USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > The history of Portland, from its first settlement: with notices of the neighbouring towns, and of the changes of government in Maine, Part II 1700-1833 > Part 32
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Jones, Ephraim was born in 1712 or 1713 and came from Wor- cester county. In 1739 he married Mary, the eldest daughter of Moses Pearson by whom he had three sons, Ephraim, William and Pearson, and six daughters, viz. Sarah married to Theophilus Brad- bury, Mary to Daniel Ilsley, Elizabeth to Timothy Pike, Eunice to Joseph Titcomb, Ann to Enoch Titcomb jr. of Newburyport, and Abigail to Nathaniel Fosdick. Mr. Jones lived in Fore-street, near where Market-street enters it, and had in the rear of his house, at the time of the revolution, a large orchard. His wife died in 1775, aged 55, and he himself paid the debt of nature, December 16, 1783, in the 71st year of his age.
Longfellow, Stephen. See P. II. pp. 48, 53, 114, &c.
Larrabee, Benjamin one of the earliest settlers in the revival of the town, has been noticed in page 27 of this part. He had two brothers who lived in North-Yarmouth named Samuel and Thomas, upon whose estates he administered in 1727. He built his house on the spot which Albert Newhall's house now occupies, and which
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with the land, he sold to John Oulton Esq. of Marblehead, in 1729. Oulton died seised of it in 1748, and his heirs sold it in parcels. Larrabee died in 1733, aged 67.
His son Benjamin was born in 1700, and about 1730 married Amy Pride of Back Cove, by whom he had Elizabeth, born in 1732, married to John Webb in 1753 and died in 1827 aged 95. Benja- min born 1735, died 1809-Mary 1737, married to Thomas Tuck- field-John-Abigail born in 1747, still alive unmarried-Anna born 1751, married David Ross-Sarah never married-William, who died young. He was active in the affairs of the town and re- ceived several valuable grants upon the Neck. He built a one story house in the woods where Federal now joins Middle-street, which was considered to be quite out of town ; there were but two houses above it on the Neck, one of which was Knapp's, which stood where Casco-street enters into Main-street, the other was Joshua Brack- ett's opposite the head of High-street. He owned the whole tract on which this house stood extending to the junction of Congress and Middle-streets. He died in 1781. The name is still transmitted, and Benjamin Larrabee of this town is the great great grandson of the first of the family who settled here.
Lowell. The Lowell family came from Amsbury, in Massachu- setts, they originated in Bristol, England ; Percival, with two sons John and Richard, emigrated about 1639. In 1728 Gideon Lowell purchased Adam Mariner's right in the common lands in this town ; and lots were laid out to him in 1729 ; he never moved here himself, but his son Abner established himself upon Clark's point, on the flat land south of the road, and in 1737 married Lydia Purinton ; his son Abner was born in January, 1741. He and a boy were the only persons who escaped in an attack upon Pemaquid fort in 1747, se- verely wounded, see P. II. p. 85 ; he died about 1761. His son Abner married Mercy Paine in 1765, by whom he had several chil- dren, some of whom survive him ; he died in 1828 at the advanced age of 87.
Mc Lellan, Bryce and Hugh. The ancestors of all of the name in this part of the country, came here from Ireland about 1730. Bryce had a daughter born in this town in March 1731 ; he married Eliza Miller for a second wife in 1741, and by both his wives had a numerous family. He was a weaver by trade, but did not follow his
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trade much in this town ; he lived on Fore-street near the foot of High-street in a house which is still standing. He died in 1776. Joseph, William and Alexander were his sons. William died in 1815 aged 79. Joseph about the same time aged 87, and Alexander about the close, of the revolutionary war ; posterity of all of them survive. Alexander was two years old when his father left Ireland ; he married Ann Ross in 1743, and lived in Cape Elizabeth ; Capt. Arthur McLellan was the fourth child of Alexander. Hugh Mc Lel- lan came here soon after Bryce, from the county of Antrim, with his wife Elizabeth and infant son William, who was born in 1733; he came with one horse, upon which he brought his whole estate. Ile lived a short time on Moses Pearson's farm at Back Cove, and then moved to Gorham, where he was among the first settlers and lived for a long time in a log house. By industry and frugality he became independent, and before the revolution built the first brick house that was attempted in this part of the country, which is still standing. He had several children, among whom were William, Cary, Alexander, Thomas, and Mary married to Joseph, a son of Bryce Mclellan in 1756. Hugh's wife died July 9, 1804, aged 98. The venerable pair were much respected by the community in which they lived. Bryce and Hugh are ancestors of all of the name in this part of the country, and were not at all or very remotely connected. . Milk, James. See P II. p. 92.
