SeM
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3 1833 01432 6414
GENEALOGY
929.2
SP344S
mmm.
THE
MAINE SPENCERS.
A HISTORY AND GENEALOGY,
With Mention of many
Associated Families. . ♦
BY
W. D. SPENCER.
isoe- lese.
CONCORD, N. H.:
Zbe IRumtorZ) ipr*
TO
THE FAMILY
OF
JONATHAN SPENCER.
^
^
^
A
^^
De Spencer, A. D. 1066.
1176040
COAT OF ARMS.
JV..90.
^ <GlXS»sXO> "^^
CONTENTS.
Introduction .
9
Derivation of the Name Spencer
15
Earliest Spencers in America
17
I. Thomas Spencer ....
19
II. Moses Spencer ....
82
III. Moses Spencer, Junior
112
IV. Humphrey Spencer
142
V. Simeon Spencer
156
VI. Jonathan Spencer
172
Heirlooms
179
Genealogy
180
Appendix
233
Glossary
245
Bibliography
247
TLLUSTRATIONS.
Lower Landing
Coat of Arms
W. D. Spencer
Old Fields .
Great Works
Cox Pond
Where the First Spencers were
Old Tosier Blockhouse
Rocky Hills .
Witchtrot
Spencer's Eddy
Humphrey Spencer's Home Lot
Blackberry Hill .
The Old Homestead
Abigail (Wentworth) Spencer
Daniel Wentworth Spencer
Amasa Grant
Mary Elizabeth (Spencer) Grant
Lydia Ann (Spencer) Mathews
Eesidence of Lydia Mathews
Batchelder Brown Hutchins
Nancy Fogg (Spencer) Hutchins
Residence of B. B. Hutchins
Alvan Butler Spencer
Residence of A. B. Spencer
John Willard Spencer
Frank Spencer
Buried
Fi
outispiece.
5
8
18
33
U
8]
100
1(M>
120
127
147
151
167
17(1
203
204
205
20()
207
209
210
211
213
214
215
231
1(/. ^ . afv^^z<M^
INTRODUCTIO:Nr.
Ill recalling the lives of our ancestors it has
been my effort to give nothing that would tend
to mislead the judgment of the reader, or create
an midne conception of the magnitude of the
undertaking. Three hundred years is no incon-
siderable period to review with regard to per-
sonal history, much less with hopes of literary
success. The investigation is rendered more
difficult from the fact of its being a search in a
new coimtry for a family, whose name is old
enough to be widely disseminated as a patrony-
mic. As we cannot in this enlightened age, like
the ancients, pretend to be sprung irom gods,
Ave must have a lineage bearing our present
name extending back to the remote ages, even to
the days of William the Conqueror. It may
seem incredible that onr ancestors have lived in
this country since the time of Shakespeare and
Spenser, the great poet. All that remains to
us now of the history of our fathers, is to be
10 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
slowly gleaned from the scanty and imperfect
annals of those periods, in a hostile and desolate
region. Althongh time has effaced many land-
marks in the history of ancient ^ew England
families, yet some records still snrvive the
decay of centuries to form for us a background
to all its pristine rigor and strangeness. Local
histories, parish registers of births, marriages,
and deaths, and town records have been the
sources of this inquiry. Few, whose precedents
have left no authentic accounts or strong tradi-
tions of their origin in the multitude of individ-
uals associated by kinship, could hope to be
more successful than the author of this sketch.
Many of the authorities cited are not men-
tioned in the text, as it would require much
space to enumerate all who are entitled to notice,
but they are all standard or authentic writers.
One of the most important sources has been the
printed edition of the records of the wills and
deeds of the county of York, to which I had
access through the kindne-s of W. S. Mathews,
Esq , of Berwick.
To realize the fullness of the lives of others
would be to live their lives again, but much may
THK MAINE SPENCERS. 11
be recovered from which we can acquaint our-
selves with the conditions and peculiarities
of their existence. No pen can do justice to
such an undertaking, or more than sketch its
imposing- outline successfully. This outline
has already required six years to reach its pres-
ent stage. To those who have tried this work I
need make no explanations, but, for those who
may never attempt to write history or biogra-
phy, I will say that such a task is never done,
inasmuch as it may be constantly augmented
by facts of importance. No account has been
kept in our family by those who had the only
means of keeping a full and accurate statement.
The work is one of constant surprises for the
investigator, in that he is frequently discovering
clues to matters, which, while in themselves
quite trivial, are of great importance in their
contingency. The work is rendered more inter-
esting from the fact that others are engaged in a
similar undertaking.
That there were many who had the name of
Spencer in those times in England, may be seen
from the list of those who came to the new
world at the time of its settlement. It does not
12 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
appear, however, that any of our branch ever
returned to then' native country after settling in
America.
It is worthy of mention, that the family was
connected with other families of note, who
figured prominently in the settlement of Maine.
Among these, for instance are such names as
Chadbourne, Shapleigh, and Treworthy, all of
which signify wealth and social standing.
The history of the family in England probably
will always remain somewhat uncertain and
unsatisfactory from a critical standpoint. Aside
from this uncertainty of further knowledge
regarding our English origin, I feel satisfied that
I have made a beginning, from which it is possi-
ble to rear a more perfect structure, and one to
which future generations may make becoming
additions. Our family has not shoAvn the
remarkable increase in descent, that some of
those living in its neighborhood can boast.
It seemed best to have this history published
of convenient form and size, with bioad margin,
so that glosses or border notes might be made
adjacent to the original text.
In concluding my woi'k, I think I may say, it
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEHS. 13
has been a })leasiire to me to explore thus far
the secrets of the forgotten past, the more so,
perhaps, since I have a personal interest in it.
Congratulations are due to the members of this
family tree, that its l)ranches have been sound
and its strength has withstood the storms of so
many ages.
w. D. s.
DERIVATION OF THE NAME SPENCER.
Spencer is not an Anglo-Saxon word, bnt was
merely borrowed from the Low Latin dispen-
dere, ''to weigh apart." It then became the old
French form desjjensier or desjjenser, and this
form in tnrn became in Middle English spen-
cere or spensere, now preserved in the proper
name Spencer or Spenser, formei-ly Despenser.
The meaning at this point is '' one who weighs
ont," a "dispenser, caterer, or clerk of the
kitchen." Hence the bnttery or cellar was
called a spense, as it was nnder the control of
this officer. Of conrse only honest men conld
hold snch an office.
The Latinized form of the name as it occnrs
in the Doomsday Book abont A. D. 1085 is
DisjJensafor, and wonld be hardly recognizable
to the ordinary observer. The change from s
to G is only a freak of exchanging consonants
that have the same enphonic valne. Li the
16 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
earliest documents which bear the name m this
country the s is used. Perhaps the Enghsh
branch, if any existed after this date, spelled
their name with the alternative consonant. At
any rate the seventeenth century seems to have
been the period of transition.
EARLIEST SPENCERS IN AMERICA.
George, Boston, Massachusetts, 1639
James, New Jersey, 1636
Jared,* Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1634
Haddam, Connecticut, 1()60
John, Newbuiy, Massachusetts, 1634
John,t East Greenwich, Rhode Ishmd, 1638
John, alias George, York, Maine, 1646
Michael,* Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1634
Lynn, Massachusetts, 1638
Haddam, Connecticut, 1650
Roger, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1648
Saco, Maine, 1652
Thomas, Virginia, 1623
Thomas, Piscataqua (Kittery), Maine, 1630
Thomas,* Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1632
Hartford, Connecticut, 1638
William, James City, Virginia, 1623
William,* Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1632
Hartford, Connecticut, 1639
* Brothers, i Nephew of John of Newbury.
I. THOMAS SPENCER.
In a foregoing list we have mentioned all the
Spencers, who seem to have been present in the
early English colonies in America. From the
fact of locality mainly, Thomas Spencer of Pis-
cataqua seemed to have been onr most j^robable
ancestor. Starting with this hy])othesis of the
anthor's, it is for the reader to judge whether
the qnestion of descent has been demonstrated.
It has been the intention to omit nothing of
material importance.
Thomas Spencer was born in England in
1596. He was married there to Patience,
daughter of William Chadbourne. He came to
this conntry in the year 1630, when he was
thirty-fonr years of age, with one of Mason's pio-
neer bands. There is a tradition in the family,
that he came hither with Alexander Cooper,
who is said to have landed at Cow Cove in
South Berwick the first cow ever brought into
this region. Thomas evidently came in the
20 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Warwich, which sailed from the Downs, off the
Kentish coast, under commission of Mason and
Gorges, Captain Wetherell, master, March 28;
it touched at Plymouth, England, on April 8,
and reached Piscataqua in May. It was a vessel
of only thirty tons burden, and carried fourteen
pieces of ordnance. The barque Warwicl-, as
it was called, made but few voyages after this^
as it was condemned as unseaworthy at Dor-
chester, Massachusetts, in 1636. Pieces of this
early member of transatlantic service were in
existence at an inlet called " Barque Warwich^^
near Commercial Point, as late as 1804.
Thomas settled tenijDorarily at his arrival, on
the west side of the Piscataqua. Here there
was a house called " Mason's Hall," where the
proprietors lodged their men, who were engaged
chiefly in fishing, hunting, salt-making, and till-
ing the extensive clearing. The principal crop
was Indian maize, which was native to the soil.
In the spring of 1634, the Pied Cow sailed
from Portsmouth, England, in command of Wil-
liam Stephenson. There were on board passen-
gers and provisions for Ca|)tain John Mason's
settlements. Henry Jocelyn came in this vessel
.+ -
1
20 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Warivick, which sailed from the Downs, olf the
Kentish coast, under commission of Mason and
Gorges, Captain Wetherell, master, March 28;
it touched at Plymouth, England, on April 8,
and reached Piscataqua in May. It was a vessel
of only thirty tons burden, and carried fourteen
pieces of ordnance. The barque Warwicl', as
it was called, made but few voyages after this^
as it was condemned as unseaworthy at Dor-
chester, Massachusetts, in 1636. Pieces of this
early member of transatlantic service were in
existence at an inlet called " Barque Wanvich"
near Commercial Point, as late as 1804.
Thomas settled temporarily at his arrival, on
the west side of the Piscataqaa. Here there
was a house called ^' Mason's Hall," where the
proprietors lodged their men, who were engaged
chiefly in fishing, hunting, salt-making, and till-
ing the extensive clearing. The principal crop
was Indian maize, which was native to the soil.
In the spring of 1634, the Pied Cow sailed
from Portsmouth, England, in command of Wil-
liam Stephenson. There were on board passen-
gers and provisions for Captain John Mason's
settlements. Henry Jocelyn came in this vessel
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 21
as govL'i'iior of the plantation at Newiehawan-
nock. Among the other passengers were James
Wall, William Chadbonrne, and John Goddard^
who had made a contract with Mason and his
Laconia company on the fonrteenth of March
preceding. By this agreement these cari)enters
were to remain in this country live years and
build a sawmill, gristmill, and tenement houses
for their employer. "William Chadl^ourne was
Thomns Spencer's father-in-law, as will ai)])ear
later. These carpenters were to run the mills
an.d keep them in repair. The contract is very
long and an abstract will be sufficient. Each
one of these gentlemen was to receive on arrival,
three cows, four pigs, and four goats, for which
they were to pay so much annually; each was to
have ten acres of land for which they were to
pay annually, at the feast of Saint Michael, the
Archangel, a bushel of corn; besides this, they
were to have the receipts of the mills for run-
ning and repairing them. These men evidently
brought some children with them at this time,
who were hardly more than infants. The num-
ber of women in the plantation at this date was-
increased to twenty-two.
22 THE MAINE SPEXC'ERS.
The Pied Coiv arrived at Piscataqua har-
bor July 8th, 1634; it did not, however, stop
here long, but followed the winding course of
the river up to IN^ewichawannoek, as the Indians
called it, a distance of about fifteen miles.
They passed on their left the settlement of
Strawberry Bank, where the first explorers had
found an abundance of unusually fine, ripe ber-
ries growing in wild profusion along the shore.
The place received its early name from this fact.
The spot is now in the city of Portsmouth, ]!^ew
Hampshire.
On the thirteenth, the vessel cast anchor at
Newichawannock, about half a mile below the
fall. By the eighteenth, the ship was unladen;
on the nineteenth, it fell down the river to get
its load of iron ore preparatory to departure.
The carpenters began setting up the mill on
the tAventy-second of July, 1634. This mill
was made in England and was one of two, the
other being intended for Agamenticus. Francis
Small said in a deposition in 1685, that this was
" the first sawmill and cornmill in !New Eng-
land." There were windmills in Massachusetts
for grinding corn prior to this date. This mill
THK MAINE Sl'EXCEHS. 28
Avas set in the river at the phice now ealled
Great Works, and near the "great house" or
" Newichawannoek House," as Mason styled it.
Ambrose Gil)bins, Avho had charge at their
arrival, innnediatel}^ gave place to Jocelyn.
In add tion to what has already been said, the
deposition of James Wall, one of the carpen-
ters, will be interesting. It was taken in May,
1652, when he was living at Dover, New
Hampshire:
" This deponent fayeth that aboute the yeare
1634, he with his partners, William Chadbourne
and John Goddarde, came over to New Eng-
land vpon the accompt of Captain John Mafon
of London, and alfo for themfelves (i. e., on
their own account) , and were landed at Newich-
awannoek, vpon certaine lands there which Mr.
Goieflem (Jocelyn), Captaine Mafon's agent,
brought them vnto, Avith the ladinge of fome
goodes; and there they did builde vpp, at a fall
there (called by the Indian name Afbenbedick)
for the vfe of Cai)taine Mafon & themfelves, one
faw-mill and one ftampinge-mill for corne, w'"'
they did keep the fpace of three or foure
years next after; and this deponent faith fur-
24 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ther, he built one hoiife vpon the lame lands,
and foe did William Chadbonrne an other &
gave it to his fonne-in-law, Thomas Spencer,
who now lives in it; and this deponent alfo
fayth, that we had peaceable and quiet pofeffion
of that land for the vfe of Captaine Mafon
afforefaide, and that the faid agente did buye
fome planted ground of fome Indians which
they had planted vpon the faide land, and that
Captaine Mafon's agente's fervants did break up
and clear certaine lands there and planted corns
vpon it, and all this is to his beft rememberance-
Janies Wall fworne whoe affirmed vpon his
oath that the ^^mifes was true.
Sworne before me
George Smyth."
On their arrival, the carpenters wei'e received
and entertained at the " great house " at New-
ichawannock. The other servants were dis-
charged by the agent, Mr. Gibbins, after they
had received their pay in beaver skins at twelve
shillmgs per pound-weight. The cows, pigs,
and sheep, which Mason had sent over, were
kept near this same building until the land
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEKS. 25
should l)e allotted, and other houses construet-
ed. The ship sailed for home the sixth
of August, laden with stone, supposed to
contain iron from a mine about one mile beloAV
the " great house.""
It must have been hard for these peoi)le, who
had just come from the security of their quiet
English homes, to be left here by this vessel.
But they must have foi-gotten their longings for
old England, somewhat, in the hurry of their
toil. The '' great honse" at Kewiehawannock
was fortified more strongly after their arrival,
and that with the storehouses near it, was
surrounded by a strong palisade. About the
palisade were mounted six cannon, and within
was an abundance of small arms and ammuni-
tion. A well had been ditg in this space.
