USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 79
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 79
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 79
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COOMBS.
The name of the father of the first of the family who came to this vicinity has not been ascertained ; but he was a Frenchman, who settled first in Plyn- outh County, and subsequently lived in Newburyport. He is known to have had children, - Peter, Anthony, and John.
PETER COOMBS came to Brunswick about 1730, and settled first on Howard's Point, a short distance below the Bartlett Adams place. He afterwards moved to the Freeman Gross Place (near Harding's Station), where he remained to his death. Ch. : - George, Peter, Samuel, and .Caleb.
831
FAMILY HISTORIES.
Concerning ANTHONY COOMBS nothing is known, except that he settled on the James Larrabee Place.
JOHN COOMBS settled on Great Island, Harpswell, and was the grandfather of Elisha, Anthony, John, and Isaac.
CURTIS.1
ARMS : Arg. a chev. sa. betw. three bulls' heads, cabossed, gu.
CREST : A unicorn pass or betw. four trees ppr.
The Curtis family are descended from an ancient English family settled in the counties of Kent and Sussex. William Curtis, the ancestor of nearly all of that name in New England, came over in the Lion in 1632.
DAVID CURTIS, of the third generation from William, m. Bethia Sprague, of Duxbury, Dec. 14, 1732. Moved to Harpswell about 1744. He was the ances- tor of all the name in this vicinity. Ch. were (b. in Hanover, Mass. ) : - Nehe- miuh, b. 1733; Ezekiel, b. 1735; Paul, b. 1737; Michael, b. 1739; David, b. 1741; Ruth, b. 1743.
CUSHING.
The ancestor of all of this name in this vicinity was MATTHEW, who, witli his wife Nazareth, his sons Daniel, Jeremiah, Matthew, and John, his daughter Deboralı, and his wife's sister, Francis Ricroft, widow, sailed from Grave- send, April 26, 1638, in the ship Diligent, and arrived in Boston, Aug. 10.
CALEB CUSHING (see Biog.), s. of Timothy, was b. in Cohasset, Mass., April 2, 1777 ; came to Brunswick in Sept., 1797. He m. in 1801, Mary Dunning, dau. of John Dunning. She d. Nov. 13, 1808. He m. again, Dec. 5, 1814, Dolly Owen, dau. of Philip Owen. She d. in Augusta, April 29, 1865, aged 78 yrs. He d. April 14, 1838. Ch. were : - Rufus King, b. July 23, 1802; Louis Tileston, b. June 24, 1804 ; Francis Dunning, b. Jan. 20, 1807 ; John Schwartkin, b. Sept 12, 1808.
It is said to be a curious fact that through the whole genealogic line of the Cushing family a strict adherence to Scripture Christian names has been observed, and that the first middle name occurring since 1638 was that of the oldest son of Caleb.
DOUGLAS.
" In the year of our Lord 770, in the reign of Solvathious, king of Scotts, one Donald Bane of the Western Isles, having invaded the Scotch territories and routed the royal army, a man of rank and figure came seasonably with his friends and followers to the king's assistance; he renewed the battle, and obtained a complete victory over the invader. ' The king, being desirous to see the man who had done him so signal a piece of service, he was pointed out to him, by his color or complexion in these words of the old Gallic or Celtic language, - SHOLTO DU GLAS, in English " Behold that black or swarthy colored man," from which he was named Sholto the Douglas. The king royally rewarded his great services, and gave him a grant of several lands and large possessions in the County of Lanark, which were called Douglas ; and from hence came the surname of the family." (From " Scottish Peerage.")
'The first of the name in New England is said to have been JOHN DOUGLAS, who was b. in Scotland about 1695. At the age of 12 he was kidnapped by the
1 See History of Hanover, Mass.
832
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
crew of a man-of-war, and brought to Boston. He m. and settled in Middle- borough, Mass. Children were : - Elijah, John, and George.
