DENNIS DOWNING, my 10th Great-Grandfather, was residing in Kittery, Province of Maine, by 25 Nov 1650, when he appeared on a court jury list [GD of ME and NH, pg 208]. He then purchased, on 18 December, a messuage in Kittery (where he was currently dwelling) and thirty acres of upland lying nearby. It was located between Frank's and Watt's Forts, and owned by John Newgrove (and sold by George Smith of Dover) [York Deeds, Part I, Fol.16]. He was a blacksmith, and signed the submission to Massachusetts in 1652 [Old Kittery, pg 361].

Note: the lots laid out, with the names of Hammond, Fogg, Libby, and Tobey, is described in Old Eliot, Vol. 1, pg 49. It is based on a plan drawn by John Evans for the selectmen of Kittery, for their allotted shares. It was 240 rods wide and 580 rods in length, for a total of 870 acres. Current maps of Eliot show some traces of where these boundary lines once were. The lots would have extended back 1.81 miles, to a line where Rt. 236 now runs. Complications arose in 1699 when this 870 acre lot was purchased by the above five men and divided among them, as Dennis and son Joshua had already been living on a part of Joseph Hammond's portion. Old Eliot [ Vol. V, pg 32] says there was a lawsuit about this, and Joshua was allowed a lot extending from (what would later be called) Nutter's Cove to Watts Fort [see York Deeds, Vol VII, Fol. 67].

Dennis and his wife ANN, on 26 June 1656, brought Francis Trickey and wife Sarah into court at Portsmouth, accusing the latter of slander, for calling Mrs. Downing a drunk [NH Court Records, 1652-1668, pg 119]. After the defendant agreed to her words, the Downings withdrew their action, but the court continued with the sentencing. However, Sarah apparently had slipped away, a warrant was issued to find her, but no other court case is found regarding this.

Dennis also had ten acres of land near "Crooked Lane", which was granted to him by the town. On 21 Jun 1679, he sold this lot to Joanna Dyamont, the widow of William, who was lately in possession of this property [York Deeds, Vol. III, Fol. 47]. Son Joshua and his wife Patience also signed, Joshua stating he was his father's attorney (Dennis, just three years earlier, having deeded this and his other property to said Joshua). 

Old Kittery lists three sons for this Dennis: Dennis Jr (was he actually a son of Joshua?), John, and Joshua. The entire Downing property, both real and personal, would be granted to his "only and beloved" son, Joshua, on 16 Jan. 1676, the deed noting his son having been recently married to Patience Hatch. It did mention that son Joshua would give unto Joanna Downing, daughter of John, a cow at the day of her marriage [York Deeds, Vol III, Fol. 115]. This same deed was resubmitted into a later volume, reworded in a few places, and revoked the earlier version. It now said (of Joshua) "wel-beloved" son, instead of "only" [York Deed, Vol. VII, Fol. 104]. It also "deeded" 12 pence unto son John his dau's Anne, Alice and Joanna. This was dated 23 April 1690. 

The above image comes from page 70 of the book Old Kittery and Her Families by Everett S. Stackpole, published in 1903. It was copied from an original map, which did not have any names attached to the buildings, but were later added based on land deed research. In the center of the image is the garrison house of JOSEPH CURTIS, my 7th Great-Grandfather. In 1720, the townspeople of Kittery had selected certain households throughout the settlement to be used as garrisons and, at meetings dated the 15th and 17th of Sept, 1722, the selectmen and military officers made a list of 36 homes [Old Kittery, pg 179-182] that were to be made defensible. No. 24 was Joseph Curtis, with the families of "James Stariot, James Stariot Junr, Peter Stariot, Nathaniel Fernald, James Brideen (Breeden) Junr, William Wilson, John Crocker, and Samuel Johnson Junr" to be housed there when the need arose.   

This property had passed onto Joseph from the estate of his father, Joseph Curtis (son of Thomas of York), who had purchased 135 acres from John Hoole on 12 Nov 1684. Two years earlier (12 Jun 1682), he had bought 80 acres north of Hoole on Spruce Creek. He was also deeded land to the east of this by Henry Bodge, a lot called "Pudding Hole".

​Joseph Curtis, who had been born 22 Jun 1678, died on 20 Aug 1751. An inventory and appraisal of his estate took place on 1 Jan 1751/2. At the time of his death, his homestead was comprised of 113 acres, plus he also had two 100-acre lots in Berwick (which were his portions of the common lands, divided up while still a part of Kittery). Several parcels, including the Berwick tracts, were sold off by his widow to pay off debts of his estate. On 2 Jul 1754, a division of his estate took place, with the widow SARAH receiving her thirds, and the remaining 2/3 going to their only son, JOSEPH CURTIS [York County Probate File #3811]. She died on 4 Dec 1757, and her son, Jonathan Mendum (from her first marriage to Jonathan Mendum), was appointed administrator [York County Probate #3837]. 