A list of the early settlers has been handed
down to us, but, unfortunately, it is not dated.
It must have been as late as 1634, howevei-,
as some of the men came at that date into the
province. The list reads:
Thomas Cammock, Thomas "Withers,
William Raymond, Thomas Canney,
Francis Williams, John Symonds,
3
26
THE MAINE SPEXCEK
Thomas \Yannerton,
John Peverly,
Henry Josselyii,
Thomas Moore,
George Yaiiglian,
Alexander Jones,
Francis Norton,
James ]^ewt.
Ralph Gee,
Francis Matthews,
Henry Gee.
Franc's Rand,
Sampson Lane,
James Johnson,
Walter ]N"eal,
Anthony Ellins,
Reginald Furnald,
John Growth er,
William Cooper,
Henry Sherbnrn,
Henry Longstaff,
John Goddard,
Hugh James,
Henry Baldwin,
William Brackett,
Thomas Fnrrall,
William Brakin,
Thomas Herd,
Jeremiah Walford,
Roger Knight,
Thomas Walford,
William Seavey,
Thomas Chatterton.
William Berry,
John Williams,
James Wall,
Thomas Fernald,
John Ault,
Thomas Spence7\
Joseph Beal,
William Chadbourne,
Humphrey Chadbourne,
William Chadbourne, Ji*.
About fifty men all told, whose names stand
upon this roll of honor, began the settlements of
THE ^lAiNE srp:N('Ei;s. 27
western Maine, and to them is due the glory of
eolonization. Yet, to some more than others,
belongs the praise; since some became dis-
couraged and left district or country, others
wandei'ed from settlement to settlement in search
of better homes, while but a few of them,
like Thomas Spencer, clung to the colony of
their first choice. It required courage, per-
severance, and energy to fight the battle of
life against such overwhelming odds. Few
could be expected to have the determination
to succeed in such a situation.
These men did not come here in those
early days from strictly religious motives like
the Puritans or the so-called Pilgrim Fathers of
Massachusetts. Thomas came from purely busi-
ness motives, with hopes of an improvement
m his affairs, yet, he was a truly religions man;
and Captain Mason did not forget to send
with this little company, the holy ntensils of the
Eucharist, and we find an inventory of the silver
cups, candles, and napkins that are attendant
on this service in the Episcopalian church. It is
in this form that religion found its way into
the first settlements of the district of Maine.
28 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Pascataqaa, " river of angles," gave its name
to the plantations along its borders. It inclnd-
ed, in early years when Thomas came hither,
Cocheco and Strawherry Bank on the western,
and Kitttry Point ( sometimes called Piscata-
qua from the fact of its position at the mouth).
Sturgeon Creel:, and ^ewlchawannocTv\ on the
eastern shore. Quampheagan was a portion
of Newichawannock, later known as Salmon
Falls, and included the long series of falls
that obstruct tide-water at South Berwick.
The early court records of the " district of
Maine or Maigne" are interesting, for there are
found the earliest formal allusions to its settlers.
Their date is the year 1636. For March the
sixth of this year, we find the following: "Will:
Scadlock an accon of debt against Thomas
Spencer of Piscataqua. . . Will: Scadlock
his accon against Tho: Spencer, thus deter-
mined: Spencer pays 18s downe and if it
appeare that Scadlock be not satisfied of
1£ Is 3d more, besides, Spencer gives Mr, Jo:
Trewortliy for his security to be paide the 4th of
Aprill, next." These records end with this year.
Some forty-five years alter this first settle-
THK .MAINE Sl'KNCEltS. 29
ment, Francis Small, one of the early settlers,
said in a deposition, that he knew ver}^ well
the plantations Captain Mason had caused to
be made at Piscataqua, Strawberry Bank, and
NewichaAvannock, and was Avell acquainted with
all the servants employed by Mason upon
these plantations; and he said, also, that there
was a great deal of stock at each of the
plantations. Mason had even imported stock
from Holland to introduce the best breeds of
cattle. He attempted to encourage in every
way the efforts of his servants. As far as
known. Mason never visited the country himself;
he was a resident of Poitsmouth, England, and it
was from this fact, that the oldest settlement
in New Hampshire received its name. Along
the shores of Quampheagan, wild grapes grew
in abundance, and this led him to transplant
vines from Europe. But, although these varie-
ties were the choicest that the continent could
afford, they did not thrive in American soil.
Before Mason's death in 1635, he caused to
be built four sawmills, including the one already
mentioned, and " sundrie houses" for his tenants
and servants.
30 THE ISIAINE SPENCEKS.
The settlement at Newiehawannock was well
supplied with arms and ammunition. Besides
the six cannon, which were planted about the
palisaded enclosure, there was an abundance
of smaller weapons, such as muskets, fowling-
pieces, pistols, and carbines in the great store-
house. Powder was kept in large quantities
and bullets were made as the occasion de-
manded. A drum was used in case of danger
as a signal to draw in all out-dwellers. For the
first few years the means of defence seemed
unnecessary. Captain Mason had expended
about £'20,000 on this settlement at Berwick in
order to establish a trading-post with the
Indians of Laconia. There were often more
than a hundred natives present at one time,
bargaining for knives, beads, and fancy articles.
From the foregoing it is evident that Thomas
Spencer settled at the falls of Asbenbedick soon
after his arrival in New England. After
Mason's death his men were disbanded, and
Thomas must have been working for himself,
for it appears that he became engaged in the
lumbering industry a little later.
Thomas Spencer's dwelling Avas situated in
THE MAINE SrENCEKS. 31
what is now South Berwick, below the Great
AYorks river near its junction with the Salmon
Falls. It stood in the northwest corner of the
roads leading- from Great Works to the Lower
Landing, then called Pipestave Landing, and
from South Berw^ick village to Kittery. The
region here was later called Old Fields. The
first church of Kittery north parish stood within
a gunshot to the east. The Spencer dAvelling
w^as large and of sawed timber from the mill at
Great Works. In form it resembled the old
manor houses of England and was l)uilt by
AVilliam Chadbourne for his own nse wdiile in
this country. When he gave it to Thomas at
the time of his departure, he gave with it one
half of the mill at Great Works, reserving the
other half for his son, Humphrey Chadbourne.
Some of the apartments mentioned are " the
hall," the " lower " and " upper chambers," the
"attic" and "cellar." The hall served for a
living as well as dining-room and kitchen.
This building was not much like those built
later in the form of log cabins, but it partook of
the English ideas of comfort or even elegance.
The barn and other buildino^s were near the
82 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
house. The land amounted original 1)^ to ten
acres which was the quantity granted to each of
the carpenters at an annual rental fee. But,
when the proprietor died, the tenants no longer
paid their rent. They still occupied the land
upon which they had built.
In 1643 Humphrey Chadbourne, Thomas's
brother-in-law, bought a tract of land above the
Great Works river of Rowles. This is the first
Indian deed on record in Maine. It was upon
this land that Humphrey had a farm and dwell-
ing. The Indian reserved for himself a tract
called Qnampheagan situated above this of
Chadbourne's. He also reserved the right to
fish in the weir adjoining the land. The natives
used fish to plant corn upon. Thomas Spencer
and his wife, Patience, were both witnesses to
this conveyance.
About 161:5 Mason's house wdth all the other
neighboring buildings, which he had caused to
be built formerly at NeAvichawannock, was
burned to the ground. From the inventory of
what it contained, it would appear that it had
served as a storehouse in part in the early years.
But as Mason had been dead for nearly ten
M THE :SIAINE SPENCERS.
years, the probability is, that :t was occupied ])y
some of his disbanded servants. However this
may be, we can feel certain that this incident
served to dampen the hopes of those who knew
of Mason's early enterprise.
We find Thomas Si)encer mentioned as one
of those persons who were incorporated in 1649
under the name of the town of Kittery.
In 1650 Thomas purchased lands of Rowles,
also called Rowley or Holies, the sachem of
JS'ewichawannock (Berwick), which were situ-
ated at Quampheagan. This last name signifies
" the place Avhere fish are taken in nets," and
includes some land in South Berwick village.
These lands extended up to Salmon Falls brook
but how far back from the river may appear later.
There were several purchases made of the
Indians, but the deed of this one of Thomas's is
the earliest but one on the county records. A
copy of this deed is still in existence and is here
inserted.
" To all Christian People to whome these
presents shall come Health and Peace in our
Lord God everlasting. Amen. Know all Men
by these i)resents that I, Mr. Powles, Indian
THE MAINE SPEXCEHS. ^35
and Sagamore of Newichewaiiaeke, have for
Five Pounds Sterling payd to me in Hand
by Tho: Spencer & acknowledged to be receiv-
ed, & for Divers other good Canses & valnable
Considerations me moving tberennto, have bar-
gained and sonld nnto the s'' Thomas Spencer,
his Heirs and Assignes, a Parcell of land called
by the ]N^ame of Qnamphegan & bounded
betwixt the Two little fresh Creeks nearest
adjoyning nnto the same, & the uppermost
Bounds in Length to go to the First little
Swamp that lieth at the upper End of the
said Ground, w*"'' Parcel of Land I the s'' Saga-
more Mr Kowles do bind myself, my Heirs
& Assignes, never to molest with Law or with-
out Tho: Spencer, his Heirs or Assignes, in y*"
Enjoying of the s'' Parcel or Portion of Land for
euer freely. And in witness to the Truth
hei'eof I have hereunto set my Hand this 19D:
March 1650 in the Year of our Lord. Signed &
delivered in the Pi-esence of Humphrey Chad-
bourne. 1176040
The mark of John White JV The Mark of
Wouessefteros Whittmasse. d' M
Sagamore Rowles."
36 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
This land was bounded at that time by the
Sahnon Falls brook on the northwest; by
John Craiford's land on the northeast; by
Humphrey Chadbourne's farm, that he bought
of Rowles in 1643, on the southeast ( or more
strictly by the brook next below the falls) ; and
by the NewiclKnvannock, or Salmon Falls, river
on the southwest. It was later called " Doctor
Cook's land at Quampheagan," because he was
one of its subsequent owners. Cook was a
resident of Boston. There appears to have been
a mill privilege upon, or incident to, this tract,
which was called Quampheagan Falls, and is at
present utilized by the Portsmouth Company in
manuf\icturing cotton-goods. The Salmon Falls
brook is used to furnish ]:»ower for a sash and
blind factory.
The Rowles of whom Thomas bought his
land, was really a ])erson of considerable
celebrity. His dwelling ])lace was in IS'ewicha-
wannock, on the northern side of the river,
not far from Quampheagan Falls. Here was
his hunting-lodge or village of Avigwams with
fields surrounding them. Some writers main-
tain that the cellars of some of them may still he
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 37
seen on the })lains of the bluffs above the river.
He was quite a near neighbor to Thomas on
the northwest, at a distance of less than a mile,
since the house that AVilliam Chadbourne
o-ave Thomas was not far distant from these falls
o
of Quampheagan. Humphrey Chadbourne lived
much nearer. By reason of this nearness and
the friendly disi)ositions of the settlers, Kowles
was always on good terms with them, and
became softened under civilizing influences.
He is spoken of as Mr Rowles in distinction
from any other Indian.
He was in subordination politically to Passa-
conway, chief of the Pennacook Indians. All
the neighboring chieftains, of which there were
four, were in the same relation to Passaconway.
But they all seem to have possessed the right
to sell their lands to the English.
Passaconway was inclined to be friendly to
the settlers. In 1660, when he had become old,
he made a great feast for his tribe, whom he
called his children. He addressed them as a
dying man would address those already doomed.
'' Harken to the last words of your father and
friend. The white men are sons of the morn-
38 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
iiig. The Great Spirit is their father. His snn
shines bright upon them. Sure as you light the
fires, the breath of heaven will turn the flames
upon you, and destroy you. Listen to my
advice. It is the last I shall be allowed to give
you. Remember it and live." This shows the
general belief which had already taken posses-
sion of their savage minds that their nation was
to fall.
Rowles was similarly affected with prophetic
thoughts in his old age, and perhaps a few
words with regard to him may serve to show
more than anything else the cause of the early
years of peace between the settlers and savages.
In 1670, after he had suffered much from old
age and sickness, he complained of the great
neglect of the English for him. He sent a mes-
sage for the leading men of Kittery to visit him.
There can be no doubt that Thomas Spencer
was one of them. When they were present —
they were from what is now South Berwick — he
said to them: " Being loaded with years, I had
expected a visit in my infirmities, especially
from those who are now tenants on the lands of
my fathers Though all these plantations are
THE :maine spencers. 391
of right my ehiltlivn's, I am forced in this age of
evils humbly to request a few hundred acres of
land to be marked out for them and recorded as
a public [ict in the town books, so that, when I
am gone, they may not be perishing beggars in
the pleasant places of their birth. For I know
that a great war will shortly break out between
the white men and Indians over the whole
country. At first the Indians will kill many
and prevail, but, after three years, they shall he
great sufferers, and finally be rooted out aud
destroyed utterly."
Kot long after the purchase of the land at
Quampheagan of Rowles there arose a discussion
in England and these colonies as to whether
Indian deeds should be considered valid. Some
thonght the king alone had the right to grant
lands by virtue of discovery. Others main-
tained that the Indians could give the only valid
title, since they had fixed boundaries to their
territories, and dwelt in political divisions under
legally appointed rulers called sagamores.
Owing partl}^, perhaps, to this doubt as to the
genuineness of an Indian conveyance, S]3encer
sold Quampheagan to Thomas Broughton of
40 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Massachusetts. But the inhabitants of Kitteiy
soon after ratified the sale in these words:
" Yoted that — whereas there is a certain parcel
of land with a fall of water at ^ewichawannock,
within the town of Kittery, called by the name
of Quanipheagan, which land was improved by
an Indian, Mr. Rowles, and sold by him to
Thomas Spencer of Newichawannock; and said
Thomas Spencer sold said parcel of land and
half the fall of water unto Mr. Thomas
Bi-oug'hton — this sale was legal and is approved
by the whole town "
It would be ditiicult to say how many hun-
dred acres there were in this tract bought of the
Indian and sold to Broughton, but it surely
included a larger part of the present area of
Soutti Berwick village. Some of it was covered
by heavy woods, but a portion was undoubtedh^
cultivated or had been Laid down in grass lands
and meadows.
^cw England Avas, of course, at the time
when our ancestor settled, a vast and unbroken
wilderness. Only here and there Avere a few
acres of cleared ground, where the Indians had
raised their maize. The forests were composed
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 41
of trees centuries old and risiu"- in certain local-
ities to the height of a hundred or two hundred
feet. This was particularly true of this section.
N^aturally much time and laljor were necessary
to make a clearing in such growths as these.
The woods supplied, on the other hand, much in
the way of food, and the means of getting
things which they did not contain. Moose,
deer, and bears with much other smaller game
were abundant in the interior. There was little
to be feared from wild beasts, since even the
bear always retreated before the settlers, and
there were but few cases of their being known
to attack children. When Thomas Spencer first
came to New England there was an enormous
quantity of fish in the rivers. But the building
of mills caused the total destruction of salmon.
The Indians used but comparatively few fish in
summer in this region.
The Indian's dinner in 1636 would have a
meyiu something as follows: A handful or two
of corn, unparched usually, and, perhaps, a small
fish, caught with a bone hook, or speared, or
taken in a net, and eaten without being dressed
or cooked. When the English first came, the
4
42 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
savages knew little, if anything, of the uses of
fire.
