USA > Maine > Hancock County > Swans Island > A history of Swan's Island, Maine > Part 7
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Mr. Stockbridge's father, Capt. Benjamin Stock- bridge, came to Deer Isle from Gloucester, Mass. He was a shipmaster in good circumstances. It is said he was in the ship that first carried the American flag up the Dardanelles; it was in the year 1800 that the frigate "George Washington " displayed the star-spangled banner before the crescent beneath the walls of Constantinople. It was the occasion of the bearing of tribute from the Dey
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of Algiers to the Sultan. When the stars and stripes ap- peared at the Bosphorus, the people did not know what the flag represented, or, in fact, anything about it, and in order to pass the forts and castles the captain resorted to an ad- mirable stratagem. When the "George Washington " neared the forts her'commander shortened sail, and made ready to anchor; as he did so he ordered a salute fired, which was quickly responded to by the batteries of the fort. The scene was soon shrouded in dense smoke, and when it cleared away the astonished Turks saw that the frigate had taken advantage of the smoky veil to glide through the narrow strait, and was already far on her way to Constantinople.
After coming to Deer Isle he continued to follow the sea. He was a member of the Baptist church there, and it is said that when some difficulty occurred between him and some of his neighbors - members of the same church - an examination was made before the church. Capt. Stockbridge read to them the thirtieth chapter of Job, beginning : "But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose father I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock."
Mr. Stockbridge when young was a man of energy and capacity, but in his latter years became somewhat reduced in circumstances. He had a family of eight chil- dren, six of whom were daughters. One was the wife of James Duncan ; another the wife of John Greenlaw, who died in 1870, at the age of eighty-seven years, having lived in wedlock sixty-six years; the other daughters were
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the wives of Benjamin Lane, James Greenlaw, Capt. William Grover, of Isle au Haut, who later moved to Islesboro, and the wife of George Grover. There were two sons- Benjamin, who was lost at sea when a young man, and John, the subject of this sketch. He came here when a young man, and married Ruth, daughter of James Joyce, sr. Mr. Stockbridge was an intelligent man, and much respected. Most of the early records of the planta- tion were made by him, he having been chosen the first clerk in 1834; he held the office for many years. He died in 1859, aged sixty-three years. Ruth, his wife, died the year before, at the age of sixty-nine years. They were the parents of nine children - two daughters, Sarah, wife of Albert Smith, of Ellsworth, and Mercy, wife of Gilman Staples, and seven sons, as follows :
Benjamin, born in 1817. He built the house where Benjamin, jr., now lives. He married, in 1842, Sarah Norwood, by whom he had four children - Isaiah, Mary E., wife of Charles H. Joyce, James E. and Benjamin W., all of whom reside here. Mr. Stockbridge is dead ; his widow still resides here.
John married Hannah M. Murphy, and after her death, which occurred in 1864, at the age of thirty-six years, he married Susan Morey, of Deer Isle. Mr. Stockbridge represented this town in the State legislature in 1867. He died in 1881, aged sixty-two years. Mrs. Stockbridge afterwards became the wife of Thomas Pink- ham, of Boothbay.
James, born in 1818. He was taken ill while aboard
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a ship, and was taken to New York, where he died in Bellevue hospital in 1843, at the age of twenty-five years. He was unmarried.
Samuel W. married, in 1852, Martha Finney, and they were the parents of six children. He died in 1883, aged sixty-two years.
Deacon Seth W. went to Gloucester when a young man, and for a time went in fishing vessels from that port. He was next promoted to captain of a freighting schooner employed in carrying fresh halibut from Gloucester to Boston. Later he engaged in buying and shipping fresh halibut, in company with William T. Smith and William Rackcliffe, at what is now Walen's wharf, and on the de- cease of his partners admitted David L. Robinson into the firm. On the formation of the Atlantic Halibut Co. he was an original stockholder. While here engaged he did a large business, and owned extensively in shipping. After having been engaged in active business for nearly half a century, he bought a fine farm in Rowley, Mass., where he spent the greater part of the later years of his life. He was three times married ; his first wife was Eliza I. Kiff, of East Gloucester, to whom he was married in 1851. After her death he married, in 1865, his first wife's sister, Mrs. Nancy Elwell. She died in 1884 at Rowley, after which he married Mrs. Martha Torrey, who survives him. He owned a cottage at Swan's Island, where he usually spent a part of the year. He died in 1896 at Rowley, at the age of seventy years.
Eben lives in Gloucester. His wife was Clar-
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issa Kiff, a sister of the two first wives of his brother Seth W.
