LOUISA

My paternal 2x great grandmother Louisa Amata Richardson was born  on 23Jan1837 to Phillip and Esther(Laughton) Richardson at Wilton, Me.  She was one of 16 children, nine of them from Phillip's  marriage to his deceased first wife Eunice Richards. He must have moved from Wilton to Letter B Plantation(later Upton)Maine sometime before 1850 when he is listed on the 1850 Census there as a farmer. It was a small town, and one of the other families there was that of my 3x great grandparents John C and Arvilla (Ames) West and their son Jonathan P. West.

I've written before about how Jonathan's first wife Orpha V. Reynolds died a few months after their marriage during a diphtheria outbreak in 1862 which also took his  brother, two sisters, a nephew and three nieces. all children. I don't know when or how he met Louisa, but I do know they were married on 31Jan 1865. It may have been a difficult situation for Louisa, succeeding a wife who had died so young and suddenly. The marriage seems though to have been a good one and a prosperous one as well. According to material sent me by Norman Mitchell, Jonathan owned two lots of land, and a tract of 37 acres, while Louisa herself  owned land. Jonathan was pretty well off for a farmer, although probably not as wealthy as his brothers Asa and Hiram.

Louisa and Jonathan had three sons, John, Paul, and Philip(my great grandfather).
John became a civil engineer, and Paul and Philip worked in various jobs in the
lumber trade.  They also gave Louisa and Jonathan  twelve grandchildren.
They had been married 52 years when Jonathan died in 1917. Louisa followed
him in 1925.

John & Philip West

Louisa & her son Paul West

Louisa & Jonathan with family & friends.

I believe a marriage that lasted that long has to have been a happy one.

 
.
   

SHARING STORIES

I wasn't able to physically attend  Roots Tech last week, but like many others I
was able to see some of it thanks to the livestream webcasts. (And thank you
to the corporate sponsors and the Roots Tech organizers for making it possible!)
These included the excellent keynote speakers each morning. On the first day,
the three speakers really touched me. They were Dennis Newhall, Syd Liberman,
and D.Joshua Tyalor.  I'm sort of paraphrasing and summarizing here: Genealogy is
more than just  names and dates, it's the stories behind them; that we should
find those stories and once we do, we should share them. That really resonated
with me.

I was lucky when I first started getting serious about climbing my family tree because
I already had some stories. I had my Aunt Dorothy West Bargar's research and her
handwritten account of growing up in Maine during the Depression. I also had
my distant Ellingwood cousin Florence O' Connor's book The Ancestors and
Descendants of Asa Freeman Ellingwood and Florilla (Dunham)Ellingwood which
has all sorts of information and stories on our branch of the Ellingwoods. And
finally there was another book The History of Wilsons Mills and the Magalloway
Settlements which has some pictures of my West relatives and my Granduncle
Clarence's memories of his career as the manager of the Azicoos Dam.

So I already knew that I had Salem Witch ancestors and that 2x great grandfather
Asa Ellingwood was a Civil War veteran and I had some Mayflower ancestors as
well.  As time went on I made more and more use of the internet and made
contact with Barker family cousin Howard Kaepplein who shared his knowledge
of the Barkers'  history with me and West cousin Lewis Wuori who sent me a
treasure trove of West and Richardson family pictures. By now I had discovered
genealogy blogs and had started my own here so I could share with others the
stories and pictures I'd found or that had been given to me. I found out that there
were other bloggers out there who were related to me and again stories and
information were shared. Meanwhile, I posted my research(warts and all) as a
public tree on Ancestry.com. Doing that, and writing this blog, put me in contact
with distant cousins I might not have ever found. More stories and information
were shared.

You know that Ancestry.com tagline that annoyed some of us when they first
started using it, about not needing to know what you are looking for when you
first visit that site? It's true in a way, You do need to know who you are looking
for at the start, along with some essential information like where and when,
but the what is information you find on the censuses and military records and
other documents you discover there and elsewhere. Armed with that and with
effort, patience,and luck you can find the stories behind the information.

Once you find those stories, don't keep them to yourself like some treasure.
Share them, because if you do, you may encounter a few people who will just
take them, but you'll also find others who will share back and become your
friends. That is how the geneablogging community began.

So, to all those who have shared with me, thank you!

ADAM HAWKES AND THE SAUGUS IRON WORKS PT3

Despite the testimony given about the damage done farmland and the bridge
by the overflow from the dam, the jury found in favor of the Iron Works. There
are two reasons why the jurors might have made this decision. The first and
less sinister reason could have been that they felt the company had been fair
with my ancestor Adam Hawkes in their previous settlements and that Adam
was too eager to go to court every time the dam overflowed. The other, less
honorable reason was that the Iron Works was a power and  had made Lynn
an important town in the still young Massachusetts colony, even if it had not
been very profitable as yet. 

By now, Adam Hawkes was in his sixties and the struggle with the Iron Works
passed on into the hands of the next generation, to my 9x great grandfather
John Hawkes. John was more inclined to taking direct action rather than
going through the judicial system. Ironically, he ended up there anyway in 1663.
I ran into a bit of a roadblock here, because the volume of Essex County Court
Records his case appears in was only available as a snippet view on Google Books:

"John Hawkes, sr., and Moses Hawkes; trespass, for that John Hawkes, sr., was
the only plotter, contriver and secret manager of the cutting or breaking of the
great dam at Hamersmith or the Iron works in Lin"-Records and Files of the
Quarterly Courts of EssexCounty, Massachusetts , Volume 9 p12

Luckily I was able to find more details in a genealogy of a related family:

"Evidently there no attempt was made to draw off the water, and in the face of
tardy justice the Hawkes family probably had taken down a part of the dam, since,
in 1663, suit was brought against John Hawkes, Sr., and his brother Moses, by
Samuel Appleton and his son Samuel, in an action of appeal from the County Court
at Salem to the Court of Assistants in Boston. Judgment was given in favor of the
plaintiffs for .£30 damages, and "the defendants shall make vp the great dam as Good
as before in twelue months time next ensuing or pay £250 "and costs. John Hawkes
appealed ; and on March 4, 1663, "the Jury brought in their verdict they found for
the plaintiff [Hawkes] Reuersion of the former Judgment & costs of Court nine pounds."

-Lora Altine Woodbury Underhill Descendants of Edward Small of New England, and the
Allied Families, with Tracings of English Ancestry , Volume 2 (Google eBook)Priv. print.
at the Riverside Press, 1910 p570

This was a reversal of more than just a court case. The Iron Works had not proven
profitable and in fact the company wasn't paying its debts. Some of the company officers
were even jailed or fugitives. Apparently things really reached a head in 1671:

"The Iron Works for several years were carried on with vigor, and furnished most of the
iron used in the colony. But the want of ready money on the part of the purchasers, and
the great freedom with which the company construed the liberal privileges of the court, caused their failure. The owners of the lands which had been injured, commenced several suits against them, and at last hired a person to cut away the flood gates and destroy the works. This was done in the night, when the pond was full. The dam was high, and just below it, on the left, stood the house of Mac Callum More Downing. The water rushed out, and flowed into the house, without disturbing the inhabitants, who were asleep in a chamber. In the morning, Mrs. Downing found a fine live fish flouncing in her oven. The works were much injured, and the depredator fled to Penobscot. 

