USA > Maine > Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine, Volume II > Part 61
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(IV) It is probable that the John Hanson above named is the one whom tradition places in Old New York as the ancestor of the Maine family herein traced. It is probable that one of his sons was a settler at Waterboro, Maine, whose son William continues the line.
(V) William, son of Hanson, was born in Waterboro in 1730.
(VI) Thomas (3), son of William Hanson, was born in Waterboro in 1760.
(VII) Joshua, son of Thomas (3) Hanson, was born in Waterboro in 1790, and removed to Sanford, Maine, where he lived with an uncle. He married Philina Hobbs. Their children were: Joshua, Benjamin Forsythe, John S., George M., Sheldon H., Emily, Ada- line, and two who died in infancy.
(VIII) Hon. Benjamin Forsythe, son of
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Joshua and Philina ( Hobbs) Hanson, was born in Sanford, Maine, July 28, 1818. He gained his education in the common schools of Sanford. Learning the blacksmith trade, he worked some years in the quarries at Quincy, Massachusetts. Then followed a series of years in Great Falls, New Hampshire, in the livery business. Returning to Sanford, he farmed some and conducted a general store. He was a leader in local affairs and stood high in the estimation of his townspeople. He was called to fill many positions of honor and trust, and he performed them all with credit to himself and to the eminent satisfaction of the electors. He served as town treasurer, sat in the legislature as a Republican for Sanford in 1865, and was promoted to the senate in 1873- 74. Senator Hanson was a member of the Re- publican county committee. He was of mem- bership in Springfield Lodge, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows, and was very valuable and helpful in the work of the order. He married Mary F., daughter of Elias and Mehitable Libbey, of Sanford, in 1841. Their children were: Luther L .. Benjamin F., Charles H. and George W. Senator Hanson died Febru- ary 27, 1891.
(IX) Hon. George William, fourth son and child of Hon. Benjamin Forsythe and Mary F. (Libbey) Hanson, was born at Sanford, January 26, 1861. After the rudimentary training in the Sanford schools, he prepared for college at the Coburn Classical Institute at Waterville, Maine. He was a graduate from Colby University in the class of 1883, and entered the law office of Hon. W. F. Lunt, Portland, taking a degree in Boston University Law School in 1886. He was on the editorial staff of the West Publishing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, law publishers. He was ap- pointed municipal judge in 1897. Judge Han- son has been selectman of Sanford for eleven years ; he is a staunch Republican, an able and learned lawyer, and his genial disposition wins him many friends, and his sterling qualities of head and heart, and the probity of his dealings with his clients and fellow men keep these friends with him after he has won them. Judge Hanson was wedded to Maria H., daughter of John H. Shaw, of Sanford, in 1886. They have three children : Pauline, born September 17, 1901 : Mary, January 28, 1905; Benjamin S., September 13, 1906.
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The Bonneau family is of French origin, its representa- BONNEAU tives in America being the posterity of two brothers who in 1764 emi-
grated from Normandy, in France, to Canada and settled on the Isle of Orleans, in the St. Lawrence river. One of these brothers, the ancestor of the family herein described, re- moved to Montreal, and establishing his resi- dence in the parish of St. Philippe followed the occupation of a blacksmith.
( II) Charles Bonneau, eldest son of this im- migrant, was born in 1799 in St. Philippe, county of La Prairie, province of Quebec, Can- ada, was educated and learned his trade there. In young manhood he learned the trade of car- penter and followed it for several years. He married Flavius St. Denis. At the age of fifty-five he fell a victim to an epidemic of cholera, and his death was followed an hour later by that of his wife, leaving a family of children: Jules, Esther, Vital, Alfred, Al- phonsine, Charles, Moses, Narcisse, Joseph and Napoleon.
