USA > Maine > Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine, Volume III > Part 19
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(VI) Benjamin Jr. (2), son of Deacon Benjamin (1) Weston, was reared on the paternal farm, and after reaching manhood lived on one adjoining. He became extensive- ly engaged in lumbering, iron mining and stone quarrying, in all of which he was highly successful, and for his time he was a man of wealth. He brought the first raft of lum- ber across Moose Head Lake, and made the first drive of logs down the Kennebec river, in company with his brother Nathan, an in- dustry which has now assumed large propor- tions. He built the first Congregational church in Madison, and received his pay from sale of pews. He was public spirited, and did much
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toward the upbuilding of what is now the thriving town of Madison. He married (first) -; (second) Ann F. Jewett, daughter of Pickard Jewett, of Skowhegan. Ilis children were thirteen in number, by first marriage.
(VII) Benjamin Pickard Jewett, son of Benjamin (2) Weston, was born August 13, 1841, in the house in which he died, Sep -. tember 12, 1907. He was educated in the common schools, and Maine State Seminary, now Bates College, and while a student in the last named institution experienced an accident which almost made him a cripple for life. After his father's death he made his home on the ancestral farm. As a boy he assisted his father about the quarry and the general store connected therewith, on Chaleur Bay. About 1872 he became a member of the mer- cantile firm of Blackwell & Weston, and this connection was maintained until 1877, when the partnership was dissolved, and he fitted up a store in Madison, near the railroad crossing, which he conducted for some years. He was active in securing the location of the railroad at Madison, when that town was to be left away from its line, and with other prominent citizens brought it to the town by taking the contract to build the road to the river, accept- ing railroad bonds (then considered as of lit- tle value) for the larger portion of their out- lay. This is but indicative of his public spirit and foresight in the interest of the community. The water power of Madison was practically undeveloped until 1881, when Mr. Weston and his brother Thomas, who lived in Portland, in- terested a practical woolen manufacturer, and procured the means for building the old wooden mill. This was completed early in 1882, and the manufacture of woolen fabrics was immediately begun. This was followed by the building of the first brick mill in 1885, and the Indian Spring mill, in 1887. He was a mem- ber of the building committee of each, and upon him devolved in large degree the pro- curing of labor and material for construction. In 1889, when the forerunner of the Great Northern Paper Company was embarrassed by finding clouded titles to needed property, Mr. Weston's wonderful energy and perse- verance were brought into play, and after overcoming what to most men would have been insuperable difficulties, he succeeded, and the work of construction was entered upon. About 1880 he purchased the old sawmill standing in the present yard of the paper com- pany, and after selling it he erected the mill, which he thenceforward operated until his
death. He was ever active in community in- terests, from the time when soon after attain- ing his majority he was elected to the common council, and he frequently thereafter served in responsible positions to which he was called by vote of his fellow citizens. An earnest Republican in politics, he neither had leisure nor ambition for public station, and refused frequently to allow himself to be made a can- didate for political position. His sole interests were for the local good, and his influence and means were always devoted to improved school accommodations and educational facilities. He served as president of the Madison Board of Trade, and of the Madison Soldiers' Monu- ment Association, as town auditor, and as trus- tee of the Forest Hill Cemetery Association. After the purchase of the cemetery property by that body, he selected a lot thereon, re- moved to it the remains of his honored par- ents, and there his own interment was made. In early life he became a member of the Con- gregational church, and Mrs. Susan Dinsmore is now the only one living whose name was entered before his own on the church rolls. He was always an active participant in all the affairs of the society, and it was largely through his effort that the lot was secured and the present house of worship erected. In his personal relations he was the true gentleman of the old school-kind and obliging, gener- ous to a fault, and a thorough optimist, to whom every cloud had a silver lining. He married, in 1866, Emily H. Baker, of Bing- ham, who only lived four months after their union. In 1869 he married Sarah J. Dins- more, who with their five children lives to mourn his loss, while he was yet in the prime of his vigor and usefulness. Their children : I. Nathan A., born November 12, 1870, see forward. 2. Ernest C., October 30, 1873, farmer, Madison ; married Effie M. Day; chil- dren : Clayton and Barbara. 3. Charles P., November 8, 1875, professor in University of Maine. 4. Benjamin T., November 20, 1877, civil and mechanical engineer. 5. Susan, April 6, 1882.
