandfather - Civil War - Injured at First Battle of Bull Run But Returned to Serve
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/first-battle-of-bull-run-or-first.html

Octavius Yates - My 1st cousin, 4X removed - Civil War - Witnessed Lincoln's Assassination
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/04/witness-to-assassination.html

William Kilborn Yates - My 1st cousin, 4X removed - Civil War - fatally wounded at Antietam
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/05/fatally-wounded-at-antietam.html

Julia F. Carter - My 3rd cousin, 2X removed - World War I - Worked for Red Cross in France & Germany
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/09/obituary-sunday-julia-f-carter.html

Guy Morrison Cotton - My 1st cousin, 3X removed - World War I - Teamster
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/08/mystery-guy-52-ancestors-30.html

Carroll Estes Yates - My great-uncle - World War II
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/06/tombstone-tuesday-carroll-e-yates.html

Rebecca Williamson Carter Bailey - My great-aunt - WAVE in World War II

http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/03/strong-women-part-1.html


Link to a list of my Revolutionary War veterans that includes many of whom I haven't yet their story.
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/07/celebrating-independence-day.html

Colonial Wars
Robert Dutch, My 9X great-uncle & Joseph Balch, My 8X great-uncle - King Philip's War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/09/left-for-dead-at-bloody-brook.html

Philip Huntoon - My 9X great-grandfather - Queen Anne's War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/03/danger-on-new-hampshire-frontier.html

Zaccheus Perkins - 1st cousin, 9X removed - King Philip's War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/05/branded-thief-black-sheep-52-ancestors.html

William Wentworth - 9X great-grandfather -  King Philip's War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/06/case-of-barking-dog-that-saved-garrison.html

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.

2014 Veterans Among My Ancestors

I have more that I haven't written about yet but here are some of my ancestors who served our country. A heartfelt thank you to all who have served our country! 

Francis Ackley - Boston Tea Party Participant
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/08/surname-saturday-ackley-of-boston.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-real-tea-party.html

Dominicus Smith - Revolutionary War - Crossed the Delaware with Gen. George Washington
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/holy-history-jackpot.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/remembering-our-veterans.html

Asa Alden Barrows - Revolutionary War - Responded to alarm at Lexington and Concord
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-shot-heard-round-world.html

Samuel Ackley - Revolutionary War Artillery
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/06/52-ancestors-22-samuel-ackleyakley.html

Dr. James Freeland - Revolutionary War Surgeon
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/09/52-ancestors-35-revolutionary-war.html

Enoch Spurr - Revolutionary War - Discharged by General Henry Knox
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/03/military-monday-enoch-spurr.html

Elisha Houghton - Revolutionary War - Was at Bunker Hill
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/05/simpler-times.html

Uriah Thayer - Revolutionary War Minuteman
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/aftermath-of-shot-heard-round-world.html

Oliver Philbrick - Aroostook War
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/aroostock-war.html

Asa Freeman Ellingwood - Civil War - Injured at First Battle of Bull Run But Returned to Serve
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/04/first-battle-of-bull-run-or-first.html

Simeon Brown - Civil War - Died in Louisiana
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/06/military-monday-he-died-easy-and-happy.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/04/military-monday-affidavit-for-widows.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/02/tombstone-tuesday-where-is-body.html
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-simeon-f-brown.html

John H. Cotton - Civil War - Lost an Arm at the Battle of the Wilderness
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/01/surname-saturday-john-h-cotton-wounded.html

Octavius Yates - Civil War - Witnessed Lincoln's Assassination
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/04/witness-to-assassination.html

Julia F. Carter - World War I - Worked for Red Cross in France & Germany
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2013/09/obituary-sunday-julia-f-carter.html

Carroll Estes Yates - My great-uncle - World War II
http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2014/06/tombstone-tuesday-carroll-e-yates.html

Rebecca Williamson Carter Bailey - WAVE in World War II

http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2012/03/strong-women-part-1.html

52 Ancestors #37 - Revolutionary War Surgeon

Originally published in July, 2012 ~

Dr. James Freeland is my 5th great-grandfather. He lived and practiced in Sutton, Massachusetts. My 4th great-grandfather Dr. Timothy Carter trained with him and became his son-in-law when he married Dr. Freeland's daughter, Frances. Dr. Freeland lived in the northern part of Sutton that became the town of Millbury in the early 1800s. 