(III) Alfred, son of Charles Bonneau, was born September, 1834, in St. Philippe, prov- ince of Quebec, removing to St. Johns when two years old. He died May 30, 1896. He was very young when his father and mother died in 1844; he had no schooling, and what education he acquired was through his own efforts, outside of the school room. He learned the trade of carpenter and followed it in St. Johns until he was fifty-two years old. In February, 1895, he came to the United States and settled in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and died in that town in May, 1896. He married Philomene Lussier, a native of St. Marguerite parish, province of Quebec. They had twelve children, viz .: Marie Louise, Philomine, Al- fred, Agilda, Albina, Henri, Arthur, Marie, Emelie, Hermine, Josephine and Joseph.
(IV) Alfred (2), son of Alfred (I) Bon- neau, was born in St. Johns, province of Que- bec, October 14, 1862. He received his rudi- mentary education in the Christian Brothers Academy, at St. Johns, and at the age of eleven entered the seminary at St. Therese, province of Quebec, located twenty-one miles above Montreal. After pursuing a classical course there for four years and a half, he en- tered the College of St. Hyacinthe, from which he was graduated in the class of 1881, and on July 18 following was admitted by examina- tion at Montreal, to the study of law. He then applied himself to his legal studies for three years, but at the end of that time, deciding to turn his attention to another walk of life, ac- cepted a position as assistant teller in the St. Johns Savings Bank, where he remained for three years. He resigned his position in the bank to accept the appointment as assistant
144
Meow Hanson
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clerk of committees in the parliament at Que- bec under the Mercier liberal government, a position that he filled with ability and credit from 1886 to 1889. Mr. Bonneau has for sev- eral years been acting as justice of the peace and notary public for the state of Maine, and he holds still a commission from the lieuten- ant-governor of the province of Quebec to acknowledge all deeds with effect in Canada.
It was at this time that he became attracted toward journalism, for which he was well qualified by natural ability and education, and he was called to take charge of the newspaper, L'Etoile, of Lowell, Massachusetts, published in the French language for the large French- speaking population in that vicinity, largely French-Canadian. It was a four-page journal with a large circulation throughout Massachu- setts, and was considered the leading Repub- lican French paper of Lowell. During his connection with L'Etoile, Mr. Bonneau estab- lished newspapers in Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1892 he became the adver- tising editor and translator of Le National, another French daily of Lowell. In 1893 he became managing editor of L'Observateur, a weekly newspaper published in Biddeford, in the French language, Republican in politics, continuing until 1896, when it ceased publica- tion. He established his present newspaper, La Justice de Biddeford, May 14, 1896, in Biddeford, and has been the editor and pub- lisher to the present time. This newspaper has been very successful and possesses a great influence and usefulness. He was appointed agent of the Grand Trunk Railroad in Octo- ber, 1901, and still holds that position.
Mr. Bonneau is one of the most prominent and influential French-American citizens in New England. During the past three presi- dential campaigns, he has been the leading French speaker for the Republican party and has spoken to the French people from one end of the New England States to the other. He was a member of the Biddeford school board in 1898-99 and 1900; clerk of the overseers of the poor from 1900 to 1902. Mr. Bonneau is an able public speaker and is in great de- mand. In the various French-Canadian socie- ties throughout New England he is well known and honored. He is a prominent mem- ber of L'Union St. Jean Baptiste D'Amerique. He is a member of the Catholic Church, in St. Joseph's parish, of which Rev. Father Dupont is the pastor. He has earnestly advocated and supported every movement to benefit his peo- ple, at the same time urging and assisting them to become naturalized American citizens.
Through his editorials and public speeches Mr. Bonneau has done much to educate the French-speaking citizens of this country to high standards of public duty. While in Can- ada Mr. Bonneau was an active member of the Young Men's Liberal Union, an organiza- tion that supported Sir Wilfred Laurier in the premiership, and at a banquet tendered to that statesman in Boston in November, 1891, Mr. Bonneau was one of the speakers. Mr. Bon- neau is fond of music and is himself a skilful vocalist. He is a member of the choir of St. Joseph's Church; an honorary member of the Lavallce Choral Union of Lowell, and has been prominent in amateur musicales and theatricals in association with Alfred De Sève, the well-known violinist and musician. He is a member of Musical Union of Biddeford, founded in 1899, and was its first president during the first three years of its existence.