The fact, that the Indians used no more fish
and game than was necessary, shows the reason
of their abundance. Thomas could shoot veni-
son on his own land. For the purpose of hunt-
ing he kept two small guns. Household sup-
plies could be had in exchange for the furs that
were constantly accumulating on his hands.
Speculating Englishmen more than doubled
their money by the exchange, buying household
supplies cheap in England and selling their
cargo of furs at almost their own terms to Eng-
lish buyers. Even prior to Thomas's death
avaricious men had, by making a business of
obtaining skins, established so great a demand
that in supplying it game began to diminish in
this region. Of course fire-arms were more
efiJ'ective than the arrow, spear, and tomahawk
which was made of a sharp stone fastened to its
handle by a withe. These arms, although used
with proficiency by the savages, were not so
likely to be fatal at a distance as the little
" gunnes " then in use.
About 1651 Thomas was given the privilege
THE ^[AINE SrENCERS. 43
to cut trees in Kitteiy near the Great "Works
river and raft thein down to the mill. He must
have been much occupied with the lumber busi-
ness at this time. A copy of the grant referred
to is here given.
'•' At a town meeting at Kittery April 8th,
165 1 . It is ordered at this Town Meeting,
that Thomas Spencer & Humphrey Chad-
bourne, to them their heirs or assignes for
ever, shall have ]N'amely Tomtinker's swampe
& five hundred pine trees beside allotted vnto
them by the Townsmen Avhen Mr. Leader com-
mands/ And it is further ordered that Thom'
Spencer & Humphrey Chadborne thejr heyrs or
assignes for ever shall have free passage for the
bringing of Tymljer down the little River vnto
their saw Mill / .''
Soon after this, in the same year, this continu-
ation appears:
" Wee Townsmen of Kittery have Lotted
vnto Humphrey Chadbourne & Thomas Spen-
cer, thejr heyres or assignes for ever, five hun-
dred of pine trees, that was given them at a
Town Meeting at Kittery & stands vpon Record
/ & Wee have given them all the rest of the
'''^■pv'
THE MAINE SPENCEUS. 45
pines that are in the same swanipe Avhere Wee
Lotted them out / It heing the next great
swampe, of note, & hath on the South West side
a peece of Land lotted vnto WiUi : Spencer /
It being bounded on the ^orth East side with
y^ same swampe & on the South West side with
a little swampe, that hath some pynes growing
In it / soe the lott runnes, between the same
bounds named, from the little River to his
father's, Thom' Spencer's, Medow / lijng at the
upper end of the sd lott/ ."
Thomas had owned this meadow for some
time when this grant was made. It was situ-
ated at the eastern end of Cox pond, where
the brook forms an outlet to the pond. Such
property was not only valuable as grass land,
but Avas fit for raising crops. The lands about
Cox pond will be mentioned later.
Perhaps it will not be deemed inappropriate,
and it is really an essential feature of this sketch
of Thomas Spencer's life, to say a few words
of his neighl3ors, the Indians. Hardly a day
passed when he did not see them, now that
he had come to live in their midst. He would
see them on the ponds, on the rivers, in the
46 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
woods, and even at his own dwelling. Their
dress was very meagre, consisting of skins
before they began to use English cloth, and
then they were not particular about its scanti-
ness. Their canoes were of two kinds, with
which they ventured upon the roughest seas.
The birch canoes were made from a good
quality of bark sewed with sinews over their
frames. Canoes made from tree-trunks were
shaped in the woods and then bui'ned out, the
process recpiiring often a dozen years. These
boats were much used by the settlers them-
selves in those times.
In the Indian village near Thomas's house
they lived during the planting season. At
othei" times they were in their hunting lodges or
on the seashore. Their wigwams were taken
down and jnit up by their squaws. These were
covered with skins and mats so that not a drop
of rain could enter, and were often fifty or sixty
feet long. These encampments can still be
located by their circular stone fire-places. The
work of the braves consisted in fighting their
battles, hunting and fishing, and making and
mending their implements. This kept them
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEIIS. 47
much time in the woods, while the Avives tilled
the fields. In these early years of peace
they would enter a settler's house Avithout
knocking and even sit doAVii Avithout l)eing
asked to do so.
They AA^ere very strong- and agile and lived to
be very old. They Avere almost inclined to
honesty in its cruder forms. HoAvever, any
violation of the rights of oAvnership could be
easily reported to their chief. For this reason
Thomas Avas safe from them, and could till his
ground and let his horses and cattle roam
through the Avoods. The fact that he had pur-
chased land of their chief Avas sufficient to
secure personal safety and respect for his prop-
erty.
In 1652 we find this list of those AAdio sub-
mitted to the authority of Massachusetts Bay:
" Wee Avhose names are under AA^itten doe
acknoAvledge ourseh^es subject to the gOA^ernor
of Massachusetts Bay, in Ncav England:
Thomas Withers John Greene
John Wincole Hughbert Mattome
William Chadbourne Gowen Willson
48
THE mai:ne spencees.
Hugh Gunnison
Thomas S^pencer
Thomas Durston
Robert Menclam
Richard Thomas
James Emerie
Christian Remick
]Sricholas Frost
Charles Frost
Humphrey Chad bourne
Abraham Cunley
Richard Nason
Mary Bayhe
Daniel Paule
John Diamond
George Leader
Jonathan Symonds
Robert Weighmouth."
This was a list of the inhabitants of Kittery
at this early date. The majority of these
were heads of families like Thomas Spencer.
Thomas's wife nee Patience Chadbourne, a
daughter of William Chadbourne, was sister to
Humphrey and William, Junior, whose names
appear on this list. Thomas had three sons,
William Palmer
Jeremiah Shores
John Hoord
Thomas Sj^inney
Nathaniel Lord
Joseph Mile
Nicholas Shapleigh
Anthony Emerie
Reynold Jenkins
John White
Thomas Jones
Denis Downing
John Andrews
Daniel Davis
Philip Babb
Antipas Manerricke
William Everett
THE :maixe spenceus. 49
AVilliam, Humphrey, and Moses, and four
daughters, Margaret, Susanna, Mary, and Eliza-
beth. The sons' ages were according to the
order given, and Margaret was the oldest of his
daughters and the first to be married. Her
marriage took place about 1654 to Daniel
Goodwin of the same town. Thomas gave to
his daughters portions of his estate, as well as
to his sons. This dividing of lands caused
them to pass out of the family name.
The following may shoAV to some extent his
love for his children :
" These deponents (Nicholasse Hodesden &
his wife) being sworen saith that about fifteene
or sixteene yeares agooe that Thomas Spencer
being att quamphegon at the howes we then
lived in sajd that he had given the on half of his
half part of the mill & Timber thereunto
belonging being on quartor part of the mill unto
Danjell Goodin for his dafters Portjon Nick-
hollas Hodsden & his wife replojed & said
neyhbouer Spenser I wish you well to Consedar
what you doe for you had many children &
every on would have a lettell & you cannot
give every one such a Portion & he answared &
50 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
said that shee wase the Eldest dafter & hee had
don yt & farther saith not:/ Upon oath Aprill,
1670."
The town of Kittery granted Thomas two
hmidred acres of land, which ran up to a little
round swamp where there were trees marked
out to him. The reason for this grant was that
a line of division was established between Kit-
tery and Berwick by which the Berwick people
had the lands within three miles of the Salmon
Falls river and Kittery proprietors took the res-
idue. The principal claimants of Berwick were
the Chadbournes, Lords, Goodwins, Gerrishes,
Keys, Smiths, Spencers, and Plaisteds. This
division is the origin of all grants to Berwick
landowners. The " interest line " in the eastern
])art of the town is identical with the division
line of 1649. Beyond this line the land was
called " Kittery Commons " until within a cen-
tury. There is no artificial hue in the town of
Berwick which antedates this, and it has been
sacredly preserved. In the half century that
followed much of the ungranted land near the
rivers was taken, and at the time when Berwick
became incorporated only the extreme portions
THE MAINK Sl'KNCEUS. 51
remained ungi-anted or were reserved as town
pro]3erty.
A grant was made to Thomas in 1G54:, Octo-
ber 13:
" Granted and laid out unto Tlios. Spencer,
his heirs and assignes forever, by Select-men of
Kittery, thirty acres of upland about Slut's cor-
ner beginning at a Red Oak tree, which is the
head bounds of a grant made to Mr. Richard
Leader, and from that Red Oak north-east to
the east path, and so by the south-east side of
the Cart Path along the same path to the jioplar
swamp to a marked Poplar tree that is the
bounds of the said Spencer's two hundred acres
laid out to his house, and for to go over the
brook that runs down to the Fagot Bridge and
to take until thirty aci-es be accomplished
besides the meadow that lies within, in which
the said Spencer hath formerly improved/'
I have given some of these old grants chiefly
because there may be some who would expect
them or, not knowing of their existence, would
like to see them. They are interesting as
indices to the locality of Thomas's home and the
nature of his surroundings. Some of the
52 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
grants may be referred to in the lives of his
descendants farther on in this work.
In the year 1656, about harvest time, a paper
was circnLated to get signers. This was a peti-
tion to Cromwell asking him to prohibit the
attempts made by the heirs of Captain Mason
to regain possession of the Maine soil. There
were seventy-one signers from Kittery, some of
whom we at once recognize:
William Scadlock,
Humphrey Chadbonrne,
Charles Frost,
Mcholas Frost (mark),
James Preble,
Daniel Goodwin,
Thomas Sj)encer (mark),
Nathaniel Lord,
William Spencer,
Roger Plaisted,
Francis Raynes,
"William Symonds,
William Raynolds,
John Alcocke.
A comparison of this with the preceding lists
will show that many names are common to them
THE MAINE SI'ENCERS. 53
all, but that the name of William Silencer
occurs only in the last. He was, then, of age
at this date, whereas the names of the other
sons of Thomas do not appear. This Avould be
sufficient to show that William was a landowner
and had an interest individually in the matter.
Thomas Silencer was a tavern-keeper, and an
impartial one, entertaining all comers on equal
terms. His inn was large and well furnished
for those times, being situated near the centre
of the settlement. There was a bar connected
Avith the establishment, but the stronger drinks
were prohibited by the local courts. The chief
drink was beer which Thomas sold at four pence
a quart. He was accused of selling liquor to
the Indians but the charge fell through for want
of the proper evidence to convict.
Some writers have stated, from lack of suffi-
cient evidence, that there were no persecutions
in these settlements of religious sects and they
have noted that there were no Quakers here.
In the Boston records we find this: " The court
orders, that Thomas Spencer (Anthony Emery
and Richard ]!*^ason) pay as a fine to ye country
for entertayning the Quakers the some of five
54 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
pounds, and be disfranchised." And this occur-
red as early as the year sixteen fifty-nine, in
IS^ovember, as stands recorded.
Thomas says in a deed to his daughter, Mary :
" We Thomas Spencer of the Parish of Unitie
in ye County of York planter and Patience my
now wife being now or of late possessed of
one lot of land containing by Estimation two
hundred acres be it more or less given and
granted unto mee ye said Thomas Spencer and
to my heires and Assigns for ener by the
Town grant of Ivittery, which land lyeth and
is within ye foresaid Parrish of Unitie/ 'Now
these presents witness that I the said Thomas
Spencer and Patience my now wife for and
in consideration that Thomas Etherington hath
Married with Mary our daughter And for ye
loue and IN'aturall affection that we ye said
Thomas and Patience Spencer doe beare unto
the foresaid Thomas Etherington and Mary
his wife And for their better liuelyhood here-
after have and by these presents giue and grant
unto ye said Thomas Etherington and Mary his
wife All that tract of land being by Estimation
twelve Acres or thereabouts be it more or less as
THE MAINE SI'EXCERS. .)')
it is now marked and laid ont It being bound-
ed Avith ye lands of Richd Nason on or nere
ye South an West, And on ye !N"orth and
West with ye Residue of Thomas Spencers land
now in his possession And with Daniel Good-
ings land on ye IS'orth and East, lying Directly
by a line by Daniel Goodings land Soe ftirr as it
lyeth adjoyning to it from ye beginning to ye
end of it as it lyeth adjoyning And on the
East Adjoyning to a lot of land that ye said
Thomas Etherington lately purchased of John
Gattinsby And there is ye dwelling house of the
said Thomas Etherington that he built now
Standing on ye foresaid lot Soe bounded &
was part and parcell of the foresaid lot of
two hundred Acres and is now in ye Possession
of ye said Thomas Etherington."
He says in a deed to Susanna :
"I . . Thomas Spencer and Patience my
now wife for and in consideration that John
Gattinsby hath Marryed with our daughter,
Susana, the now wife of. the said John Gat-
tinsby, As alsoe the loue and ^aturall affection
that we the said Thomas and Patience Spencer
doe bear unto the foresd John Gattinsby and
56 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Susanna his now wife, and for their better liiie-
lyhoocl have given and granted unto the said
John Gattinsby and Susanna his wife, All that
tract of land it being by Estimation twelne
Acres or thereabouts be it more or less as it is
now marked and laid out/ It being bounded
with ye lands of one Richard ^N'ason on or near
the South Side, and with ye lands of Daniel
Gooding, & a marsh called Parkers Marsh on
the T^orth and East/ And ye lands of Thomas
Etherington on ye AYest according as it hath
formerly been laid out by the sd Thomas Spen-
cer, And is part and pcle of that foresd lot of
two hundred Acres as aforesd granted. And is
lying and being within ye Parish of Unitie
aforesd & Town of Kittery."
These deeds were both dated in 1662. John
Gattinsby sold his part to Etherington.
Patience Spencer was provided for in Humph-
rey Chadbourne's will as follows:
" It is my will that my beloved wife being my
LawfuU executrix take spetiall Care of my sis-
ter Spencer, & If it should soe happen yt my sis-
ter should fall to decay, & bee in want that then
my wife Luce Chadborn shall to her uttmost
THE MAINE SrENCERS. 57
poller & ability supply her, & bee helpefuU to
her at all tymes hereafter / "
In 1663, Thomas and Patience sold all their
land near Quampheagan, and on the south side
of the Great Works river, to their son, William,
for eighteen pounds. It embraced all the lands
that lay between the Salmon Falls river and the
field that Thomas had fenced and under cultiva-
tion. Thomas reserved for himself and wife the
field under cultivation — which was the home
place — and eight acres at Cox pond. William
being the eldest son naturally became chief heir
to his father's property.
Thomas Etherington and his wife died in 1664.
We find an account of a meeting in Boston on
the 8th of September the next year, at which
were present the governor, the deputy governor,
and Mr. Danforth with their recorder, Edward
Rawson. One item of their transactions has
the following general interpretation:
Whereas Thomas Etherington and his wife,
of Newichawannock, had perished in the sea
while on their way to Boston, and the county
court had been informed that this was so and
that Zachariah Gillam had their chest and other
58 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
property in his custody, the court made disposi-
tions. Zachariah Gillam was to have a dis-
charge from further lesponsibility after he
should deliver the chest and goods into the
hands of Richard "Wayte and Thomas Fitche,
the late constable. The recipients were to bring
a true inventory to court and to keep the goods
in specie, in order that they might be in a posi-
tion to respond to the court for such claims as
should seem right. William Spencer, the son of
Thomas Spencer, and brother-in-law of the said
Thomas Etherington, who came before the mag-
istrate and recorder and desired to be adminis-
trator of Etherington's estate both at Boston
(heer) and lying at Yorkshire, according to his
application was granted the right, on condition
that he would surrender a correct inventory of
the estate in Yorkshire and give his bond to
double the value of the whole — to the recorder.