Showing James Freeland, surgeon in the First Brigade of the Continental Army
Col. Ebenezer Learned

An overview of the service of James Freeland

I found several sources of information relating to Dr. James Freeland's service during the Revolutionary War period. The pamphlet Jonathan Holman, a revolutionary colonel provides some context for the early war period. If you really want to stretch the familial bonds, Jonathan Holman is my half 3rd cousin, 8 times removed! 

"In comparison with other towns of Worcester County at the beginning of the struggle for American Independence, the old town of Sutton stands well. Resistance to British aggression had often been contemplated by the hardy yeoman of this hill-crowned island town. Within her borders were many veterans of the old French war who had done valiant service at Crown Point, Lake George, and had seen the standards of France go down before the victorious army of England...Hopes of better things had led him [Joonathan Holman] with others to wait for wrong to be righted, but the hand of oppression was not to be easily shaken off. the clouds of a coming storm gathered thick and fast as the months rolled on. Before the shot was fired whose echo spread far and wide, the men of old Sutton stood ready for the call. It came at last, and the minute men of the North and South Parishes saddled their steeds and spurred for Lexington. they had been tutored by one who knew by experience the grim-visaged war meant death to many strong brave hearts. That tutor was Jonathan Holman." 

Ebenezer Learned is my first cousin, 8 times removed

A firm friend of Col. Holman at this time was Ebenezer Learned of Oxford, who, though connected to the patriot cause, bravely espoused the side of freedom. With Jonathan Holman he had bravely fought in the war with France, and had participated in the glory that came by the conquest of Canada. In 1775, Learned was early in the field. As a trusted officer for the regiment which he had organized he sought Jonathan Holman; the latter was chosen major, and the others he threw a line of brave hearts at Bunker Hill to shield patriot homes near that shrine of liberty. For several months Holman served in the region of Boston, preparing for the great conflict he saw was sure to come. An occasional visit to his home in Sutton was made, to look after the business interests intrusted [sic] to others.

From what I've pieced together, James Freeland served several short enlistments and also participated in town affairs relating to the war efforts. He started in 1775 at Roxbury and then went to Rhode Island, the unit was then during the siege of Boston, his unit was stationed on Dorchester Heights until the British evacuated the city. His final active service came when his regiment was ordered to New York to assist in the Battle of Saratoga. After the British surrendered, he went back to Sutton. Also from the Jonathan Holman paper: 


In 1776 Boston was evacuated. In the Rhode Island Plantations this year the regiment of Holman did effective service with other troops from Massachusetts. Gen. William Heath of Massachusetts had been ordered to New York. On the 30th of March he arrived in that city, and under the date of July 17th he writes as follows in his diary; 'A regiment of militia, under the command of Col. Holman, arrived from Massachusetts.' Thus we find the whereabouts of our hero at that time. On 27th of August of that year his regiment received a baptism of fire near New York that steeled its men for harder conflicts to follow. the result was disastrous to the American arms but the spirit of liberty yet burned bright in the men from Worcester County and elsewhere.In October the regiment of Holman met the foe at White Plains. Although no great advantage was gained, it nobly bore its part in the fray. The entire command of the Sutton officer received the commendations of his superiors.

There were a number of documents where he was listed as the doctor who certified someone unfit for service. This is for his Col. Ebenezer Learned and shows Dr. Sutton's signature. 

From Centennial History of the Town of Millbury (bold is mine):

On March 1, 1779, Ebenezer Waters, John Elliot and Nehemiah Gale were chosen on the "Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety." On June 21, Lieut. William King, Ensign Nathaniel Carriel, Lieut. Joseph Elliot, Jr., Samuel Waters, deacon Willie Hall, John Harbeck, Joseph Waters, Dr. James Freeland, James Bond, Nehemiah Gale, and deacon Asa Waters were chosen as a committee "to procure men to serve in the Continental Army. 

On April 10, Lieut. William King, Ensign Nathaniel Carriel, Lieut. Joseph Elliot, Jr., Mr.Samuel Waters, deacon Willie Hall, Mr. John Harback, Mr. Joseph Waters, Dr. James Freeland, Mr. Jonas Bond, Nehemiah Gale, and deacon Asa Waters were chosen as a committee to settle with the nine-months men, since their time had nearly expired.