The suits against the Iron Works were protracted for more than twenty years. Mr. Hubbard says 'that instead of drawing out bars of iron for the country's use, there was hammered out nothing but contention and law suits.' The works were continued, though on a smaller scale, for more than one hundred years from their establishment. But they have long been discontinued, and nothing now is to be seen of them, except the heaps of scoria, nearly overgrown with grass, and called the 'Cinder Banks.'  Alonzo Lewis The History of Lynn: Including Nahant (Google eBook) Samuel N. Dickinson, Boston 1844 p154

It doesn't say who the perpetrators of that second breach of the dam were, but given the
past history of my Hawkes ancestors and the Saugus Iron Works, it wouldn't surprise me
in the least if there were a Hawkes or two involved that night!

ADAM HAWKES AND THE SAUGUS IRON WORKS PT2

For seventeen years, starting in 1643, my ancestor Adam Hawkes had a less
than cordial relationship with the operators of the Saugus Iron Works over
damage done by a dam built and operated by the miners. In 1660 Adam had
finally reached his breaking point and he brought suit against company at
the Essex County Court:

"Mr. Adam Haukes v. Mr. William Paine and company of undertakers of the Iron
works of Lynn and Mr. Oliver Purchass, their agent. Trespass. For damming their
waters so high, which was the cause of floating his lands, well and bridge, to
his great damage for several years. ..."

In the testimony from various witnesses, evidence was given about the previous
agreements between Adam and the miners, as well as to the harmful effects the
overflowing dam had on the Hawkes farm.

"Writ, dated, 4mo: 1660, signed by William Longley for the court, and served by
Theophylus Bayley, constable of Lynn, by attachment of meadow on the west
side of the river to the Long Poynt, to the value of one hundred pounds.

Oliver Purchis" bill of costs. To Major Wm. Hathorne, Joseph Jencks, sr., Henry
Leonard, Jno. Vinton, Nicholas Pinnion, Macam Downing, Charls Phillips,
Thomas Browne, Daniell Salmon and George Darline, witness fees.

Thomas Wellman and John Knight, appointed to appraise the damage, reported
that it amounted to 10li . a year, for the meadow, plow land and in floating a bridge;
in the corn field, the corn had suffered much from the water; the wells were
sometimes floated with the waters of the Iron works, so that when the pond was
up with the waters standing in the wells, the well water was not fit for use on
account of the dirt that fouled it; the damage in the orchard, in the English grass
and in the tobacco lands was also great, etc. Sworn in court.

Charles Phillopes testified that he had kept the water at the Iron works since Mr.
Purchas came, and that the latter told him to keep it low in order that it might not
damage Mr. Haukes. This deponent did, and gained the ill-will of the workmen
thereby. Sworn in court.

Agreement, dated, Oct. 31,1652, between John Giffard. agent for the company of
the Iron works, and Adam Hawks: Whereas there was an agreement made, 20: 4:
1651, by Capt. Robert Caine and Capt. William Hawthorne, arbitrators for said Giffard
and Hawks, in consideration of oertain damages that said Hawks had received, from
the first erecting of the said works by raising a dam for the works, whereby he had
lost the use of three acres in one place and since then, six acres, besides the
overflowing of certain feeding ands, for all of which said Hawks was allowed eight
pounds; now in consideration of that causeway which should be made him good
by the company with sixteen loads of hay to be allowed him yearly, besides two
hundred cords of wood granted said Hawks to cut and carry away; also in consideration
of ten acres of ground now sold by Hawks to the Iron company, lying near the works
among those ten acre lots which lay near Thomas Errington's house, and in full
satisfaction for any future damage that may occur, the said Giffard conveyed to
said Hawks, that fresh marsh called Farmer Dextor's marsh, which adjoined the
house of Adam Hawks, which was in full satisfaction of the arbitration. It was further
agreed that for the future the water should be so kept that it would not ascend the
top of the upper flood gates in the pond or higher than a foot and a half from the
top of the great rock that lay in the middle of the pond before the gates. Wit:
John Jarviss* and Daniel Salmon.*

Joseph Jencks, sr., deposed that he spoke with Adam Hawks about the damage and
the latter told him that he had satisfaction from the old company, etc. Sworn in
court.

Daniell Salmon, aged about fifty years, deposed that, being servant to the Iron
works under Mr. Geffards, he laid out the marsh given to Mr. Hauckes for damage,
and Hauckes was with him at the time, etc. Sworn in court.

Henorey Lenard, aged about forty years, Nicklis Pinnion and John Vinton deposed
that ever since Mr. Porchas came to the works, the water had been kept low by his
order, so low that it caused a great deal of difference between the workmen and
the water drawer; that the waste had been dug wider and deeper since he came, etc.
Sworn in court.

Francis Hutchinson deposed that the flowage of water over Mr. Adam Hauckes' land
made the ground unfit for use; that the bridge in front of the house, which was the
usual passage to and from the house for both man and beast, a herd of cattle passing
over twice each day, had been broken by the water and the timbers raised up ; that
the cattle were in danger of falling in and breaking their legs; that sometimes it had
been repaired, and then the water would break it so that horses going over had fallen
in, etc. Sworn in court. "

-Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, 
Volume 2  1656-1662 (Google eBook) Essex Institute, Salem Ma. 1912

Given the amount of damage to Adam Hawkes' land and to a bridge used by the 

general public, it would seem certain the jury would rule in Adam's favor.

 

I'll discuss the outcome of the trial and what happened afterward next.

 

To be continued...

ADAM HAWKES AND THE SAUGUS IRON WORKS PT1

When I was much much younger and  my family was living in Malden, Ma., we'd
often go over to the nearby town of Saugus. Sometimes it was to go to Adventure
Car Hop (Adventure Car Hop is the place to go, for food that's always right, woo-
woo!"), other times it was to go to a VERY small amusement park that had a mini-
roller coaster. What none of us knew at the time was that Saugus was the site
of the first iron works in the British colonies, and that two of my Dad's ancestors
had a somewhat adversarial relationship with that mine. Back then Saugus was
part of the town of Lynn, so much of my information for this post comes from
Alonzo Lewis' History of Lynn and its year by year chronicle.

The story begins in the year 1643:

"An Iron Mine having been discovered on the land of Mr. Adam Hawkes, in
Saugus, information was sent to England; where a company was formed,
called the Company of Undertakers for the Iron Works. It consisted of the
following gentlemen.