None of the structures on the above map are still standing. I took the photo below, in April 2008, while I was investigating a cellar hole (and well) located on Picott Road. In the background is the former Curtis property, the house on the left (built in 1980) probably sits in the same spot where Joseph had his homestead.

The 52 Ancestors Challenge for Week 45 is "BEARDED"

​My 3rd Great-Grandfather, JAMES WILLIAM BROWN of Kittery, Maine, is my obvious choice for this week's challenge! Other than a photo of him in 1863, the only other pictures I have of him are from his elder years. 

The photo below is of James and his granddaughter Helen Kramer. No date on back of picture, but she was born in 1893.

James was born in Kittery, Maine on 28 Dec 1841. He died there on 5 May 1923, aged 82, and was buried in Orchard Grove Cemetery. He was married to Emily A. Waitt (1840-1919), and they had five children.

Other blog posts about him and his family on this site:
- The Browns of Locke's Cove, Kittery, Maine
- "Heirloom"
- His daughters: Emily J (Brown) Kramer and "The Maiden Aunt" (May F. Brown)
- His wife: Emily A (Waitt) Brown
​- His father: Elihu D Brown of Kittery

- I also have a page about him on my 27th Maine website:
​https://www.the27thmaine.com/brownjamesw.html

The 52 Ancestors Challenge, Week 40: "Ten"
"Ten" being the number of children of William and Elizabeth (Lucy) Chandler, as found listed in his probate papers following his death circa 1747.
​ 
WILLIAM CHANDLER was my 7th Great-Grandfather, born in Dedford*, Kent, England [Marr Rec; Old Kittery, pg 316]. He was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by 1714, when he was married to ELIZABETH LUCY on 22 Dec [NEHGR, vol 23 pg 271]. He was a shipwright.

​He was still living in Portsmouth in 1726 when he purchased a 1/2 acre of land in Kittery from Tobias Leighton [York Deeds, Bk XII, Fol. 113-114]. The plot was located on the Piscataqua River, at a place called Crooked Lane*.

​​William Chandler probably died near the end of 1747, as administration of his estate was begun on 4 Jan 1747/48. An inventory was taken and filed on 4 Apr 1748, valued at £406, and the division of his personal property was done so on 26 July 1748 [York County Probate, Vol 7 pg 207]. With this act, we are given the names of his ten children. In numerical order, as was listed in the division:
i. William Chandler
ii. Mary Marr, wife of John Marr
iii. Benjamin Chandler
iv. Joseph Chandler
v. Lucy Pevy, wife of Edward Pevy [Peavey]
vi. Samuel Chandler
vii. Thomas Chandler
viii. John Chandler
ix. Alexander Chandler
x. Katherine Chandler [listed as a Rand in Jan 1749]

Each child of William Chandler, dec'd, was given  £18.8.4 worth of goods from his estate. As for his real estate, which consisted of the dwelling house and the 1/2 acre of land, brothers William and Thomas filed a claim that they wanted to co-own it, instead of it being sold off. In Jan 1749/1750, the probate court agreed to this [Vol 8, pg 37], on condition that the brothers paid £18 to each remaining sibling. Wife Elizabeth (Lucy) must have predeceased William, as there is no mention of her in these probate records.

Son William Jr died by 1756, and his probate papers are mixed in with his fathers (File #2768). His inventory shows he still owned 1/2 share of his late father's house and land. 2/3 of it would end up being sold (so his widow Mary retained 1/3 as her dower).
 

*Notes: 
"Dedford" is not found in any records, but there is a Deptford in County Kent, which is probably the correct location.
​
"Crooked Lane" - the section of Kittery that is now Whipple Road (Rt 103). I have yet to trace the land ownership past the Chandlers, to find which plot of land along the river was theirs.
​
​Sources:
​York County, Maine Estate Files (File #2768 William Chandler)

Week 33 of the 52 Ancestors Challenge - "Family Legend"

​"The MARR HEIRS"

February 1716 - The Jacobite Rebellion was over, having been started the year prior by Sir John Erskine, Earl of Mar, in an attempt to return the former King James to the throne of England and Scotland. Mar (with the Pretender) had fled to France, while his Jacobite followers were imprisoned and tried for treason, their lands confiscated. The following year, the "Indemnity Act of 1717" would release many of those prisoners still being held in English prisons, who would either return home or resettle overseas. For the Earl of Mar, he remained in France until his death in 1732, as his title of nobility and lands back in Scotland were forfeit due to a "writ of attainder" passed in 1716. This writ would not be lifted until 1824, again allowing the "Earl of Mar" title to be used, and passed to an heir of John Erskine.  