This last provision was a sign of good faith that
he would administer according to law in behalf
of the chikh'en of Thomas Etherington. He
was also to engage his house and land in York-
shire to the recorder for that end. When Wil-
liam had done all this, Kichard AV ayte was to
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 59
order Thomas Fitehe to deliver up the goods in
specie to the custody of Thomas Spencer, wlio
was to pay these men for their pains and answer
the ordinary charges of six shillings apiece to
the trustees and twelve pence to appraisers.
This was recorded by Edward Rawson.
Then comes the inventory of the goods of
Thomas Etherington, deceased — received of Mr.
Zachariah Gillam the fourteenth of the ninth
month, 1665. It was appraised by Edward
Fletcher, Habbacuk Glover, and Thomas Blighe,
who deposed at Boston the seventeenth of Sep-
tember, 1665.
" A true Inventorye & exact accompt taken
of the Houses, Lands & Goods with all the
Implements thereunto Belonging of Thomas
Etherington, Deceased, sometime Inhabitant of
the Town of T^ewitchewanneck, whom with his
Wife was Cast away in John Cole's Lighter in
November, 1661:; taken by Humphrey Chad-
borne, Richard ^ason.
Amt. 94£ : 18."
Wdliam Spencer deposed September ninth,
1665.
Thus Thomas Spencer's daughter, Mary, met
60 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
her fate. There is another sad element in this
fact, and that is, that she left behind in her
jonrney to Boston her two yonng danghters,
Patience and Mary Etherington.
Thomas Spencer gave Daniel Goodwin six
acres of npland in 1667. It was described as
fenced by the grantee who already had a honse
upon it. It was bonnded entirely by the lands
of Thomas and was a part of the two hundred
acres of town grant. The honse was only a
few rods distant from the paternal abode, being
separated from it by the highway leading from
the Lower Landing to Great Works.
Two years later the generosity of Thomas
was shown by his giving to William the two
swamps that the town of Kittery had granted
him in 1652. They were called respectively
Tomtinker's and Great swamps and abounded in
pine and hemlock timber. Thomas said the
object of the transfer was " ye love and naturall
affection that I beare vnto my Sonn William
Spencer." He excepted one third of " the ach "
(both) swamps for his wife Patience, who, we
shall see, afterwards gave her thirds to Moses
Spencer.
THE MAINE SPENCERvS. <!1
"December 13, 1069. Granted unto Thos.
Spencer one hundred acres of upland joining to
his Meadow at Wilcox pond as conveniently as
may be, not hindering ye convenient laying out
of ye land appointed for ye ministry." This
grant was followed by an account of the survey.
" Febuary 27, 1G71. Thos. Spencer's lot of one
hundred acres laid out on the Sonthwest side
of William Spencer's, one hundred and seventy
two rods long and in breadth ninety three rods."
Also, " Granted to Thos. Spencer his addition
June ye 24th 1673," (twenty acres) .
Thomas and Patience gave their son, Hum-
phrey, and his wife, Grace, in 1676, a " Mes-
suage " or tenement. This was for a proof of
their parental love and affection, and also " for
their better liveliehood." This tenement was
surrounded by thirty acres of land and lay south-
east of Great Works, now known as " Bur-
leigh's Mills." It was bounded on the north-
west by the highway leading to York and was
only distant a few rods from Great Works. It
was, too, a part of the two hundred acres
granted by Kittery.
In the 'New Hampshire papers, Yolnme I,
62 THE MAINE SPENCEES.
under the date of 1676, are the depositions of
several persons. One of them is " Thomas
Spencer aged about 80 years living in ye
Country 46 years." He stated that Captain
" John Mason did never settle any government
nor any people upon any land called ye
Province of I^ew llami)shire on the south side
of Piscatqua river either by himself or any of
his agents to this day. And whereas Mr.
Robert Mason his grandchild by his petition to
his Maty (Majesty) charges ye Governors of ye
Massachusetts or ye Bostoners, as he calls them,
ffor taking away the government in a way of
hostility: burning of their houses and banishing
their people out of their dwellings," the same
was positively false. This was testimony in
favor of ^N'ew Hampshire and hence is found in
their records. It was taken under oath the
twenty-fifth day of August, 1676, " in Piscata-
qua river in New England," by Edward Rish-
worth.
Thomas's will reads as follows :
"In the name of God amen/ I Thomas
Spencer of I^ewgcAvanacke in the Townshipp of
Kittery being sicke of body, but through the
THE MAINE SrENCERS. ()8
iiiercys of god, sound of Mind & nienioiy, and
not knowing how soone my Change may come,
desire to dispose of that Estate which god hath
given nnto mee as followith, vidzt:
" Inprs I give nnto my Eldest sonn AVilliam
Spencer after my decease, & the decease of
Patience my loveing wife, my now dwelHng
house and all out houseing by It, or belonging
to it, & all the Land adioyneing to it, being now
in my possession & lijng on the N^orth side of
the high way, by my sd dwelling house, whither
it be Gardens oai'chards, pasture Meddows
Corne Land to him the sd William Spencer my
sonn, & to his heyres for ever; provided he i)ay
or Cause to bee payd unto my Too daughters,
namely Susanna & Elizabeth, with in six
weekes, after my decease & of my loveing wife
Patience, the full & iust sume of Tenn pounds,
a peece in money or pay aequivolent ther unto:
The house & sd land lijng responsable, untill
ye Legacys abouesd bee fully payd/
" 21y I give to patience my loveing wife all the
rest of my Estate, whither It bee in lands Chat-
tels, Cattle, goods debts househould stuffs Med-
dows &c: not mentioned as abouesd, for her to
64 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
distribute & dispose of amongst my Children at
her own discretion, except what I have ah'eady
given to my Elldest sonn as abouesd /
" Lastly I do nominate and appoynt patience
my sd loving wife to bee my soole executrix of
this my last will & testament /
" In confirmation where of I have here unto
set my hand & scale, the secund day of June in
the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred
seaventy nine / 1679 :
Signed sealed & Delivered Thomas Spencer
in Presence of his mark & (selie)
Gillbard warrine his
mark X
George Pearson / "
'' An Appendix to my last will & testament as
on the other side of this paper, appeareth my
further will in that, where as formerly I gave
unto my sonn in law John Gattinsby who mar-
ried my daughter Susanna a certain tract of
land being part of that too hundred acres that
the Town of Kitteiy granted to mee, ioyneing
to my house lott, & the sd Gattinsby sould his
sd right or tract of land unto my sonn in law
Thomas Everington who married my daughter
THE .MAINE SPENCERS. bo
Mary, & the said Gattinsby was fully contented,
& payd by the sd Evcrington my sonn in law,
for his sd land & the sd Everington my sonn in
law possessed the sd land his life tyme, & left it
to his heyres; And wras (whereas) I also gave
unto my sonn Etherington a Certen Tract of
Land ioyneing to the land hee bought of the sd
John Gattinsby, on which the dwelling house of
the sayd Etherington now standeth, & both
tracts of land contajneing about Twenty foure
Acres, by estimation, bee It more or less, as
they are now bounded with Richard Nason &
the Highway on the South, AVilliam Spencers
land on the West, Daniell Goodins land &
Humphrey Spencers land on the North, & that
part of my land Called Parkers Marsh on the
East: And although some writeings have been
Prused about the Premises, yet nothing yt I
know^ upon record about It, & that the sd Land
according to my true intent descend unto the
right heyres of it, both by the sayd Etheringtons
purchase of the sayd Gattensby in part, & my
gift unto the sayd Etherington of the rest of the
sd land: l!^ow my will is that the sayd Land
with the dwelling house upon it, & all the
6Q THE MAINE SPENCERS.
appurtenances & priviledges yr (there) unto
belonging, should bee & remajne the ])ro])er
right & Inheritance of John Wincoll Junjor,
sonn of John Wincoll of Kittery & of Mary his
wife deceased, who was the daughter of my sd
sonn in law Thomas Etherton & Mary his wife
deceased, to have & to hould the sd tract of
Land, dwelling house with all the appurten-
ances, & priviledges there unto belonging to
him the sd John Wincoll Junjor & his heyres
lawfully begotten of his body for ever: & If
hee dy without such lawfull heyres, my will is
that the sd Tract of Land houseing & all appur-
tenances & priviledges yr unto belonging shall
bee & remajne the proper right & Inheritance of
patience Atherton daughter unto sd Thomas
Ethei-ington & Mary his Avife deceased, to have
& to hould to her & her heyres for ever / In
witness where unto I have afixed my hand &
scale, this fifth day of June one thousand six
hundred seaventy nine 1679 :
Signed sealed & delivered Thomas Spencer
in the Presence of his marke & (seaie)
Gillbard Warrine
his X Mark
Georo-e Pearson / "
THE MAINE SPENCERS. <)(
Thomas died December 15, 1G81, having lived
for fifty years in Maine. It seems that the last
few years of his life were marked with the
gradual dissolution of his once powerful consti-
tution. He passed away at the ripe old age of
eighty-five. He must have been buried in the
quiet cemetery at Old Fields and upon his own
land. His wife Avas well i)rovided for since her
brother, Humphrey Chadbourne, made provision
for her if she should ever be in need.
The inventory is interesting — at least it is old.
It was taken a few days after his death in 1681.
Iniprs His weareing Cloaths 5^ : in the upper cham-
ber, one feather bed It Coverlid blankett, i peyre
of sheetes 2 pillows & a bowlster 3:10:00 . . o8_^ los od
It one peyr of sheetes los 3 yds. of Cayrsey 12s a
Carpet 3 old Chests & forme 1 6s . . . 01 18 o
It In the lower Chamber, one featherbed, 3 blanketts
a rugg 2 pillows It a bowlster 5^ A little Table
Carpet oLild Chest a forme earthern dishes los . 5 10 o
It in ye leantow, a rugg a blankett ould bedding wod-
den dishes trays 12s trenchers 3s . . . 00 1 5 o
It in the Hall 2 Copper kettles a brass skellett one
warming pann It one little ket-tle & a skimmer two
pounds . . . . . . . . 02 00 o
It 8 pewter dishes, 8 porringers, 5 pewter potts & a
bason 40s tS: a bason & Ure los . . . 02 10 o
It 6 earthern dishes 5s 2 Tynn panns 2s, a silver
Cupp & spoone 12s . . . . . . 00 17 o
68 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
It one Iron pott fyre pann hookes & trameJl ros
Chayrs & Table los . . . . . . oi oo o
It Two small Gunnes at 30s in seller leantow a little
molasses & barrells 5s . . . . . 01 15 o
24 15 o
It 5 swine at three pounds 9 Harrow
teeth at Tho : Holms his 19s . 3 19 00
24 15 00
25 14 CO
The home stall of house barne Oarchard & about
tenn Acres of Land . . . . . . 100 00 o
The rest of the Land neare the home stall supposed
about 100 Acres . . . . . . 50 00 o
It 100 Acres of Land by the Marsh at lower end of
Willcocks pond . . . . . . 25 00 o
It the Meddow about 14 Acres & 30 Acres of vpiand
by it at . . . . . . . . 20 00 o
It thee Cows & three foure years ould stears at . 18 00 o
It 2 3 years ould stears 4£ too stears 3 years ould
3£ 07 00 o
It A Mare 30s horses in the Woods at live pounds . 06 10 o
It 3 Chanes hooks & staples a ring for a Copp yoake
beetle & 2 Wedgs It one peyre of Cart Wheel
hoopes all at . . . . . . . 02 10 o
229 00 o
28 14 o
257 14 o
THE MAINE Sl'ENCERS. O'J
This list includes all the movable goods and
real estate of Thomas Spencer, who was really
at that time one of the few men of any consid-
erable means in the settlements. It is evident
that Thomas had a fair English education at
that early da}^, although there are instances of
his making a mark. This was the case more
especially in his later years. The mark might
have been due to weakness or even sickness.
Although it has been said, that the Puritans
were the only religious sect that came to New
England for deeply religious purposes, this set-
tlement at Kittery seems to have had strong-
religious tendencies. Thomas was a deeply
religious person and his character seems to have
had a strong influence over his children. He
was a generous and affectionate father.
He may be considered one of the leading men
of his time and locality. We can ever think of
him with respect as one of those pioneers Avho
helped to lay the early foundations of a country
unequaled on earth. Whatever may have been
his privations and hardships, he has the honor
of promoting civilization and developing the
resources of a land blessed with a freedom of
70 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
possession and action. He could not know the
fullness of that freedom. But his descendants,
though they have inherited no lordly estates
from him, have received through his agency an
heirship to that liberty which is not to be pur-
chased with estates. He has transferred them
from a life in gloomy streets of London to the
bright fields of New England, from the poverty
of Europe to the wealth of America, from sub-
jection to citizenship. Yet no monument marks
for living men his resting place.
Thomas Spencer is mentioned by several his-
torians. He is referred to by Williamson in his
history of Maine and by Sullivan in his history
of the " District of Maine " written in 1795.
His name is also found in Folsom's work on
Saco and Biddeford, published in 1830. Savage
and Farmer, the eminent genealogists, speak of
him and give names of some of his children.
His name occurs frecpiently in local histories
and the records of the older portions of Kittery.
Thomas Spencer's Avife's name was Patience
and she seems to have well deserved it. She
had a good education and always signed her
name. She deeded her son Moses some land
THE ^NIAINE SrENCEKS.
the year before her death which was in Novem-
ber, 1683. Moses was then evidently living- at
home.
The inventory of her estate was as follows:
Inprs weareing Cloaths & a greene Coate & wastecoate i^ los ootl
It a Coate & waste Coate 20.s her head lining los . i lo oo
It 2 working steers 8/^, one cow and third part of
corne & hay in ye barne 3 : ID :oo . . . ii lo oo
It one bed at 50s one Mare i sow & pigs 2 115 :oo .05 05 00
It one Cow & one ^ part of her hay & Corne in ye
barne ........
