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A Drive Through Somerset County, Maine

11/19/2019

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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.
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Abigail, wife of John Steward
Died May 7, 1853 AEt 83 yrs

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More about her and husband John can be read in a blog post I wrote in Jan 2019, on:

Duncan Stewart of Rowley, MA

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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.
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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
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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.
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I have written about both of these couples in earlier blogs:
Henry Wyman of Madison, Maine
James Shattuck of Pepperell, MA and Solon, Maine 
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.
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Alberta A. (Rowell) Leavitt (born Hannah B Steward), her stone being the only one in this plot. Her husband Charles, and maybe even his parents, could be buried in this same plot. If not, they're in this burial ground somewhere. Earlier write-ups:

Joseph Brown of Solon and Athens, Maine
Hannah B Steward, aka Alberta Ann Rowell
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​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.
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One of these early settlers is Mary (Ireland) Steward, wife of Daniel, who died on 30 Jan 1818, aged 79 yrs. After her husband died (he is buried in Fitchburg, MA), she came north to Maine with family.

Not an easy stone to photograph, with there being no sun out that day (well, until I was driving home, which is usually the way it goes). I'll return there again some day, and try for a better shot.

John and Mary are mentioned in my blog on:
​Duncan Stewart of Rowley, MA and his Descendants to Maine

That being the last stop of my trip, I headed home. Perhaps the next one will be to Massachusetts, where I know of many ancestors buried there.

​Looking forward to Spring!!
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Duncan Stewart of Rowley, MA and his Descendants to Maine

1/20/2019

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DUNCAN STEWART was my 9th Great-Grandfather, and lived in the towns of Ipswich, Newbury, and Rowley, Massachusetts. He was living in Ipswich, in the service of George Hadley, when he married ANNE WINCHURST, also a servant, in 1654. They moved to Newbury, Mass in 1659, and resided there for 30 years before going to Rowley, MA [Stewart Clan Magazine, Dec 1923]. 

​A deposition by Duncan in 1698 said he was about 75 years old (so born ca 1623), though his death notice in 1717 (see below) claims it was thought he was about 100 yrs.
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These images are from the "Copy of the record of deaths of the First Church in Rowley, Mass", showing the deaths of Duncan and his wife. Book found at [archive.org]
​​Duncan and Anne had 12 known children, as given in the Stewart Clan Magazine, Dec 1923 (Vol 2, pg 69), a clip of the page shown here:
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The same list is given in the Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, pg 356 (orig printed in 1887; 1933 ed. here on archive.org), both articles submitted by the same author.

JAMES STEWART
born 8 Oct 1664 in Newbury, MA
died 17 Sept 1750 in Rowley, MA
​​Marr. 1) abt 1687, ELIZABETH ------, d. 1732
Marr 2) SARAH PRIME, 25 Jun 1733 [Rowley VR, pg 404]. 
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James lived in Newbury through 1690, and is seen in Rowley by 1693. From 1709 to 1723, they lived in Boxford, MA, and afterwards returned to Rowley (living in the part of town which later became Georgetown). Wife Elizabeth died in Rowley, but was buried in Bradford on 28 Oct 1732.
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​Stewart Clan Magazine, Dec 1923 (Vol 2, pg 70)
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Above image from the "Copy of the record of deaths of the First Church in Rowley, Mass" (pg 27)

SOLOMON STEWART/STEWARD
born 24 July 1698 in Rowley, MA
​died 28 Feb 1758 in Lunenburg, MA
Married in Andover, MA on 28 Jun 1727, MARTHA FARRINGTON

Lived early in Rowley, then moved to Salem, MA prior to 1734 (the part of town that became Peabody). He then relocated to Lunenburg in 1737 [Proceedings of Fitchburg Historical Society, Vol. 4, pg 95-96].