He married (first), in St. Johns, province of Quebec, June 1, 1885, Eliza Marien, who died there in 1888. He married (second), October 20, 1895, Anna Tétrault, born in Canada, daughter of Narcisse Tétrault, who belongs to one of the oldest and most prominent French families of Biddeford. He has no children.
The "Biographia Britan- WENTWORTH nica" says: "The name of this family was taken from the lordship of Wentworth, in the wa- pentake of Strafford, in the county of York, where at the time of the Conquest lived Regi- nald de Winterwode." Collins tells us that the word is of Saxon origin, as is agreed by all genealogists. The word Wentworth seems to be composed of the words guen or gwyn, signifying white, and worth, meaning farm, plain or court, the whole signifying the white farm or court, and taking its style from the soil, which is composed of chalk or whitish clay. The earliest portion of the Wentworth pedigree rests upon the authority of William Flower, Norroy King of Arms, one of the most careful and accurate genealogists ever connected with the College of Arms, who com- piled it in the year 1855, and it has ever since remained upon the records of the college, and has been accepted, not only by that body, but by all genealogists, as authentic.
(I) Reginald Wentworth, or, again in the pedigree, Rynold de Wynterwode, was living at the time of the Norman Conquest, A. D. 1066. At that time there were no actual sur- names, but he was simply Reginald of Went- worth. In other words he was the possessor,
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in Saxon times, of the lordship of Wentworth. Nothing is known of his family except that he was succeeded by his son.
(II) Henry Wentworth, sometimes written de Wyntworth or Wyntword, concerning whom nothing has been preserved but his name. He was succeeded by his son.
(III) Richard Wentworth, who was suc- ceeded by his son.
(IV) Michael Wentworth, who was suc- ceeded by his son.
(V) Henry (2) Wentworth, who was suc- ceeded by his son.
(VI) Hugh Wentworth, who died in the year 1200, and was succeeded by his son.
(VII) William Wentworth, who was suc- ceeded by his son and heir.
(VIII) Robert Wentworth, who married Emma, daughter and heir of William Wood- house, of Woodhouse (a manor or lordship contiguous to Wentworth ) ; and thus acquiring that estate that family was afterward desig- nated as Wentworth of Wentworth-Wood- house. He was living in the reign of Henry III and Edward I-say as late as 1275-and was succeeded by his son and heir.
(IX) William (2) Wentworth, of Went- worth-Woodhouse, who married Beatrice, daughter of Gilbert Thakel, of Yorkshire, and left two sons, William and Richard.
(X) William (3) Wentworth, of Went- worth-Woodhouse, married, 1288, Dionysia, daughter of Peter de Rotherfield, by whom he had two sons, William and John.
(XI) William (4) Wentworth, of Went- worth-Woodhouse, married Isabel, daughter and co-heir of William Pollington, Esq., of Pollington in Yorkshire, by whom he had two sons, William and John.
(XII) John Wentworth, Esq., of North Elmsall, in Yorkshire, inherited that estate from his uncle John. He married Joan, daugh- ter of Richard le Tyas, of Burghwallis, in Yorkshire, and was succeeded by his only son.
(XIII) John (2) Wentworth, Esq., of North Elmsall, married Agnes, sister and co- heir of Sir William Dornsfield, of West Bret- ton, in Yorkshire, and was living in 1413. He had four sons, John, Roger, Thomas and Richard.
(XIV) John (3) Wentworth, Esq., of North Elmsall, son of John and Agnes Went- worth, married Joan, daughter of Richard Beaumont, Esq., and had three sons, John, Roger and William.