It one Calfe a too sows at three pounds five shilHngs
It one Tapistrey Covering one pound five
It one Cow & i part of her hay & Corne in the barne
It one bowlster, one Hamacher, iv a small blankett . 02 02 00
It 2 barrows & one small pigg 2 105 :o . . . 02 05 00
It Two steeres 6 105 :o, one fowling Mault & a Chest
27s . . . . . . . . . 07 12 00
It I Table Cloath & Napkines 20s i pillowbeare &
sheet 7s 6d . . . . . . i 07 6
It I peyr gloves & 1000 IVI of pinns 2s 6d, 2 pewter
platters & one spoune 7s gd one porringer & salt
seller 2s gd . . . . . . .0130
It lysborne dishes & a Cann silke & thred . . 00 03 6
It one sheete los, one Chest foure shillings 3 small
things 3s . . . . . . . . o 17 00
to one peyre of stileyards, an iron pott & pot hookes
one spitt one Tramill & thread . . . .01100
It Too pewter dishes 7s 6d, a porringer I5d . .00 8 9
03
10
00
03
05
00
01
05
00
03
10
00
40 03
72 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
It Two drinking Cupps. i8d, 2 lysborne dishes i
spoone & one butter pott 3s gd, one blankett ids
one Chest 4s . . . . . . 00 19 03
It to severall 3s, 2 chaines i peyr of Hookes and
staple It one Neb ring & staple an ould axe & 2
pillows & tramell i:i6:o . . . . . 01 19 00
It one whitt aprone, one blew aprone, one whitte
wastcoat & one blacke Haneitt Chayre, i8s .00 18 00
It 2 pewter dishes, i small bason & a drame Cupp . 00 07 06
It one porringer, one Cadale Cupp 2s 9d, lysborne
dishes i spoone, 2s 3d . . . . . o 05 00
It 2 Earthe Juggs, & silke & thread i8d, one Rugg
IDS . . . . . . . . . GO 1 1 06
It I Chayre Table 4s, pewter dishes & one porringer
8s 9d . . . . . . . . 00 12 09
It I pewter Cupp one brass skellett i8d, to lysborne
dishes It one spoone, one earthen Jugg 2 basketts
& I earthen pann 3s 9d . . . . . 00 05 03
It I peece of Cayrsey fiflanill & 5 lb of Cotton Woll 00 10 00
It one Chest 4s, 3s in small things, 2 pewter dishes
& I porringer 8s 9d . . . . . 00 1 5 09
It 2 small porringers 2 earthen Cupps i8d, to Lysborne
dishes one spoone, one * * * * *, one
earthen pann 3s 9d . . . . . . 00 05 3
It I blankett one Chest, one barrell & in small 3s all 00 17 00
^08 06 03
It one l^rass Candlesticke, and Iron Candlesticke, i
brass scimar . . . . . . . 00 08 00
It one Iron Morter 3s, one warmeinpan 2 pillows 17s
6d, . . . . . . . . . 01 GO 06
It In Cash 2 :8 :9 . . . . . . . 02 08 09
THK MAINE SI'ENCEES. 73
It To loo C Acres of upland Neare Willcoxs his
bond . . . . . . . . 25 DO GO
It halfe ye further Meddow ^£ one dripinpann iSd . 03 01 6
It one hide at Daniel Stoons ye shoemakers . . 00 08 o
Cloath at ye weauers the quantity unknown
32 06 9
This estate, which amounted in all to about
eighty pounds, was divided among the five liv-
ing heirs. They were her three own sons and liei
sons-in-hiAV, Ephraim Joy and Thomas Chick.
Joy was Susanna's second husband, her first
husband, Gattinsby, having died a few years
before. Thomas Chick was Elizabeth's first
husband and after his death she married Nicho-
las Turbet. Margaret and Mary were already
dead, so that they had no share in the property.
We cannot doubt that honor is due to
Patience Spencer as well as to her husband. It
could have been no small undertaking for a
woman to leave a civilized community and bury
her life and Avork in the heart of a Avilderness;
to give up the security in which she was, for
the vague horrors of a life among savages.
Truly the hand from heaven must have been
extended over this family from this time on
74 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
through the dark days of the Indian wars which
followed.
William, the eldest son of Thomas and
Patience Spencer, was born about 1631. He
was first mentioned in 1651, when he received a
grant of land from the town of Ivittery. It lay
just beside the great swamp which was owned
by his father and Humphrey Chadbourne. This
land was between the brook, that runs out of
Cox pond, and the Great "Works river and
amounted to about one hundred and fifty acres.
In the year 1667 William was appointed an
"overseer" of the last will of Mr. Humphrey
Chadbourne. Humphrey says familiarly:
" I do desire my Ouncle I^icholas Shapleigh
& my Cosson John Shapleigh & my Cosson
William Spencer to be overseers vnto this my
last will and testament, to the utmost of their
power to see my Will observed, & Prformed
according to the Tenour thereof, & I doe hereby
give vnto my Ouncle Shapleigh one very good
beaver hatt, & to my Cosson John Shapleigh &
William Spencer each of them a good Castor
hatt, as good as can bee gotten for their paynes
to see my will executed."
THE MAINE .SPENCERS. 75
The term cousin here merely sliows the rehi-
tion, not of our word cousin, but of a near reha-
tive.
In 1(171 a pul)lic highAvay was run through
William's land at the north end of (Will) Cox
pond. This is what is now called the Witchtrot
road and leads from South Berwick to Wells.
It was originally laid out six rods wide.
John Heard gave William an ex[)ression of
his esteem in 1675, when he appointed him
" overseer " of his will :
" I do nominate, make choice of, and appoint
my trusty & beloved frejnds Major Nic: Sha^)-
leigh * * * * and William Spencer *
* * * to bee my overseers.''
This same year William as guardian of Mary
Etherington, his niece, gave her, at the time of
her marriage with Captain John Wincoll, the
title to the lands inherited of her parents.
Mary's mother was William's sister, Mary
(Spencer) Ktherington. At the death of Mary,
if she had no children, and of her husband, if
he survived her, the land became the property
of Patience Etherington, the sister of Mary.
Patience was named thus for her o:randmother.
7(5 THE .MAINE SPENCERS.
Hence the dowery she brought to Mr. Wincoll
was about one hundred and twenty acres with a
dAvelling upon them. Wincoll afterwards
became famous as captain in the Indian wars.
He lived at Sahnon Falls (Newichawannock)
and was quite wealthy for the times. He is
mentioned in the life of Moses Spencer in con-
nection with the Indian war of 1675.
"William is mentioned in several minor rela-
tions in 1675 and 1677. He became heir to
much of his father's lands at South Berwick in
1681. He gave his sister, Susanna, who was
then married to Mr. Joy an equivalent of ten
pounds, in compliance Avith the terms of his
father's will. Her first husband, Gattinsby, had
long been dead.
In 1687 William made his will but added a
clause to it just before his death. His nephew,
Humphrey Spencer, who was the son of Humph-
rey, was his heir and executor of his will. In
the last clause Moses — son of his youngest
brother, Moses Spencer — was a joint-heir.
"William died about the last of March, 1696.
As far as can be learned he was never married.
He was a man of good business abilities and
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 77
owned a large amount of real estate in the vicin-
ity of the Great Works i-iver. He was a man
of religions, generous, and honest disposition,
and hence much like his father. He was a
fairly good scholar and could at least write his
own name legibly. Apparently his mother
taught him to write, having acquired a good
education herself in England. His home was
for many years the same house in which his
father lived and which he inherited with the
paternal acres after his father's death. He
was about sixty-five years old at his death in
1695.
Humphrey, the second son of Thomas and
Patience Spencer, was Ijorn in Piscataqua about
1636. He is first mentioned in 1662, as one of
the Avitnesses to Thomas's deeds of land to his
sons-in-law, Etherington and Gattinsby. His
private signature was a plain H. S. This signa-
ture appears on Humphrey Chadbourne's will,
to which he was a witness. It was Chadbourne
for whom he was named.
In 1670 he obtained a grant of land from the
town. The next year he obtained fifty acres
more, making in all one hundred and ten acres.
78 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
This land lay beside his father's at Cox pond
and was to be so Laid out as not to conflict with
the hind reserved for the ministry.
In 1675 he conveyed thirty acres of hind to
Benjamin Barnard for the sum of nine pounds
sterung. It was situated near the "river of
Newgewanacke " and was bounded by a part of
his own hind.
The following year Humphrey's father gave
him and his wife a tenement or " Messuage "
with thirty acres of land. It was a part of the
two hundred acres granted to his father and lay
near Great Works on the highway leading to
York. But he removed to Portsmouth and
took up his residence upon Great Island in the
harbor. The reason for his leaving Berwick
seems to have been the trouble with the Indians
in the previous year. In his new home he was
ship-car])enter, innkeeper, and ferryman. He
sold Kobert Elliot the thirty acres given him by
his ftither; later he sold him sixty acres for ten
pounds. This latter was a part of that before
mentioned and was bounded by the river, or the
commons next the 'little Newichawannock."
In the year 1(391 Humphrey and Grace, his
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 79
wife, appeared as witnesses to the validity of
this sale.
He was appointed one of the Grand Jury of
Kittery for 1695, and the same year he bought
baek his patrimony in South Berwiek. This
thirty acres then l^elonged to Allen Ffuz, and
was bounded by the lands of Daniel Goodwin,
Captain John AVineoll, Eliakim Hutchinson,
and Moses Spencer, all of whom except one
were related to him.
Humphrey died about 1700 leaving- one son,
Humphrey, who was his heir; his wife, Grace,
evidently died liefore him. Tliey had been mar-
ried as early as 1676. It is evident that he died
intestate, but a deed made by his son will
answer our purposes. In this deed Humphrey,
Junior, said:
" Know Ye that I, Humphrey Spencer, now
Resident at ^N^ichewanak in the Province of
Maine / Son and heir to Humphrey Spencer
Deceased, the son of Thomas Spencer of the
same place Deceased also / have sold Thomas
Gooding * * * * about thirty acres * * * *
Avhich tract of land is part of that formerl}^
granted to my Honored Grand father Thomas
80 THE MAINE SPEXCEES.
Spencer above mentioned And by him given
unto my afores*^ Dec*^ father Humphrey Spencer
and to his heir which I am." This was dated
1701.
To-day the lands of Humphrey are marked
for us by the old cemetery on the hill near
Quampheagan, where formerly the old church
stood. Standing on the highest point in this
ancient burying ground and following the
eastern and southern horizon with the eye,
there is, probably, not an inch of the surface that
one of our ancestors has not owned. ]N"orth,
and west also, as far as the rivers, and in some
directions beyond the rivers, the same statement
is true. Here it is probable that some of the
early ancestors lie buried, m the mounds that
show no signs.
Here let them rest
For life at best
Must soou be o'er ;
Here at our feet
Their sleep is sweet,
Who toil uo more.
II. MOSES SPENCER.
Moses, the yonng-est sou of Thomas and
Patience Spencer, was born in the ancient
settlement of Piscataqua, Maine, about 1642.
That particuhir locahty where lie first saw the
wikleruess was called at that time Newichawau-
nock which embraced Quampheagan above the
Great Works river and Salmon Falls. Salmon
Falls is now to be located hj the point where
the Boston & Maine railroad crosses the river
into Maine.
Moses is mentioned in 16(37 as a witness to
Humphrey Chadbourne's will. He made his
mark someivhat like an inverted letter S.
The town of Kittery made him several grants
of land, the earliest one of importance being in
1671. This was a grant of fifty acres. He had
also acquired other land before this In 1673
he made a return of the fifty acres at the re-
quest of the town. It was situated in what was
called Kittery Commons.
THP: MAINE SPENCEKS. 83
The people in those days were divided into
three chisses: magistrates, planters or husband-
men, and fishermen. Some were said to be both
planters and " fishers " and others " mere fish-
ers." There were but few mechanics among
them; the timielor or cooper, smith and carpen-
ter were most common and of service; but there
weie no shopkeepers. The Massachusetts mer-
chants supplied them with all that they needed.
Some of these traders had large stores of Eng-
lish goods here and there in the settlements.
They were very exorbitant in their prices, and,
unless they gained as much as their goods cost
them, would })retend to be losers. English
shoes sold for eight or nine shillings a pair;
douglass (a kind of cloth), that Avas sold in
England for one or two and twenty pence an
ell, for four shillings a yard; serge worth two
shillings a yard for six shillings; and prices
were the same for all sorts of commodities.
This was the market at which Moses traded
for his necessaries. The furs taken in trapping
Avere of value in exchange.
The chief employment of the people of Ber-
wick in the first century of its settlement was
84 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
cutting masts. It was from this town that most
of the masts were exported to England, and it
is a peculiar fact that the size and perfection of
the trees of this vicinity far exceeded those of
any adjoining town or province. An example
of this is noted with respect to a spar which was
sent to England in 1659. and contained almost
thirty tuns of timber. It was at that time an
object of wonder.
As a planter Moses was very busy. He had
to provide for his cattle; plant and hoe corn;
fence his o^rounds; cut and bring home fuel,
cleave clawboards (thick clapboards) and pipe-
staves for casks; fish for fresh-water fish; and
go out on fowling expeditions. The fish of
those days would be marvels of size and beauty
in these later times. The trout even measured
twenty-two inches. The fish called sturgeon
were caught at Sturgeon Creek, which were
sometimes sixteen feet long. The salmon were
numerous in the Salmon Falls river near
Quampheagan. There were certain tracts of
land called fowling marshes to which each in-
habitant had a right. The settlers as a rule
were quite well-to-do. The water supply was
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 85
some brook or spring, and, when this was frozen
over or rendered inaccessible by the depth of
snow, they used melted snow. One old writer
says they dressed their meat in aqua coeUsfls or
" melted snow." The same writer says farther:
" at other times they feed upon as good ilesh,
beef, pork, mutton, fowl, and fish as any is in
the whole world besides,"
Up to the year 1675 there was not trouble
enough with the Indians to deserve mention.
All through the summer of that year the people
had been expecting an attack. With the begin-
ning of the harvest season the war burst forth.
IS'o pen could do justice to the fears and feel-
ings of horror of these people separated only by
their cabin walls from the cruel savages without
in the dark forests. They might expect to
behold the gleam of weapons in their corn
fields; to hear the howls of their bands in the
fainter howling of the wind; to feel the blows of
their bloody tomahawks ere they could strike a
blow in their own defence. At the least sign of
danger they ran to their garrisons.
These garrisons \vere made of huge sticks of
timber hewn square and dovetailed at the cor-
86 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ners of the buildings. The iipjDer stories pro-
jected over the lower several feet for better
means of defence in case of a sudden onrush of
numbei's.
One cannot give an accurate account of the
lives of Moses Spencer and his wife without a
sketch of the times. The fact that they sur-
vived them is not enough. If Elizabeth were
living she could tell us much herself that would
be interesting, since she was an eye witness to
the whole. Moses, also, must have been a par-
ticipant in these scenes, altliough the garrison
in which he would naturally take refuge was
below the Great Works river. The reason for
the absence of any mention of Moses' name is
that fortunately he did not live near those
places of most intense action. That he was
often disturbed by the enemy so near him can-
not be doubted, even while he lived in a more
fortified position.
It has been said that the Indians were never
to be seen near the places where they were
about to make an attack. They made their
attacks chiefly in the morning, approaching
under cover of bushes and logs until they
THK MAINE Sl'ENCEKS. 87
readied some fence or oiitl^uiUling-. They made
no attempt upon a ])lace unless they were sure
there would be but little resistance.
About an arrow-shot from Salmon Falls mill
was the home of Elizaljeth Botts and her first
husband, Isaac. Here they owned twenty acres
of land bordering upon Salmon Falls brook.
They dwelt at that time near the centre of the
settlement and Isaac ]orobably worked some of
his time in the mill. Their farm, which evi-
dently was partly cleared, was bought of John
Crafford in exchange for sixty acres of wild
land. It, too, had once been the property of
Thomas Spencer, since it was within the limits
of his Indian deed. Their dwelling then was
not a garrison, and in case of danger they were
compelled to seek refuge elsewhere. Their
movable possessions were meagre and for util-
ity instead of decoration. The whole list com-
prises: a hog, a chest, an ax, some small dishes,
an iron j^ot, a frying-pan, a spinning wheel, a
saddle, and a harrow. This shows with how
few luxuries young married people of 1675
could find life worth living, and enjoy it at the
same time.
