USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 52
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
Of the children of Jacob and Content Hamblen, there is no record. They had two sons, Joseph and Daniel: Tabitha, who married Samuel Crockett, Jr., of Gorham (pub. Feb. 2, 1771), is believed to have been their daughter.
Mrs. Content Hamblen, the widow of Jacob, married, Mar. 1, 1780, Mr. James Miller, from Cape Elizabeth. She lived with her husband, Miller, in a house which stood in the Alexander McLellan garden, directly back of what is now the Joseph Ridlon store. In an old record, kept by the Rev. Caleb Jewett, we find that " Mr. Miller died
534
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
May 16, 1787." After his death Mrs. Miller lived alone in her house for several years, and was held as a fortune teller. She was often visited by the young people to learn their future destiny. Of her decease there is no record, but we conclude that she died about the year 1790, certainly before 1800.
Soon after Mrs. Miller's death, the old house was torn down, leav- ing the cellar open. Old Mr. Trundy, who lived in Buxton, came to meeting one Sunday, making his horse fast to a post near by. The old horse became frightened, and in his struggles broke his fastening and went over backwards into the cellar, where he remained till meeting was over, and he was found by his owner. As Trundy was a quaint, queer old character, his talk to his horse and efforts to get him out afforded much amusement to the boys. When he came out of the meeting-house, and discovered his animal looking out over the cellar wall, a similarity between his situation and that of the Rev. Minister looking out over his pulpit, seemed to strike the old man. He walked up to his head and addressed him : " Faith, and old horse, you have got a pulpit of y'r own, but to my mind it's not half so fine as Parson Jewett's and yer can't preach half the sermon he can, and yer had better get out of that before the tithing-man gets after yer." (The pulpit in the old church in those days was thought to be a fine affair and a nice piece of workmanship, with the big sounding board hanging overhead.) After procuring ropes, and throwing in a part of the wall, by the aid of the men and the pulling back of the boys, the horse was extricated from his pulpit, much to the satisfaction of his owner.I
(2) Joseph Hamblen, son of Jacob and Content, was probably born in Barnstable. He was married by the Rev. Solomon Lombard in October, 1755, to Hannah, daughter of Nathaniel and Hannah Whitney. Children :
Jacob, b. Aug. 6, 1756, m. Elizabeth Watson, p. Oct. 4, 1777. Esther, b. June 30, 1758, m. Joseph Roberts of Cape Elizabeth, Nov. 28, 1777. Sarah, b. Dec. 7, 1759, m. Edmund Phinney, Mar. 26, 1780.
Joseph, b. June 10, 1763, m. Polly Frost, Dec. 18, 1788.
Joseph Hamblen lived on the hundred acre lot 42, below the village, through a part of which the Gray road now passes. His house was . I The Mr. Trundy mentioned here was a sea-faring man. He lived in Buxton, hut con- stantly attended church at Gorham village, riding on horseback, with his wife behind him on a pillion. There were no wagons or carriages in town at that time. Mr. Trundy was a native of Cape Cod, but when quite young moved to Cape Elizabeth. He followed fishing, coasting, and making voyages to the West Indies, till quite along in ycars, when he moved to Buxton, The Cape rocks which lie ahout two miles and one-fourth south of Portland Head Lighthouse, known as Trundy's Reef, are supposed to have been named from him.
535
GENEALOGY.
on the high land over the brook, on the northerly side of the lot, near Queen street. It was near the route usually traveled by the early settlers through the woods in going from the fort to Falmouth. The Hamblen brook at that time was much more of a stream than now, and was spanned by a footbridge made of a log. It is said that once, when one of the setlers was crossing this bridge with his gun on his shoulder, he was fired upon by an Indian lying in ambush ; he was not hit, but knowing his danger, immediately fell as if shot, when the Indian came running to secure his scalp. That Indian never returned to his tribe.
Mr. Hamblen died when comparatively a young man, June 17, 1763. His widow Hannah, married, June 27, 1765, Moses Fowler of Falmouth, and third, Apr. 21, 1804, Dea. Andrew Cobb of Gor- ham, and died in Limington, Feb. 10, 1820, aged 83.