(XV) John (4) Wentworth, Esq., of North Elmsall, married Elizabeth, daughter of Will- iam Calverley, Esq., of Calverley, county of
York, and had issue, a daughter Jane, and an only son.
(XVI) Thomas Wentworth, Esq., of North Elmsall, married Jane, daughter and co-heir of Oliver Mirfield, Esq., of Howley, county of York, and had issue: John, Roger, Oliver, William, Thomas and two daughters.
(XVII) Oliver Wentworth, being a young- er son of his parents, had no part in the pa- ternal estate, and took up his residence at Goxhall, in the county of Lincoln. He de- scribes himself in his will as "gentleman." He left two sons, William and Francis.
(XVIII) William (5) Wentworth finally settled at Waltham, in Lincolnshire, and died May 27, 1574. He had three sons, Thomas, Oliver and Christopher.
(XIX) Christopher, third and only sur- viving son of William Wentworth, of Wal- tham, and Ellen Gilby, his first wife, were probably born about 1556. He married, Au- gust 19, 1583, at the church of Saint Peter at Cowts, in the city of Lincoln, Catherine, youngest daughter of William Marbury, Esq., of Girsby. They had children : William, Anne, Faith, Elizabeth, Frances, Priscilla and Christopher.
(XX) William (6), eldest child of Chris- topher and Catherine (Marbury) Wentworth, was baptized at Saint Peter's at Cowts, June 8, 1584. He married, November 28, 1614, Susanna Fleming, widow of Uther Fleming, and daughter of Edward Carter, of Wells. They were the parents of three children as follows: William, Edward and Christopher.
(XXI) William (7), eldest child of Will- iam and Susanna (Carter) Wentworth, was baptized in the parish of Alford, near the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, March 15, 1616, and is believed upon the evidence of many concurrent facts to be identical with Elder William Wentworth, the first of the Wentworths of the Massachusetts Bay Col- ony, the first indisputable evidence of whom in this country is his signature to a combination for government at Exeter, New Hampshire, July 4, 1639. Where William or when Will- iam Wentworth landed in this country is not certainly known. Burke, in his "Peerage," says that he came first to Boston, which is probable. He was from the same parish as Rev. Jolin Wheelwright, in England, and probably came with or soon followed Mr. Wheelwright, who came to this country in 1636. The latter was pastor of the church at Mount Wollaston (now Quincy), and was banished in 1637 on account of a sermon he preached on a Fast Day in Boston, and set-
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tled with a company of followers at Piscataqua Falls, New Hampshire, and called their town Exeter. William Wentworth was one of the company in 1639 or before. In 1642, on ac- count of the extension of the jurisdiction of Massachusetts to include Exeter, Wheelwright and many of his colonists moved to Wells, Maine. William Wentworth was one of those who went, and appears to have lived in Wells from 1642 to 1649, and there he was con- stable in 1648. From Wells he moved to Dover, New Hampshire, probably in 1649, where he resided the remainder of his life. He was the grantee of land at different times between 1652 and 1659, amounting to several hundred acres. He lived upon land in Rol- linsford in that part of the town known as Cocheco. It is sufficiently identified by the fact that a part is in the family name, having come down uninterruptedly from Elder Will- iam through five or six generations. His lands were not far from the mill privileges at Fresh Creek, and it is evident that he was concerned, at least at first, in the manufacture of lumber, one of the most important interests of Dover in the early times, the lumber being extensive- ly exported.
