2020 - two hundred years of statehood for the State of Maine. On the 15th of March, 1820, the former District became the 23rd state in the Union. In August of that year, the 1820 census was taken. Here are my MAINE ancestors, and where they were at the time of statehood.  
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Jeremiah Brown - 5th Great Grandfather
​Cornville, Somerset, Maine

Jeremiah Brown and Charlotte Lewis were married ca Mar 1820 in Cornville, but it is known that she had two children prior to Oct 1818 (one of them perhaps my 4th GGF Joseph Brown). The household now with 5 children in 1820 census, some may not be their own kin.
More about: The Family of Jeremiah Brown and Charlotte Lewis
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Joseph Gray (abt 1787-aft 1874) - 5th Great Grandfather
​Newfield, York, Maine

Married to Betsey Plaisted in Wolfeboro, NH in 1811, they first removed to Newfield, ME, and then went on to Athens, Maine soon after. My 4th GGM Elmira Gray is one of the females under 10 yrs of age - her sister Sarah is another, while a third, and the one in the 16-26 age range, is not known. 
More about: Joseph Gray of Athens, Solon, and Brighton, Maine

Philip Levitt (Leavitt) Esq. (1774-1861) - 5th Great Grandfather
Athens, Somerset, Maine

With wife Mary (Pike) (1774-1826), they had ten children (according to Leavitt records), the numbers above showing several other persons also living with them. Philip was a cooper, and also ran a store and tavern, so is one of the "2" people engage in commerce (far right number), with five family members farming. My 4th GGF, Joseph Leavitt, was not yet 15 at the time of this census. 
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James Shattuck (1763-1830)
​Solon, Somerset, Maine

Originally from Pepperell, MA, he arrives in Solon, ME between 1810-1820 with his 2nd wife Amy (Tarbell). Son Lovell Shattuck was 13 years old during this census, and is seen in the 10-16 yr column.
More about: James Shattuck of Pepperell MA and Solon Maine
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John Steward (1740-aft 1840)-  5th GGF
Canaan, Somerset, Maine

Born in Lunenburg, MA, he was in Norridgewock, ME by 1787, when he married Abigail Whitcomb. Son Alaxis Steward, my 4th GGF, would have been 7 yrs old at time of this census.
More about: Duncan Stewart of Rowley MA and His Descendants to Maine
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Henry Wyman (1762-1837) - 6th Great-Grandfather
​Madison, Somerset, Maine

Henry and wife Sarah (Tuttle) married in Goffstown, NH in 1793, and soon moved to Madison, ME. He was a Rev. War veteran - a large family, though I haven't compiled a list of children yet. 3 persons in household were engaged in agriculture.
More about: Henry Wyman of Madison, Maine
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Capt. James Brown (1760-1838)
​Kittery, York, Maine

James Brown, with wife Sarah (Fernald), both 45+ years of age in 1820. One son, Elihu Deering Brown, was almost 20 yrs of age at this time, and would be one of the "2" in the 16-26 column.
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Elihu Fernald (1763 - 1851)
​Kittery, York, Maine

Elihu the only male left in the household, with wife Hannah (Chandler) (1765-1836), and three daughters. One those females being my 4th Great-Grandmother Jane C., 16 yrs old in 1820. 
More about: Elihu Fernald of Kittery, Maine
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Though it ended up being a very cold and wet trip, I took time during my vacation in October 2019, and made a day-trip up to Somerset County, Maine, where many of my maternal ancestors had lived and where many of their burial places can still be found.
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The first location was about three hours from home, and was the grave of my 5th Great-Grandmother, Abigail (Whitcomb) Steward. I had just recently found out that she was buried in St. Albans, in a plot with her son Randall Steward, so made this one a priority.

I went north from here, to visit a Civil War soldier from the 27th Maine, who had settled in Dexter, Maine and was buried there in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. I then traveled southwest to Athens, Maine, making a stop at Mount Rest Cemetery.

While I probably have direct ancestors buried there, including perhaps my 5th Great-Grandparents, Philip and Mary (Pike) Leavitt (and possibly my 4th Great-Grandparents), there are no stones to mark their resting places. I did photograph all of the Leavitt stones there, some two dozen cousins. I have placed them on a cemetery page at the National Association of Leavitt Families (NALF) website, which can be viewed at:
https://www.nalfinc.org/cemeteries---athens-maine.html

Next on my list was the Jewett Cemetery in Madison, on Rt 43 (Horsetail Hill Rd). Two sets of 6th Great Grandparents awaited me there: Henry and Sarah H. (Tuttle) Wyman, and James and Emma (Tarbell) Shattuck. Henry's daughter, Sarah Wyman, would marry Lovell Shattuck, the son of James and Emma.

Slightly north of this location is the South Solon Burial Ground. I have several relatives buried here without stones, including my 2nd Great Grandfather, Charles Leavitt and his parents, Joseph and Lucy Ann (Brown) Leavitt. Charles' wife is here, as are Lucy's parents, Joseph and Lucy A. (Shattuck) Brown.

​I drove west to get onto Rt 201, taking the road south back to Madison. I made a quick stop at Blackwell Cemetery to see another 27th Maine veteran (George A. Taylor, who also served w/ the 32nd ME). There were two other ancestors that I did need to by-pass, Sarah (Wyman) Shattuck in Solon Village Cemetery, and Thomas Steward in Sunset Cemetery, North Anson, as the day was passing by too quickly, and I REALLY NEEDED to reach that Dunkins in Skowhegan!

​My last stop was the Old Bloomfield (or Bloomfield Weston) Cemetery in Skowhegan. The earliest settlers of "Old Canaan" are buried here, the spot where the meeting house once stood.