(VIII) Nathan Alvan, eldest child of Ben- jamin Pickard Jewett Weston, was born in Madison, November 12, 1870. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his native town. For two years he worked in his father's mill in Madison, for two years thereafter for the Manufacturing Investment Company, now the Great Northern Paper Company, and again for three years in the sawmill. For about a year he was in the employ of his second cousin, Levi W. Weston, then purchasing the interest
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of his cousin's partner, and the firm becom- ing Weston & Weston. He operates the Wes- ton grist mill at Madison, and transacts an extensive business, besides his lumbering and farming interests. He is one of the leading business men of Madison, and is well and fa- vorably known through his section of the state. He is a member of the Congregational church of Madison, and in politics is a Re- publican. He is a member of Indian Spring Lodge, I. O. O. F .; the Order of Foresters ; the Order of Maccabees. He married, Jan- uary 17, 1903, Mabel Davis, born May I, 1883, daughter of Edwin and Mira (Clark) Davis, of Madison. They have one child, Emily, born January 7, 1904.
The name of Bradbury is of BRADBURY Saxon origin and was formed by the combination of two words : Brad, meaning broad, and bury, which is variously defined as a house, a hill, a domain and a town. In the ancient English records there are several variations in its or- thography, such as Bradberrie, Bradburye, Bradberry and Bradbury. In England the line of descent from Thomas, the immigrant, can be traced backward through several gen- erations.
(I) Wymond Bradbury, who was of the seventh generation in descent from the earliest known member of the family under consid- eration, resided in the county of Essex during the reign of James the First, and married Elizabeth Gill (nee Whitgift). He did not come to America.
(II) Thomas, second son of Wymond and Elizabeth Bradbury, and of the eighth genera- tion in descent, according to the English pedi- gree, was baptized at Wicken Bonant, Essex, on the last day of February, 1610-II. It is plainly evident that he acquired the advantages of a good education, as early in the year 1634 he appeared at Agamenticus (now York, Maine) as the agent or steward of Sir Fer- nando Gorges, proprietor of the province of Maine, and must therefore have possessed both social and intellectual qualifications for such a position. He did not, however, remain for any length of time in the service of Gorges, as in 1636 he became a grantee at Salisbury, Massachusetts, whither he removed and where for more than half a century he was one of the most prominent residents. He was admit- ted a freeman at Salisbury in 1640, and served as schoolmaster, town clerk, justice of the peace, deputy to the general court, county recorder, associate judge and captain of the
local military company, winning credit for himself and giving general satisfaction to his fellow townsmen in all of these offices. In 164I he was appointed first clerk of the writs of Salisbury ; was seven times chosen deputy to the general court between the years 1651 and 1666; and from 1654 to 1669 served upon various committees formulated for the purpose of adjusting land disputes, locating grants and establishing boundaries. He died in Salisbury, March 16, 1695. In 1636 he married Mary Perkins, daughter of John the elder and Ju- dith Perkins, of Ipswich, Massachusetts. John Perkins, born at Gloucester, England, in 1590, embarked at Bristol with his family on board the ship "Lyon," Captain William Pearce, master, and Roger Williams was a fellow passenger. Arriving in Boston, February 5, 1631, John Perkins was admitted a freeman the same year, and in 1633 settled in Ipswich, acquiring possession of an island at the mouth of the river, which became known as Perkins Island. He held town offices in Ipswich and was deputy to the general court. He died prior to 1655. His children were: John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia and Jacob. Mary Perkins, who became the wife of Thom- as Bradbury, had the misfortune in her old age of being tried and convicted of witch- craft during the excitement caused by the ter- rible delusion of 1692, which resulted in the ignominious death of so many innocent people, but she escaped punishment and died a natural death December 20, 1700. She was the moth- er of eleven children : Wymond, Judith, Thomas, Mary, Jane, Jacob, William, Eliza- beth, John, Ann and Jabez, all of whom, excepting the eldest, were born in Salisbury.