In 1651 he was chosen one of the select- men. The mutilation of the Dover records makes it impossible to tell all the years in which he held office of any kind. The records, however, show the following : He was one of the selectmen in 1651-57-60-64-65 and 1670; moderator in 1663; lot layer in 1657-60-61, and, from records of doings, in many other years. This last was an office which required much time and care, in the period when great numbers of town grants, vague and often con- flicting, were located. He was the first named of five men in 1656, chosen by the town to arbitrate between the conflicting claims of lands which had become a serious difficulty. He was one of the three persons from Cocheco to join with men in other parts of the town, in 1660, to settle the growing ecclesiastical dif- ficulties between the Oyster River (Durham) section and other parts, who reported an elab- orate plan July 17, 1660. The office, how- ever, by which William Wentworth was best known was that of ruling elder of the church at Dover, especially as it resulted in his offi- ciating as preacher many years of his life, but when he was chosen to this office or when he became a member of that or any other church is unknown. He was instrumental in saving from destruction Heard's, one of the five garrisons in Cocheco, June 28, 1689. Al- though it was a time of peace, the unusual
number of Indians gathered at Cocheco, which was a trading post, excited the suspicions of the people. It was noticed also that many strange faces were among them. The confi- dence of Major Walderue somewhat allayed their doubts, but many assembled in the garri- sons. Elder Wentworth was in Heard's gar- rison about a mile from his house. In the evening of the 27th, squaws requested leave to sleep by kitchen fires, which was unusual. In the darkest hour before morning the squaws opened the doors to admit the Indians. Elder Wentworth was awakened by the bark- ing of a dog. Suspicious, he hastened to the door, and found the Indians entering. Alone, and seventy-three years of age, he pushed them out, shut the door, and, falling on his back, held it until the inmates came to his assistance. While lying in this position two bullets passed through the door above his head. This was the only garrison saved. Twenty-three per- sons were killed and twenty-nine carried away captive. In 1680, on the provincial tax- list, Elder William stood seventh in amount among the residents of Cocheco, in point of property. Before his death he conveyed to his sons a large part of his real property. His inventory shows £97 16s. 4d., the value of his estate at the time of his death, March 15, 1697. Elder Wentworth may have married twice, and it is probable that the first marriage was as early as 1640. Elizabeth Kenny must have been his first wife. A widow Elizabeth survived him. There are no records of the births of his children. So far as ascertained and in the most probable order of birth they were as follows: Samuel, John, Gershom, Ezekiel, Elizabeth, Paul, Sylvanus, Timothy, Sarah, Ephraim and Benjamin.
(XXII) Timothy, seventh son of Elder William and Elizabeth Wentworth, was a resi- dent of Berwick, Maine, and died in 1719. He married Sarah Cromwell, and had chil- dren : I. Timothy, died 1735 ; married Eliza- beth Hodgdon, and had a daughter Sarah, married Abraham Barnes. 2. Samuel, see for- ward. 3. Sarah, married ( first) Benjamin Hossum; (second) John White. 4. Mary, married James Gerrish. 5. Another daughter.
(XXIII) Samuel, second son and child of Timothy and Sarah (Cromwell) Wentworth, was of Berwick, Maine. He resided on the homestead of his father; was a deacon, died in 1780. He married Joanna Roberts, born 1705, died 1780, daughter of John Roberts. They had children: 1. Samuel, married Lois Jones, and died 1766. 2. Mary, married Ja- bez Ricker and had numerous descendants.
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3. Timothy, see forward. 4. Deborah, mar- ried Joseph Ricker. 5. Anna, married Tris- tram Heard.
(XXIV) Timothy (2), second son and third child of Samuel (3) and Joanna ( Rob- erts) Wentworth, was born in 1747, died 1842. He lived on the family homestead, and was a lieutenant in the revolutionary army. He mar- ried Amy Hodgdon, and had children: I. Samuel, see forward. 2. Thomas, of North Yarmouth, Maine, died in 1820; he had six children. 3. Timothy, of Berwick, Maine, died 1859: he had five children. Timothy and Amy (Hodgdon) Wentworth had five other children.