Week 27 of the #52Ancestors Challenge - "Independence"

​On the 14th of March, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution, recommending that all persons "​who are notoriously disaffected to the Cause of AMERICA, Or who have not associated, and refuse to associate, to defend by ARMS, the United Colonies, against the Hostile Attempts of the British Fleets and Armies." be disarmed.

In response to this, the Committee of Safety in New Hampshire passed a resolution on 12 April, 1776, requiring the selectmen of each town to gather signatures from all males above 21 years of age, excepting "Lunaticks, Idiots and Negroes", and to report to the Committee or the General Assembly all those who refused to sign. Those opposing this ASSOCIATION TEST were not necessarily pro-British, but included ministers and Quakers whose religious beliefs were anti-war. Some men who were currently serving in the army may have been missed as well, and the reports for some towns are fragmentary or missing (or never turned in).

Below are the names of my ancestors found in these Association Test lists. Some were already veterans of the war, and others would later enlist. A lack of information and/or common names will prevent me from knowing what, if any, service, the others may have been involved in.
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BARRINGTON - John Blake (1716-1816), my 7th Great-Grandfather

BRENTWOOD - Samuel Lock (Locke), my 6th Great Grandfather (1740-1818)

HAMPTON - John Taylor (1711-1796)

NEW CASTLE 
Christopher Amazeen, 5th Great Grandfather (1737-1823)
David Mitchal (Mitchell) Jr, 5th Great Grandfather [a "Jr", but his father David isn't seen on the list]
Isaac Pridham, 5th Great Grandfather (1746- )
Benjamin Yeaten (Yeaton), 5th Great Grandfather (ca 1724-1785)
Richard Yeaton and son Richard Junr (under list of refused, but he was serving in the army at the time)
[Missing from the list are 6th Great-Grandfather Henry Tredick, and 5th GGF Joseph Amazeen (ca 1736-1825)]

NORTH HAMPTON - "Frances" (Francis) Page, 6th Great Grandfather (1724-1802). Son Coffin Page would have aged 21 at this time, so should have been a signer. He had already served in the army, and would reenlist.

NORTHWOOD - William Blaake (Blake), 6th Great Grandfather, and son of John Blake (on Barrington list above)

PORTSMOUTH - Nathaniel Lear

WAKEFIELD - Only one "Joseph Leavitt" was found on the list of this town, so the other one (either the father or son) was probably still in Exeter (listing for this town not complete), or was serving in the army.

Sources:
New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, Volume 30 [on archive.org]
Wilson, Emily S. Inhabitants of New Hampshire, 1776. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993 [on Ancestry.com, this is same data as above NH State Papers, but listed in alphabetical order by surname]

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

​For this post on Father's Day 2018, I thought I'd share some photographs of the fathers in my family tree. Some have had blog pages written about them, and links are provided for the earlier postings.

(left) Great-Grandfather William H. Pridham (1881-1934) with daughter;
​(right) This MAY be Isaac C. H. Pridham (1847-1924), my 2nd Great Grandfather (William's father), with other Pridham family members [photo in with other pictures of this family]
I wrote about them back in 2014 on this blog page: The Pridhams of Puddle Dock

5 generations of my Dow family in four photos: my son and I; my dad and I (on Pest Island in the Piscataqua River); my dad and Papa; Great Grandfather John T Dow and his family at Thanksgiving (1919)
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See also my pages: "John T Dow of Portsmouth, NH" and "Same Name"

My Great Great-Grandfather, John Knight, with his family (along with an unknown man in the middle, perhaps a hired hand), probably on the rented farm out on Fox Point in Newington, NH

This post will serve as a record of my direct ancestors who served during the American Revolution. Considering the scarcity of some original sources, verifying the service of many of my relatives proves quite difficult. I'm sure this list will be amended as other names are found.

WILLIAM BLAKE (1740-1825)
Sergeant in Capt David Gilman's 

JOSEPH LEAVITT (1751-1801)
of Exeter and Wakefield, NH
Capt Moody's Company, Col Badger's Reg't
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COFFIN PAGE (1755-1801)
of North Hill (North Hampton), New Hampshire
Served in the 3rd NH Regiment (Capt. Richard Weare's Co., Col Scammel's Reg't)
Mustered in 7 May 1777, served for 8 months

ISAAC PRIDHAM
Born: 1 Sept 1746, New Castle, NH; Died: 16 Jan 1847, New Castle, NH
Private, Capt Caleb Hodgdon (later Abraham Perkins)'s Company,
Col Pierce Long's Regiment (1st NH Battalion)
enl 9/19/1776, serv 2 mos, 18 das; serv 12/7/76-1/7/77
1/7/77-2/7/77 (part of Capt Perkins Co. fit for march to Ticonderoga)

DANIEL STEWARD
Born: 21 Nov 1734, Salem, MA; Died: 2 June 1802, Fitchburg, MA
Buried: South Street Cemetery, Fitchburg (Find a Grave entry)
Served as private, Capt Aaron Guild's Company, Col Josiah Whitney'd Reg't
13 July 1776 - 5 Dec 1776 (stationed at Hull, MA)

THOMAS WHITCOMB
Born: 4 Oct 1736, Littleton, MA; Died: 21 June 1824, Norridgewock, ME
Served in Capt Hinds Company, Col Timothy Bedel (Beddle)'s Regiment
Enl: 10 Mar 1776, serv 10 mos; Captured at the Cedars in Canada
and held prisoner for about a month

​HENRY WYMAN
1762 - 1837
Buried: Jewett Cemetery, Madison, Maine

RICHARD YEATON​
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