On May 1, Dea. Tarrant Putnam, Lieut. Wm. King, deacon Asa Waters, Capt. March Chase, Col. Jonathan Holman, Col. Timothy Sibley, Elder Jeremiah Barstow, Dr. James Freeland, and Elder Daniel Greenwood wee selected as a committee "to consider the Constitution and make a report to the Town of what they do approve of and what they do not approve of." - I am assuming this is the Constitution for the state of Massachusetts since the national Constitution was still about a decade away from being written.

A requisition was made upon Sutton for thirty-three thousand six hundred forty pounds of beef. Capt. March Chase, Mr. John Hall, and Mr. Moses Hovey were chosen as a committee to purchase the amount and fifty thousand, four hundred sixty pounds were appropriated to meet the expense. At nearly the same time a call came from the General Court asking the town to furnish thirty-one men to serve for three years in the Continental Army or during the war. Col. Timothy Sibley, Capt. Abijah Burbank, Capt. John Putnam, Capt. Andrew Elliot, Lieut. Solomon Leland, Mr. Abraham Batchellor, Jr., Dr. James Freeland and Mr. Ebenezer Waters were chosen as a committee "to class out the town into classes in order to procure the thirty-one men for the Continental Army." At an adjourned meeting, the town "voted that if any person in any of the classes refuses to pay his proportion as assessed in the class he belongs to he shall be assessed his proportion as he was in said class and half as much more."  - I guess that's one way to get people to pay their taxes!

Dr. Freeland died in 1796 and is buried with his wife, Mehitable (Mellen) Freeland in the Dwinnel Cemetery in Millbury. This is from the Centennial of the Town of Millbury:

The Dwinnel cemetery is located close to the northerly road running from Millbury to Auburn, about a mile from the Greenwood Crossing of the Providence & Worcester Railroad. This quiet spot is the resting place of many members of early families, including Revolutionary soldiers, both officers and privates, as well as soldiers in other wars. the place is now but little used. Among the soldiers of the Revolution here buried are Solomon Dwinnel, Joshua Carter, Robert Goddard, Dr. James Freeland, Capt. James Greenwood, the Hollands, the Bancrofts, and the Bonds. the place was neglected until 1861, when on June 21st, the proprietors deeded it to the town for one hundred dollars ($100). " 

Dr. James Freeland died Oct 5, 1796, aged 52
Mehitable, wife of Dr.James Freeland, died March 1792, aged 44

Sources:
Fold3.com - images of records relating to Dr. James Freeland's service
Centennial history of the town of Millbury, Massachusetts including vital statistics, 1850-1899. Published under the direction of a committee appointed by the town. 1915. Accessed 2012 on Open Library.
Jonathan Holman, a revolutionary colonel. A paper read before the Worcester society of antiquity, December 5th, 1893. by John C. Crane. 1884. Accessed 2012 on Open Library

Dr. James Freeland & Mehitable Mellen
Dr.Timothy Carter & Frances Freeland
Elias Mellen Carter & Rebecca Ann Williamson
Augustus Mellen Carter & Rebecca Williamson
Edward Mellen Carter & Fannie May Capen
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Ebenezer Learned - son of Col. Ebenezer Learned, Sr.; son of Isaac Learned, Jr. - my 8th great-grandfather - a branch of my Carter line

Jonathan Holman's great-great grandfather was the second husband of my 10th great-grandmother, Amy Glass - a branch of my Cotton line.

Tombstone Tuesday - Frances (Freeland) Carter

This stone is pretty weathered and hard to read but it marks the grave of Frances Freeland who married Dr. Timothy Carter on July 7, 1793 in Sutton, Massachusetts. She and Dr. Timothy came to Bethel in 1799. Her husband had studied medicine under her father, Dr. James Freeland, a Revolutionary War surgeon. Dr. Timothy Carter became the first doctor in Bethel. I wrote about them and their journey to Maine in a previous post. Frances was the daughter of James & Mehitable (Mellen) Freeland. She was born on September 4, 1771 in Sutton, Massachusetts and died November 14, 1815 in Bethel, Maine. 