(III) Wymond (2), eldest child of Thomas and Mary (Perkins) Bradbury, was born April 1, 1637. His death, which was untimely, occurred April 7, 1669, on the Island of Nevis, West Indies, the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. May 7, 1661, he married Sarah, daughter of Robert and Sarah Pike, and a sister of Rev. John Pike, pastor of the church in Dover, New Hampshire. Robert Pike, one of the most advanced men of his time in New England, came from England to Salem with his parents when nineteen years old, and was one of the founders of Salisbury. He be- came a fearless champion of truth, justice and liberty of conscience, and was the hero of sev- eral important controversies. He was openly against the ill treatment of the Indians, op- posed the dogmatic authority of the Rev. John Wheelwright, pastor of the church in Salis- bury, and stood forth pre-eminent in opposi-
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tion to the Rev. Cotton Mather and other su- perstitious clergymen during the witchcraft prosecutions of 1692, defending the innocent victims to the extent of his ability. Wymond Bradbury's widow married for her second husband John Stockman, who died December 10, 1686. Of her first union there were three children : 1. Sarah, born February 26, 1662, married Abraham Merrill. 2. Ann, born No- vember 22, 1666, married Jeremy Allen. 3. Wymond.
(IV) Wymond (3), youngest child of Wy- mond (2) and Sarah (Pike) Bradbury, was born in Salisbury, May 13, 1669. He spent his declining years in York, Maine, where his son had settled, and died there April 17, 1734. He married Mariah Cotton, born January 14, 1672, daughter of Rev. John Cotton Jr. and Joanna (Rossiter) Cotton, granddaughter of the distinguished Boston minister, Rev. John Cotton, who came from old Boston in Lincoln- shire, and who married Sarah Story. Joanna Rossiter was a daughter of Dr. Bryan Ros- siter, of Guilford, Connecticut. Wymond Bradbury's widow married for her second husband John Head, of Kittery, Maine, when more than sixty-two years old, and she died in that town January 30, 1736. The children of Wymond and Mariah (Cotton) Bradbury were: Jabez, born in 1693; William, 1695; John, 1697; Rowland, 1699; Ann, 1702; Jo- siah, 1704; Theophilus, 1706; Maria, 1708; Jerusha, 171I.
(V) John, third child of Wymond (3) and Mariah (Cotton) Bradbury, was born in Sal- isbury, September 9, 1697. He settled in York, Maine, early in the eighteenth century, and was the founder of the York branch of the Bradbury family. He became an elder of the Presbyterian church, and was also promi- nent in civic affairs, serving in the provincial legislature several terms, as a member of the executive council for ten years and as judge of probate. At the commencement of the revolutionary war he vigorously supported the cause of national independence, and it is re- lated that he rebuked his minister in the pres- ence of the congregation for having expressed in his sermon sentiments disloyal to the Amer- ican cause. He died December 3. 1778. He married Abigail, daughter of Lieutenant Jo- seph and Abigail (Donnell) Young, of York, and her death occurred September 28, 1787. Their children were: Cotton, see succeeding paragraph ; Lucy, born January 8, 1725; Beu- lah, March 20, 1727; Mariah, April 5, 1729; Abigail, August 12, 1731 ; Elizabeth, January
5, 1734; John, September 18, 1736; Joseph, October 23, 1740; Anne, June 2, 1743.