William was the youngest son. He married Fannie Thurston, of Tremont. He was an architect, and worked at his trade in Boston and Beverly ; at the latter place he died.
John Finney.
John Finney bought the lot adjoining Moses Staples, sr., on the south, being the land just vacated by William Davis. He was a native of Ireland, and was in the mili- tary service of Great Britain. While stationed near the St. Croix river he deserted and came aboard of a vessel belonging to Deer Isle. This vessel was commanded by Capt. Ephraim Marshall, who, together with John Cook and others of the same company, came to Deer Isle in 1799. There he married the eldest daughter of Moses Staples, sr. He came to Swan's Island in 1803, and bought the tract of land already described. He built three houses in different locations. The first house stood near the shore, where Jefferson Torrey now resides ; the second was near the back shore, and the third to the south of Moses Staples. Mr. Finney was small of stature and of a rather excitable disposition, but he was ever ready to de- fend a cause he considered just. After the death of his wife Mr. Finney lived with his son until the death of the latter's wife, when he moved to Somesville, where he died in 1844. When Mr. Finney left he sold his property here to Moses Staples, 3d, and it is now owned by Gilman
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Staples. Mr. and Mrs. Finney were the parents of nine children.
The daughters were : Nancy, wife of Choate Bar- ton; Mary A., wife of Reuben Remick, of Ellsworth ; Sally, wife of Edward Courts, of Boston ; Eliza died un- married; Dorcas, wife of Oliver Eaton, of Sedgwick.
The sons were : Moses S., who married Eliza Stin- son ; he lived here with his father for several years; after the death of his wife, in 1838, he went to Deer Isle and married Margaret, widow of John Buckminster; he died Dec. 11, 1860, aged fifty-eight years; he was the first person buried in the cemetery at Oceanville ; Thomas, who married Lydia Gott, of Mount Desert, where he resided ; John, who married in Boston.
Peter Gott.
Peter Gott, one of the most interesting characters of eastern Maine, took up the tract south of Moses Staples, or the point of land to Hocomock Head. This is now owned and occupied by the descendants of Isaiah L. Stan- ley and others. Peter is said to have been a cousin of Daniel Gott, who owned Gott's Island, and after whom it was named. This Gott family came from Cape Ann, at which place there are still many of that name.
Peter came to this State previous to the Revolutionary war, and settled at Ship Harbor, a small inlet east of Bass Harbor, and later moved to Swan's Island, where he reared his family. He married, near the year 1776, Char- ity Kain, by whom he had eleven children, born between
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the years 1777 and 1799; I have been able to trace only nine; the other two presumably died young. After com- ing here he built a house near where the widow of Isaiah L. Stanley now lives.
After the death of his wife Charity, and the acciden- tal drowning of Daniel Gott, of Gott's Island, with two sons, David and Charles, Peter married, in 1824, the widow. He then sold his place here to his son-in-law, William Stanley, and moved to Gott's Island, where he lived many years until after the death of his second wife, when he came back to Swan's Island, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1839. He was over eighty years of age. He was buried in the little ceme- tery near Hocomock Head.
The Gott family spread far and wide among the early settlers, and has left its particular and distinctive features on the people of these islands down to the present time. A rough and hardy people, vigorous and tough; they have continually intermarried, and the family to-day dif- fers in many respects from its vigorous ancestors. The following nine children of Peter and Charity Gott reached adult age; there were seven daughters and two sons; the daughters were :
(1) Mary, wife of Thomas Trevitt; (2) Eunice, wife of Asa Conary, of Bluehill ; her children were Alvin, Asa, Belinda and Augusta Conary; (3) Margaret, wife of Jonathan Rich, of Bass Harbor; Mr. Rich died in 1817, aged thirty-seven years; her children were John Rich, who married Rhoda Dodge and settled at Bass Har-
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bor; Robert Rich married Ann Bushee; Samuel Rich married Clarissa Gally; Maurice Rich married Data Peters, of Bass Harbor; Zebadiah Rich married Eunice Robbins, of Tremont; Lydia Rich married John Smith and settled on Swan's Island; Amy Rich married William Nutter, whom we shall notice, and Lucy Rich married James Marsh; (4) Ruth Gott married William Stanley ; (5) Lydia Gott married Mark Staples; these last two married and settled on this island, and their families have been considered elsewhere; (6) Patience Gott married [I ] Morris Peters, [2] James Camel, [3] James York; by her first husband her children were Data, Betsy, Mary, Calvert and James Peters ; (7) Charity Gott married William Rich and settled on Outer Long Island, where they have many descendants.