ELIJAH DOUGLAS, S. of the above-named Joliu, was b. in Middleborough in 1720. He married (1st) April 27, 1742, Phebe Taylor, she died about 1749. He m. (2d) Elizabeth, dau. of Edward and Patience Estes, of Harpswell. Soon after the death of his first wife, in 1750, Elijah, with two sons, moved to Maine, and bought with Benj. Winslow one half of New Damariscove Island, in Casco Bay, then a part of North Yarmouth, but now belonging to the town of Harpswell. The deed bears date Jan. 30, 1750-1. He subse- quently bought a farm of Mary Hais, on Merriconeag, and built a log-house near what is known as Hais Brook. The farm is now owned by Henry Merry- man. He engaged in shipping wood from Birch Island to Boston. He is said to have been the first of the name to join the society of Friends, having united with them at Falmouth, June 29, 1754.
In 1775 he removed to Royalsborough, now Durham. He d. in 1814, aged 94. Ch. by first wife were : - Daniel, b. 1747; and Cornelius, b. Middle- borough, Mass., Sept. 12, 1749. Ch. by second wife were : - Joseph, b. in Harps- well, April 8, 1753, -an eminent minister of the Friends, - d. in Durham, Dec. 22, 1821; Job, b Oct. 9, 1754; Israel, b. July 17, 1756; Sarah, b June 13, 1759, in. Benj. Doughty, of Brunswick; Patience, b. Mch 24, 17.61; Mary, b. July 10, 1763, m David Booker, of Harpswell; Elijah, b. June 23, 1768 ; John, b. Nov. 8, 1774.
DUNLAP.
REV. ROBERT DUNLAP (see Biog. ), the ancestor of all the Brunswick Dun- laps, was b. in Ireland, in the county of Antrim, Aug. 1715, came to America, 1736, and to Brunswick, 1747. He m. Jane Allison, who was b. 1711, and d. in Brunswick, Mch 31, 1797. His mother's maiden name was Nelson. The family is of Scotch-Irish descent. Ch. were: - JJohn, b. in Dracut, June 19, 1737; Elizabeth, b. in Nobleboro', in 1742, m Deacon Audrew Dunning ; Samuel, b. in Boothbay, in 1745, d. in Brunswick, July 28, 1836; Robert, b. in Newcastle, in 1747, was shipwrecked and lost on Hampton Reach, Dec. 25, 1776; JJane, b. in Brunswick, in 1749; Hugh, b in 1751.
ROBERT DUNLAP, the ancestor of the Topsham Dunlaps, came from Ireland about 1730, when his son John, his only son, was nine years of age. Other ch. were : - June, m. Daniel Eaton, Brunswick ; Margaret, in. James Potter, the eldest.
DUNNING.
ANDREW DUNNING, the ancestor of all the Dunnings in this vicinity, and, it is believed, of all the family in the State of Maine, came from Ashburton, county of Devonshire, England, in 1717. He landed at Georgetown, Maine, where he remained a short time, and came to Brunswick the same year and settled at Maquoit on the lot recently occupied by master Samuel Dunning and now owned by Patrick McManus. He brought with him his wife, whose maiden name was Susan Bond, and five sons, who were all b. before he emi- grated to this country. Ch. were : - William, settled in York, Me; David, b. 1705, settled in Brunswick Village; Andrew, b. abt. 1702 and Robert, who were killed by Indians while crossing Androscoggin River; James, b. 1691, lived in the homestead at Maquoit.
833
FAMILY HISTORIES.
The Harpswell Dunnings descended from William of York, whose sons Andrew and Benjamin moved to Harpswell a short time previous to the incorporation of the town.
Some members of the Dunning family claim that Andrew left a son in England named JouN, who had a son Jours, who became a celebrated lawyer and was made LORD ASHBURTON. Others say that there is no evidence that Andrew left a son in England. There is some probability, however, that Lord Ashburton belonged to the same English family, and it is not at all unlikely that he was a grandson of a brother of ANDREW. He left a large estate, supposed to be valued at $50,000,000, which, it is said, still awaits an heir male.
EATON.
This family is of English origin, but the connection with the first settlers of the name, in this country, has not been traced.