88 THE MAINE SPENCEES.
Situated at the upper eud of Salmon Falls
plantation beside Salmon Falls brook, Elizabeth
and her husband were easily induced at the first
alarm to seek safety at the nearest garrison.
This stronghold, built at a spot convenient of
access and fortified by the settlers at joint ex-
pense, was owned by the settler upon whose
land it stood and used by him as a permanent
dwelling. In it was harvested the larger part
of the grain crops, and near it within its stock-
ade was the never failing well of water. All the
arms and ammunition not in regular use were
stored here. When at last rumor came of trou-
ble at Saco in the eastern settlements, they were
compelled to leave their lonely cabin on the out-
skirts of the i^lantation and hasten along the
northwestern cart path to the larger clearings.
They found other dwellings already deserted.
Having few valuables, they had not been long
detained in concealing them in the ground or
hollow tree trunks. Even after reaching the
blockhouses the settlers feared no immediate
attack.
As it was in the full warmth and glory of
September, the doors and windows were flung
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEKS. 89
wide open by day to admit the cooling In-eezes
of the forests; the music of birds and insects;
the odor of the pines and flowers and fruits.
These people were too much used to freedom of
the woods to remain long imprisoned within the
limits of a house.
With Isaac and his wife was their only child,
Elizabeth, who was but a few years old. She
afterwards married Samuel Brackett of Berwick,
and lived on a farm adjoining her mother's later
homestead. The garrison to which Isaac and
his family retreated was at Salmon Falls, a few
rods above the brook of that name ; and this was
probably the strongest blockhouse in the settle-
ment. It was in command of Lieutenant Roger
Plaisted, who was subordiuate only to Caj^tain
John AVincoll, in command of the town militia.
On the twenty-fourth day of September, 1675,
the Indians made an attack upon the dwelling
house of John Tozier at IN^ewichawannock.
This house stood about a half a mile (150 rods)
above the garrison and mills at Salmon Falls in
Berwick. iSTear the house of Tozier stood an-
other which had better means of defence. The
door of the Tozier dwelling was standing wide
90 THE MAINE SPEXCERS.
open when the savages approached the house,
and within was a number of women and children,
amounting to fifteen in all. The attack was led
by Andrew, of Saco, and Hopegood, of Kenne-
bec, the two powerful i epresentatives of their
tribes. At this time there were no men-folk to
strike a blow in defence, since they were all on
duty with Captain John "Wineoll, who had gone
with the town militia, sixteen in number, to re-
lieve the distressed inhabitants of Saco. The
savages, taking advantage of such an uuguarded
state of affairs, thought to gain an easy victory.
But a young girl of eighteen, seeing their ap-
proach and instantly divining their purpose, saw
a way to save them.
She swung to the heavy door and stood
against it until the other inmates escaped to the
more fortified house by a rear door. The In-
dians soon succeeded in chopping the door down
with their heavy hatchets and, entering the
dwelling, knocked down the heroic maid, whom,
after much beating, they left for dead on the
floor. They then pursued the others and cap-
tured two children who had been unable to get
over the fence of the palisade. One of these
THE MAINE SrENt'ERS. 91
children, which was only three years old, they
dispatched on the spot but kept the other sev-
eral months. Thns by her bravery the girl
saved all bnt two who were in the house. She
afterwards entirely recovered from her injuries.
The next day toward night more of the In-
dians gathered in the woods and fell upon the
neighboring dwellings. Eight or ten of those
men in the garrison — as many as could be
S]3ared — pursued them for about a half a mile,
but as night was coming on, they returned to
the garrison for fear of an ambush after dark.
Several shots had been exchanged on both sides
and only five of the redskins had appeared.
Later they took advantage of Captain Wincoll's
absence, to burn his house and two barns, one
of which was supposed to contain more than a
hundred bushels of English corn. After doing
this they disappeared in the forest.
The next day the Indians appeared across the
river and fired several shots at some who were
grinding in the mill. Several shots were fired
in return l)ut the distance was too great for an
ordinary gun. Only six of the savages showed
themselves, and that at twilight, calling the
92 THE MAINE SPEXCEES.
English '-dogs" and then running away. A
few days later these same Indians were seen
near Dover, burning and otherwise injuring
property.
One historian says:
" These outrages thus daily committed, filled
all the plantations about Piseataqua with fear
and confusion; scarce any place where there
was not reason for some to complain either of
the loss of friends, or burning of houses; which
caused the most of them that lived scatteringly,
at any distance from neighbors, either to gar-
rison their houses, or else to desert their own
dwellings and to repair to their next neighbors
that were better fortified than themselves; but
all the inhabitants in parts in general were
alarmed to stand upon their guard."
There seem to have been feelings of univer-
sal terror and suspense, so f^ir as this was possi-
ble, even among those who were accustomed to
the savage nature.
We must say a few words of the bi'ave Cap-
tain Wincoll with his little band of men from
his native town, ^N'ewichawannock, who had
gone, a few days before this attempt on their
TH?: :SIAINE SrENCERS. 93
own settlement, to give succor to the distressed
inhabitants of Saco. The whole band consisted
of but sixteen men. They took their route
along the sea-shore which was then the most
traveled highway to the eastern settlements.
In these days even the colonial mail was carried
by this route from Portsmouth to Wells and
even farther; but the mnil-carrier was a trained
and faithful dog, which carried the mail in
packets tied to his neck. After many years of
dangerous employment the Indians killed the
dog while in this noble service.
When the company under Captain Wincoll
were in the vicinity of Saco, they met a party of
the enemy and lost two or three of their com-
rades. The rest, amounting to but a dozen,
escaped unharmed and continued on their way
toward their destination, but when almost in
sight of the besieged settlement, about a hun-
dred and fifty savages attacked them upon the
beach. Becoming hard beset by so great a
number, the little party retreated to a heap of
bolts near the water-side, by the shelter of
which they lay safe from the enemy's guns.
Here they plied their few guns so successfully
94 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
that they slew many of the redskins and put
them all mto a land of rout at last. After this,
coming to the bank of the river that lies west of
the Saco settlement, Captain Wincoll found an
old canoe in which he and his men crossed the
stream in safety. But nine Saco men, who had
come out to help them on hearing the sound of
firing, had worse success; for, as they were
coming to the rescue, they themselves fell into
an ambush of the enemy and were all murdered
near the place of the first skirmish with Wincoll.
This was easily accomplished by the Indians,
because they themselves from the edge of the
woods by the shore could discern any that were
coming either way from a great distance, and so
might easily waylay them before they could
come up.
Thursday, October seventh, was a day of
fasting and prayer, and on this day it became
plain that the Indians were still lurking al)out
JN^ewichawannock, since a man was shot down
while riding between two of the garrison-houses
there. From this time the Indians began to
gather about the settlement, and on Saturday,
the sixteenth, about a hundred Indians made an
THE ,>[AINE .SPENCERS. \)0
early attack upon Kewichawannock. They be-
gan their assanlt on the plantation by surprising
a man named Tozier, who lived a half a mile
from the upper garrison at Salmon Falls (I^ew-
ichawannock). They killed Tozier and took
his son captive. The report of guns alarmed
Lieutenant Plaisted, and, fearing for their
safety, he sent seven of his men to help those
in need. These men had not gone for from the
garrison, which Plaisted commanded, when they
fell into an ambush and lost three of their num-
ber. The remaining four escaped and returned
to the garrison from wiiich they had come.
At this ])oint Lieutenant Plaisted immediately
wrote and sent the last letter he should ever
compose. It w^as for Major Waldern of Co-
checo (Dover, ^. H.). As this letter has some
bearing upon the narrative of Moses Spencer's
later life I will give it in the original words:
'' Salmox Falls, October 16, 1(375.
'^Mr. Richard Waldern and Lieut. Coffin,
these are to inform you that just now the
Indians are engaging us with at least an hun-
dred men and have slain four of our men
96 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
already: Richard Tozer, James Barry, Isaac
Bottes and Tozer's son and burnt Benoni Hods-
dan's house: Sn-s, if ever you have any love for
us and the country, now shew yourselves with
men to help us or else we are all in great danger
to be slain, unless our God wonderfully appears
for our deliverance. They that cannot fight let
them pray : nothing else, but I rest,
Yours to serve you
Roger Plaisted,
George Broughton "
'No aid came in answer to this message, be-
cause perhaps those who received it were in
straitened circumstances. Isaac Bottes, the
third man mentioned among those slain in am-
bush, was the first husband of Moses Spencer's
wife, Elizabeth. On the following day Lieu-
tenant Plaisted was zealous to bring in the dead
bodies of three men who had fallen under his
orders, and to perform the last sad office of
burial for them as personal friends. He ven-
tured out of the garrison himself with twenty of
his soldiers to fulfil this, his purpose. He had
a pair of oxen yoked and brought to the garri-
THE .MAINE SPENCERS. 07
son and set out, not suspecting* the presence of
the Indians. They had gone first to the most
remote spot where the body of Richard Tozier
lay and had put it upon the cart, but, when they
had come back to take up the other two bodies
which had fallen in a little swamp nearer the
garrison, they were beset by an hundred and
fifty Indians. This enemy were hidden in the
bushes, behind a stone wall, and under logs
scattered along the way. The cattle terrified
at the report of the muskets ran to the garrison
with such of the dead as were upon the cart.
Lieutenant Plaisted and his men were forced to
retreat to a place of better advantages for de-
fence, but even here they could not stand their
ground, so persistent were their foes. They
shot down many of the redskins, but, becoming-
aware of the vast superiority of numbers, made
a good retreat and reached the garrisons in
safety. Plaisted, however, scorning to fiee or
yield, fought bravely until killed upon the spot.
His eldest son and another man were killed out-
right, and Plaisted's other son died of his
wounds soon after.
The next day Captain Frost with his friends
98 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
came up from Stm-geon Creek, a few miles below
the Great Works river, and bm*ied the dead.
He was not molested by the Indians, although
just before his arrival they had burned three
houses and two barns.
There is at the present day a tombstone near
the old road to South Berwick, and on the land
once belonging to Plaisted. This is near the
scene of the battle in which he fell and the in-
scription on the stone says : " Here lies interred,
the body of Samuel Plaisted, Esq., who de-
parted this life, March 20th, 1731, ^^. 36. :N'ear
this place lies buried the body of Roger Plais-
ted, who was killed by the Indians, October 16,
1675, ^^. 48 years; also the body of his son,
Mr. Roger Plaisted, who was killed at the same
time."
Near this same spot, although unmentioned
on the stone, rest the remains of Isaac Botts
(Bottes), who fell a sacrifice in behalf of the
common cause. As was partly indicated, he was
one of the men sent out originally to recon-
noitre, and one of the two who fell in the little
swamp near the house. As we saw, here the
battle took place when the bodies were about
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 99
to be laid on the cart. Thus they were all
buried hastily very near this spot. In the garri-
son near by was Isaac Botts' wife, Elizabeth.
They could not have been married long, and the
separation must have been an unusually sad ex-
perience for her. She afterwards became the
wife of our Moses and lived for ma 113^ years.
Hence this stone lying upon the little mound in
Berwick marks for us not only the grave of one
nearly connected with the family by marriage,
but it is in the vicinity of one of our great-
grandmother's homes at the time of King
Philip's war of 1075.
The Richard Tozier house was situated about
an hundred and fifty rods noi'th of Plaisted's
grave which was made not far from his garri-
son. After the fall of this noble family the
])lace passed into other hands, but the Richard
Tozier dwelling became the property of Freathy
Spencer, grandson of Moses, and has been very
(1893) lately in the possession of his great-
grandson, of true lineal descent, John Spencer.
This house originally had a high fence about it,
and some of its timbers still are retained in a
more modern-looking building upon the site.
o
100
THE MAINE SPENCEES.
Freathy Spencer has been noted in past years
for a peculiar feat of his younger days; for
there is a tradition that he once killed a bear
with a hoe while at work in his field.
Old Tozier Blockhouse.
A week or so after the attack on JSTewicha-
wannock, the Indians appeared at Great Works,
where they burned the mill belonging to Hutch-
inson and then went on down the Salmon Falls
river toward Sturgeon Creek, plundering what-
ever came in their way. The redskins must
thp: :NrAiNE sn^NOEUs. 101
have passed within a few rods at the most of
Thomas Si)encer's house, where Moses was
then living. It is probable that the other sons
of Thomas, WilHam, and Humphrey, sought
refuge here for mutual protection. Here also
came Daniel Goodwin, Ephraim Joy, and
Thomas Chick, with their families, leaving their
individual homes. At the Creek the enemy
burned a house and killed two men not far from
Captain Frost's dwelling. Ten of the Indians
surprised Frost himself and came near shooting
him, but he escaped into his house and by a
stratagem of his saved himself and three sons.
The deception consisted in his giving orders as
if to a strong force of men to take up certain
positions while his three sons kept up a rattling
fire. These eftbrts were effectual in checking
the onset of the Indians.
The day following, the enemy passed down
the river toward Kittery, and wheii opposite
Portsmouth were greeted by the discharge of a
cannon aimed with such precision that the pro-
jectile fell very near them. This routed them,
and some of the English pursued them until
they were many miles from the settlements. A
102 THEMAINE SPENCERS.
light fall of snow came on and rendered track-
ing them much more easy, and the traveling-
more difficult. The}^ overtook the enemy near
a swamp, and so great was their haste that two
packs were left behind.
After the war just narrated so much in detail,
winter came on suddenly and a heavy fall of
snow prevented the savages from attacking the
settlements again that year, as they were almost
in a destitute condition themselves. The begin-
ning of actual winter was hailed by the pioneers
as a respite. They at once returned to their
individual dwellings with feelings of security:
as long as the snow lay on the ground they
feared no renewal of hostilities. If, hoAvever,
the snow had disappeared in a few weeks and a
warm spell of weather had ensued, it would
have been the Indian summer with which we
are familiar, a season to be dreaded in those
times, as the enemy might have returned to the
attack. In the ensuing spring the Indians re-
mained passive, owing perhaps to the loss of
numbers by disease and the faihire of their first
attempt. In this year a large party of them
were surrounded and captured without loss of
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 103
blood on either side. The hostile Indians were
native to the district of Maine. Those living* in
'New Hampshire Avere ahvays friendly to the
whites. In the folloAving way the capture was
made :
The militia of ]S^ewichawainiock and Dover
made arrangements for a grand muster at New-
ichawannock, and invited all the neighboring
Indians to be present. Now^ the remainder of
the hostile Indians of the preceding year had
made a covenant with the friendly natives, and
had thus come under their protection. AY hen
the day of muster came, about three hundred
Indians were present, and with these, the hostile
ones. Major Waldern of Dover and the other
English proposed a sham fight for amusement,
and the savages were induced to take part.
Accordingly they unloaded their guns Avith this
intent, and while getting position were sur-
rounded by the united forces of the Dover,
Eliot, and Berwick companies; they were
immediately disarmed and the hostile members
retained.
The friendly Indians, such as Wanolanset of
Penacook, always looked upon this act as an
104 THE MAINE SPEXCERS.
infringement of the peaceable relations that had
been acknowledged between them.