Circa 1717 - Portsmouth, Province of New Hampshire and Kittery, (Maine)
It is written, via secondary sources, that John Erskine de Mar, aka John of Mar, or John Marr, arrived here in the colonies on this date, though a primary source for this year is still being sought out. He married in Kittery on 16 July 1719 (intents filed 27 June), to Catherine Surplus of Kittery. The couple are seen as witnesses in a couple of deeds in 1720-1721, with her step-father, William Godsoe, selling land to them in 1724. John Marr is said to have died in 1750 from exposure after being shipwrecked on Cape Cod. ​He left five sons and two daughters as heirs.

Fast forward to 1824 - the attainder on the Earldom of Mar now removed, the Erskine family regained their hereditary title. This was a branch of the Erskine line that did not participate in the 1715 Rebellion (and, I'm assuming, did not take part in the 1719 or 1745 ones!) and, having already purchased back some of the lost lands during the last 100 years, now had a title to accompany their estate.

​October 1832 - (the earliest date I can find so far)
A movement begins in the United States, primarily in New England, where the descendants of this JOHN MARR of Kittery, Maine, who they believed was the son of the deposed Earl of Mar back in 1716, gathered to discuss plans on sending an agent to England, in an attempt to have this estate returned to its "rightful heirs".

For some reason, perhaps only via family tradition, the American descendants of John Marr believed he was the eldest son of Sir John Erskine, 11th Earl of Mar. In 1835 [recorded in the York County, Maine Registry of Deeds], there were even relatives who sold off their shares of this estate they were supposedly close to attaining. Marr kin traveled to Scotland to visit this land, said to have been at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and returned to the States even more convinced about their claim. This attempt seemed to fail soon after, as nothing else is found on this subject for nearly 40 years.  

​​Due to a death in the Scottish Erskine family, two heirs fought to claim the title of "Earl of Mar", both being descendants of Sir John Erskine (1675-1732). Again, the American Marr family sprang up, with the "Marr claim" returning in March 1873, and a Marr (Claim) Association formed in Portland, Maine. They soon began raising money to send a representative over to England to try and acquire the property. This time, however, the property was in Scotland, on the River Dee (whereas in the 1830's, they said it was in Newcastle-On-Tyne in England), and said to be worth $60 million. Considering the dollar amount, this made the newspapers nationwide (as $60 million in 1873 would amount to over $1.2 billion dollars today), though many added comments to the articles seemed to dismiss this claim. Another claim was started in 1874 in Michigan by a different branch of the Marr family, one that claimed the estate was worth $250 million [Daily Inter-Ocean (Chicago, IL), 9/4/1874]. With both cases, mention of their claims soon disappeared from print.

John Colby Marr [a member of the 1870's claim association], in his 1892 entry in the American Ancestry publication, carried on with the claim that John Erskine De Mar of Kittery was the son of Sir John Erskine. He even had a birth date for John Marr, listed as 6 Jan 1694 in Hillston (Hilston) Park, England. The origins of that birth date are not yet known to me, but may have been found by a Marr researcher in England. A few years later, a different "origins" story came about, seemingly started with Gideon Ridlon's 1895 book Saco Valley Settlements, and one repeated by Henry W. Fernald in his 1898 article in Old Eliot Magazine [Vol. II, No. VIII]. They both explained that John was instead the second son of Hon. Edward Erskine of Gateshead-on-Tyne, and was from the House of Alva, which was a branch of the house of Mar [descended from Charles Erskine, fifth son of John, seventh Earl of Mar]. Research conducted by author James Jamison failed to find an "Edward" Erskine in the House of Alva, at least one of age to have been the father of John Erskine (aka Marr). 

To this day, the Earldom of Mar is held by heirs of the Erskine family, just not the American ones!

Additional links/sources:
American Ancestry (Vol. VII, pg 186)
Jamison, James F. The Descendants of John and Catherine Marr of Kittery. Zelienople, PA: c1985 [not online]
Old Kittery and Her Families, pg 604 (MARR family)
Old Eliot, Vol II, No. VIII (pg 121 - "The Marr Heirs")
​Portland Daily Press, 3/27/1873
Saco Valley Settlements and Families (pg 904 - American Family of Marr)