Lionel Copley, Esquire, of York County, England.
Nicholas Bond, Esquire, of Westminster.
Thomas Pury, Esquire, of Westminster.
John Becx, London, Merchant.
William Beauchamp, London, Merchant.
Thomas Foley, London, Gentleman.
William Greenhill, Stepney, Middlesex County.
Thomas Weld, Minister, Gateshead, Durham County.
John Pococke, Merchant Tailor, London.
William Becke, Merchant Tailor, London.
William Hicocke, London, Citizen.2

Mr. John Winthrop, junior, came from England with work men, and stock to
the amount of one thousand pounds, for commencing the work. A Foundry
was erected on the western bank of Saugus river, upon land now owned by
Mr. Thomas Mansfield, where large heaps of scoria are still to he seen. The
iron ore. was very plenty, about one mile north of the Foundry ; and according
to several accounts, some lead was discovered, which the people at first
imagined to be silver. The village at the Foundry was called Hammersmith,
by some of the workmen who came from a place of that name in England.
Mr. Endecott, in a letter to Governor Winthrop, December 1, says, "1 want
much to hear from your son's Iron and Steel." Mr. William Wood says that Iron
was discovered as early as 1633." pp 81-82 Alonzo Lewis The history of Lynn
 (Google eBook) Press of J. H. Eastburn, 1829 - Lynn (Mass.)

Adam Hawkes who owned the land where the iron was discovered was my
10x great grandfather through my Dad's maternal Barker line.  

Things seem to have gone well for a few years, but then in 1646 the first
hint of possible trouble occurs: the proprietors of the Iron  Works purchased
some land "for opening a new watercourse, and enlarging the pond." But,
"This extension of the pond caused it to overflow three acres of land belonging
to Mr Adam Hawkes." -p91

The water level of the dam became the center of Adam's problems with the
Iron Works. Five years later  in 1651  there was a change in the management and
an accompanying change in the water level:

"On taking on the management of the Iron Works, Mr. Gifford raised the dam,
which caused the water to overflow six acres of " plowland" belonging to Mr.
Adam Hawkes. For this, on the twentieth of June, an agreement was made, in
which Mr.Hawkes was allowed L8 for damages." p97

That agreement didn't last very long:
"Mr. Gifford this year increased the height of the dam at the Iron Works, by which
ten acres of Mr. Hawkes's land were flowed ; for which he agreed to give 16 loads
of hay yearly, and 200 cords of wood. Afterward he agreed to give him £7, "which
ends all, except that 10s. is to be given him yearly." By this agreement the water
was to be so kept "that it may not ascend the top of the upper floodgates in the
pond, or pier then within foot and a halfe of the top of the great Rock that lies
in the middle of the pond before the gates." p99

But this didn't end all. Adam Hawkes' frustration was rising along with water rising
behind the dam.


To be continued...

RALPH & THE RELUCTANT BRIDE

((Today is my 7x great grandfather Ralph Ellingwood Jr  's 356th
 birthday. I wrote about his dubious historical distinction back 
in July 2007.))



Chris Dunham’s post over on The Genealogue about the
upcoming book “The Naked Quaker” by Diane Rapaport
reminded me of a story about a divorce that might or might
not be among those in the book:


In June 1682, a twenty five year old man named Ralph found
himself being divorced by his young wife Katharine, who stated
words to the effect that she’d rather be dead than live with him.
She sued on grounds of her husband’s insufficiency to consummate
their marriage.


Ralph for his part did what any man in 17th century Salem Ma.
might do when faced with such an embarrassing situation: he
claimed that it had to be witchcraft. Not exactly original, and
highly ineffective in the light of the character witnesses Katherine
called to testify in her behalf.



It must have been the talk of the town. Both husband and wife
were given physical examinations, Katherine by a panel of
“goodwives” and Ralph by two men(one of them a chirurgeon)
appointed by the Court. Based on their reports the Court granted
Katherine her divorce and ordered she be allowed to take
whatever clothes and property that she had brought with her into
marriage.


All of this might have been lost in the mists of time except that
there was a court record of the proceedings and several centuries
later the case is cited in articles and a book about women in
Puritan society. I’ve not been able to read any of them in their
entirety but what I have read makes no mention of what
happened after. So in the interest of fairness to Ralph, here’s the
rest of it:

Ralph remained single for nearly 9 years but in August of 1691 he
wed Martha Rowlandson. The marriage lasted nearly 20 years
before her death.


They had 7 children


We don’t know what happened to Katherine after her divorce
from Ralph, There is no record of her maiden name. Hopefully
she too remarried and with a man she loved and who gave her
children of her own.


We’ll never know the exact reason why the marriage of my
ancestor Ralph Ellingwood and his first wife Katherine ended so
scandalously. Possibly it was an arranged match between a man
and a deeply unhappy younger bride. Possibly Ralph was not the
perfect husband and possessed bad manners and lousy personal
hygiene. Perhaps there just wasn't any...spark.

Perhaps he could have used a talk with Dr. Phil, but alas, there
was no Dr. Phil in 17th century Salem.


But obviously Ralph felt he had a point to prove to all of Salem,
and judging by the 7 children he fathered, I guess he did it.


He wasn’t “insufficient”!

THE DEATH OF JOHN NUTTING 13MAR 1676

337 years ago today, my 10x great grandfather John Nutting died. according
to family tradition and some historians. The reason there is no record is that
John was killed during an Indian attack on Groton, Massachusetts during the
conflict known as the King Philip's War.  John Keep Nutting, another  of John's
descendants, a century ago wrote about the incident

"Trouble actually began March 2, 1676. That night, Indians came and rifled
some of the deserted houses, carried off cattle and swine, and pretty thoroughly
waked up the town.

March 9, four men, who had gone out with two carts to bring hay, were attacked.
One was killed, two reached shelter, and one was made prisoner. He however
escaped, and reached Lancaster, up the River south ward.

March 13, a body of about 400 Indians stealthily came to the place. They were
under the command of a chief named Monoco, or Monojo, the latter indicating
that he had been among the Spaniards. He could speak English brokenly, and
was well acquainted with Captain James Parker, and probably with all the men
of Groton. The settlers translated his name, calling him One-eyed John, indicating
that he had lost an eye. This chief knew his business. Scouts from town had been
out in all directions the day before, and reported no Indians. Either the attacking
body had been hidden, or had come from a distance later.

Early in the morning, the watch at Nutting's garrison reported two Indians skulking
about,—no doubt "vpon discouery", or scouting. As there were supposed to be
no other Indians in the neighborhood, it seemed to all a desirable thing to capture
or kill these rascals. It would be easy, it seemed, if a sufficient force went out, to
surround them. Accordingly the whole fighting force of that garrison, and some
from Parker's (which was within speaking distance) sallied forth, led as we
suppose by our Founder himself.

Monojo had planned wisely. The two supposed scouts led the whites on and on,
till they were in the midst of the ambuscade prepared for them, which rose up
and poured in a volley. Thanks probably to the worthless guns furnished to the
Indians by traders, or to the equally worthless ammunition-—perhaps also to
poor markmanship—only two shots took effect. One man was killed outright,
and another was wounded. A panic ensued, and the men, apparently thinking
nothing of the defenceless women and children at the Nutting garrison, fled to
Parker's en masse. Meanwhile the other part of Monojo's plan had also succeeded,
a second ambush having risen up behind Nutting's, pulled down some of the
palisades, and effected an entrance.