Still further was the public safety and hope
confirmed on the fifth of October, when the men
were at work in the mill at Salmon Falls, on the
Maine side, and keeping watch for any approach
of their crafty foes. While they were watch-
ing, they saw a canoe coming down the river
and in it were two figures. These were found
to be an Indian squaw and her son, who were
rowing rapidly with the current. But when the
canoe came in a line with the mill it struck up-
on the boom that was stretched across the river,
to hold back the logs in the river. Here it
hung, and, while the squaw was trying to get it
over the boom, the mill hands ran out on the
logs and captured both the boat and its occu-
pants. These proved to be the wife and son of
the Indian known as Canonchet, a chief of the
]^arragansetts, formerly called Nanuntenoo, as
the sachems were in the habit of changing their
names at each dance or powAVoh. The squaw
stated that Canonchet had been killed by the
Mohawks, a story that accorded well with the
rumor of his disappearance. The captives also
THK MAINE SPENCEIJS. 105
Stated tliat they liad not seen an eneanij)nient
fire for some Aveeks to the eastward.
An aeeount of people distressed (taxed) for
the war in 1677 gives for New Kittery (New-
Ichawannock) seven families containing twenty-
seven pei'sons.
In 1(375 we find several instances where
Moses' land is mentioned. In 1679, too, he sold
land and gave a deed signed with the initial M.
The land was in Kitteiy at Newichawannock,
and amounted to twenty acres. It was sold for
twenty-three pounds, and was l)ounded on the
southeast by the highwa}^ to the '' dyrtie "
swamp, and on the southwest with the land
of Thomas Broughton, on the northwest by
Salmon Falls brook, and on the northeast by
Joseph Barnard's land. This land came to
Moses by his wife, who was tlie widow and
heiress of Isaac Botts. Elizabeth signed her
name to this deed of sale. This deed is of
great hnportance to ns as a landmark in the life
of Moses Spencer. It not only tells us the
name of his wife but the year of his marriage,
not otherwise discoverable. It tells ns, for all
practical purposes, the exact locality of Eliza-
106 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
beth's former home, below the Sahnon Falls
brook, and less than a mile from Moses' honse
at Qnampheag-an. By a combination of dates we
can set the time of their marriage at 1679.
In 1682 Patience gave Moses a deed of gift
of some more than a hnndred acres. She
said:
" For love and affection I have for my
yonngest son, Moses Spencer, I give the residue
and remainder of the two hundred acres given
to my late husband, Thomas Spencer by the
town of Kittery; of which two hundred acres,
Daniel Goodwin, Thomas Etherington, John
Gattinsby and my second son, Humphrey, and
others, have had each of them a part laid out to
them; which part, property, and portion of said
two hundred acres lyeth and is beyond the
aforesaid lots of Daniel Goodwin, Thomas
Etherington, deceased, and John Gattinsby,
deceased, and Humphrey Spencer; and it lyeth
east and south from ye abovesaid four lots of
the four parties aforesaid and is bounded: on
the east, or thereabouts, by Daniel Goodwin's
land, called and connnonly known by the name
of Slut's corner: and on the south or there-
TIIK .MAINK STKNCKKS. 107
abouts, by land of K'eliard Nason; and runneth
eastAvards or thereabouts, into the woods as far
as the extent of the said two hundred acres
goeth until it be completed. Also thirty acres
of upland and one half meadow ground adjoin-
ing it, lying near the land of George Gray and
adjoining Kichard N^ason's meadoAv. Also one
third of Tom Tinkei-'s and Great swamps by ye
little river's side that eometh down to ye great
mill works, or Mr. Hutchinson's mill, or saw
mill."
Moses had a share of his mother's i)ersonal
property at her decease.
During the latter part of Thomas Spencer's
life he kept a tavern or ordinary at Old Fields.
When he died his wife. Patience, was granted
the right to keep the tavern. This right was
given by the courts. Innkeepers Avere for-
bidden to keep strong drinks, even at that early
period. Moses, Avho Avas then living Avitli his
mother, Patience, Avas bound by the courts
to keep order according to laAV. After his
mother's death Moses Avent to farming on his
own land Avhich lay in this vicinity.
About 1690 the site of Thomas Spencer's
108 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
tavern was occupied by a garrison. It was the
largest in that i)arisli, accommodating ten
families of the neighborhood; there were fonr
soldiers, thiiteen men, and one hundred souls in
all who sought its shelter.
The site of Moses Spencer's house is nearh^ a
mile to the eastward, and its recent discovery
is a little remarkable. It was upon the laud
which he had from his mother. In a deed to
Samuel Brackett of land that lay southeast of
his own housek)t, he speaks of the right-of-w\ny
to be permitted leading from Brackett's house
to his ow^n and thence to the country road. In
a later deed of a small strip of ground that he
sold Brackett, he mentions a little pond of
water that lay east of Brackett's house where
he then dwelt, and also his and Brackett's other
land adjoining. The writer can show the site
of Brackett's house, the well which ti-adition
ascribes to him, and the little pond of water.
The old way can still be traced. Hence the
home of Moses Spencer was on the eastern
slope of Pound Hill, on the way from the
*' country road " to Rocky Hills. His neigh-
bors were: Deacon Nathan Lord, Francis Her-
110 THE :SIA1XE SPENCERS.
low, Kichard Lord, James Warren, James
Emeiy, Captain James Grant, and Richard
Hearl.
Moses had two sons, Moses, Junior^ and
Isaac. Hardly anything is recorded of Isaac.
It is probable that they had a sister, Mary, who
married Joseph Jones in 1707.
Moses was grand juryman to Kittery court
in 1715. The offenses punished by exposure
in the ])ublic stocks and fines, more often
with whijjpings on the bare back, were absence
from church on Sundays, selling liquor with-
out license, and swearing or using profane lan-
guage.
Moses died about the year 1719. He made
no Avill and his son, Moses, was appointed ad-
ministrator of the estate.
The inventoi-y of Moses Spencer's property
was taken by John Cooper, Humphrey Chad-
bourne, and John Hooper, in September, 1723.
Imprimis : To the homestead Lolt of land, it being ninety
acres of thereabouts ...... -^^225
To twenty-five acres of out land lying on the north side of
Great Works river . . . . . . -5
To four acres of meadow . . . . . . .15
To twenty acres of land lying near long marsh ... 20
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. Ill
To one-third part of two log swamps — the one called b)' ye
name of Tom Tinker's swamp, ye other called by ye name
of ye Great Swamp . . . . . . .10
His wife appears to liave been already dead.
He and his wife are undoul^tedly buried in the
old eenicter}", " in the hind of Humphrey Spen-
cer," with his })arents; liis brother, William; his
brothei-, Humphrey ; and his nei)hew, Humphrey.
'No lettered stones mark the spot, and the rough
field stones that were set by lovhig- and tear-wet
hands have long been buried; Lke the forms
they should have kept in perpetual memory,
time has made them but sleeping sentinels of
the dead unknown.
III. MOSES SPENCER, JUNIOR.
Moses, the son of Moses and Elizabeth
(Botts) Spencer, was born at South Berwick,
alia^ Newichawannock, alias Upper Kittery,
about 1680. At the time of his birth his
parents were Hving with his grandmother,
Patience, at '' Old Fields." He was the eldest
of his father's children. His half-sister, Eliza-
beth Botts, lived with them. Her father, Isaac,
we have already noticed was killed by the;
Indians in 1675. The savages were trouble-
some at this period, but usually showed their
ill-nature by maiming cattle and destroying
crops; bloody and revengeful by nature, they
did not hesitate at anything that could cause
discomfort to the plantations. The district
court decreed that all church-goers should carry
arms to the house of worshi]) for public safety.
When Moses was about ten years old, the situa-
THi': :*iAiNE siven('p:i;s, 113
tion wa« rendered more serious because tlie
envious Catholic settlers to the north were de-
sirous of destroying- Avhat Protestants had sur-
vived the former war. To accomplish this i)ur-
pose a Frenchman, named Hartel, and Hope-
o-ood, a distant sachem, came over from the
northeast in the month of March, traveling
the entire journey upon snow-shoes. Under
the directions of their French leader they ap-
proached the Salmon Falls and secreted them-
selves behind a hill to the north. Here they
watched for their opportunity to fall upon the
unsuspecting plantation of Newichawannock.
Their band did not come in a body but had
been separated by Hartel into little squads of
three and four. As they began to close in
upon the hamlet from the woods, they found
some native Indians to associate with them in
their undertaking. The place to which they
were turning their attention was but a group of
fortified dwellings extending along the road
near the river in both directions from Salmon
Falls mills. After waiting in hiding several
days, during which they ate their food raw lest
by kindling fires they might excite suspicion,
114 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
the Indians made their attack. This was l^egan
by Hartel with three simultaneous onsets at
daybreak. The reality of the scene which
immediately follow^ed was terrible in the ex-
treme; for, although the English defended
themselves bravely for a time, their efforts
proved unavailing.
Thirty men were killed outright and fifty-
four taken captive, most of wdiom were women
and children. The torch was applied to the
mills, dwellings, and even the church. After
these fiends had transformed this once peace-
ful and thriving village into a mass of smoking
ruins, they commenced their retreat toward the
northwest. The last house in their path was
that of Thomas Toogood, which they took occa-
sion to plundei' and set fire to, killing his Avife
and children and taking him captive. But as
Toogood's captor uususpectiugly stood Avith his
gun leaning against his person Avhile he Avas
feeling in his pockets for thongs to tie him,
taking adA^antage of his opportunity, Toogood,
Avho stood in front of him, seized the gun, and
pointing it at the Indian, ran backAvards until
out of range; then coming to the river he is
THK MAIN'K Sl'KNCEltS. 11.")
said to have swum through the icy eurrent and
arrived safely at the garrison at Dover.
A party of men from this and the neiglibor-
ing towns pursued and overtook the enemy who
had encamped a little more than a mile to the
north in the valley of Worster's river. I'he
eno^agement between the two forces concealed
on the opposite sides of the stream b}^ trees
and underbrush, was exciting but of no decisive
advantage to either party. Hartel expecting an
attack, had drawn up his men on the north l)ank
in a strong position. The conflict lasted all of
the afternoon. Only a few were killed on both
sides. In the night the savages succeeded in
escaping farther into the wilderness, rendering-
pursuit inexpedient, if not useless.
Only seven dwellings were left of this settle-
ment of Upper Kittery. These we.e for the
most part to the south and east below the Great
Works river. How mnch young Moses saw of
the aifair it w^ould be hard to say.
A few months later Hopegood is said to have
again visited the place of his former massacre
and destroyed the remnant of those who had
escaped. This could not have been literally
116 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
true, as we know that many survived until long^
after this period. It is not probable that
Moses' father remained in the garrison through
the planting season.
Young Moses, when about fourteen years of
age, was apprenticed to his uncle, Yv^illiam
Spencer. It was customaiy in those days for
children to serve their t:me with some Avell-to-
do man or woman. In this case Moses earned
his board and clothing. The work that Moses
had to perform was of a varied character. He
had to do farm-work, although he undoubtedly
spent much time in fishing and hunting in the
streams and marshes. Near his uncle's resi-
dence were the Salmon Falls and Asbenbedick
or Chadbourne's i-ivers and Cox pond, all noted
for their abundance of fish. The ocean tides
brought immense quantities of salmon and ale-
wives to the falls adjacent to this land. Below
his uncle's orchard was a public fowling marsh
extending down river towards Eliot. It is
also probable that he learned the use of the
axe.
His uncle, William, had made his will in 1687,
and following its general trend it would appear
THK MAINK SI'IONCKKS. 117
that he coukl not at this time have been a
strong- and liealth}^ man. The paper read as
follows:
" In the name of God Amen. The last Will and
Testament of William Spencer, being in ^;iect
memor^wand of a disposing mind, and being will-
mg and desirous to Settle and dispose of what
God hath ginen me, and to prenent trouble, not
knoAving how Soon God may please to take me
out of this troublesom world. I do hereby De-
clare this to be my last Will and Testament as
followeth : I ni]) " I doe bequeath my Soule into
the hands of Jesus Christ my blessed Savior and
Kedeemer, And my body to the earth to be
Decently buried / And after my ffunerall
Charges be Defrayed and my honest debts payd
I doe dispose of the rest of my Estate as fol-
loweth: 21y 1 give and bequeath all my lands,
meadows, houses and cattle, and all my whole
Estate both with [in] dores and with [out]
dores unto my Loueing Nephew Humphrey
Spencer to be my whole & Sole Executor to see
this my Will fulfilled."
One is sensible of ii pathetic tone even in this
legal paper.
118 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
On the eleventh of March, 1696, AVilliam
made this appendix to his will:
" My will is that after my decease my now
sernant Moses Spencer shall well and trnly
Serve the remainder of his time with Humphrey
Spencer According to In Dentures, and after
his Said time be Compleated that ye said Hum-
phrey Spencer Shall Deliver to said Moses that
Meadow at ye Lower end of Willcock's pond
with ffifty acres of my land joining to the LoAver
end of sd Marsh, whereunto I have Set my hand
and Seal
William
(his seal)
Spencer."
The land given to Moses was at the outlet of
Cox pond and is at once identified with that
owned by his grandfather, Thomas Spencer, and
known as his improved meadow. The fifty acres
were a part of the original grant of one hundred
and fifty in 1651 to William Spencer, and it lay
near Cox pond.
This pond is situated in South Berwick about
half a mile below the Great Works river and on
TIIK MAINK Sl'KNCEKS. IIO'
the southeast side of the highway called the
" witchtrot road," which i)asses about uiidway
between the river and the pond. The road was
so named because of a story told of some officers
who had arrested a man in Wells and were i e-
turnhig* with him to prison along* this route.
A thunder shower came up in the night while
they were hurrying through the woods and they
declared afterward that they had been accom-
panied by witches, which trotted along beside
them upon broomsticks. This road was the one
laid out originally through the land of William
Spencer in 1671, and it was to have been six-
rods wide. This is the very land that Moses
came into possession of a few months after his
uncle's death. The ])ond is some more than
half a mile long and hidden from the road by the
trees with which it is completely surrounded.
The northern shore of the pond is marshy and,
some say, dangerous in many places on account
of quicksands; the southern shore is more firm,
being composed in some spots of stony banks.
The outlet is at the eastern end. Here was
Thomas Spencer's marsh; the grass still grows
here and is at present of a coarse, somewhat
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 121
serrate, marsh species. This grass was then of
great vahie both for fodder and for thatching
the roofs of buildings.
The war, which had begun in 1689, closed nine
years later with a treaty made in Portsmouth,
N. H., with the eastern Indians. The people of
Berwick, who had been forced to leave their
homes at its beginning, now began to take heart
again. The renewed settlement became daily
more populous and thriving. Those, also, who
had been carried to Canada began to return to
their neglected farms and grass grown hearths.
They told many a sad tale of their hardships in
captivity, and later slavery, of how they were
forced to travel long distances with insufficient
food and little clothing, over stony trails and
through icy streams. Many, too, had the sadder
fates of relatives or friends to lament as well as
their own probable fortunes.
Moses' cousin, Mehitable Goodwin, had been
one of the captives. She had a chikl with her
at that time, which the savages had disposed of
by dashing its head against a tree and hanging
it upon a limb, telling her that it might be a
comfort to her sometime to see it if she should
122 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
come that way. When she i*eaehed the French
settlements, she was compelled to marry another
husband. She had there two children, but,
when she was ransomed, came back to Berwick.
Some of her Canadian descendants live in Ports-
mouth at present. Her gravestone is in the old
cemetery at South Berwick, and is easily found
as it stands by itself in the centre of the most
ancient portion of the lot with only rough field
stones about it.