(VI) Cotton, eldest child of John and Abi- gail (Young) Bradbury, born in York, Oc- tober 8, 1722, died in that town June 4, 1806. He married Ruth, daughter of Elias Weare, of York, and had a family of nine children : Lucy, born June 20, 1754; Edward, May 20, 1757 ; Daniel, April 7, 1759; Betsey, December 10, 1760; Abigail, December 16, 1765; Olive, January 3, 1768; Joseph, May 1, 1770; James,. see next paragraph; Ruth, October 19, 1774.
(VII) Dr. James, eighth child and youngest son of Cotton and Ruth (Weare) Bradbury, was born in York, April 24, 1772. Having acquired a good general education he studied medicine, his professional training being the best that could be obtained at that period, and after practicing in Ossipee, New Hampshire, for a year he located in Parsonsfield, Maine, going there in 1798 and building up a large- general practice which he maintained for more. than forty years. In addition to being an able physician, he was an excellent instructor and directed the preliminary studies of a consid- erable number of students, some of whom be- came noted practitioners. When the infirmi- ties of old age began to develop he established his home near the residence of his only daugh- ter in Windham, and he died there February 7, 1844. In 1816 he united with the Free Will Baptist church and continued his fellow- ship with that denomination for the remainder of his life. Dr. Bradbury was married in the year 1800 to Mrs. Ann Moulton, born in Newbury, Massachusetts, September 2, 1777, daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Noyes) Moulton. By a previous marriage with her cousin, Samuel Moulton, son of Cotton Moul- ton, she had two children; and those of her second union were: I. James Weare, born June 10, 1803, married Eliza Ann Smith, and became a prominent citizen of Augusta, ac- quiring political distinction. 2. Samuel Moul- ton, who will be again referred to. 3. Clarissa Ann, born June 19, 1807, became the wife. of Dr. Charles G. Parsons, of Windham; died' December 5, 1850. The mother of these chil- dren died March 10, 1835. Dr. Bradbury married (second), November 1, 1836, Nancy Chapman, born January 3, 1800. The only child of this union was Cotton M., born Feb- ruary 22, 1839, removed from Windham Hill to South Windham, September 10, 1877, thence to Cumberland Mills, December 6, 1895, where he now resides, an industrious and high- ly respected citizen. He married (first) Su-
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sanna D. Hussey, born 1833, died August 20, 1877, who bore him two children: James Cot- ton, born October 16, 1865, died March 14, 1905; Jennie M., born July 9, 1868, died De- cember 10, 1901. Married (second) Ella T. Harris, born 1858, died April 5, 1893, who bore him four children: Nellie G., born Feb- ruary 26, 1880, married Harry Feldman, 1905; resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Alice, born May 7, 1881, died October 8, 1884. Frank H., born November 20, 1883, married Julia Quinn, 1905, has one child, Christella; resides in Westbrook. Fred E., born June II, 1885, un- married.
(VIII) Samuel Moulton, M. D., second child of Dr. James and Ann ( Moulton) Brad- bury, was born in Parsonsfield, August 22, 1804. He began the study of medicine with his father, was graduated from the Maine Medical School (Bowdoin College) in 1831, and began the practice of his profession in Parsonsfield. In 1836 he removed to Liming- ton, where he resided for more than fifty years, and at the age of eighty-four was still in active practice, attending regularly to his professional duties. He was not alone re- spected for his professional ability and per- sonal integrity, as his public services and ef- forts to increase the educational facilities of Limington were exceedingly beneficial to the town, and his desire for the advancement of its general welfare was frequently emphasized while serving as town clerk, selectman and as representative to the state legislature. In pol- itics he was a Democrat. As one of the found- ers of the Limington Academy he labored zealously in its behalf and served as president of its board of trustees for thirty years. He was a member of Adoniram Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and one of the principal supporters of the Baptist church. Dr. Samuel M. Bradbury died in Limington, September 22, 1888, having attended to his patients up to a week prior to his demise, and his passing away was sincerely regretted by the entire community. He was first married in 1831 to Susan Brackett, born in Parsons- field, November II, 18II, died November 27, 1846, daughter of James and Betsey (Fogg- Brackett) Brackett. He married (second) her sister Elizabeth, born in 1821, died April 4, 1899. They were descended in the eighth generation from Anthony (I) Brackett, of Portsmouth, the immigrant, through Thomas (2), Samuel (3), Samuel (4), John (5), James (6), and James (7). Their father, who was a native of Berwick and a prosperous farmer of Parsonsfield, died there in 1844.