Moody, Samuel Major. See page 26 for an extended notice of this early settler ; he is also mentioned in several other places, as are his sons Joshua and Samuel.
Moody, Enoch is of a different branch of the family from which Major Moody before noticed sprung ; he came from Newbury where all of the name originated, but at what time we cannot determine. He was here in 1739, when he married Dorcas Cox of this town, who died in 1743, aged 22; in 1750 he married Ann Weeks, a daughter of Wni. Weeks, by whom he had Enoch, born 1751, Ben- jamin, born 1753, Nathaniel 1758, Dorcas, 1764, Lemuel, 1767, Samuel, 1769, Anne, 1773 ; his wife died in 1795, aged 62. The oldest house now standing in town was built by him in 1740 ; this is on the corner of Franklin and Congress-streets, and was occupied by him until his death and is now in possession of his heirs. He died in 1777, aged 63. He was selectman of the town 3 years and
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in the early stages of the revolution he was placed on important committees and took an active part in the proceedings of that period.
Motley, John came from Belfast in Ireland, and settled here pre- vious to 1738 ; in that year he married Mary Roberts by whom he · had three sons and one daughter, John, Richard, Ann and Thomas. By a second wife, Lydia Libby whom he married in 1754, he had Alexander, Samuel, William, Jacob, John and Mary. IIis widow married John Blake in 1786, and died at a very advanced age in this city in 1824. His daughter Ann married Daniel Marble in 1772 ; John and Richard died unmarried; Thomas married Emma a daughter of John Waite, and was the father of Robert, Richard, George, Hen- ry, Thomas, Edward and Charles, of whom Robert and Richard now live in Gorham, and Thomas and Edward are merchants in Boston. He was a joiner by trade, and worked upon the old meeting house ; he also built a house which stood where Casco-street enters Main- street and lived there till his death, which took place in 1764, when he was 64 years old. His son Thomas for many years kept the principal tavern in this town in Main-street, where Barker now keeps. The widow of the second Thomas died in 1830, aged 84.
Mountfort, Edmund came here from Boston to reside in 1727 or 1728, the first of the name, being then about 30 years old. His father had been a merchant and died young, leaving a son and daugh- ter. He had been agent several years for the Pejepscot Proprietors, and had the management of an establishment they had placed upon Small point, at the mouth of Kennebec river, where they proposed to locate a town, and actually gave to the settlement the name of Augusta. Mr. Mountfort was there in 1717 and 1718, in the latter year he was one of a committee to lay out a road from that place to Georgetown. The proprietors in May 1716 voted that there be a town laid out at Small point. He was here as a commissary or pay master of the troops in the war of 1722, but did not fix his resi- dence in town until the war was over. He married Mary the only daughter of Major Moody, by whom he had three children, Eliza- beth, born Dec. 28, 1729, Edmund, 1732, Samuel, 1734, who died young, Esther, and Samuel again in 1737. He was one of the most active, enterprising and intelligent of our inhabitants during the brief period he was permitted to exercise his talents for their bene- fit. He was a good writer, and the principal draftsman of deeds 38
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and instruments in town ; he was also a deputy sheriff and selectman, and frequently appointed agent of the town at court and on important committees. He was a useful and valuable man, and died regretted in 1737 about 40 years old. His widow died in 1751. The inven- tory of the real and personal estate belonging to himself and wife taken in 1752, was £653. 1. 11. His daughter Elizabeth died in Westbrook in 1819 unmarried, in the 90th year of her age. His son Edmund had six sons and two daughters, and died in 1S06 aged 75 ; his daughter Esther married Gershom Rogers in 1755; Sam- uel lived unmarried until he was seventy years old, at the age of 80 he married a second wife, and died in Westbrook in 1819 or 1820, aged 83, without issue. All of the name in this town and vicinity derive their origin from the first Edmund.
Mussey, Benjamin. See chap. 9. p. 176.
Mayo, Ebenezer came here from Boston, and was a respectable merchant before the revolution ; he lived on the corner of Newbury and King-streets, and was a severe sufferer by the destruction of the town. He died of palsey soon after the war. By his wife Apphia he had three children, Simeon, born Dec. 31, 1745, Ruth, March 13, 1755, and Ebenezer, March 29, 1764; Ebenezer is the only survivor. Simeon left a number of children some of whom live among us ; Ruth never was married. Ebenezer married first a daughter of Dr. Coffin in 1792, and for his second wife Catharine, a daughter of Deacon Codman in 1811.