(2) Daniel Hamblen, son of Jacob and Content, lived previous to the year 1779, on the thirty acre lot 16, either in the house of his father, or in one near by. Probably his house was just back of the spot where R. G. Harding's store lately stood, and a part of it was used by Cary McLellan in building the old tavern house, which with some additions constituted the Harding store. At the decease of his father, his mother, Content Hamblen, had a right in this estate, either by dower or by will, and when Daniel exchanged farms with Cary McLellan, Apr. 5, 1779, he reserved to her all her rights in and to the two lots and the buildings during her lifetime. He also made a reserve of the land occupied by the town as a burying-ground, one acre, beginning at the southeasterly corner of the orchard, and run- ning southerly twenty rods, eight rods wide. He exchanged farms with Cary Mclellan because he thought the land of the latter was easier to cultivate, and more productive than the land of his father's old farm at the village, and for many years believed he had made the best trade. He always boasted that one bushel of corn cost Cary more than two did him. At that time there were but few men that had any way of living except by their crops. Mr. Hamblen moved to the one hundred acre lot No. 1, which he had of Mclellan, where he lived for many years in the house built by Cary Mclellan in 1767. He died in a fit, supposed to have been heart disease, in Samuel Edwards's wood lot, while felling a tree in the year 1805. His wife survived him and lived with her daughter Mrs. Rebecca Frost, in the same house, and died Feb. 9, 1812, at the age of 73. Samuel Frost and his wife continued to occupy the old Hamblen house till their death, when the property went out of the family.
536
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
The mysterious well found a few years since under the sidewalk in the village was the same used in early times by the Hamblen family, and by an old lady known as Grandmother Cole, whose house stood in the road near the brick store owned by Lewis Mclellan.
Daniel Hamblen married Dilla Pettengill, about the year 1761. Children :
Ruth, b. Jan. 24, 1763, m. Nathaniel Lombard, June 7, 1783.
Rebecca, b. Mar. 13, 1765, m. Samuel Frost, Apr. 5, 1792.
Abigail, b. - -, 1767, m. Stephen Larry, Nov. 29, 1788.
Hannah, b. Mar. 22, 1770, m. Jeremiah Jones, Aug. 26, 1798; was the grand- mother of the sculptors Paul and Charles Akers.
Dilla, b. June 30, 1776, m. Stephen Edwards, Oct. 4, 1798.
Betsey, b. - -, m. Chandler Oakes of Canaan.
(3) Jacob Hamblen, son of Joseph and Hannah, married Elizabeth, daughter of Dea. Eliphalet Watson, and lived on the hundred acre lot 42, the same owned by his father, and recently by Wm. Johnson who came to Gorham from Cornish. Jacob Hamblen built the two-storied house now standing on the farm. He was not much in public busi- ness; he was an honest man, a successful farmer, and a good citizen. He died Oct. 15, 1826, at the age of 70. His wife died Sept. 7, 1838, aged 81. Their children were :
Content, b. Jan. 5, 1779, m. Nathaniel Frost, Jr., Apr. 4, 1802.
Eliphalet, b. Feb. 17, 1781, m. Eliza Edgley of Buxton.
Mercy, b. July 8, 1783, m. Benjamin Frost, Aug. 25, 1810.
Joseph, b. Apr. 25, 1785, m. Mary Burton, p. July 18, 1812; 2d, Eliza Elder, May 21, 1844.
Martha, b. May 6, 1787, m. John Bradbury, Dec. 2, 1821.
James, b. May 1, 1789, m. Lucretia Carsley, of Scarborough.
Jacob, b. Nov. 19, 1792, m. Sarah Hopkinson, Mar. 26, 1817.
Eliza, b. Apr. 19, 1796, m. Moses Hopkinson, Mar. 6, 1821.
(3) Joseph Hamblen, son of Joseph and Hannah, married Polly, daughter of David Frost. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked many years at the business at Gorham village. His shop stood near where Mr. Benson's house now stands. His house was a little easterly from his shop, near where the late Stephen Hinkley, Jr., lived. The Hinkley house was then called the Dr. Bowman house. Mr. Hamblen's old house now stands above the Seminary, and is owned and occupied by Mrs. Eli Clay. After he gave up business at the village he moved to his farm at Fort Hill which he bought in 1805 of James Phinney. His homestead was the thirty-acre lot No. 4, the same which was first taken up by Daniel Mosher about the year 1739. Here Mr. Hamhlen brought up a large family, and by industry and prudence became quite wealthy. Mr. Hamblen died on his farm Oct. 21, 1832, aged 69. His wife survived him many years, and died March 8, 1860, at the good old age of 93, much respected and esteemed by all who knew her. Children :
537
GENEALOGY.