REVEREND ELISHA EATON (Biog ) was b. in 1702. He m. Mrs. Catharine [Belcher] Clough, moved to Harpswell, and was settled as pastor of the church in that place in 1754. He d. in Harpswell, April 22, 1764. Ch were : - Elisha, b. Sept. 12, 1732, d. in Boston ; Samuel (Biog.) b. in Randolph, Apr. 3, 1737 ; Mary, b. Dec. 1, 1738; Elizabeth, b. May 9, 1740; Hinnah, b. May 30, 1742; Thadd-us, b. Apr. 1, 1744, d. in infancy. The daughters lived and died in Harpswell. The Harpswell family of Eatons is a distinct family, or at least a distinct branch from the Brunswick family.
SAMUEL EATON, the ancestor of the Brunswick family of this name, came to Brunswick from Salisbury, Mass., early in the last century, and built a house on what is now the southern corner of Bank and Maine Streets, where the billiard saloon stands. He had two ch. and perhaps more. One of liis ch., Samuel, was a soldier in Fort George in 1722. He was the one sent to George- town with a letter to Capts. Harmon and Moody. The letter was tied in his hair. When it was not safe by land he took to the water and swam. The other son, Moses, was taken prisoner in June, 1722, cruelly mutilated, and carried to Pleasant Point, where the Indians killed him.
ELLIS.
This family is of English origin, but we are unable to trace its connection with the first settler of the name in this country.
CALEB ELI.IS, of Cambridge, Mass., was the father of John, who was b. in Cambridge in 1727.
REV. JOHN ELLIS, son of Caleb, was graduated at Harv. Coll. in 1750. He was ordained at Norwich (Franklin), Conn., Sept. 5, 1755. He was a chap- lain in the Revolutionary army all through the war. He was installed at Rehoboth, Mass., Mch. 30, 1785. He was dismissed in 1796, and returned to Norwich, where he d. Oct. 19, 1805.
REV. JONATHAN ELLIS, son of Rev. John, was b. in Franklin, Conn., April 11, 1762, settled in Topsham in 1784: He m. in 1790 Mary, dau. of Robert Fulton, of Topsham. She d. in Upper Stillwater, Maine, Mch. 11, 1860, aged 91 years less one week. The date and place of his death are both unknown. Ch. were : - Samuel Deane, b. Aug. 17, 1791, sailed from Bath in 1810,
53
834
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
entered British navy and was never heard from; Mary, b. April 9, 1793, in. Charles White in 1839, d. Oct. 26, 1856; Bethiah, b. Feb. 24, 1795, m. in 1:21 to Chas. White, d. Dec. 20, 1836; John, b. Feb. 10, 1797, sailed from Boston, Oct. 2, 1815, and was never heard from; Daniel, b. Feb. 9, 1799, m. in 1826 to Susan D. Hilton, d. Sept. 8, 1841; William, b. April 14, 1801, m. in 1825 to Miranda Potter; Asher, b. June 4, 1803, m. in 1836 to Clarissa Shep- herd, lives in Brunswick; Almira, b. Oct. 30, 1805, m. in 1826, to James Pray, d. in 1855; Benjamin, b. Sept. 21, 1807, lost at sea, Sept. 2, 1830; Robert Fulton, b. Oct. 16, 1809, m. in 1839 to Mary Child, d. July 24, 1854.
FARR.
The earliest member of this family to whom we have found any reference was THOMAS FARR, who was in Harpswell before the Revolution. Whether his ancestors resided there before him or not, we have no knowledge. Hem. a dau. of John Bray and had ch. : - Michael, b. 1760; John, b. 1762; Thomas, b. 1764; Elizabeth, b. 1766; Isaac, b. '1770; Jenny, b. 1772; Noah, b. 1774; Henry, h. 1776; Loraney, b. 1780; Mary, b. 1784.
FARRIN OR FERRIN.
The father of the first settler of this name in Brunswick was born in Ire- land. He came to this country from Dublin, and settled in Ipswich, Mass.