Noyes, Joseph. This family came from Newbury and descended from James Noyes a celebrated preacher, who came from England in 1634, and after preaching about a year at Medford, settled in New- bury. We find the name here previous to 1735, but when the first of the family came we cannot ascertain. The subject of this notice was town treasurer in 1739 and selectman of the town four years previous to 1744, he was also an officiating magistrate and a useful and respectable man ; he died in 1755.
Noyes, Josiah married Mary Lunt of Newbury, and lived upon the Brackett farm now owned by Mr. Deering at Back Cove ; he survived the revolution and left several children, among whom were Joseph, Moses and Sarah married to Moses Lunt. His son Joseph was born in 1745, and married in 1767 Mary Stickney, by whom he had several children. At the commencement of the revolution
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he came into public notice and was very active in the various meas- ures adopted by the whigs. He was nine years selectman of the town from 1775, and in 1776 he was chosen representative to the general court and was annually re-elected with the exception of one year, 1779 in which the town was unrepresented, ten years. He died in 1795, aged 55, leaving several children. There were sev- eral others of the name early settled here, of whom were Nathan who married Mary York in 1735, Josiah who married Mary Lunt of Newbury in 1737, Samuel, Peter, David and Zebulon who were all married before 1760.
Ornard, Thomas and Edward brothers, came here some years previous to the revolution. Thomas the oldest was born in 1740, and Edward in 1746 ; Edward graduated at Harvard College in 1767, they both engaged in merchandize here. Thomas married Martha a daughter of Brigadier Preble, and Edward married Mary daughter of Jabez Fox. After the Rev. Mr. Wiswall left his peo- ple in May 1775, Edward officiated as reader until the destruc- tion of the town. They left the country during the war, but re- turned soon after peace took place ; Thomas was reader to the episcopal society from 1787 to 1792, Edward kept an auction and commission store. In 1782 Martha Oxnard was permitted by a resolve of the general court to " go to her husband at Penobscot with her two servant maids and such part of her household goods as the selectmen of Falmouth should admit." Thomas Oxnard's property was confiscated under the absentee act in 1782 ; he died in this town May 20, 1799, leaving children Thomas, Henry, Ste- phen D. and Martha. Edward died July 2, 1803, his widow and his sons William, Edward and John and one daughter still survive.
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Pearson, Moses. See P. II. pp. 63 and 84.
Proctor, Samuel was the son of John Proctor of Salem village now Danvers, and born in 1680 ; his father was executed for witch- craft in 1692, and his mother was condemned but not executed ; they had six sons and five daughters and sustained excellent charac- ters. Samuel was the eighth child, he came here from Lynn about 1718 and built a one story house in Fore-street, near where Willow- street joins it. The lot was granted to him by the town in 1721, extending from Fore-street nearly to Federal-street between Willow and Market-streets ; he also had valuable lots in other parts of the
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town. He died in 1765 at the advanced age of 85 ; his children were John, Benjamin, Samuel, Sarah, Wm. Kezia, Kerenhappuck, Jemimah and Dorcas. Sarah married John Cox in 1739 ; Keren- happuck married first Joseph Hicks and second Anthony Brackett ; Jemimah married Wm. Genniss, and Dorcas Jonathan Paine. A portion of the lot on which Samuel Proctor lived for more than 45 years remains in the hands of his descendants through Cox, Paine and his son Benjamin. All of the name in this part of the country derive their origin from this stock.
Preble, Jedediah. General Jedediah Preble was born in York in 1707 ; he was son of Benjamin the second son of Abraham Preble, a notice of whom may be found in the first part of this history, p. 102. The time of his settling here we have not ascertained ; he represented the town in the general court in 1753, and in 1754 he married for his second wife the widow of John Roberts, a daughter of Joshua Bangs of this town. In 1759 he was captain of a com- pany of provincial troops, and joined the army in Canada under Gen. Wolf ; was in the battle on the Plains of Abraham, and near Gen. Wolf when he was killed. Previous to the peace he was pro- moted gradually to the rank of Brig. General and had the command of the garrison of fort Pownal, on the Penobscot at the peace of 1763 ; he was twice wounded during the war. He was twelve years a representative from the town, the first time in 1753, the last in 1780 ; was chosen counsellor in 1773, and though of the popular party was one of six accepted by the Governor while the others were rejected. In 1774 he was appointed first Brig. General by the provincial Congress and in 1775 received the appointment of Major General and commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts forces, which he declined on account of the infirmities of age. He was chosen the first senator from Cumberland county under the constitu- tion of 1780, and was judge of the Common Pleas in 1782 and '83. He died March 11, 1784 aged 77 ; his widow died in 1805 of the same age. By his first wife he had three children, Jedediah, John, and Lucy married to Jonathan Webb in 1762; by his last, three sons, Ebenezer, Edward and Enoch, the last of whom only sur- vives. Edward was the distinguished naval commander whose life has emblazoned the annals of our country, and immortalized his name. In 1801 the commodore married the only daughter of Na-
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thaniel Deering of this town, and died in 1807, aged 46, leaving but one son to inherit the rich legacy of his fame.