However, the women and children all escaped to Parker's. The enemy found only
an infant, already dead. Whose, it is not recorded. There were five families in
refuge there.

Monojo lost no time in occupying the garrison thus captured, from which he kept
up such fire as he could upon the other houses. Night put an end to active hostilities,
but Monojo called up Captain Parker, reminding him that they were old neighbors,
and held quite a conversation with him. He discussed the cause of the war, and
spoke of making peace. He naturally ridiculed the white man's worship of God in
the Meetinghouse, seeing that God had not helped them. He boasted that he had
burnt Medfield and Lancaster, would now burn Groton, then "Chelmsford, Concord,
Watertown, Cambridge, Charlestown, Roxburv, and Boston", adding, "What me
WILL that me DO!" The chronicler, however, is pleased to add to his account that
not many months later this boaster was seen marching through the Boston streets
which he had threatened to burn "with an halter about his neck, wherewith he was
hanged at the town's end"', in September of the same year.

The Indians cut off the head of him who had beep killed by their first fire, and "did
set it vpon a pole, looking unto his own lande". " -pp54-56

Nutting genealogy: A record of some of the descendants of John Nutting, 
of Groton, Mass (Google eBook) by John Keep Nutting,  (C. W. Bardeen,
Syracuse, N.Y. 1908)

A few pages later he gives the reasoning for March 13th being the date of
John Nutting's death:

"Monojo was undoubtedly acquainted with John Nutting, and knew well where
"his own lande lay"—namely, at his garrison, a few rods to the north of where he
fell. It seems to me likely also, that the particular direction toward which the gory
trophy was made to "look". would hardly have been noticed,had not the chief called 
attention to it by way of boasting, in his talk with Captain Parker.

The Town and Church Records, of course were in abbeyance for some time following
the catastrophe, so that the absence of any entry concerning the death of John Nutting
is not to be wondered at. (The Church Record is hopelessly lost.) But it is significant
that his name never appears after, in any connection. The names of his sons, John,
James, and (once or twice) Ebenezer, naturally take the place of his. Sarah, his widow,
is found some time later at Woburn, living, it is supposed with her married sister—
Blodgett." -pp57-58

Nutting genealogy: A record of some of the descendants of John Nutting, of Groton,
Mass (Google eBook) by John Keep Nutting,  (C. W. Bardeen, Syracuse, N.Y. 1908)

So once again, thanks to Google books I've found a story about one of my ancestors!

AGGIE

((This was my very first post here back in February, 2007. I'm reposting it 
today to mark Womens' History  Month)) 

I’m a child of mixed heritage. On one side I’m
descended from a long line of Yankee settlers.
On the other, I’m descended from Irish Catholic
immigrants who came to Boston in the late
19th century.

Meet my maternal grandmother, Agnes McFarland.
In the family she’s known as Aggie. To us grandchildren
she was "Nanny". I believe the picture is for her Confirmation.

She was born in 1898, eighth child and third daughter
out of the ten children that would survive infancy. She
grew up in a Irish Catholic family, her father a laborer
on the Boston Elevated Railway.


She had rheumatic fever as a child in a time when it
was a deadly disease and although she'd survived it left
Aggie with a weak heart. In 1924 she married Edward F.
White Sr. They had two children before a third died, then
Edward walked out in the middle of the Great Depression
leaving Aggie to raise the children on her own.

Aggie divorced him in 1935.

It was hard for her; in those times the label "divorced"
was somewhat shameful for an Irish Catholic woman.


Work was hard to come by for a woman with children
so she scrimped and saved. Some nights dinner was
bread soaked in milk. My Mom and uncle were sent to
a nearby dental school to have their teeth worked on by
students. When Mom came down with what was known
as St. Vitus’ Dance in those days, Aggie somehow came
up with the money for the doctors and to buy liver to
serve at dinner to get Mom’s iron content up. I suspect
Aggie’s parents must have helped her out here and there
financially. My Mom once claimed that the legendary
Boston Mayor James Michael Curley helped out with
some problem as well.


But Aggie was no cream puff, either. One story my
Mom told was of the time she and Uncle Ed skipped
school to hang out at the cottage out on Houghs’ Neck
with their cousins. The place was owned by Aggie’s
younger sister Peggy and her husband Leo McCue and
was quite a distance away from the Jamaica Plain
neighborhood of Boston Aggie and her children lived
in.


Yet suddenly my grandmother was walking down the
beach towards them. She’d taken the trolley and two
different buses to get there. She stayed long enough
to let Mom and Ed get their things and then took
them home by the same route she’d used to get there.


Somehow she did it. She raised her children to adulthood
even though it meant sometimes ducking her rebellious
son's head in the sink when he used swears or nursing her
daughter through a case of scarlet fever. She survived
watching her son join the Navy at 18 to fight in WW2.
All this while living life as a divorced Catholic woman
whose husband had left her for another woman.


She never remarried.


I knew her as Nanny, my grandmother, and she lived
with us when I was a kid. My Dad and Uncle Ed had
bought a two family home after the war in Malden on
a GI loan and so Aggie saw all five of her grandchildren
everyday. But she spent most of the time with my sister
and I because my parents both worked fulltime.


I have memories of her.


She was a quiet woman, black haired with grey streaks
and usually wore those one piece housedresses. She’d eat
peas by rolling them down the blade of her knife into her
mouth and looking back I think she did it to amuse me
and tease my mom. She never yelled but I remember
her breaking up a knockdown fight between two Italian
ladies who lived in the houses to either side of ours and
doing it with a slightly louder than usual voice and a
disgusted tone at their behavior in front of children.


I remember her being upset when the goldfish got sucked
down the drain of the kitchen sink when she pulled the
sink plug by accident after cleaning the goldfish bowl. And
I recall how she kept me from looking out the window after
a worker fell off the roof when it was being reshingled.
(He survived by the way; he broke his back and narrowly
missed landing atop the picket fence that ran between our
house and our next door neighbor’s.)


As time went by her rheumatic heart got worse and she
needed an oxygen tank in her bedroom for when breathing
was hard.


Aggie died at age 58 on February 12th, 1957.


She lived a tough life but she always carried herself like
a lady.

"SOME SCURVY TRICK"

I've found a lot of family history in the Records and Files of the Quarterly
Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts over in Google Books. Some if it has
been full stories, and some, like this one, are tantalizing tidbits that give
some information but leave me wondering about the parts that are missing.