Cyrus, b. Oct. 5, 1789, m. Betsey Freeman, June 13, 1816; 2d, Martha Thomes. Charles, b. Sept. 19, 1791, m. Susan Cotton, May 25, 1817.
Sarah, b. July 7, 1793, m. John Freeman, Oct. 20, 1816.
Nathaniel, b. Nov. 8, 1794, m. Sally Shane, Nov. 6, 1826.
Mary, b. Sept. 7, 1796, m. Thomas Johnson, Nov. 28, 1814.
Isaac, b. Sept. 6, 1798, m. Martha Phinney, Oct. 27, 1825 ; 2d, Temperance Sturgis, of Danville, 1842 ; moved to Ill. and died in the West.
Joseph F., b. Nov. 26, 1800, m. Phebe Libby, June 14, 1827; was a sailor; d. Sept. 18, 1831 ; his widow m. Thomas Davis.
Levi, b. Apr. 12, 1803, m. and lived in Oldtown.
Hannah, b. July 15, 1805, d. unm. Sept. 13, 1877.
Sabrina, b. July 7, 1809. m. John Lewis, Jan. 26, 1833.
Eleanor, b. 1812, d. Aug. 14, 1814.
(4) Joseph Hamblen, son of Jacob and Elizabeth, owned and occupied the homestead after the decease of his father: he was a prominent citizen, and held several offices in town, and represented the town in the Legislature. He married Mary, daughter of William and Mary Burton. Children :
Sewall, b. May 17, 1816, d. Mar. 21, 1846.
Esther R., b. May 26, 1818, m. William M. Harding, July 1, 1844.
Arthur M., b. July 12, 1820, d. Dec. 13, 1845.
Martha B., b. Nov. 4, 1822, m. Marshall H. Woodman, Dec. 4, 1844 ; d. May 13, 1848.
Mary E., b. July 20, 1826, d. May 30, 1845.
Emeline L., b. Sept. 11, 1828, d. Nov. 6, 1840.
Mrs. Mary Hamblen died April 26, 1843, aged 49, and Mr. Hamblen married May 21, 1844, Eliza (Thomas) Elder, daughter of William and Anna Thomas, and widow of John Elder, by whom he had one child Mary, born April 8, 1845. Mr. Hamblen died Jan. 30, 1849, aged 64, and his widow Eliza married, in 1851, William Frost of Norway. She died Aug. 22, 1851, aged 48.
(4) Jacob Hamblen, son of Jacob, lived in Buxton just over the Gorham line, on the farm now owned by John McLellan. He was a farmer, an honest man, well-to-do in the world. He married Sarah Hopkinson, and had a family of sons and daughters. One of the sons lives in Portland, James H. Hamlen,' of the firm of Hamlen and Son. Another son, Frank A., lived for a time on State St., in Gorham village. Mr. Hamblen died Dec. 18, 1874, aged 82. His wife Sarah died in Gorham, at the house of, her son Frank, Dec. 3, 1893, aged 96.
(4) Cyrus Hamblen, son of Joseph, married Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Freeman. Children :
Joseph F., b. May 6, 1817, m. Temperance Sturgis of Danville; 2d, - - Hall; is a clergyman ; 1's in the West.
Mary, b. June 7, 1820, m. Daniel Clay of Buxton, 1840. .
I We find the name variously.written by the several branches of the Hamblen family, as Hamblen, Hamblin, Hamlen, Hamlin and Hambling.
538
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hamblen died Nov. 30, 1844, aged 52. Mr. Hamblen married, April 29, 1846, Martha B., daughter of Charles and Anna Thomes. He died Dec. 25, 1853, aged 64, and his wife Martha Feb. 13, 1872, aged 77.
(4) Nathaniel Hamblen, son of Joseph, lived on his father's farm, which is now owned by his son Archelaus L. Hamblen. He married
. Sally H. Shane. Their children were :
Cyrus, b. Jan. 23, 1827, d. Dec. 27, 1895.
Levi, b. June 30, 1828, m. Sarah Carll of Buxton, July 8, 1855. Ch : George, is dead; Maria C .; Lewis, m. Jessie Belknap; Lillian G. m. Chas. Elkins; Henry S., d. Apr. 1, 1897, ag. 28. Mr. Hamblen lived on the Daniel Hanscom place opposite to where Chas. A. Brackett now I's. He d. Feb. 8, 1871, and his wife d. Jan. 14, 1896, ag. 61.