JOHN FARRIN, son of the above, and ancestor of all of the name in this vicinity, was b. in Ipswich. He m. Hannah Newman, of Lynn, Mass. Soon after his marriage he went to Mystic, where he taught school for abont six years. About 1755 he moved to Brunswick, where he taught school for many years.
Ch. were : - William, b. Aug. 24, 1758; Richard, b. Oct. 9, 1760; Winthrop, h. Feb. 27, 1763; Ebenezer, b. Nov. 23, 1764: David, b. Feb. 8, 1767.
FULTON.
Gowen Fulton, with his wife and one child, came into this country with Actor Patten and family, about the year 1730. He lived in Coleraine, the mar- ket town of Derry County, Ireland, and was a journeyman weaver of linen. His wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Caswell, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where she lived until she was twelve years of age, then went over to Ireland and lived with Actor Patten till she married.
They first landed in Boston, and after living in several places they moved to Topsham about the year 1750, and settled in the eastern part of the town. He was the ancestor of all of the name, in this vicinity, at least. He lived to be 96 years of age, and died about 1791. His wife died fourteen or fifteen years previous. Both were buried ou their farm.
He had ch. : - John, b. in Ireland, m. Hannah Maxwell, of Scarboro', lived and d. in Topsham; James, b. in Scarboro', June 2, 1732, m. in 1764 Mary Fer- gnson, of Easton, Mass. (she b. Mch. 9, 1788). He d. Feb. 4, 1820. He was the first representative from Topsham to the General Court; Robert, b. Mch. 27, 1745, m. in 1764 Sarah Patten. He d. Jan. 13, 1777.
835
FAMILY HISTORIES.
GATCHELL OR GETCHELL.
This family is said to be of Welsh origin.
CAPT. JOHN GETCHELL (see Biog. ) came to Brunswick from Spurwink about the year 1736. He m. Ist, Elizabeth -, and had ch. : - Abigail, b. in Brunswick, May 10, 1737 ; William, b. Sept. 6, 1740. Hem. 2d, Mary -, and had ch. : - Dorcas, b. Feb. 25, 1743; Samuel, b. Aug. 15, 1745 ; John, b. Dec. 3, 1748; Mary, b. March 23, 1750; Hugh, b. Dec. 26, 1752; Robert, b. Sept. 21, 1754; Jude, b. Aug. 18, 1756; Susanna, b. June 21, 1757; Nathaniel, b. May 14, 1759. He is said to have been the ancestor of all of the name now resid- ing in this vicinity.
MOSES GETCHELL was a settler on Harpswell Neck in 1731. What relation he was, if any, to Capt. John Getchell is not known, and no record of liis children has been found.
GIVEEN OR GIVEN.
DAVID GIVEEN, the ancestor of all of the name in this vicinity, with his wife and three sons came from Coleraine, county of Londonderry, Ireland. He came to Brunswick about 1719. He first settled at Mair Point. In 1730 he applied to the Pejepscot proprietors for land on the Maquoit road for his son David and his sons-in-law Samuel Clapp and James Campbell. In his petition to the proprietors, he signed his name Giveen, and some of his descendants still spell it so, while others spell the word with but one e.
In 1735 he purchased three hundred acres of land at Middle Bay, for forty- eight dollars, and soon after moved there.' He was held in considerable esteem, and was a deacon of the old Presbyterian Church. The name of his wife is not known, nor the date of his or her death. Ch. were : - David, who moved to Sheepscot; John and Robert, twins; Martha, m. Samuel Clarke ; Jane, m. Hugh White, who was afterwards drowned in Middle Bay. She afterwards m. Dr. William Spear; a dau. who m. James Campbell; a dau .? who m. Samuel Clapp.
GOWER.
ROBERT GOWER came to Topsham from Kent, England, about the year 1766. He m. Ist, Margaret, a sister of Robert Alexander. He m. 2d, Mary Henry, a sister of James Wilson's wife, Ann. His intention of marriage to Mary, dau. of James Henry, " ye Cooper," was recorded Nov. 17, 1770. He removed to Farmington, Me., of which town he was one of the first settlers, and where he d. Ch. by first wife were : - Edward, b. Feb. 12, 1761; William, b. Nov. 30, 1762. By second wife : - James, b. Feb. 2, 1772; John, who afterwards lived in Industry, Me .; Samuel, who lived in Waterville, Me .; George, who lived in New Sharon, Me.