Capt. John Gott, the oldest son of Peter and Charity Gott, married, in 1798, Ruth Barton, of Castine. They lived at Ship Harbor for several years, where some of their children were born. He was for many years a mas- ter mariner. He came here and took up the tract of land adjoining Joshua Grindle on the northeast; it includes the whole lot from where Horace E. Stanley now lives to David H. Sprague's land, and went to the brook north of Ambrose Gott's. He built a house where Albion Smith's barn now stands. When quite an old man he abandoned the sea, and began to cultivate his farm. But he was in- duced to make one more voyage which proved to be his last. A party of nine young men from Sedgwick or near there, secured a vessel commanded by Capt. John Gordon
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to go on a fishing trip. The captain, being young and in- experienced, came to this island for a pilot to accompany them on this voyage. After much urging Capt. Gott con- sented to accompany them. They left for Green Bank. When a few days out a terrible storm came up, and it is supposed they foundered at sea, as they were never heard from. This was near the year 1840. Capt. Gott's age was about seventy years. After his death his widow mar- ried Abraham Kingsland, of Kingsland Landing, New York city. It is said he was heir to a valuable tract of land in that city, and had affidavits to prove his claim, but while intoxicated these were gotten from him. Repeated efforts were made to recover these papers, but without avail. In after years he left here to go to New York, where he was to live with his children by a former mar- riage, but he never arrived there. A man answering his description was found dead in Portland, and it was thought he met his death while under the influence of liquor, to which he was addicted. His death occurred about the year 1859. Mr. Gott's property went to his son Joseph, except what was known as the Babbidge lot, which was owned by Edward Gott. Mrs. Kingsland died in Rockland in 1865, aged eighty-four years.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gott were : Martha, wife of Israel Conary; Prudence, wife of John Foster; after his death she became the wife of Samuel Irving, an Englishman; both her husbands belonged in Boston; after she became a widow the second time, she moved to Palermo, where she died; Ruth, wife of William Fife;
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she died in 1844, aged twenty-eight years. The sons were John, David, Samuel, Joseph, Edward and Am- brose; three other children, Samuel, Hiram and Sally, died young. These children, most of whom settled here, will be further considered.
Martha Gott married Israel Conary, and settled on the lot known as City point; he afterwards moved to Black Island, where he lived several years; he finally came back here, and bought a part of the Gott lot, then owned by Joseph Gott, and built the house where David Stanley now lives. This family is noticed in another place.
John Gott married Abigail Merchant and settled where the widow of Daniel Bridges now lives, and to whom Mr. Gott sold his place when the latter went to Rockland. Mr. Gott died in 1875, aged seventy-nine years. His wife died in 1874, aged eighty-two years. Their children were: Harriet, wife of James Joyce, 3d ; Prudence, wife of William Smith; Mary, wife of Wilbert Boynton; David, who married Jane Ingraham ; Caroline, wife of John Ham. The last three settled in Rockland.
David Gott married Clara Winthrop, of Palermo. They were the parents of three children. He died in 1877.
Samuel Gott married Mary Merchant. His children were Mary, Lydia, Samuel, William. Roxana and Eu- dora, all of whom are dead except Lydia. After the death of his wife, Mr. Gott, in 1852, married Barbara M. Carter, of Brooklin. By this wife he had several children,
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of whom Augusta and Fred live here. His second wife died in 1895, aged sixty-two years.
Joseph Gott bought the lot at City point of Israel Con- ary. He built a house on the east side of the road nearly opposite where Verenus Reed now lives. His wife was Eunice Sprague, by whom he had the following children : Manley and Susan, who died young; Rodney, who mar- ried Nancy Joyce, and now resides in Somerville, Mass. ; Freeman, who married Mary Stinson; Augusta, wife of Capt. William P. Herrick; Leroy, who died in the civil war; Fred, who married Hannah Gott; Harris, who married Diantha Bridges; Myra, wife of Hardy Stinson.
Edward Gott settled on a part of the lot first taken up by Joshua Grindle, and which is now owned by Horace E. Stanley. His wife was Susan Staples, a daughter of Moses Staples, 2d; she died in 1895, aged seventy-seven. Mr. Gott's death occurred in 1885, at the age of seventy years. They were the parents of eleven children, as fol- lows : Gilbert J., who married Mary Carter, of Sedg- wick; he was lost at sea February 10, 1860, at the age of twenty-three years; Susan F., who is now a resident of Boston ; Pathena J., wife of Hezekiah Holbrook; Martha, wife of Charles W. Kent; Edward Warren, drowned No- vember 6, 1869, aged twenty-three; Lucy A. married John Beal, of Deer Isle, and now resides in Bucksport ; Hattie A., wife of Horace E. Stanley; Emma R., wife of James E. Kent, of Addison; Delora A., wife of Leaman D. Bridges; she died February 17, 1882, aged twenty-
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seven ; Mary E., wife of Thomas J. Stanley; Mina M., unmarried, is in the millinery business at Bath.