Archelaus L., b. Aug. 31, 1831, m. Harriet E. Carll, sister to his brother Levi's wife, Jan. 29, 1865. Ch : Ida M., b. Jan. 21, 1866, m. Frank H. Rumery, May 7, 1890 ; Fred L., b. July 10, 1868, m. Mary E. Blake, Dec. 24, 1892 ; Sarah M., b. Dec. 23, 1871, m. William Howe; Eva C., b. Apr. 15, 1882. Mrs. Hamblen d. Nov. 1, 1889, ag. 47.
Maria L., b. Nov. 13, 1836, m. Leonard Roberts, Jan. 1, 1857.
Nathaniel Hamblen died May 7, 1867, aged 73 ; his wife died May 6, 1880, aged 80.
In the old burial-ground at Gorham village there is a stone with the following inscription :
Here lies the body of Hannah Hamblen wife of Gershom Hamblen of Barnstable who died April 14th 1797 Aged 77 years
Ebenezer Hamblen who was born May 12, 1683, was the son of John, and the grandson of James and Anna, the first settlers of the name in Barnstable. He married, May 11, 1710, his cousin, Thankful Hamblen, who was born, Aug. 24, 1689, and who was the daughter of Israel, and half sister of Jacob, who settled in Gorham. He died in 1736, at the age of 53. In his will he names his wife Thankful, sons Gershom, Ebenezer, Timothy, Nathan, Daniel and Samuel, and daughters Elizabeth, Dorcas, and Thankful Bangs. His widow Thankful died Jan. 15, 1768, aged 78.
Gershom, the aforesaid son of Ebenezer, and husband of Hannah, from whose monument we have copied, was born July 19, 1713. He was a shoemaker and fisherman. He served four campaigns in the old French and Indian wars - one for himself, and one for each of his sons. He was married in Barnstable, Aug. 9, 1739, by the Rev. Mr. Green to Hannah Almony. They had five children born in Barnstable, four of whom are there recorded :
539
GENEALOGY.
Martha, b. May 11, 1740, m. James Phinney, Jan. 12, 1763.
Timothy,1 b. Jan. 3, 1742/3, m. Anna Harding, Sept. 14, 1769.
Gershom, b. Sept. 16, 1745, m. Deborah Jenkins, p. Der. 17, 1774.
George, b. Feb. 3, 1749/50, m. Sarah Rich, Dec. 20, 1773.
Hannah, b. Mar. 22, 1753, m. Decker Phinney, Dec. 30, 1773.
Gershom Hamblen, the father, died, probably of small pox, in Barnstable, about 1756. About the year 1763, Mrs. Hamblen moved with her family to Gorham. They came from Barnstable in a sail boat, and sailed up the Presumpscot river. It is said that the family made their first settlement near the foot of Fort Hill, on the road leading to West Gorham, on the thirty acre lot 34, west of what is now the Motley farm. The house in which they lived was the same which was afterwards hauled by Gershom Hamblen across the fields to his farm on the Gray road.
(2) Timothy Hamblen, the second child of Gershom and Hannah, purchased in 1765 the thirty acre lot 121 ; but made his first settle- ment on the northerly half of the hundred acre lot 92, which he purchased of Mr. Ross of Portland in 1767. This lot he sold to Mr. Rich ; afterwards it was owned by Robert R. Johnson, afterwards occupied by Wm. S. Brown, and is now owned by Charles Rolfe ; it is situated on the road leading from Fort Hill to West Gorham. When he sold the lot, No. 92, to Rich, he purchased of him, probably in exchange, the thirty acre lot No. 63, which joined his other lot, and built his house on the hill above the bridge, on the westerly side of the road on No. 121. In this house, it is said, was the second plastered room in town. The old house was taken down, about the year 1850, by Jacob C. Baker, Esq. About the time Mr. Hamblen built his house he purchased the northerly half of the mill privilege at the bridge, where he built a saw mill and a grist mill. On the hill near his house Mr. Hamblen built a store where he did quite an extensive business. The road passing his store was then the only road to the Pequawket country and the White Mountains. He was much engaged in the lumber business, and was a smart, energetic man. He married Anna, daughter of John and Thankful Harding. Children :
Martha, b. July 17, 1770, d. unm. June 10, 1787.