(XXV) Samuel (2), eldest child of Tim- othy and Amy (Hodgdon) Wentworth, re- sided in South Berwick, Maine, where he died, 1849. He married Sally Yeaton, and had elev- en children, among them being: 1. Thomas, married Mary J. P. Hale, sister of John P. Hale, and had children: John P. H., born 1828, who was an Indian agent on the Pacific coast, and had one son, Thomas S., born 1858; Samuel, a lawyer, of Boston, Massachusetts, who died in 1854; and others. 2. Bartholo- mew, see forward.
(XXVI) Bartholomew, son of Samuel and Sally ( Yeaton) Wentworth, was born April 7, 1810. He resided on the homestead in South Berwick. He married, April 1, 1838, Harriet M. Roberts, of Alfred, Maine. Their children were: I. Albert F., born in South Berwick, January 28, 1839; married, January 3, 1871, Mary E. Bradford, of Salem, New Hampshire, born January 28, 1839. They had one child, Rachel A., born June 18, 1875. 2. Bradford Homer, see forward. 3. Harriet Emma, born December 24, 1843; married (first). July 3. 1867, James Leighton, who died December 24. 1869; she married (sec- ond), December 16, 1870, George Stone, who lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts. 4. Helen Augusta, born October 18, 1848: married, April 5, 1869. Charles G. Hodgdon, lived in East Somerville, Massachusetts, and had chil- dren : Hattie M., born February 21, 1870; Eva A., born July 27, 1874; one who died in infancy. 5. Julietta, born May 31, 1850, mar- ried, December 25, 1869. Charles T. Stone ; lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and had children : Mark E., born November 27, 1870; Lauriston W., born February 27, 1873. 6. Daniel W., born August 19, 1852; died at South Berwick, April 29, 1863. 7. Laura Q., born August 6, 1853.
(XXVII) Bradford Homer, second son and child of Bartholomew and Harriet M. (Rob-
erts) Wentworth, born in South Berwick, May 9, 1841, died 1889. He was educated in the schools of his native town and at the Ber- wick Academy. He followed the occupation of farming, and was associated with his father in the manufacture of brick. He was actively engaged in business affairs up to within a year of his death. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party. He married, No- vember 29, 1868, Hannah H. Goodwin, of the same town. Their children were: I. Daniel Webster, see forward. 2. Eva Belle, born January 22, 1871; married Goodell. 3. Martha J., born August 28, 1872; married Albert Blaisdell. 4. Nancy V., born April 14, 1874; married Edward Barber, of Cumberland Mills, Maine. 5. Bartholomew, is a varnisher in Everett, Massachusetts; married Mary Weston. 6. Caroline, married Eugene Tobey, formerly of North Berwick, now of Everett, Massachusetts, where he is also employed as a varnisher. 7. Harry, is in the employ of the Boston & Maine railroad.
(XXVIII) Daniel Webster, M. D., eldest child of Bradford Homer and Hannah H. (Goodwin) Wentworth, was born in South Berwick, Maine, January 3, 1870. He was a student at the Berwick Academy, Bates College and Bowdoin Medical College, from which latter institution he was graduated in 1899. He was in the State Hospital in Rhode Island for one and one-half years, then came to Sanford, Maine, where he established him- self in the practice of his chosen profession, and where he has continued to reside up to the present time. He is a staunch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, and is connected with the following fraternal organi- zations: Friendship Lodge, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows ; Korah Encampment ; and the Sagamore Tribe of the Red Men of San- ford. He is an attendant at the Congregation- al church. He married. September 14, 1904, Florence, daughter of Uriah B. Jaggers, of Sanford, and they have one child: Paul J., born July 2, 1905.
The coat-of-arms of this an- TOLMAN cient and distinguished family presents "two hands holding a battle-axe," indicative of strength, and valor in deeds of arms, but not necessarily warlike propensities of ferocity. The surname Tol- man originally was le Tolles, signifying that he who bore the name was collector of the king's toll or tax. Afterward it assumed its present form, although the exact date when the change was made is not known. Tradition
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