GRAVES OR GREAVES.
Four brothers of this name came to Topsham at different dates, but about the year 1762. They came from Falmouthi. In the latter part of the seven- teenth century JOHN GRAVES removed from Kittery to Falmouth, and m.
' Pejepscot Papers.
2 McKeen, MS. Lecture.
836
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
Martha, dan. of Michael Mitton. The Topsham families are probably descended from him, though the connection has not been traced.
JOHNSON GRAVES was b. Feb., 1732. He m. 1st, in Falmouth, Sarah, a sister of Stephen and Samuel Staples. He m. 2d, June 23, 1803, Mrs. Susanna [Hobbs] Staples, formerly of Falmouth. He d. Jan. 18, 1824. Ch. by 1st wf. were : - Daniel, who d. in Falmouth in infancy ; Elizabeth, b. April 19, 1759 or 1760; John, b. in Falmouth July 4, 1762; William, b. in Topsham, Aug. 4, 1765; Crispus, b. Oct. 20, 1767.
JOHN GRAVES, a brother of Johnson, m. in 1769, Sarah Boynton, of Fal- mouth. They were published April 10, and the certificate of marriage was recorded Aug. 29. Children were : - Daniel, b. June 16, 1770; Sarah, b. Oct. 12, 1771; Johnston, b. Feb. 21, 1774; Elizabeth, b. Jan. 18, 1778; John, b. September 26, 1780, m. Margaret Gray; Esther, b. Mch. 24, 1788; Levi, b. Nov. 10, 1790.
SAMUEL GRAVES, a brother of John and Johnston, had his intention of mar- riage to Mary Gooding, of Topsham, recorded Nov. 29, 1770. He was one of the selectmen in 1773. He d. Aug. 23, 1792. Children were : - Ebenezer, b. Ang. 21, 1775, d. Aug. 14, 1832; Jacob ; Thomas ; Jabez, supposed to have m. in New Brunswick; Susan, who m. Joseph Jack, of Bowdoinham; Molly, who m. Ephraim Marriner; Ann, who m. Isaac Jaquis, of Bowdoin.
Of JOSEPH GRAVES, a brother of Johnston, John, and Samuel, nothing is known except that he was one of the selectmen in 1770, and was a grantee, with Samuel, of half of 1,000 acres to be laid out near and convenient to the two branches of the western stream of Cathance River. The deed was recorded Mch. 16, 1758.
GRAFFAM.
JACOB GRAFFAM, who was among the carly settlers of Brunswick, is the first of the name of whom we find any record. His wife's name was Mary. Ch. were : - Mary, b. Dec. 2, 1735; Joseph, b. Feb. 14, 1738 ; Rebecca, b. July 8, 1741.
HALEY.
PELATIAH HALEY (see Biog.) was b. in Kittery, Oct 8, 1740 He m. Eliza- abeth Lewis, who was h. April 9, 1743, and d. Feb. 19, 1836. They came to Topsham in May, 1761. He d. in Topsham, Oct. 29, 1819. Ch. were : - Pela- tiah ; Susannah, m. Lemnel Thompson, Sept. 27, 1792; Elizabeth, m. Andrew Whitehouse, April 3, 1795; Mary, m. David Alexander, Nov. 30, 1800; John, 1. Nancy Higgins, Sept. 1827, and d., without issue, Oct. 23, 1832.
JOSEPH HALEY, probably a brother of Pelatiah, was b. in Kittery in 1738. He m. Mary, sister of Samuel Goodwin, of Wells. He lived on the fifty-acre lot which was conveyed to John Merrill by the proprietors, Aug. 5, 1768. It was near the first or " old yellow " Baptist Meeting-House, which was built in great part by him. He was one of the signers of a remonstrance by the " fathers " of the town protesting against unequal taxes for the support of the minister and for other town charges. which bears date May 4, 1768. He d. in Topsham, May, 1800. Ch. were : - Susannah; Joseph, moved to Lewis- ton: Mary, m a Goodwin, of Wells; JJoshua, moved to Lisbon; John, b. in 1777; Samuel, moved to Lewiston; Moses, a joiner, moved to Bath.