Esther, b. July 22, 1772, m. Nathaniel Frost, Feb. 16, 1797.
Enoch, b. June 7, 1773, m. Happy Whitney, June 6, 1802.
Timothy, b. Jan. 18, 1775, m. Pomley ; I'd in New Portland ; d. May 15, 1857, and is buried in Gorham.
Nicholas, b. June 29, 1777, m. - Cates ; 2d, - Rich. Gershom, b. Jan. 22, 1779, m. Lydia Freeman, Sept. 12, 1802; I'd in New Portland.
I Erroneously recorded " Enoch."
540
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
John, b. Feb. 21, 1781, m. Olive Murch, March, 1806.
Anna, b. Jan. 16, 1783, m. Benjamin Skillings, Mar. 14, 1804. Allen, b. Dec. 14, 1784, d. May 10, 1806.
Timothy Hamblen died suddenly at New Portland while on a visit to his son Timothy, and while aiding him in putting up buildings on his farm, June 4, 1805, at the age of 63. His wife Anna died in Gorham at the house of her son John, July 9, 1820, at about the age of 73.
(2) Gershom Hamblen, the third child of Gershom and Hannah, settled on a piece of what was called common land, near and adjoin- ing Little river. (The common lands were gores and other pieces of land that were left after lotting the town into one hundred and twenty-two thirty acre lots, one hundred and twenty-two one hundred acre lots, and one hundred and twenty-two seventy acre lots. One of each of these lots constituted a proprietor's share of two hundred acres.) Mr. Hamblen's farm contained about sixty acres of excel- lent land. It is the same, or a part of that, now owned and occupied by William Cloudman, whose house is the old Hamblen house which stood when Gershom owned it and for many years afterwards on the low ground about forty rods northerly from the place where Albert Hamblen lives. This old house dates far back in the history of the town. It was built by the Hamblen family (Hannah Almory Hamblen) on the land owned by them on the road from Fort Hill to West Gorham, probably soon after their settlement in town (1763), and was hauled by Gershom from thence to his farm near Little river. Any one examining into the topography of the country between the two points would at once say that it was a job that would not pay, and no sane man of the present generation would undertake it ; but the thing was done, and the old house still makes a respectable habitation. When this hauling took place, cold water was not considered a respectable drink to be used on such an occa- sion. Gershom's farm was separated from that of his brother George by the two rod road, the same being the old road to Horse Beef Falls that was used before the Gray road was made. In April, 1797, Gershom sold his farm to Almery, the son of his brother George, and with his family moved to Limington, where he purchased a large tract of land on the western side of Saco river, where he and his wife lived and died : they were buried side by side, with other mem- bers of the family, near what is called the Wheelwright place.
Gershom Hamblen married Deborah, daughter of Samuel and Mary Jenkins, by whom he had nine children, probably all born in Gorham. They were :
-
541
GENEALOGY.
Hannah, b. Nov. 14, 1775, m. Joab Black.
Elizabeth, b. Mar. 12, 1778, m. Daniel Mann. (2d wife.)
Ebenezer, b. July 9, 1780, ; soldier in War of 1812; d. unm. in Canada while in the service of his country.
Jacob, b. May 4, 1783, 1 m. Hannah Whitmore.
Samuel,
m. Jane Small, Nov. 24, 1808 ; 2d, Mrs. Susan Usher, Mar. 18, 1838.
Daniel, b. Dec. 7, 1785, m. Mary Clark.
Mary, b. June 18, 1788, d. unm.
Ichabod, not recorded, m. Lydia Fickett ; d. in Lovell about 1874.
Statira, not recorded, m. Andrew Hobson, then of Buxton.
Of these children of Gershom and Deborah, Daniel, the fourth son, who married Mary Clark, daughter of Ebenezer Clark of Lim- ington, died Aug. 27, 1841, aged 56; his wife Mary died in Lovell (to which town the.family had removed), March 27, 1845, aged 59. Their children were : Julianna, Ebenezer, Henry, Moses, Andrew and Daniel. Hannah, who married Joab Black had seven children, Elizabeth four, Samuel seven, Jacob ten (all by his first wife), Icha- bod ten, and Statira five.