This one is from a court session in June of 1667 and involves my 8x great
grandfather, Edward Colbourne, the first of my Coburn ancestors here in
America. Apparently he had serious problems with his neighbor Daniel
Gresier:

"Daniell Gresier gave bond to the treasurer of the county that he would on or
before the last day of the week at night remove himself and family from the
place where he then lived and never to come within ten miles of the place.
Further to appear at the next Ipswich court to be examined concerning the
misdemeanors he was charged with and to be of good behavior toward all,
especially toward Edward Colborne and family. Expenses at Mr. Gidneyes,
3s. 6d.*

*Edward Colborne's bill of cost, 1Li. 10s. 6d.
John Morrill, aged about thirty-five years, deposed that he heard Daniell
Gresier say that he would make Edward Colborne suffer for his labor, and
the latter said he could not do it unless he burned his house or destroyed
his cattle. Sworn, 26 :4 : 1667, before Simon Bradstreet.

Alexander Tompson, aged about forty years, and John Coburne, aged about
twenty-one years, deposed that they were in Edward Coburne's ten acre
corn field, and found that the Indian corn had been pulled up, it seemed by
men's hands or hoes. Further that Grasier and wife said that they would be
revenged for a cow that had been taken away, and she told her husband to
shut up the hogs and not let them go out until they were yoked, and that
the hogs could not get into the corn field, also that Grasier and wife Nel
and her son were not at meeting, etc. Sworn, June 24, 1667, before Daniel
Denison.

John Clarke, aged about forty-five years, deposed that Daniel Grasier said
that he must do Coburne some scurvy trick to pay him for what he had done
about the lease. Deponent said he must not revenge himself that way, but
he said it would do Coburne good for he would repent and God would forgive
him, and he felt called upon to do it for good people's sake and to be true to
the country, etc. Sworn June 24, 1667, before Daniel Denison.

Ann Haget and Deliveranc Tomson deposed that they heard Kate Greene say
that Coburn had done them wrong, etc. Sworn, June 25, 1667, before Daniel
Denison.

Daniell Black deposed that when at work for John Merrill, etc. Sworn, 26 :4 :
1667, before Simon Bradstreete."

-Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts
Volume 3 (Google eBook) Essex Institute, 1913 p430-431

And I'm left wondering what started all this!

THE THIRD AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BLOG CHALLENGE

It's time for this year's edition of the American Civil War Genealogy Blog
Challenge. This year, I've picked a submission deadline and publication date
to honor the Battle of Chancellorsville, where Confederate General Stonewall
Jackson died. The Battle started on 30Apr 1863 and ended on 6May.   

 This is how you can participate:

Did you have ancestors in America during the Civil War? If so, where were they
and what were their circumstances? How did the Civil War affect them and
their family? Did the men enlist and did they perish in battle or die of illness?
On which side did they fight, or did you have relatives fighting on BOTH sides?
How did the women left at home cope, or did any of them find ways to help
the war effort? Were your ancestors living as slaves on Southern plantations
and if so when were they freed?  Or were they freemen of color who enlisted
to fight?

If your ancestors had not emigrated to America as yet, what was their life
like around the time of the Civil War?

The 150 year celebration of the Civil War is a great source for those of us
blogging about our family history. So, let's do a little research over the coming
weeks between now and April 30th . Find out the answers to the questions
I asked and write about them. Or if you think of another topic to do with your
family history and the Civil War, write about that. Send me the link when you
publish it on your blog, and on May 6th I'll publish all the links here.

I'm looking forward to some interesting blogposts!

JONATHAN WEST OF UPTON, MAINE

((This what my 2x great grandfather Jonathan  Phelps West told
William Brewster when they met on Back St. in Upton, Maine.
on Thursday, October 8th, 1907. I first posted it here back in 2007)) 
 

I first found this on the Oxford County Maine site
celebrating the county’s Bicentennial, but it now
appears to have been taken down. I’m not sure
who the person was who rediscovered the excerpt
while doing research at the Agassiz Museum at
Harvard University so if anyone reading this
knows their identity, please let me know so
I can give them credit.

I’m fairly certain that this could be my great
grandfather Jonathan Phelps West. While the
birth year is three years earlier than his (1834),
he was born and lived his entire life there.
A cached version of the website is here
and mentions several Abbotts.


"Jonathan West spent his entire life in Upton, having
been born on East B Hill in 1831. In his youth Lake
Umbagog was much less extensive in summer than it
is at present. It was then bordered in many places by
natural meadows where the farmers cut large of coarse
hay which they took off with horses and wagons, for the
ground was quite dry and firm except in early spring,
when it was flooded for a few weeks. The forest trees
growing at high water mark and for some distance back
of this, were chiefly white pines. They fringed the banks
of the Cambridge, the Androscoggin and the Magalloway
Rivers and sometimes occurred on highground, but not
very generally or numerously. Most of those near the
water were cut and rafted off by the lumbermen between
1840 and 1850. Very little clear white pine was wasted but
spruce trees were accounted no value and whenever the
encumbered land was desired for farming purposes they
were almost invariably piled up and burned, after being cut
down.



"When Mr. West was a boy, moose were numerous,
although less so than in earlier times. There were only a few
deer and the first settlers had found but few. Caribou
occurred plentifully in certain locations. The Canada Lynx,
the fisher and the sable were common. The otter was perhaps
the most abundant of all the fur-bearing animals (except the
muskrat) which frequented the shores of the lake and that of
its connecting rivers. Partridge abounded in the forest.Wild
pigeons visited the clearings in enormous numbers sometimes
"darkening the sun" as their winged phalanges came between
it and the eye of the observer and doing much damage to the
farmer's grain. They appeared chiefly in spring and autumn
but Mr. West has never known more than a few scattered
pairs to breed anywhere about the Lake.He remembers when
the lake attracted innumerable water fowl, among which
were many Canada geese.

"According to Mr. West, Metalluk was a St. Francis Indian,
banished from his tribe because of some offense of a political
nature committed when a young man. After leaving Canada
he lived for many years about the lower lakes of the Rangeley
chain having a permanent camp at the Narrows on Richardson
Lake and one used less regularly, yet not infrequently on the
island in Lake Umbagog that bears his name. He was a
thoroughly "good" Indian, honest, upright, truthful and very
kind and friendly, in his dealings with the early settlers, all of
whom liked and trusted him. When they were hard pressed
for food he often brought them trout and moose meat, for, like
most of his race, he was an expert fisherman and hunter. He
frequently accompanied them as a guide and assistant during
their excursions into the forest and whenever he visited the
settlement of Upton he was cordially welcomed at their
houses. He stood in much fear of their dogs, however, and
Mr. West remembers that when he came to his father's
house on East B Hill he was accustomed to call from the road
requesting that their dog be tied before he would enter their
door. His only vice was drunkenness, to which he was hopelessly
addicted. But he was invariably mild-tempered and inoffensive
when under theinfluence of liquor."

The Birds of the Lake Umbagog Region of Maine
Professor William Brewster 1907

A VISIT TO BACK ST., UPTON, ME. 8OCT 1907

Earlier this month a gentleman named Steven Smith emailed me this image
from The Diaries of William Brewster. Brewster was a noted ornithologist
and the first President of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and often took
trips to Northern New England to observe and collect the local plants and birds.
In October, 1907 he took a trip to the Lake Umbagog area of Western Maine
and made entries in his diary about the trip.  This image are for the four days
he spent visiting the area around Upton, Maine, the town where many of my
ancestors lived.

