My 5x great grandfather Reuben Packard was a Revolutionary War veteran (as were several other relatives). He was a sergeant in the company from Bridgewater led by Captain Hayden. He was one of the leading citizens of the town when the war broke out, married to Anne Perkins and by age 38 the father of eight children. After the war he and his oldest son Ichabod had moved to Sheperdsfield, Me. which is now Hebron, Me.
Reuben followed the family tradition of being active in the formation of a new town. He built a sawmill and a gristmill on his property and led church services in his home until a Conregationalist church was built of which he became a deacon.
He and Israel were also among those who signed this petition:
To the Assessors of the plantation of Shepardsfield:
We the subscribers, being ten of the inhabitants of the said plantation, request you to call a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of the said plantation, on Wednesday the twenty-eighth day of December current, at the dwelling house of John Greenwood, at nine o'clock A. M. for the following purposes, viz:
First, To chose a Moderator.
Second. To see if the inhabitants are of opinion to petition the General Court for an incorporation, also to see if they will agree to petition the General Court to have their taxes abated, and to act on any other business they may think proper at said meeting.
REUBEN PACKARD STEPHEN GURNEY.
CALEB CUSHMAN ZACKEUS ROWE.
JOSIAH CHURCHILL THADDEUS PRATT.
EBEN’R DRAKE. ICHABOD PACKARD.
JOHN BICKNELL THOMAS CARMAN.
Shepardsfield December 19, 1791.
Agreeably to the foregoing request, the freeholders and other inhabitants of the plantation of Shepardsfield are warned to meet at the time and place, and for the purposes before mentioned. JOHN GREENWOOD
JAMES DONHAM
DANIEL BULLEN.
Assessors of Shepardsfield
Shepardsfield December 20, 1791.
-p12
Annals of Oxford, Maine New England History Press in collaboration with the Oxford Historical Society, 1903 - Hebron (Me.
Reuben Packard died on 6Dec 1820 in Hebron, Me. I'm descended from his youngest child, Cynthia, who married James Dunham/Donham.
2 comments:
I'm looking for more information about Stephen Gurney. Zackeus Rowe is my direct line ancestor, and his son married a woman named Hannah Gurney. Perhaps the daughter of Stephen Gurney? Are you aware of church records from this time, or any other resources that might help?
This was a very interesting read, thank you!
J. Wright
Sorry, I've come up empty on this one. You might want to check out around the Bridgewater, Ma.area since many times people who lived in the same town in Ma. moved together to the new towns in Maine, There afre many Packards and Gurneys in the Bridgewater area.
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