Ambrose Gott had his father's lot at City point. His wife was Sarah A. Herrick, with whom he lived in wedlock over half a century. He died in 1894, aged sev- enty years. His widow still occupies the place. Their children were Aurilla, Ellen, Alice, Hannah, Clara, Jos- eph, Alvarado, John and Emery.
Peter Gott, jr., the second and last son of Peter and Charity Gott, settled at Bass Harbor. His wife was Puah Richardson. Their children were Alpheus, who was drowned with his father in a great gale off Cape Ann ; Benjamin ; William; Martha, wife of Joseph Gott, settled at Goose Cove; Betsey, who married a Mr. Kent ; Joanna, wife of William Tinker; Lydia M., wife of William Scott Richardson, of Bluehill.
Cushing Stewart.
Cushing Stewart came here from North Haven in 1822, and took up the lot south of Benjamin Smith. It is the land now owned by his son, George Stewart, and the Rowe estate. He built a house near Spirit cove. Mr. Stewart was born at Fox Island in 1797 and was of Scotch parentage. He served through the war of 1812. After coming home from the war, he married Ann Robinson, of Mount Desert, where he lived several years previous to coming here, and where his first two children were born. He died in 1838 at the age of forty-one years. His death occurred in Rockland while on board a vessel. After his
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death Mrs. Stewart became, in 1840, the wife of Abel Lane, who came here from Deer Isle. Mr. Lane lived here for some years, then moved to Brooklin, where he died about the year 1874. After his death Mrs. Lane re- turned to this town and lived with her daughter until Mrs. Lane's death. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were the parents of five children.
The daughters were : Elvira, wife of Samuel Robin- son, of Gouldsboro ; Mary, wife of James Smith ; Corde- lia, widow of James Rowe; he came here from Baldwin, and settled on a part of the Stewart lot; Mr. Rowe died in 1891, aged sixty-nine years.
The sons were : Otis, who married Louisa Marshall, of Islesboro, and afterwards moved to Georgetown; George, who married Elizabeth Robinson; he now lives here on the homestead lot.
Benjamin Stinson.
Benjamin Stinson came to this place from Deer Isle near 1810. His grandfather, Thomas Stinson, was the first settler on that part of Deer Isle called Stinson's Neck and after whom that place was named. He came there from Woolwich in 1773. It is said that he held the first religious services ever held in Deer Isle; its occasion was the regret of his wife that they could not have the religious privileges that they enjoyed in Woolwich. So the next Sunday Mr. Stinson, accompanied by his family, went to the shade of a large tree that grew near his house, and performed the services usual on such occasions - reading
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a sermon. He was the first justice of the peace on Deer Isle, and was a man of integrity and had considerable in- fluence. He had a large family, one of whom was Wil- liam Stinson, the father of the subject of this sketch. Another son was Samuel Stinson, who was a Revolution- ary soldier. William married Miss York, by whom he had his family; after her death he married Polly Calef, and after her death he married the widow of William Webb. William, as well as his father, was deacon of the Congregational church for many years.
Benjamin, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1778. He came here and took up a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land near Seal Cove. This property is now owned by Call and Dyer. Here he built a log house and later a frame house. In 18II he married Sarah B. Smith, a daughter of David Smith, sr., whom we have noticed was born in 1792 on Harbor island, being the first white child born there. He afterwards bought the tract of land first taken up by Moses Staples, sr., which extended from William Stanley's to the Grindle lot. Previous to buying this last lot he had moved to Exeter, Maine, but he soon returned. Later he exchanged lots with his son John, and lived where Daniel Mckay now resides. His farm at Seal Cove was divided between his two sons, John and David.
Mr. Stinson was one of the early justices of the peace here. He represented Swan's Island and Mount Desert in the State legislature in 1837. For several years he was a master mariner. Mr. Stinson was a well-informed man,
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very decided in his views, and fond of discussing any sub- ject. When he came here there were no public schools, and no municipal organization. He was foremost in get- ting this island organized as a plantation, which was ac- complished in 1834, and he was tireless in his efforts to establish public schools- a most worthy undertaking for which he should long be remembered. He also was the means of having a post-office established here, and he was appointed the first postmaster. Previous to this time there had been no regular mails or any place to receive them. Mails were sent and brought by any boat that chanced to go to the main land. He was in all a public-spirited man, and worked for the public benefit of his adopted town, an example which, if more generally practiced at the present time, would result in much benefit now as well as to future generations.