As you can see, the entries are handwritten and while most of it was easy to
transcribe, there are some words I just couldn't decipher. These are denoted
in my transcription with a (sp?). The part of special interest to me is the entry
for Thursday, October 8th. I've underlined the relevant passage.



Lake Umbagog
Wed. Aug.7, 1907
Clear & warm with light S.W. wind.
Alva met me at the landing and took
me up Cambridge River in his canvas canoe.
Wilder, Pearl, and Bowman accompanied us
in another canoe. We went up to the middle
of the meadows. The river is unchanged.
It was at its very best as we paddled &
floated slowly back in the late afternoon.
I collected a lot of plants & made notes on
the vegetation. We got back at 5:30.
Some boys had had my canoe all day.
I sailed part of the way back to Lakelands (sp?)

Thursday 8
Brilliantly clear with fresh N.W. wind.
Spent the A.M. in my room writing.
Just after dinner Mrs J.P. West
of Upton called and took me to
her farm on Back St. where I had
a long talk with her husband who
was born on East B Hill in 1832.
I walked most of the way back
calling at Judkin's store to examine
the town records &  (sp?) Hollis Abbott.
The walk from Upton to (sp?) was
(sp?). I have (sp?) (sp?) (sp?) (sp?)
(sp? & mountains to (sp?) beautiful.

Fri, Aug,9, 1907
Brilliantly clear with light W.  to S.W. winds.
Just pleasantly cool yesterday & today.
Spent forenoon in my canoe behind
B.Point writing out the information obtained
yesterday. Sailed over to Upton just after
dinner to call at the Morse's. Saw the whole
family, I believe, Bennett Morse, his
wife(formerly Miss Peaslee) their attractive
daughter Miss Lucy & a younger daughter. Had
a long talk about early conditions here. (Bennett
Morse came to Upton in 1843) . Called on (Sp?)
Sargent but he was up the (Sp?) . Spent nearly
two hours at the Lake House taking notes.
Paddled back to (sp?) at sunset.

Saturday 10
Sunny but slightly hazy with cumulus
drifting before a fresh W. wind.
Warm  (sp?) (sp?) rising to 80.
Spent most of the day writing in my
canoe on the further side of B Point.
Paddled over at 8 a.m. & sailed back
at noon for dinner at the hotel.
Sailed both ways in the afternoon.
My favorite little cove is rich in bird
life. I saw there this afternoon a fine
adult Bald Eagle, a Fish  Hawk, 2 Herons,
100+ Brownish Grackles & many smaller birds.
Messrs. Pearl & Bowman took (sp?) for hours
this morning. I (sp?)(sp?) (sp?)

There is more written up the side of the entry about hearing the songs of some
species of birds but I can't make out anymore of it than that.


The "Mrs. J. P. West" and her husband were my 2x great grandparents  Louisa
(Richardson) West and Jonathan Phelps West. 

 Now, are you wondering just what Jonathan P West told Mr. Brewster? Well,
I already know, and I'll share that next.

Thanks to Steven for sending this image to me!

AMOS HASTINGS: A QUESTION OF RANK

If you Google "Amos Hastings" and "Bethel, Maine", your search will turn up
some variation of the following brief biography written by William Lapham:


"Amos Hastings was born in the west parish of Haverhill, Mass. He was in the
affair at Concord and Lexington, and also in the battle of Bunker Hill. He served
several years and came out with the rank of captain. He married Elizabeth Wiley,
a sister of the wife of John Grover, and came here from Fryeburg. He settled at
first at Middle Interval and for many years his house was the town house. Later
he moved to a farm on the north side of the river. He was early identified with
the militia of the town and held office through the various grades to that of
Brigadier General. He was a man possessed of sound judgment which was often
utilized by the town when difficult questions came up requiring careful
investigation and adjustment. He may justly be regarded as one of the fathers
of the town."- p43  History of Bethel: formerly Sudbury, Canada, Oxford County,
Maine, 1768-1890; with a brief sketch of Hanover and family statistics
(Google eBook),  Press of the Maine Farmer, 1891, Augusta, Maine.

But when I found Amos'  service records over on Fold3, all I could find were
documents listing him as a fifer in Colonel Gerrish's Regiment. That would
matchup with Benjamin Barker's affidavit in the Pension file. The search
of the War Rolls by the  Massachusetts Secretary of State surely would have
turned up some confirmation that Amos had risen to the rank of Captain, yet
apparently it did not.  And neither Daniel Gage nor Benjamin Barker mention
Amos being an officer in their statements.

Amos was indeed a Brigadier General of the 2nd Brigade 13th division of the
Maine Militia in 1815 and so probably also served during the War of 1812.

I think the  information about his captaincy during the Revolution may have
been a result of two things, the first being that by the 1890's the generation that
had fought in the war was long gone. By that time, sketchy family traditions had
been handed down to the great grandchildren of the veterans and there was a
tendency to add a few embellishments.

The second possible cause of the misinformation was the nature of the books
it appeared in, because frankly, some of the family histories of prominent men
in the town were "puff pieces" meant to enhance their prestige. By the 1890's
there were several Hastings men who were leading citizens of Bethel, Maine
it may be whoever provided the biography of Amos Hastings to William Lapham
did a little "gilding of the lily" as it were. Someone must have felt that being
a Captain in the Revolution was more impressive.

Ironically, I think that  Amos Hastings being only a fifer in the Revolution and
eventually rising to the rank of Brigadier General in the Militia is a greater
accomplishment. 

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PT9

When John Hastings once more applied for the Revolutionary War pension
in 1851 it brought to an end a thirteen year long and ultimately unsuccessful
attempt to receive that pension. I have been puzzled as to why John and
his mother Betsey before him had their claims rejected. It could not have
been a question about whether or not Amos Hastings actually had fought in
the Revolution.  I've found documentation of that service and so did the
Massachusetts authorities when they examined the war rolls at John Hastings'
request. 

So why was the pension request rejected? I have several possible reasons.

The first involves the Act creating the pension Betsey Hastings was seeking. It was
passed in Congress on July 7 1838,  and granted 5-year pensions to widows who
had married a Revolutionary War veteran  before January 1. 1794.  Betsey had
produced proof of her marriage to Amos in 1778. The pension was continued
three times: March 3rd 1843, June 17 1844 and February 2nd 1848. John cites all
four dates in his final attempt. Could it be that the Widows Pension act had finally
expired, or that it didn't extend to the widow's children.

Another possibility was the discrepancies in the information John provided in his
two statements: he used Rebecca for his mother's name instead of  her birth name
Elizabeth which was on record already in Washington from the documents she had
submitted. He also had the wrong names for the officers Amos had served under.
While the Massachusetts Secretary of State had provided the correct information,
the fact that John used the same incorrect information in the 1851 application may
mean he never saw it and that it was submitted directly to Washington.