Dr. Timothy Carter and Frances, or Fanny as she was called (and is recorded on her headstone), were my 4th great-grandparents and had the following children:

Rev. Lawson Carter 1793-1868 - Findagrave memorial
Galen Carter 1795-1870
James Freeland Carter 1797-1840
Timothy Jarvis Carter 1805-1838 - blog post about his death - Congressman from ME
Luther Cullen Carter 1805-1875 - Findagrave memorial - Congressman from NY
Frances Carter 1809-1902
Elias Mellen Carter 1811-1880 - My 3rd great-grandfather

She is buried in the Middle Intervale Cemetery, on Intervale Rd. in Bethel, Maine. This cemetery is located behind a meetinghouse built in 1816. For much of my life, the meetinghouse was in the possession of the Carter family. When the upkeep became too much, the family donated it to the Middle Intervale Meetinghouse Association. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. 

Elias M. Carter married Rebecca Williamson, an Irish immigrant. Their son, Augustus Mellen Carter married Mary Frances Abbott. Their son, Edward Mellen Carter married Fanny May Capen. Their son, Thomas Richard Carter, was my grandfather. 

"We Consider Her Very Dangerous"

On August 5th, I received two letters written by my 3rd great-grandfather, Elias Mellen Carter. One was written to his brother, Timothy Jarvis Carter in 1832 and the other was written to Timothy's widow, Arabella (Rawson) Carter, daughter of Samuel & Polla (Freeland) Rawson in 1844. Timothy Jarvis Carter died in 1838 while serving in the House of Representatives. He had gone out of his mind when his close friend was killed in a duel just eighteen days before. You can read the news accounts of his decline and death in this post that I published in November 2012. This second letter sent me scrambling to figure out the identity of several people mentioned and added some detail to my family story. I have transcribed it as written - with the abbreviations, grammatical errors and misspellings preserved. Elias was known for his beautiful penmanship and hopefully you can see some of that in the photos of the letters.

Folded letter showing address

Text of letter

Close up of signature and handwriting

Outside of letter unfolded

Outside of folded paper
Ea Bethel Me
Nov 28

Mrs. Timo J. Carter
Paris Me

Inside of folded paper
East Bethel Nov 27 1844
Dear Sister Arabella,
I take a few moments this eve to inform you of the health of the friends in this neighborhood. As to Mother she is no better but is still runing down, and it is very doubtfull whither she ever gets well, the rest of Father's family are as well as usual, Sister Harriet and Octavia are still at my house, Harriet's helth is very good, you proverbly learnt something of Octavia's sickness from Mr Brown. We did not think her much sick until Sunday, and then she sat up some 2 or 3 hours but on her going to bed again she grew worse, and now we consider her very dangerous, so much so that I should not be surprised if she did not live till morning, the Docts think there is but a little chance of her recovery, and it is very uncertain whither Mother ever gets up again, but still she may. My family are in as good health as usual - in haste.
Your Brother
E.M. Carter

The first thing I had to explain was the reference to "Mother" because the mother of Timothy & Elias, Frances (Freeland) Carter, died in 1815, when Timothy was ten and Elias was just five years old. However, their father, Dr. Timothy Carter, remarried in 1818 and had five additional children. Both Dr. Timothy and his second wife, Lydia (Russell) Carter were still living in 1844. As seen in the letter, Lydia's health was failing and she passed away on December 5, 1844. Dr. Timothy would also pass away that winter on February 5, 1845.

Next , who were "Sister Harriet and Octavia"? I started tracing the siblings of Elias and Timothy Jarvis to find the answer. The answer was found in the family of their older brother, James Freeland Carter. James married Harriet Rawson, daughter of Ebenezer & Elizabeth (Taylor) Rawson. I haven't traced the Rawson family enough to find the connection between Arabella, wife of Timothy J. Carter and Harriet, wife of James F. Carter but I assume they are related in some way. James and Harriet had a daughter, Harriet Octavia Carter. She was called Octavia to distinguish her from her mother. James Freeland Carter died October 30, 1840 and his widow and daughter appear to be living with or on an extended visit to Elias Mellen's family.

Findagrave provided the rest of the story. I found a picture of the gravestone of James F. Carter and it included the information for his wife and daughter. A quick email to the photographer and I gained permission to share the photo here. As seen on the gravestone, Octavia did die the day after the letter was written, probably during the night based on the concern expressed in the letter. Her condition was correctly assessed as "very dangerous" and within a week, Lydia (Russell) Carter was also dead.