837
FAMILY HISTORIES.
JOSEPH HALEY was b. - -. He m. Esther Towns, of Kennebunk. This Joseph is a different person from the preceding one. He was a clothier, and was often called " Fuller" Haley, on account of his occupation and to dis- tinguish him from his namesake. He is recorded as a grantee, for £14, of a two-acre lot on the road from Jolin Dunlap's, on Aug. 18, 1790.1 He d. Sept. 29, 1832. Ch. were : - John, b. May 4, 1777, m. a Milliken, of Scarboro'; Olice, b. Jan. 22. 1779, m. May 19, 1796, to Obed Burnham; Jesse, b. Sept. 8, 1780, never married; Susannah, b. Oct. 8, 1783, m. David Foster; Surah. b. July 22, 1784, m. Actor Wilson; Joseph, b. Dec. 6, 1785. m. a Towns, of Ken- nebunk; Esther b. May 6, 1787, m. Timothy Foster; Rebecca, b. Dec. 1, 1788, d. single ; James, b. Oct. 26, 1790, mn. Lois Durell, of Woodstock; Abigail, b. Ang. 2, 1793, d. single; Abner, b. Mch. 30, 1795; Ruth, b. Nov. 4, 1796, d. single.
HALL.
JOHN HALL Was b. in England in 1617. Came to America about 1633. His son JOHN was owner in 1652 of a lot of land in Dover, N. H., and afterwards bought numerous other lots in the same town. He was quite prominent in town affairs for a number of years.
HATEVIL HALL, son of John, of Dover, lived in Dover; had but one ch., Hatevil.
HATEVIL HALL, son of Hatevil, m. Sarah Furbish, of Kittery, April 1, 1733. Settled in Dover. Removed to Falmouth (now Portland) in 1753. He was a large land-owner in that place, and in Windham. He was a Quaker. He d. Nov. 28. 1797, aged 90 years, and leaving four hundred and seventy-five descendants. He lived to see some of his posterity of the fifth generation. His wife d. Mch. 2, 1790. He had ten sons and three dau., all married. Of these children PAUL was the eighth son. He was b. in Falmouth, Dec. 15, 1755. He m. Jan. 27, 1782, Sarah Neal. Moved to Brunswick previous to 1798. He d. April, 1841. His descendants are numerous, and many of them are living in this vicinity at the present time (Biog.).
HAM.
TOBIAS HAM, the ancestor of all of the name in this vicinity, was a son of John Ham, of Newington, N. H., whose father was born in the Isle of Man, and emigrated from England to Portsmouth, N. H., with the first settlers. Tobias came to Brunswick in 1740, and settled at New Meadows, and erected his house on what has since been known as Ham's Hill. He was a tanner and shoemaker as well as farmer. His tan-pits were in the low land, east of his house. It is related of him that as he was going to his tan-pits one morn- ing before sunrise he discovered, by his dog's peculiar growl, that Indians were in ambush among the cedars near the pits. He therefore walked back- wards to the house with his gin pointed toward the cedars. The Indians dared not fire, for it would have been certain death to them had they missed him, as " Old Long Gun," as they called him, was a dead shot they well knew. He m. Abigail Smith, whose father lived on Lines' Island, in the Kennebec.
1 Lincoln County Registry Deeds, Vol. 39, p. 3.
838
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHIEM, AND HARPSWELL.
Cl. were : - Benjamin, b. June 2, 1742, settled in Bath ; John, b. Sept. 1, 1744, settled in Bath ; Joseph, b. Dec. 30, 1746, settled on the homestead ; Judith, b. April 18, 1749, m. a Mr. Arno; Tobias and Thomas, twins, b. July 2, 1751, settled in Lisbon; Nathaniel, b. Feb. 17, 1756, settled on the homestead ; another son, Reuben, whose birthi is not recorded, settled either in Lisbon or Wales.