There was aother possible reason that first Betsey and then John were rejected.
The Hastings family was a prominet one in Bethel, Maine, and while they weren't
very wealthy they were reasonably well off compared to many other pension
applicants. That may have possible been a deciding factor in the process, although
as the youngest son John probably hadn't inherited much when his father Amos
died.

Whatever the reason,  neither Betsey Hastings nor her son John ever collected
the pension.

But there was another question about the Revolutionary Service of Amos Hastings.
I'll discuss that next.

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PT8

After John Hastings presented his latest declaration on the matter of
his father's Pension, the Court issued the follwing document. Apparently
the clerk didn't have the appropriate form handy, or there wasn't one that
would fit the particular circumstances of the case. So he used a form
from Cumberland county and crossed out the words or phrases that
didn't apply. I've boldfaced the printed parts of the form and italicized
the handwritten information:

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT,
Oxford County, ss
Be it known, That on this sixteenth  day of
September 1851 it has been satisfactorily proved in open Court,
being a Court of Record, That Amos Hastings
late of Bethel in the said County, was a Pensioner
of the United States and that he died at said Bethel
on the twenty eighth day of July 1829
And that left a is the widow of Rebecca Hastings
who died on the deceased twelveth day of May 1846
and that Amos Hastings, Jonas Hastings, Betsey Russell, Lucinda Fletcher,
Huldah Barker and John Hastings
are the only surviving children of the said Rebecca Hastings
and that she was not married after the death of her
husband aforesaid.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the seal of said Court, and 
subscribed my name, this sixteenth day of September in the
year 1851
Geo.M. Shaw,  { Register of Probate for
                                 Oxford County.


Chronologically, this is the last document in the Amos Hastings Revolutionary
War Pension file. I'll have some thoughts about all this in my next post which
will conclude this series.

To be continued...

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PART7

I don't know whether John Hastings' application for his father's Revolutionary
War pension was rejected in 1848 or if he failed to follow up on it after he
received the information he wanted from Massachusetts. Whatever the
case, he made another attempt to collect it three years later. What puzzles
me is that John gives the same names of two officers he believed Amos had
served under in the War as he did in 1848, despite the fact that the official in
Massachusetts had found no record of Amos serving under Captains Clapp
and Malone.

Here's my transcript of the three page 1851 declaration:

State of Maine
Oxford SS
On this sixteenth day of September
in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and fifty one personally
appeared in open court before the Honorable
Job Prince Judge of Probate in and
for said County of Oxford,
John Hastings, a resident of Bethel
in the County and State aforesaid
aged fifty five years, who open oath
makes the following declarationin
order to obtain the benefits of the
acts of Congress passed July 7 1838,
March 3rd 1843, June 17 1844 and February
2nd 1848- And the declarant states
that he is one of the children of Amos
and Rebecca Hastings, both deceased.

He states that his Father was a
soldier of the Revolution. He believes
he was a volunteer in the Lexington
alarm, and again in the alarm  at
the battle of Bunker Hill, but as he
believes he was not in the battle, as  the
Companyh to which he belonged having
been on fatigue during the night    

(page 2)
previous to the battle, were relieved from duty
during the engagement. He further states
that his father was in the service in the
winter of 1775-1776 at Cambridge and
Dorcester at the time the British troops
were shut up in the town of Boston,
and that this service was two months
or more. That he was again in the
service in 1776 and was at Crown Point
and Ticonderoga, which service was five
months. And that he was under Capt.
Clapp and Capt Maloon at other periods
of the wat, and that he was in the
service at least seventeen months besides
serving for some time as a substitute
for his brother Jonas Hastings.

His father was a resident of Haverhill
Massachusetts in the time of the Revolution.
He also further states that his father
the said Amos Hastings died in Bethel
on the twenty eighth day of A D 1829 
and that his mother, Rebecca Hastings,
survived him and remained a widow
until the time of her death which took
place on the twelfth day of May A D 1846
and that Amos Hastings, Jonas Hastings,
Betsey Russell, Lucinda Fletcher, Huldah
Barker and John Hastings your declarant,

page 3
are the children and the only surviving
children of the said Rebecca Hastings
deceased- and that evidence of David
Gage and Benjamin Barker, Revolutionary
Pensioners, touching the said Revolutionary
services of the said Amos Hastings, and as
he believes, upon the files of the Pension office
at Washington and which he prays may
be examined--
John Hastings.

State of Maine
Oxford SS
Probate Court at Bethel
September 16th 1851, then personally
appeared, John Hastings and made
oath to the truth of the foregoing Dec-
laration by him Subscribed in open
Court -Before Me
Job Prince Judge

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PART6

John Hastings didn't have to wait very long for answers from the Massachusetts
Secretary of State. He'd written his letter on December 13th, and the reply
was written on January 1st. (New Year's Say wasn't a recognized holiday
yet.) In all probability he received it by mid January.

I should make note that I was incorrect in my last post in this series
when I questioned John's statement that his father Amos Hastings
was at the taking of Fort Ticondera. Benjamin Barker had also stated
that Amos was there, and the following transcription confirms that.

The preprinted text of the form is in bold face, the handwritten material
is in italics:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Secretary's Office, Boston
January 1 1848
I hereby Certify That, from an examination of the Books
and Documents relating to Military Services in the War of
the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears
that the name of Amos Hastings is borne
upon a Muster Roll of Captain Richard
Ayers Company in Col Johnson's Regt
as a private of Haverhill, from April 19
1775, 5 days. Upon a Pay Roll of the
travel of Capt Timothy Eaton's Company
in Col Edward Wigglesworth's  regt from Ti-
conderoga in 1776, as a private of Haverhill
no service mentioned-number of miles travel,
220.

Not upon rolls of Capt Mallone
Not upon rolls of Capt  Clapp
No evidence of his services as a substitute
for Jonas Hastings.

The preceding is all the evidence of service
of any one of the name shown by the
military records in the department.


page 2:

And I further Certify, That, before search made for evidence
of said facts, the application hereto annexed was filed in this
Office, in the form in which the same now appears; that the search
was made by myself and my clerks alone; and that said applic-
cation and the certificate above set forth, contain all the facts and
circumstances within my knowledge, pertaining to the case.

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal
of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
Wm. Tufts
Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth.

John Hastings had proof of his father Amos Hastings'
war service. Would he be able to obtain the pension from the
Federal government now?

To be continued. 

JONAS PRESCOTT & MARY LOKER

((This was first posted on 7Jul 2008. It's a nice story with probably a
little truth to it, but true or not it makes a good Valentine's Day story)).


I mentioned in my previous post about John Prescott that
there is a romantic (and probably romanticized) story about
his son Jonas Prescott's courtship of Mary Loker. I've found it
recounted in several different books on Google Books, and
while I'm not entirely sure it's true, it does make for another
interesting family tale.