Photo taken by Ken Oliver and posted on Findagrave

Puzzles unsolved - the causes of death of Octavia, Lydia, and Dr. Timothy. I'd love to find a death certificate for Timothy Jarvis Carter. He was only 38 when he died and having delusions that someone had challenged him to a duel (according on one newspaper account). I wonder if he took his own life, had a heart attack, or stroke brought on by the extreme stress after his friend was killed in the duel.

Thanksgiving in Paris?

Last week, I wrote about winning an Ebay auction of letters written by my 3X great-grandfather, Elias Mellen Carter. Here is the transcription and some context for the oldest of the two letters. I have retained the spelling of the original. 

Letter folded - no stamp - appears to have been hand delivered

Main text of letter - one line continued on the inside of the paper 

Wax remaining from seal on the letter

Date & signature of Elias Mellen Carter

Back or outside of paper
East Bethel Nov 19

Timo J Carter Esq.
Paris Me

Bethel Nov. 18, 1832   - Wax from seal

Front or inside of paper
East Bethel Nov 18, 1832

Dear brother,
Yours of the 13 came safe to hand in due time. I received one likewise by the hand of Capt. Hastings from you. As it respects the note for the colt, I called on Mr. Kimball and he got another of his sons to sign, which I suspose to be good for that amount, and I have made inquire and have been informed that the old man's note is good without any other security. I have likewise ben told that Virgin has settled up his affairs and that he is better off now than he was before and I have no doubt but what it is true. Father has not ben to Portland yet & I have not heard him say anything about going, but I should think he would not go till after sleighing.

I have consulted Frances about going to Paris to Thanksgiving and she has concluded to go if I do & if Father is willing and the going will permit I think we shall go, but it is very uncertain but should we not come then I come out before long. We are all well - in haste from your affectionate brother.
Mellen

Timo J Carter Esq.

Elias Mellen Carter is writing to his brother, Timothy Jarvis Carter. It sounds like this letter is in response to one from Timothy that was written on the 13th of the month. Elias was twenty-two years old and unmarried. Timothy J. Carter was six years older and had married, Harriet Rawson in 1828. They had a young son, Samuel Rawson Carter, born in 1829. Kimball and Hastings are two surnames of families who are among the earliest settlers of this area of Bethel. Virgin is a surname that is commonly found in the Rumford area, only a few miles away. The father of both men was Dr. Timothy Carter and his wife, Frances (Freeland) Carter. Their mother died when they were young and their step-mother was Lydia (Russell) Carter. In 1833, there were still five young children from the second marriage living at home, Lydia (age 10), Sarah (age 9), Abigail (age 8), Theodore (age 6), and Benjamin (age 1). The Frances referenced in the letter is the sister of both men. She was twenty-four and not yet married. She would marry Robert Chapman on March 28, 1833. She and Elias were the youngest children of Dr. Timothy & his first wife. While going to Paris for Thanksgiving sounds very exciting, the Paris referred to in the letter is Paris, Maine where Timothy J. and Arabella lived - a distance of about 21 miles. I wonder if the Bethel family made it to Paris for Thanksgiving.

East Bethel to Paris Hill

Battle of Britain

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my genealogy blog! I am celebrating by reposting my first story. 

Thomas Wilson, author of A Christian Dictionarie

Thomas Wilson was the minister at St. George the Martyr Church in Canterbury from 1586 to 1622.  He was also a prebendary* of Canterbury Cathedral. He was buried in his parish on the 25th of January 1621-22. He was the first to attempt to compile a dictionary of the Bible in English. The first edition appeared in 1612 and a second in 1616. Other editions were published after his death. He also published other works including Commentarie upon the most divine Epistle to the Romans  and Christ's Farewell to Jerusalem. 

In attempting to find information about the church, I discovered an interesting but sad story. The church was destroyed during a bombing raid that devastated much of downtown Canterbury in World War II. All that remains is one tower. On the night of May 31st/June 1st, 1942 Canterbury was targeted as part of the so-called "Baedeker Raids."** This attack was likely a reprisal for an R.A.F. bomber raid on Cologne the night of May 30th. About one fifth of the City of Canterbury was destroyed that night as about 100 bombs and 6,000 incendiaries were dropped in two and a half hours. Fire damaged many properties because the majority of buildings were made of timber. Forty-three people died, forty were seriously injured and forty-one had less serious injuries. Follow-up attacks came on June 3rd and June 7th but these were not as destructive as the June 1st attack. 