Riggs, Jeremiah was the first of the name who came here, and is the ancestor of all who now reside in this vicinity ; he emigrated from Cape Ann in 1725. His children were Wheeler, Jeremiah, Joseph, Abigail, Hannalı, Mary and Stephen. He was a tanner, and after living a few years on the Neck he moved to Capisic where he carried on his trade and where he died. The estate still remains in his family and is now occupied by John Jones Esq. who married his grand daughter. Ilis daughter Abigail was the first of his chil- dren born in this town, which was in 1726 ; Stephen the last in 1735. Wheeler married Mary Cobb in 1742, Jeremiah, Nancy Barber, 1752; Stephen, Margaret Barber, 1759. Joseph was mar- ried in 1747. See p. 38, P. II.
Robinson, Samuel was a Scotchman born in the Orkneys ; he married Barbara Sutherland in 1754, and lived in a one story house which stood on the corner of Plumb and Middle-streets ; by her he had two children, Alexander and Jane. Alexander entered on board of a man of war and did not return after the revolution ; Jane mar- ried Capt. Arthur McLellan in 1777. Mr. Robinson died in three or four years after his marriage, and his widow in 1763 married Capt. Thomas Ross who moved the one story house into Temple- street, and erected a two story house on the spot ; this in its turn had to give place a few years ago for the brick store occupied by Mitchell & Dana, and now stands in Preble-street. Capt. Ross moved to St. Andrews at the commencement of the revolution with two sons and two daughters, where he died.
Robinson, Thomas was a younger brother of Samuel, and lived here with his brother before the revolution ; he did not move his family here until after the war ; during that struggle he had a com- mand on the lakes. He was a respectable merchant and enterpris- ing man. In 1785, he formed a connection in business with Edgar & Reed, and they carried on distilling and general merchandizing at the west part of the town, having purchased a large tract of land extending from Main-street to Fore-river, on which they built two houses, a distil house, wharf and other buildings. He was select- man of the town in 1788 and 1789. He died in Canada in 1806, to which he had removed one or two years before his death ; some
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of his children afterwards settled in this town, viz. Mary, Samuel, Thomas, William, Jane married first to Thomas Hodges, second to Robert Ilsley, and Eliza married to Lemuel Weeks ; Mary, Wil- liam and Eliza are still living. While he remained in this town he lived in an expensive style, and kept a free and hospitable house.
Ross, Alexander, see p. 109, P. II.
Sawyer, John, see P. II. p. 37. The Sawyers came to this town from Cape Ann, John settled at Cape-Elizabeth as early as 1719 ; Isaac came in 1725, and died suddenly February 13 1772, aged 92 ; they were then as now, very numerous and settled at Cape Elizabeth, Back Cove and in this town.
Smith, Rev. Thomas, see a particular notice P. II. p. 230.
Titcomb Benjamin was a native of Newbury and came here by the persuasion of Moses Pearson, after the capture of Louisburg, in which he was engaged, being then 20 years old. He was a black- smith, and on his arrival was in doubt whether to establish himself on the Neck or at Cape-Elizabeth, so nearly equal were the advantages offered by the two places. In 1753, he married Anne, a daughter of Moses Pearson, and the next year built the house which is now occupied by his son Joseph in Plumb-street, which formerly stood on the corner where the brick stores have been built. His shop was on the breast work from which Central wharf has been extended. In 1769 he was chosen deacon of the first parish ; he was three years one of the selectmen of the town, and in 1784, was chosen represen- tative with Joseph Noyes to the general court, and was a respecta- ble, influential and worthy man. He died Oct. 15, 1798, aged 72 ; his widow died July 8, 1800, aged 72. Their children were Moses, Benjamin, Joseph, Ann who married Woodbury Storer, Andrew, Eunice married to Ebenezer Storer, Elizabeth married to John Har- ris in 1796, and Henry ; Elizabeth, Benjamin and Joseph are the only survivors. His son Joseph was ten years selectman and nine years representative of the town to the general court. Mr. Titcomb descended from Wm. Titcomb, the ancestor of all of the name in this section of the country, who came from Newbury, Erg. in 1635 and was one of the first settlers of Newbury, Mass. ; the family has branched very much, and is now numerous and scattered.