The story is that Jonas and Mary fell in love but her parents
John Loker and Mary Draper had other plans for their
daughter. They wanted her to marry a lawyer, a man of
prospects, not the son of a blacksmith who was following his
father in the family trade and they forbade Mary from any
more contact with Jonas. One version told by Caleb Butler in
"The History of the Town of Groton" says the Lokers even
went so far as to install gratings on the windows of her room
and would lock her inside if Jonas was nearby. But even this
drastic measure didn't stand in the way of love:

"He (Jonas) took opportunities when the cold wind blew
and the pelting storm raged when no listener could overhear
the soft whispering of true lovers to place himself beneath
her grated window and there enjoy sweet communion
with his dearly beloved ."

But eventually Mary's parents found out about this trickery.
Perhaps Jonas' idea of a whisper in a storm was a bit too loud?
At any rate, Mary's parents next decided to send her away to
a secluded village so Jonas could not find her while they looked
for a more suitable prospect for Mary's hand in marriage.
They sent her off to the small frontier town of Chockset which
is now Sterling, Massachusetts.


Jonas searched for Mary until one day while traveling near
Chockset he met some men of his own age and asked if they
knew of any pretty girls in the area. They told him there was
a quilting and a dance that night in Chockset and invited him
to come along.

You can see where this is going, I bet!

Jonas found Mary Loker and they continued to meet in secret
for some time until her parents once more found them out.
Mary's stubborn insistence that she would never marry any
man but Jonas Prescott at last forced her parents to give in,
although they did so with the angry condition that they would
provide no dowry for the bride. Legend says that the young
couple set up their household with so few essentials that
Mary used a large hollowed out pumpkin shell!

I'm a bit skeptical about that pumpkin part but I think the
opposition of the Lokers to Jonas Prescott pressing his suit for
their daughter might have some truth to it. After all, although
Jonas' father John was well off, he was not exactly in the good
graces of the Puritan government, and the Lokers might have
had their hearts set on young Mary marrying someone who
could eventually rise to a position of power. Ironically, the
Prescotts eventually became one of Massachusetts' most
distinguished families.

I am descended from Elizabeth Prescott b 23Jan 1676,
d. 18Mar 1644.

She married Eleazer Green about 1694 or 1695. Their daughter
Elizabeth married John Ames(Eames), and their descendant
Arvilla Ames married my ancestor John Cutter West

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PART5

My 4x great grandmother Betsey Hastings passed away on 12May 1846.
She never collected the widow's pension she'd first applied for eight
years earlier. But now another member of the family set about trying to
collect. John Hastings was the youngest son of Amos and Betsey Hastings,
He was born in 1796, was married with seven children, and five of them
were adults when he sent the following letter in 1847:

"Application for Certificate of Revolutionary
Services made by a Son and heir of the
Party who rendered the Services

State of Maine
County of Oxford. Town of Bethel.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Mas-
sachusetts is hereby requested to furnish evidence
from the Rools of his office of my father,
Amos Hastings', Service in the wars of the
Revolution.

  He enlisted from the town of Haverhill
in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts.
He served, a part of the time,  under Capt
Clap  and Capt  Mulloon, I think.

  He served about seventeen months 
besides Serving for some time as a
Substitute for his brother, Jonas Hastings.

  I have often heard my father speak of his
Service but it was some years ago and my
memory does not enable me to state anything
more definite in relation to the Same.

  I think he was at the taking of Ticonderoga
and accompanied Arnold's expedition
into Canada.  My father died about Sixteen
years ago & my mother about one year ago.
Witness my hand this 13th day of Dec. 1847
John Hastings
Signed by said John Hastings
in my presence, Moses Mason} Justice of the Peace." 

I noticed right off that there were discrepancies in John’s statement from
the information Betsey had given. Fir one thing the names of the officers
his father Amos had served in were different. John mentioned  that he thought
Amos had been at the “taking of Ticonderoga“, perhaps confusing it with
Saratoga.  Finally,  he states that Amos had been on the expedition into Canada
led by Benedict Arnold, but then crossed that out, Had another family member
corrected him or had John thought better than to invoke the name of the
infamous traitor in his case?  What ever the case, it's crossed out.



So now there were two different versions of Amos Hastings' service record.

Which one was correct?

To be continued.

THE HASTINGS PENSION FILE PT4

Many of the settlers of Oxford county in Western Maine were veterans of
the Revolution who had originally come from towns in northern Essex
county in Massachusetts such as Andover, Methuen, and Haverhill. So it
was not surprising that thney had encountered or even served together to
some degree or another during that war.

I've mentioned before that my 4x great granduncle Benjamin Barker turns
up as a witness in many Pension Request Files. By the time Betsey Hastings
was seeking her widow's pension Benjamin was eighty-three years old
but still in possession  of a good memory. He testified twice about Amos
Hastings' service. The first was the longer of the two: 



"I Benjamin Barker of Rumford in the County of
Oxford and State of Maine aged eighty three years do
testify and say that I was personally acquainted
with Amos Hastings who was a private in the army of
the Revolutionary War, that he belonged to the Com
pany of Captain Timothy Eaton- and Colonel Gerrishes
Regiment. I further testify and say that said Amos
Hastings was in the year seventy five in the eight
Months Service in Captain Cogswell's Company-and
that he served his time out in said Company-belong
ing to Col. Fryes' Regiment being the same Regiment
to which I belonged. That I further testify and say
that said Amos done eight months service in
said Captain Eaton's Company and Gerrish's Regiment
in the year seventeen hundred and seventy seven
and that he was at the taking of Burgoyne's army.
And I further say that I have been personally
acquainted with said Amos since the Revolution
ary War- and continued to live within seven
miles until his death which was was in eighteen
hundred and thirty one.
Benj. Barker

State of Maine
Oxford County SS  October 24th 1838
Then the above named Benjamin
Barker who is a respectable person and entitled to credit
and made oath to the truth of the above affidavit
by him subscribed in my presence.
Peter Virgin Justice of the Peace."

The second statement had some other new pieces of
information. It was made seven months after the first statement:

"I Benjamin Barker of Rumford in the County of
Oxford  and State of Maine aged eighty three years do
testify and say that I was personally acquainted
with Amos Hastings late of Bethel in said County of
Oxford deceased,  at Winter Hill and on Bunker Hill as a Soldier
in the army of the Revolutionary War in Captain
Eaton's Company-and Col. Gerish Regiment- and
he then served seven months. I again say that I
was knowing the said Amos was at the taking
of Burgoyne- and at Ticonderoga- and that he then
served eight months in Captain Cogswell's Com
pany as I believe
Benja Barker

State of Maine
Oxford County SS April 27, 1839. Then personally app
eared the above named Benja Barker who is a person
entitled to credit and made oath to the truth of the above
affidavit signed in my presence.

Peter  C Virgin Justice of the Peace "

Despite Benjamin's two affidavits Betsey Hastings did not
receive her widow benefits and the struggle continued.