The church had a long history. There is evidence of a church on the site from 1100 A.D. It had been enlarged, most recently in 1879 when another local church was closed and the two congregations merged. 

Quotes about Thomas Wilson:

Robert Cushman (a member of the Pilgrim group in Leiden) - "a very excellent preacher in Canterbury, who was both a lover of goodnesse and good men." 

Historian Peter Clark - "probably the most distinguished preacher in early Jacobean Kent [who preached] themes from middle-of-the-road Calvinism." 

*prebendary - an honor granted to senior priest in the Anglican Church usually awarded for long and dedicated service to the diocese. 

** Baedeker was the publisher of an English travel guide book reportedly used by the Germans to choose their non-military targets. They looked for cities with at least three stars for historical significance. 

10th Great-Grandfather

Rev. Thomas Wilson & Christian Ower

Theophilus Wilson & Elizabeth

Seaborn Wilson & David Fiske

Anna Fiske & Timothy Carter

Benjamin Carter & Sarah Stone

Timothy Carter & Sarah Walker

Timothy Carter & Frances Freeland

Elias M. Carter & Rebecca Williamson

Augustus M. Carter & Mary Frances Stanley

Edward M. Carter & Fannie May Capen

T. Richard Carter & F. Lyndell Cotton

"Let...Thanksgiving Bee Made For All Men"

"Let supplication and Prayer and Thanksgiving bee made for all men...Remembrance of the good done to us...Confessing God to be the Author and giver of it...Cheerfulnesse, being glad of an occasion to praise him, and doing it gladly, with joy"  ~ Thomas Wilson

Thomas Wilson, minister at St. George of the Martyr Church in Canterbury never came to the colonies but his ideas reflected the ideals of the early New England immigrants. 

Wilson was the author of A Christian Dictionarie. The dictionary has been used to provide clues regarding the Pilgrim's religious motives and it allows scholars to have some idea of how Pilgrims interpreted the Bible and used its words.The dictionary is listed in inventories of the estates of famous Pilgrims - William Bradford, Samuel Fuller and Myles Standish. Thomas Shingleton, John Kemble, and Robert Cushman were members of Wilson's congregation in Canterbury and later moved to Leiden and joined the Pilgrim Leiden Church. The Pilgrims were serious about studying the Bible and used a variety of books to help them in their studies. Wilson's dictionary was a best-seller and Dr. Ian Green called it the most popular Bible study aid. Given the importance of Bible study in the daily lives of the Pilgrims, this dictionary must have been highly regarded. 

So what does all of this have to do with Thanksgiving? Well, Wilson used his own definitions of everyday words and included quotes from the Scriptures to provide examples. Wilson's dictionary offered a religious definition of thanksgiving that included “An acknowledgement and confessing with gladnesse of the benefits and deliverances of God…to the praise of his Name" along with the quote that starts this post. The Pilgrims make repeated references to thanksgiving and it's pretty cool that one of my ancestors had such influence on their worship and daily lives. 

Robert Cushman (a member of the Pilgrim group in Leiden) called him "a very excellent preacher in Canterbury, who was both a lover of goodnesse and good men." 

Historian Peter Clark wrote the Thomas Wilson was "probably the most distinguished preacher in early Jacobean Kent [who preached] themes from middle-of-the-road Calvinism." 

10th Great-Grandfather

Rev. Thomas Wilson & Christian Ower

Theophilus Wilson & Elizabeth

Seaborn Wilson & David Fiske

Anna Fiske & Timothy Carter

Benjamin Carter & Sarah Stone

Timothy Carter & Sarah Walker

Timothy Carter & Frances Freeland

Elias M. Carter & Rebecca Williamson

Augustus M. Carter & Mary Frances Stanley

Edward M. Carter & Fannie May Capen

T. Richard Carter & F. Lyndell Cotton

First Doctor in Bethel

Timothy Carter was born November 27, 1768 in either Ward, Massachusetts to Timothy and Sarah (Walker) Carter. He was a descendant of the immigrant Rev. Thomas Carter of Woburn, Massachusetts. He is my 4th Great-Grandfather and the source of my earliest interest in family history. Howard Lapham in The History of Bethel, Oxford, Maine: 1768-1890, Formerly Sudbury, Canada, says that when Timothy was 11 years old, his father, a house carpenter, fell from a building and was killed instantly and Timothy was sent to live with a family in Sutton. Lapham describes him as having "ability and pluck." While Lapham doesn't name the family that took Timothy in, he does provide one clue when he says Timothy worked for "the man in whose family he lived and who was a dealer in oil." 