Tyng, Wm. see P. I. p. 214, and P. II. p. 135.
Tate, George was born in England in 1700; he was a seaman on board the first frigate built in Russia, in the reign of Peter the Great.
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He came to this country several years before the revolution, and is the ancestor of all of the name here. Admiral Tate, who lately died in the Russian service, was his grandson. He died in Falmouth 1794, at the advanced age of 94.
Waite, John the head of the family which came here, was born in Newbury, Mass. in 1701, and was captain of a packet which sailed between this place and Boston as early as 1737. He was married before he came here, and his eldest son Benjamin was born in New- bury October 1725, his other children were born in this town. He lived on the road fronting the beach below King-street for many years, but in the latter part of his life he took up his residence on Peaks' island, of part of which he had become the proprietor. Ile was four years selectman of the town, was a man of singular and ec- centric habits and enjoyed the solitude of his island more than the hum of the village ; it is said that he had two fire places in one room in his house on the island, one for himself and wife, the other for their servant. He died Nov. 3, 1769, in the 68th year of his age ; his children were Benjamin, John, Stephen, Isaac, Sarah, Hannah, Abigail, Rebecca, Emma and Mary. His son John was captain of a company in Wolfe's army before Quebec, and was distinguished at the commencement of the revolution by his zeal and activity in the cause of liberty. He was chosen representative to the provincial Congress in 1776, and the same year was appointed sheriff of Cum- berland, which office he held thirty-four years until his resignation in 1809. He received a Colonel's commission from Massachusetts in the early part of the war, and was employed during its progress in raising troops for the service and other public duties. He married Hannah Jones, daughter of Phineas Jones in 1758, and died in 1820, aged 88 ; of several children, one daughter only survived him who was married to Capt. Samuel McLellan ; his son George died before him, leaving but one daughter married to Nathaniel F. Deering of this town. Benjamin and Stephen were respectable merchants be- fore the revolution, Benjamin died in Falmouth, to which place he had removed ; Stephen married Abigail Wheeler in 1758, and died in 1782, aged 48. All of them left children, some of whom in each branch are now surviving. Emma who married Thomas Motley, was the youngest child of the first John, she was born in 1746, and died in 1830. Another daughter, Rebecca, married Capt. John
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Thurlo in 1761 ; Hannah married Joseph Gooding in 1746, Obi- gail Thomas Minot in 1765. Dr. Deane in noticing this marriage adds " a splendid wedding." Sarah and Mary died young and un- married.
Waldo, Samuel and Francis, see P. II. pp. 94, 112.
Wadsworth, Peleg, see ante pp. 164, 167, 200.
Winslow, James, see notice of him p. 73. He was a heel-maker, and came from the old colony before 1728. He was the first person who joined the Quakers in this town and carried all his family with him. His will made in 1765 was proved in 1773 ; his children were Nathan, Benjamin, James, Job, and daughters married to Hall and Torrey. Some of his descendants moved to the Kennebec, where they still reside.
Winslow, Nathaniel was among our first settlers, and in 1719 was one of a committee to lay out lots on the Neck ; he had a grant of an acre lot in 1728, near the fountain in Spring-street, which he conveyed the same year to James Winslow. We cannot trace him later than that time, and believe that there are no persons in town who claim descent from him. All of the name now among us derive their origin from James Winslow.
Weeks, Wm. was admitted an inhabitant December 14 1727, on paying £10. He lived first on Chebeag island, but moved to town in 1744, and lived in the fields near where High-street passes, where he died in 1749 or 1750. His children were William, Lemuel, Abigail, Esther and Ann ; Wm. married Rebecca Tuttle in 1749, Lemuel married Peggy Gooding, a daughter of James Gooding in 1750, Ann married Enoch Moody in 175), Esther Stephen Wood- man in 1752, and Abigail Benjamin Mussey. Lemuel left three sons, viz. Lemuel, James and Joseph, and two daughters Elizabeth married to Jonathan Bryant in 1771, and Sarah married to Daniel Freeman in 1789, who are all dead ; the issue of Lemuel, Joseph and Elizabeth are now living among us.
Wheeler, Henry came from Charlestown, Mass. and was admitted an inhabitant of Falmouth in 1729, and was probably married at that time ; his wife Sarah died in 1736, aged 41. He married for his second wife, Mary, the widow of John East in 1736, and occupied the house which had formerly been East's in King-street. He was by trade a blacksmith, and a very active and useful man in the affairs
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