HARMON.
COL. JOHNSON HARMON came from York or its immediate vicinity and set- tled in Harpswell in 1727. Reference has already been made to his military services and exploits, and but little else is known concerning him. He m. Mary, dau. of Jeremiah Moulton, of York. Cl. were : - Zebulon, b. Nov. 2, 1702; Mary, b. Mch. 28, 1704, mn. Lieut. Richard Jaques ; Miriam, b. July 7, 1707; Johnson, b. July 2, 1710; Joseph, b. Mch. 1, 1712; Hannah, b. Feb. 19, 1715; Martha, b. April 13, 1720. He was the ancestor of many, if not of all, the Harmons of this vicinity.
HENRY.
JAMES HENRY came from Providence, R. I., about 1761 or 1762, to Harps- well, where he intended to reside; but having been disappointed in the pur- chase of a tract of land he had contemplated buying, he soon removed to. Topsham, to the lot, probably, that he bought of Adam and James Hunter. For some years before coming to Topsham he had been a farmer; before that he had been a mariner, but he experienced so many disasters and encountered so many dangers, that he abandoned the sea. He was called "the cooper," but was not, it is said, a cooper by trade, but he acquired the appellation from the fact that his early sea-faring life had made him somewhat familiar with that business. He was one of the selectmen of Topsham in 1766 and in 1769. He m. a McNess. She was the sister of Col. Samuel Winchell's wife, and came to this country when eighteen years of age. It was two years subsequent to the time of her parents' arrival. It is believed that there was no other family of Henrys in this section of the State.' Ch. were :- James, who was probably m. Feb. 15, 1776, to Mercy Beveridge; Mary, m. Jan. 17, 1771, to Robert Gower; Ann, b. in 1748, m. James Wilson; Betty, mn. July 28, 1776, to Stephen Titcomb; Jennett, b. Sept. 25, 1751, m. Joseph Berry; Sarah, m. a Sewall, of Bath.
HINCKLEY OR HINKLEY.
This name, variously spelt HINCHELIE, HYNCKELEY, HINGEL, HYNKELEY, HINCKELEY, HYNEKELE, HINKLEY, was an ancient one before the Conquest. At the grand survey, begun by direction of William the Conqueror 1080, and completed 108G, Hinckley was returned a part of the possessions of Comns Albericus (Aubrey de Vere), Lord High Chamberlain. Soon after it became the property of Hugo de Grentsmainell, and was called the Honour or Barony of Hinckley. In 1303, Simon de Hynkley was vicar at Hinckley.
SAMUEL HINCKLEY, said to be the ancestor of all of the name in the United States, came from Tenterden, Kent, England, with his wife Sarah and four children, in March, 1634. He landed in Boston on Sept. 18, and settled in Scituate that same year. He was one of the associates of Rev. Mr. Lothrop.
1 Woodman, MS. Ilist.
839
FAMILY HISTORIES.
He moved with his family to Barnstable in 1639. His wife Sarah d. Aug. 18, 1636. He m. for his second wife, Bridget Bodfish, Dec. 15, 1657. He d. at Barnstable, Mass., Oct. 31, 1662. His will was dated Oct. 8, 1662. He left the use of his house and garden, and some land, to his wife Bridget, dur- ing her widowhood, and also gave her " all the household stuff she brought with her," and his two cows " Prosper " and " Thrivewell," but his landed property, and the rest of his live stock, which was considerable, he divided chiefly among his sons. He left to each of his daughters, and to each of their ch. the nominal sum of one shilling, by which it is presumed the daughters were all married and well provided for. He bequeathed some of his live stock to his grandchildren, sons of Thomas and Samuel, and to Mary and Bathsheba, daughters of Thomas, and to Henry Cobb's sons, Samuel and Jonathan. In Freeman's History of Cape Cod. Samuel Hinkley is described as having been a very prominent man in public affairs.
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