He married Betsey Brackett (nee Fogg), his brother's widow. Dr. Bradbury's first wife bore him two children: John Brackett, born June 1, 1833, died April 27, 1858; graduated from Colby University, Waterville, in 1857. Ann Elizabeth, born August 24, 1837, died May 8, 1855. The children of Dr. Bradbury's second union are : James Otis, who is referred to again in the next paragraph. Eva Carrie, born October 28, 1854, died August 24, 1862. Frank M., born February 28, 1858, married Alice S. Cousins ; they now reside at the Brad- bury homestead in Limington, Maine. Lizzie, born May 27, 1862, became the wife of Hardy H. McKenney, a prominent citizen of Liming- ton, married May 25, 1895.
(IX) James Otis, eldest child of Dr. Sam- uel M. and Elizabeth ( Brackett) Bradbury, was born in Limington, July 19, 1850. From the Limington Academy he entered the West- ern State Normal school at Farmington, from which he was graduated in 1874, and being thus well equipped for educational pursuits he embraced that useful calling, becoming a high school teacher of recognized ability. While thus employed he devoted his vacations and other spare moments to the study of law under the direction of Colonel William McArthur in Limington, and after his admission to the Som- erset county bar at Skowhegan in 1876 lo- cated for practice in Hartland, Maine, having become solicitor for several large corporations in that section of the state. Removing from the latter place in 1889 he established himself in practice at Saco the following year and has ever since transacted a general law business in that city, having attained prominence in his profession through his legal ability and high personal character. While residing in Hart- land he served as chairman of the board of selectmen, as superintendent of public schools and as trustee of state normal schools, and from 1882 to 1886 was county attorney for Somerset. In 1892-93 he was mayor of Saco and served two terms, 1894-95, as city so- licitor of that city. In politics he is a Repub- lican. His fraternal affiliations are with Saco Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Hobah Encampment and Canton J. H. Dear- born, Patriarchs Militant, all of Saco. He attends the Unitarian church. On August 5, 1877, Mr. Bradbury was united in marriage with Ella S., of Wells, daughter of Joseph Butler, and she died June 29, 1889. The chil- dren of this union are: Mary Alma, born September 26, 1882; and Eva Elizabeth, born April 12, 1886, who died in Norton, Massa- chusetts, December 24, 1906. September 3,
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1900, Mr. Bradbury married for his second wife Mrs. Imogene Savage Hlaskell, daughter of General Elbridge G. Savage, of Solon, Maine.
SWETT The surname Swett is identical with Sweete and Sweet in the carly records. The family is traced back in England to the time of Edward VI at Trayne and after that at Oxton, Devon- shire, England. This family bore coat-of- arms as follows: Gules two chevrons between as many mullets in chief and a rose in base argent seeded or. Crest : A mullet or pierced azure between two gilly-flowers proper.