Mr. Stinson died in 1867, aged eighty-nine years. His wife died in 1856, aged sixty-four years. They were the parents of ten children - five sons and five daughters, all of whom lived to adult age. The sons were : Rev. Benjamin F., born in 1812; John, born in 1815 ; William, born in 1817; David, born in 1821 ; Capt. Michael, born in I833. The daughters were: Livonia, born in 1819, was the wife of Hardy Lane; Keturah, born in 1823, was the wife of Oliver Lane; Catherine was born in 1825, and was the wife of Roderick Joyce; she died in 1893, aged sixty-eight years. Sarah, born in 1827, was the wife of Eben Joyce; she died in 1855, aged fifty-eight years ; Mary, born in 1832, married George Hem-
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mingway, of Chelsea. The sons will be further con- sidered.
I. Rev. Benjamin F. Stinson, the oldest child of the family, was born in 1812. He attended the common school, and later the Maine Wesleyan seminary at Kent's Hill, where he prepared to enter the ministry in the ser- vice of the Methodist church. He married Hannah, daughter of Moses Staples, 2d. He occupied the place that his father had bought of Moses Staples, sr., and built a house where his brother, Capt. Michael Stinson, now lives. For several years he traded, doing a good busi- ness, and having an extensive trade. During the time he was trading there was no other store on the island. He also owned quite extensively in shipping. His store was located on the site now owned by S. Morse.
His methods of doing business were rather slack for his own benefit, and he soon went out of business. He then devoted his whole time in the service of the church, and was ordained about the year 1862. While belonging to the conference he preached at Deer Isle, Tremont, Ad- dison, Hancock and other places. During the declining years of his life he settled down at Tremont, where he bought a farm belonging to Rev. Charles Brown. He preached at Tremont and Swan's Island alternate Sun- days, often coming here in an open boat; he would sub- ject himself to any exposure or inconvenience to meet an appointment. He was an earnest, faithful worker, and for his time was considered a good preacher, much be- loved by those with whom he labored. A Methodist
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church recently erected at Gott's Island has been dedi- cated to his memory for the faithful services rendered it. While here he was often honored by offices of trust in the town affairs. He represented this town in the State legis- lature in 1855. His death occurred in 1887, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife died at Swan's Island in 1895, at the age of eighty-five years. She was the last survivor of a large family.
II. John Stinson settled on that part of the Grindle lot now owned by Daniel Mckay, and he built the house now standing there. His wife was Lucy Smith, by whom he had the following children: Nelson, who married Mary Reed, and who now resides in Harpswell; Meletiah J., who married Viola Rowe; after his death she became the wife of Byron Morse, who died in 1897; Deborah, wife of Leroy Smith ; she died in Belfast in 1896; Char- lotte, wife of Frank Gott. Several other children died young. As already stated, John exchanged places with his father, and, together with his brother David, went to Seal Cove. They both lived in their father's house there for some years. Later they divided the lot of land, John building the house now owned by Henry B. Call, and Da- vid built the house now owned by Mr. Dyer. Mr. Stinson died in 1852, aged thirty-seven years.
III. William Stinson bought a part of Harbor is- land, and built the house that now stands there. This island is still owned by his heirs and by Capt. Michael Stinson. He married Elizabeth Lane, of Deer Isle. After her death he married Lizzie, daughter of Billings
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Hardy, of Freeze's island. He died in 1890, aged seven- ty-three years. His children were: Sarah, wife of John Hardy, of Frankfort; Hardy and Oliver, who now reside in Boston.
IV. Capt. Michael Stinson is the only one of this family who resides in this town. In 1859 he married Naomi G. Whitney, of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. He was for many years a successful master mariner. He also did considerable business in trade.
Enoch Billings.
Enoch Billings came here from Sedgwick in 1826, and took up the tract of land north of David Smith. It contained one hundred and seventy-five acres, and is known as the "Narrows lot". This place was afterwards bought by James Smith, and at present is owned by J. T. Crippen, of Ellsworth. On it are located some valuable stone quarries. Mr. Billings' wife was Sarah Carter, whom he married in Sedgwick previous to his coming here. She was a large, powerful woman, often perform- ing feats of strength that would have done credit to a man.
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