Timothy's first wife was Frances "Fannie" Freeland, daughter of Doctor James and Mehitable (Mellen) Freeland. She was born September 4, 1771 in Sutton, Massachusetts. They met when Timothy came to study medicine under the tutelage of her father. They were married in 1793.


I'm not sure why they chose to leave Massachusetts and settle in Maine but in 1799 they moved to Bethel, Maine - the part of town along the Androscoggin River called Middle Intervale. Although this is several miles from the center of town now, Lapham calls the area a "center of influence" that was growing more rapidly than other sections of Bethel. At that time they had three small sons, Lawson, Galen and James. Family legend is that Frances was pregnant at the time and made the trip on side-saddle while pregnant with their fourth son, Timothy Jarvis. I remember seeing her side-saddle when I was growing up but I don't know where it is now. After moving to Bethel and giving birth to Timothy Jarvis, Frances & Dr. Timothy had three more children, Luther Cullen, Frances and my 3rd great-grandfather, Elias Mellen. 

Google Maps says it is 212 miles on present-day roads from Sutton to Bethel. By car it is 4 hours and 4 minutes but I'm sure it was a lot more challenging to make the journey on horseback while pregnant. 

Eva Bean in her book East Bethel Road,  calls Dr. Timothy Carter "the first physician to settle in town" and says they lived first in a home built by Enoch Bartlett that was later replaced by the house my grandparents lived in for most of my life. The family home built by Dr. Timothy is still in my family and the current resident is my cousin, John Carter. This house is called the Brick End House because it is indeed brick on one end. Frances died while the house was being built. She was only 44 years old and left behind six sons and one daughter. The five oldest sons married and moved away from Bethel but the youngest, Elias Mellen Carter remained and lived in the Brick End House. 

Dr. Timothy remarried before 1823 (first child born in 1823) to Lydia Russell. They had five children, Lydia, Sarah, Abigail, Theodore, and Benjamin - all of whom made Bethel their home. Portraits of Dr. Timothy and Lydia hang in the front parlor of the Brick End House. Dr. Timothy died February 25, 1845 and is buried across the road from the Brick End House in the Middle Intervale Cemetery. His family plot is surrounded by a wrought iron fence a few rows into the cemetery and just to the left of the gate. 

I plan to go this summer and get better pictures from the cemetery specifically of the graves of my ancestors but this is a generic photo of the cemetery. 

Howard Lapham in The History of Bethel, Oxford, Maine: 1768-1890, Formerly Sudbury, Canada, says that prior to the arrival of Dr. Timothy, people were left to their own devises or had to send to Fryeburg for a doctor. Lapham also tells of two other physicians who briefly practiced in Bethel. One was a German named Dr. Martin who came during the Revolutionary War with Baron von Steuben and followed some soldiers to settle in Maine. He was "a man of intemperate habits to such an extent as to disgust the people, even in those days of free frum and its liberal imbibation." In 1790, Dr. John Brickett was in Bethel but he married a woman from Haverhill, Massachusetts and returned to practice in that town. 

In addition, many in Bethel benefited from the natural remedies and treatments of Molly Ockett (her name is spelled in a variety of ways), a local Native American woman who traveled around western Oxford county tending to people. Every July, Bethel has a festival named in her honor - Mollyockett Day. She is a very interesting woman and I'll write more about her in a future post. Lapham says she "felt deeply chagrined when a physician came, and she realized she must seek a new field of work." This seems a bit extreme as I'm sure there were plenty of families in need of services to keep both of them busy. 

I have a bit more information about the practice of Dr. Timothy and information on his oldest 5 sons who went on to lead very distinguished lives, more about Elias Mellen Carter, and more about Molly Ockett so this post will be continued...