(I) John Swett, immigrant ancestor, was born in England about 1590, and is said to have come from Guernsey in the English Channel, which was made a temporary stop- ping place for many English families on their way to the new world. He settled first in Salem as early as 1636 and finally in what is now Newburyport, Massachusetts, and was a grantee of Newbury, December 7, 1642, one of the original ninety-one. He was admitted a freeman May 18, 1642. His widow Phebe died May, 1665. While he was living in Sa- lem he shot a wolf dog belonging to Colonel Endicott in the colonel's backyard, and the owner of the obnoxious wolf dog prosecuted him for the killing. Fined five pounds June 6, 1637, after what must have been a sensa- tional trial for his day. Children, born in England: I. Stephen, born about 1624, a cordwainer by trade, lived at Newbury ; mar- ried, May 24, 1647, Hannah Merrill; second, August 4, 1663, Rebecca Smith. 2. Captain Benjamin, born about 1626, married, Novem- ber 1, 1647, Esther Weare, daughter of Na- thaniel Weare, of Newbury, and she married second, March 31, 1678, Stephen Greenleaf, of Newbury; Swett settled in Hampton, New Hampshire, and was a very prominent citizen, captain of the military company and noted for his skill and daring in fighting the Indians, especially during King Philip's war, 1675-76, and was killed by the savages at Black Point, Scarborough, Maine ; his sons were also very prominent citizens. 3. Joseph, mentioned be- low. 4. Sarah, died December 11, 1650.
(II) Joseph, son of John Swett, was born about 1630. He was living in Newbury until 1650, was of Haverhill in 1653 and later re- moved to Boston. He married Elizabeth Children: I. Joseph, born October 26, 1658, was drowned near his home in Truro, Massachusetts, November 29, 1716, with an Indian and four other Englishmen
going from Eastham harbor to Billingsgate. 2. Benjamin, mentioned below.
(III) Benjamin, son of Joseph Swett, was born in Boston, January 29, 1660. According to family tradition he and his brother settled when young men on Cape Cod, the brother Joseph at Truro and he at Wellfleet. They must have been both scafaring men. Benja- min Swett was one of the taxpayers of Well- fleet who, June 22, 1724, protested against paying rates or continuing in the ministry of Rev. Josiah Oakes. This record possibly be- longs to his son Benjamin.
(IV) Benjamin (2), son of Benjamin (I) Swett, was born in Welfleet about 1700. The available public records tell us nothing definite of him.
(V) Benjamin (3), son or nephew of Ben- jamin (2) Swett, was born about 1740. He was a soldier under Captain Joshua Gordon in Colonel Jonathan Mitchell's regiment in July, 1779, in the Penobscot Expedition. This service in Maine indicates that he rather than his son Benjamin settled first in Maine. Chil- dren: Noah, Benjamin, mentioned below ; James and John.
(VI) Benjamin (4), son of Benjamin (3) Swett, was born at Wellfleet, Massachusetts, December 29, 1769, and died at Hampden, Maine, October 13, 1854. Early in life he was a mariner and sea captain, afterward a farmer. He settled about 1795 at Hampden, Maine. He married first, in 1793, Joanna At- wood, a native of Wellfleet, who died at Hampden in May, 1796. He married second, late in 1801, Mehitable Atwood, of Orrington, whither he went to live. She died 1839. There also came to Orrington Solomon Swett, said to be not related, though coming from Wellfleet also. Child of first wife: Delia D., born January 4, 1796, died January 14, 1884. Children of second wife: I. Joanna A., born October 3, 1802, died 1903. 2. Emily H., Feb- ruary 21, 1804, died April 27, 1901. 3. Noah, July 29, 1805, died September 8, 1873. 4. Benjamin, September 6, 1806, died April 14, 1894; was a California gold seeker in 1849. 5. James A., January 16, 1808, died May 4, 1901. 6. John, March 4, 1809, died June 30, 1879. 7. Mary E., May 30, 1810, died June 6, 1899. 8. Sarah C., September 2, 1811, died April 20, 1901. 9. Mehitable A., March 8, 1813, died May 4, 1906. 10. Charles M., Au- gust 29, 1814, died February 10, 1892. II. William A., July 10, 1816, mentioned below. 12. David W., May 17, 1818, died January 18, 1902. He was a master mariner, captain of the ship "Gold Hunter," which carried the
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