[from the Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society, Vol. 3, pg 264]
In the Lunenburg South Burial Ground:
Here lies buried the body of Mr. Solomon Steward, who departed this life Feb. 28th, A.D. 1758, in the 61st year of his age.
Mrs. Martha Steward, the wife of Mr. Solomon Steward, who died Nov ye 6th, 1777, in the 77th year of her age.
She was a virtuous wife, a kind neighbor, and a tender parents.
The children (and bio) of Solomon and Martha, as given in the Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts [page 361: archive.org]
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See also:
Worcester County Probate: Series A, Case #56063 "Solomon Steward", 1758
Stewart Clan Magazine, Jan 1924 (Vol 2, No. 7)

DANIEL STEWART/STEWARD
born 21 Nov 1734 in Salem, MA
died 2 Jun 1802 in Fitchburg, MA
Married in Lunenburg on 14 Mar 1757, MARY IRELAND
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Salem VR, Vol. 1 (births), pg 322
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Lunenburg VR, pg 97
The children of Daniel and Mary (Ireland) Stewart [Stewart Clan Magazine, Vol 2, No 9, pg 82]
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The following was printed in the article "Fitchburg Soldiers in the Revolution" [Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society, Vol. 4, pg 230]. This service is the same as his son Daniel, and I do not see two of this name in the Mass Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolution. Daniel senior's may be an error, as the son filed a pension and his service documented. 
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Daniel is buried in the South Street Cemetery, Fitchburg, MA (Find a Grave memorial #51725531). Wife Mary (Ireland) went to Maine following her husband's death, to live with their son Daniel [Skowhegan on the Kenn, pg 1011], and is buried in the Old Bloomfield (now Bloomfield Weston) Cemetery (Find a Grave memorial #51726171).

JOHN STEWARD
​born 18 Aug 1765 in Lunenburg, MA
died: unknown
​Married ABIGAIL WHITCOMB in Norridgewock, Maine, 26 Feb 1787
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from Skowhegan on the Kennebec, Vol 1, pg 176
From the Town Records of Canaan, Maine [Canaan VR 1776-1883, pg 19], the following family record of John and wife "Nabby" is found:
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John and Abigail's children, as listed in the Stewart Clan Magazine [Jul 1924: Vol 3, No 1, pg 99], with a few spelling differences (incl Alaxus became "Alexis").
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The 1840 census for Skowhegan, Somerset, Maine, showing the John Steward household, with a male aged 70-80, a female aged 70-80, along with a female, aged 20-30, and a male, aged 5-10. This is surely John and Abigail, with daughter Malora (she didn't marry until 1841). The youngster could be a grandson
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ALAXIS STEWARD
born 4 Dec 1812 in Canaan, Maine
died 15 Jul 1885 Otter Tail, MN
Married in Milburn, ME on 10 Mar 1835, CHARLOTTE (HARNDEN) REED

For Alaxis, who was my 4th Great-Grandfather, his story can be found in the following blogs I have previously written about him and his family:
- Alaxis Steward, son of John
- Alaxis Steward, from Maine to Minnesota 
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Alaxis Steward - From Maine to Minnesota

4/5/2014

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My 4th Great-Grandfather, Alaxis Steward (aka Alexis Stewart), was born in Canaan, Maine on 4 Dec 1812, per town vital records. From 1850 to 1870, he and wife Charlotte (Harnden/Harding) are seen with their children in the Skowhegan, Maine censuses. After this latter date, and prior to 1880, they moved out west to Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It is currently not clear if the parents, with sons Phineas and Lucius, all packed up and left at the same time, but they were all together in the township of Compton by the 1880 census. The 1895 MN State Census lists both Phineas and Lucius as being residents here for 17 yrs, so they arrived ca 1878.
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1880 Compton, Otter Tail, MN census
He was officially granted 40 acres of land as his homestead on 28 Nov 1883, in the "SW quarter of the SW quarter of Section 12 of Township 134 North of Range 36 West of Fifth Principal Meridian".

At right is an 1884 map of the Compton Township, showing Section 12, and the location of Alexis Steward's home. The Phineas "Stewart" to the south and east of Alexis should be his son. To make things confusing, there were other Stewart names in the same town (immigrants from Scotland), who had land just west of the 12th Section.

The 1885 State Census seems to indicate that Alexis, Charlotte and disabled son Lucius were living with Phineas and his family, as he was the head person listed first in the record.

Alexis Steward died on 15 July 1885, according to his gravestone, which lies in Wadena Cemetery, only a short distance from their home in the neighboring county. Wife Charlotte died in 1892.

As seen in current satellite photos of his former land below (marked in red), the home of Alaxis/Alexis no longer stands. The building seen is a new construction.  
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1884 Compton Township
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Satellite view of Section 12 (its southern boundary is 320th Street) of Compton, using Bing Maps
The Find a Grave Memorial for Alexis can be found here:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=99435624

On the above map, the Wadena Cemetery is located in the upper right corner. 
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