(2) George Hamblen, fourth child of Gershom and Hannah, came with the other members of the family to Gorham. We put the date of their arrival at about 1763. Of the precise date we are not certain, but Martha married James Phinney in that year, and she was mar- ried as of Gorham. Consequently George was then thirteen years old. Before he left Barnstable, he served awhile to learn the painter and glazier's trade, which business he followed in Gorham when not engaged in his farming operations. He lived with his mother on the lot near Fort Hill about ten years after his marriage. Dec. 5, 1772, he purchased of John Cotton by deed a part of the hundred acre lot 78. This land was adjoining to the lot owned by his brother Timo- thy, and near to his mother's residence ; but it does not appear that he ever settled on this land. He married Sarah, daughter of Lemuel Rich. The marriage ceremony was performed by William Gorham, Justice of the Peace. He purchased of Cary Mclellan and Decker Phinney, by deed dated Jan. 30, 1783, the one hundred acre lot 50, near Little river, where he built a log house and commenced farm- ing. In this deed he is styled a "glazier." The same farm is now owned by Albert M. Hamblen, the great-grandson of George. When he moved on to his new farm his son Joseph was an infant about three weeks old. He took his mother with him, where she died at the time stated on the monument in the old cemetery. She was of Scotch descent, and was a woman of strong mind and great energy, and by her counsel and example endeavored to bring up her children to be good citizens and honest people, and we think by the record we
ad
in
542
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
are enabled to show of them, that her care and attention were not lost. Mrs. Hamblen's name on the old records of Barnstable is Hannah Almony ; the surname probably should be Almory. The family in naming children have somewhat changed the spelling, and now have it Almery. The children of George and Sarah Hamblen were :
Almery, b. Jan. 24, 1775, m. Sally Clark, Oct. 8, 1797; I'd in Portland; was a prominent mechanic and painter, as were also his sons. Mr. Hamblen d. in Portland, Jan. 25, 1830; his wife Sally d. May 19, 1822 ; they were buried in Portland, but at the death of George their remains were removed to Gorham, and buried on the old farm in a place near the orchard. The Hamblen block on Danforth St. was built in 1835 and 1836, by Nathaniel, Eli, and Joseph G. Hamblen, Almery's sons ; and that on State St. by the same in 1838. Soon after this they bought a large farm in Scarborough, where Eli d., and very soon afterwards the brothers, Nathaniel (who contributed this item), J. G., and Sturtevant J. Hamblen (a younger brother) removed to Boston; two of them residing in East Boston, and the other, Joseph G., at Hyde Park, near Boston.
Susanna, b. Nov. 21, 1776, m. Moses Gould, Sept. 28, 1805
George, b. Apr. 15, 1779, d. unm Sept. 16, 1805.
John, b. May 7, 1781, m. Hannah Bangs, p. Jan. 12, 1804.
Joseph, b. Feb. 5, 1783, m. Esther Bangs, p. Nov. 28, 1807.
Sarah, b. May 19, 1785, m. William Cloudman, p. Jan. 12, 1804.
Amos, b. Apr. 8, 1787, m. Betsey Burton, 1811 ; I'd in Farmington.
Allen, b. Feb. 27, 1789, m. Lydia Winslow; I'd in Windham ; parents of Byron Hamblen, late of Gorham.
Solomon, b. Feb. 24, 1791, m. Sally Russ ; d. May 22, 1825.
Patty, b. May 16, 1793, m. John Russ ; d. Aug. 12, 1828.
William, b. Aug. 16, 1796, m. Susan Bartlett ; d. Nov. 19, 1862.
Gorham in its early days was one of the old-fashioned territorial parishes, compelled by law to settle and support a " learned orthodox minister." Every inhabitant was taxed for that purpose, no matter what his religious belief might be. During the ministrations of the Rev. Mr. Thacher, he became very unpopular, and there was much trouble in collecting the minister's tax; often distraint had to be resorted to, which, instead of decreasing the troubles, only made them worse. A large congregation of Come-outers, or New Lights, as they were called, embracing many of the best citizens, was formed ; their meetings were generally held around at the dwelling houses in different parts of the town, -mostly, however, at Fort Hill, or in that neighborhood. Time and place seemed to be but a small object ; the meetings were held day and night, and carried on with great energy and zeal. No doubt speakers and hearers thought themselves honest and right ; they certainly were earnest and zealous. They would travel miles to attend the meetings ; rain or sunshine made no . difference. Men would start on the run from their fields, without coat, hat, or shoes, warning all they met on the way to go with them ; excitement would beget excitement, and soon a crowd would be
543
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.