An Indian war commenced in 1703, and on
the twenty-sixth of September five men were
beset by an ambushed party, and one of them
killed, another wounded, and the rest were
made prisoners; two houses were burned; and
an attempt was made to capture the garrison of
Andrew IS^eal, but it was unsuccessful. Feel-
ing a strong tendency towards revenge, the
savage foe burned a prisoner, Joseph King.
The return of spring brought with it the early
renewal of hostilities and feelings of anxious
unceitainty and almost discouragement. And
as Berwick was much exposed, notwithstanding
the fact that treaties existed, there were often
attacks on the settlements by roving parties of
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 128
eastern Indians. January 28, 1704, is notable
for one of those assaults. About nine or ten in
the morning- of that day, a party of thirty or
forty Indians made an attack on Andrew Neal's
garrison in the lower part of Berwick, killed a
young girl, and wounded a boy, who after-
wards recovered and escaped to his friends.
The savages burned nine houses, killed many
cattle, and drew oil' with one of their own crew
wounded or killed outright.
As Berwick was in a critical ])osition on the
frontier, about a hundred friendly Indians were
posted there, who had been brought from Rhode
Island. In spite of this arrangement, however,
on the twenty-fourth of April IS^athaniel Header
was shot while at work in his field, and two
other persons were killed, while returning from
church, by a small roving band. The people of
the town roused to action by these repeated
outrages, again took up arms against the sav-
ages, and, by lying in wait in their most fre-
quented localities, utterly routed them and de-
stroyed many of their number.
A few years after the close of this war,
Moses, Junior, was married to Elizabeth Abbott
124 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
of the parish of Unity. He reared his first
dwelling npon a gentle eminence on the eastern
slope of a hill npon his land at Cox pond. This
was evidently a story and a half house and near
it stood his barn; both strnctares were sitnated
on the south side of the old highway from
Quampheagan to Wells. Near the site of his
buildings is a piece of land that tradition says
he bought for a yoke of sparked cattle, worth in
those days abont sixty dollars. It was in the
shape of an ox-bow and its outline is easily
traceable to-day by existing fences. In this
home Moses reared the following children:
Freathy, born about 1710, Moses, Sarah, Eliza-
beth, Lydia, Isaac, Alice, Patience, and Hum-
phrey. The parish register states that Moses
and his wife, Elizabeth, were baptized as adults
in 1719.
About his home the trees in the low ground
were j)ine and spruce, but on the sparser slopes
above, and especially to the southeast, where
rocky hills form the barrier, grew hardwood
varieties of oak and walnut, beech and maple. It
is said that Moses used to turn his pigs loose
among the oaks on the north side of the road to
THE INI A INK SPENCEKS. 125
eat acorns, and often the wolves would come
and devour them within sight of his dooi-. They
were even so bold as to crawl through under his
barn-gate and steal his lambs. So numerous
were these pests that the town offered a bounty
for their extermination.
From Moses' dwelling one could almost get
a glimpse of the pond. The water near the
shore throughout nearly its entire perimeter is
covered with pond lilies. On the whole the
nearer aspect of the place is pleasing; however,
on my first visit to the locality in July, the pond
was white with lilies, and while I was attempt-
ing to capture one, I succeeded in startling a
young black snake, which seemed to argue the
presence of more near by and would give one
instinctively a ])erhaps unduly disagreeable im-
pression. Following the shore to the outlet, I
climbed the low hill through the very tall grass
and came out at the Wadley house. Around
this were half a dozen houses unoccupied and
nearly in ruins; these were for the most part
very ancient in appearance, with broad chimneys
and closed window-boards. The lookout from
this heisrht must have been commensurate with
126 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
the safety of its position in times of peril. The
knoll where Moses, Junior^ lived is spoken of
to-ckay as the place where a Spencer lived many
years ago, and the old bricks have been many
times tnrned np in the furrow. Yet no one now
living ever saw the house that stood here. Its
site is now in the northeast corner of the Wad-
ley field.
The British came here once when Moses was
an old man, to get his tax by the process called
'* distress." They took his cattle, which were of
the most value to them, and started to drive
them away. But they had gone but a few rods
when Patience Wadley, who lived near by,
stopped them with an old flintlock and made
them give up the old gentleman's steers.
Moses was elected juryman to Kittery court
for several terms; he also held several other
offices then of importance, such as surveyor of
lumber, plank, boards, shingles, and clapboards.
Moses gave his eldest son, Freathy, land on
the north side of the road upon which he lived.
Here his son built a house and the spot is
marked for us to-day by a windmill which
stands over the well of Freathy. The land is
128 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
at present in the possession of the Goodwins,
and runs from the highway to a place in the
Great Works river, called even now Spencer's
Eddy.
Moses not only did work upon his farm, but
he was engaged somewhat in lumbering. There
were at this time at least three sawmills in his
vicinity: one at Great Works, one at Quamphea-
gan Falls, and one at Salmon Falls. The one
at Salmon Falls was built in connection with a
gristmill, where the grain of this section was
ground. The landings at Quampheagan were
favorable for rafting, and both wood in skows
and logs in rafts were put afloat here for Ports-
mouth. Hutchinson's mill at Great Works
seems to have had more than local importance
and was built near a deep whirlpool, called
"Hobs his (Hobbs') hole." Some people assert
that such a pit exists to-day above the dam at
Burleigh's mills.
There was in addition to mill work the cutting
and hauling of masts at certain seasons. The
drawing of masts was a very common sight in
those days. 'Every year about the middle of
September Moses would join the mast crowds
THE MAINE SrENCEHS, 129
Avith his cattle. His way would lie along the
well-worn logging road and into the woods at
the back of the settlement. When they had all
reached the spot where the mast lay, there
would be a considerable assemblage of men
and cattle all about the great tree. Each mast
was shorn of the few limbs that had once graced
its lofty crown. The lai'ge end, which would
often measure twenty-eight inches, was raised
upon the great logging wheels, but the top was
allowed to drag ui)on the ground. The men then
hitched up their oxen, one pair before the other,
until there would be a string of thirty or more
pairs in line before the giant tree. Several
pairs were hitched to the trunk near the
middle.
With many cries to their cattle, the drivers
proceeded slowly on their way back towards
the river and the settlement. In this way, day
after day beheld one or more of these patriarchs
of our forests on their way toward the coast,
where they were to bear the sails and banners
of the royal British navy. But, in later years,
it was from these same forests that masts were
to be drawn for the service of the United Colo-
130 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
nies, and to serve them nobly as the noble old
war-ship, America, has proved.
The three years' Avar, known generally as Lov-
ell's, gave the settlement at Berwick considerable
trouble. A company of soldiers under Captain
James Grant was continually on the lookout for
the approach of any warlike parties of Indians.
Fragments of the roll of his company are still
preserved for us, but much that would have been
very interesting is undoubtedly lost. Such old
lists suggest much to us of the vicissitudes of
savage warfare of those times. In the rolls of
Ca]Dtain Grant's company from September 20 to
October 9, 1725, appear such names as James
Chadburn, ensign; James Goodwin, Thomas
Gubtail, Gabriel Hambleton, Ben Bragdon, and
Moses Spencer, sentinels. These were all of
Berwick. In a later company of volunteers
under Captain Grant, from October 13 to No-
vember 14 of the same year, we find Moses
Spencer enumerated with the rest.
This shows that our ancestors actually took
their part in the fighting with the Indians, and
may have slain many of them with their own
hands. But the savages eluded the settlers in
THE >rAINE SPENCERS. 131
many instances. Two men were killed in May,
1723, and in April of the year following Mr.
Thomson was killed and his son captured near
his home on the road from Quampheagan to
Wells at Love's brook. A boy named Stone
was mangled and scalped near the same place,
but he survived and lived to an old age. His
life was miserable, for he wore a silver caul on
his head, went only on crutches, had the nse of
but one hand, and was subject to strong convul-
sive fits. This all happened above the road
upon which Moses Spencer lived and not very
far away. The party must have been traveling
through the Avoods and come suddenly npon
this particular spot when crossing the main
road.
Between the war ending in 1726 and the one
beginning in 17^, there was a long cessation of
hostilities on the part of the English. But the
French Catholics in the northeast became intol-
erable, for they kept Indian bands constantly
hovering about the frontiers for scalps, upon
which they paid a large sum in bounties, and
they often assumed command of great expedi-
tions in person. To put an end to this state of
132 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
anxious uncertainty, and to destroy what would
be their ruin in the future, an enormous expedi-
tion was planned by the IS'ew England colonies
with the purpose of subduing a stronghold at
Cape Breton, called Louisburg. William Pep-
jDereil, a wealthy merchant of Kittery, a man
highly esteemed in York county, and known
personally to the people of Berwick, was en-
trusted with the command. Berwick furnished
for this crusade, as it were, an hundred and fifty
men and several commissioned otficers. Major
Pepperell wrote to Hill, February 21, 1745:
" Yesterday I heard that Capt. Butter had en-
listed fifty brave soldiers in Berwick. This news
is like a cordial to me. The commissioned offi-
cers of Berwick are as brave and as good men
as any in the Province. Please tell them all
that I sincerely value and love them. If any of
them wish to go, give them the off'er and tell
them to be with me to-morrow."
Here may be inserted another letter which
will speak for itself:
" Cape Breton, July 10, 1745.
" Wee the subscribers being dismissed to go
home, do authorize Lieut. Peter Grant to receive
THE MAINE STENCERS. 138
our bounty money if there be any coming to us
in taking the famous city's phmcler.
Moses Spencer,
Moses Butler,
I*^athan Lord, Junior,
Richard Gerrish,
John JSTason,
N^athan Good wine,
Ephraim Joye,
WilHam Chadbourne, Junior,
etc.''
As Moses sold much of the hind he inherited,
I have appended a sort of documentary history
to give some idea of its disposal His estate at
one time must have been very large. Of his
father's estate he sold all that came to him.
When he died in 1746, he was not possessed of
any real estate as appears from the f\icts.
In the year 1710, Moses sold twenty-five acres
of the land inherited of his uncle, to John
Croade, and his wife, Elizabeth, joined in the
acknowledgment.
On the twenty-first of May, 1718, we find that
there was " measured to Moses Spencer fifty
acres of land on the northwest side of the Great
134 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Works river, by virtue of a grant to his father,
Moses Spencer, April ye 13th, 1671." This evi-
dently refers to the land returned to the town of
Kittery by his father.
On '' the fourteenth of December, in the sixth
year of King George's reign ovei- Great Brit-
tain," Moses bought twenty-seven acres of
Nathan Lord. On this same day, too, Moses
sold William Lord the northern half of the fifty
acres laid out to him ^ by virtue of a grant to his
father, Moses Spencer, in 1671."
In 1719 Moses sold another piece of his
uncle's land. This deed was made by " Moses
Spencer of ye town of Berwick, in ye county of
York, in his Majesty's Province of ye Massachu-
setts Bay, in IS^ew England, husbandman, and
Elizabeth, his wife." It is described as a part of
the fifty acres given him by his uncle, William
Spencer, in his last will and testament, and lay
on the north side of the road leading to Wells
and east of the land of John Cooper.
A road was laid out this year from the west
side of Slut's Corner bridge, through lands of
Thomas Goodwin and his brother, Daniel, to the
former highway that led out of the " country
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 135
road " through Moses Spencer's hind into tlie
commons at the foot of Rocky Hills.
In 1722 Moses mortgaged twenty-five acres
of npland and eight acres of meadow to James
and Job Emery. He afterwards settled the
mortgage and sold the meadow, then known as
the "long marsh," to his cousin, William.
The following year Samuel Brackett, his half-
sister's husband, bought a small strip of land
lying near a little pond of water which was east
of the house where Brackett then dwelt. This
pond lies south of the road leading to Rocky
Hills, above described, and is in sight of the
railroad which passes it at Conway Junction. In
1724, John Hooper bought about thi-ee acres of
land of Moses, and in 1725, Peter Grant pur-
chased thirty-four acres near Cox pond.
Four years later he sold six acres to Daniel
Wadley and the land is said to be situated on
the road leading from Berwick to "Wells. He
also sold Etherington Hearl four acres this year.
Etherington was a son of Patience Etherington,
who married William Hearl.
The next conveyance is from Moses to
Freathy Spencer, his son, in 1732. The land
136 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
lay on the road leading from Berwiek to Wells^
and was bounded northeast by John Cooper's
and Kichard Gray's; northwest by 'William
Spencer's; southwest by the grantor's and
Daniel Wadley's; southeast by James War-
ren's. It was a part of the one hundred acres
granted to William Spencer, Moses' uncle, in 1671.
In 1732 Moses Spencer, a nephew of this
Moses, made this release:
" I, Moses Spencer . . of Berwick in
Tork county, Massachusetts Bay, New Eng-
land, laborer, have remised and released unto
Moses Spencer, Senior, husbandman, any cause,
matter, or thing relating to the estate of my
Grandfother, Moses Spencer, formerly of the
town of Kittery, alias Berwick, husbandman,
deceased, etc.
Moses Spencer."
The next year Moses and Elizabeth, his wife,
for five pounds paid by Thomas Abbott utterly
estopped themselves fiom laying any further
claim to any estate that was ever their father's
or would ever afterwaids appear to be their
estate.
THE MA INK srENCp:i;s. 137
111 1734 Moses sold Ichabod Goodwin two
tracts of land lying near the Kocky Hills road,
which were all he owned north of that road.
He also sold him a tract near the '' long-
marsh."
The next year he sold fifty acres to Freathy
Spencer and Stephen Hardison. This land lay
south of the Rocky Hills road. It was at that
time the homestead of Moses. In the year 1741
he disposed of thirty acres to Peter Staples, up-
on which he then dwelt. This land lay on the
Wells road.
In 1744 Moses sold land to his son, Moses,
and to John Tucker of South Berwick. It
was a town grant made to Thomas Spencer in
1673.
What remained of his property could not
have been valuable at this period as he had no
administrator at his death. He had sold the
twenty acres in Tomtinker's swamp to Ichabod
Goodwin. He had sold his rights to a division
of town lands to Thomas Moore. Moore was a
schoolmaster of York, who, tradition says, was
one day riding along this road and dismounted
from his horse to trim an apple tree by the way-
138 THE MAI>E SPENCERS.
side. The tree thrived on Moses' land, and
was called the Moore tree ever after.
Moses prol^ably died at the home of one of
his children on the Witchtrot road. This lo-
cality was then well settled. It was the home
of " fighting Joe Spencer," Moses' grandson.
Joseph was a very large man, actnally measur-
ing six feet and three or four inches in height
and weighing two hundred and thirty pounds;
with a fist three times that of an ordinary man.
He was wont to go to musters, and no one there
was a match for him. One story illustrates his
great efi^'ective ability; it was related by one
who knew him personally, and who said of him
that he was not easily disturbed, but when once
aroused was hard to pacify. One day Joe, who
was somewhat of a mariner himself, went to
York to do some fishing off shore. While he
was making merry with several comrades on
the wharves, a ship came in from Havana laden,
as all ships were wont to be then, with rum and
molasses. These vessels often came to York
Harbor Ijecause the port was smaller and the
entrance fee less. The captain invited Joe to
come aboard with his fellows and have a drink
THE MAINE srENCEltS. 189
of punch with his crew. There Avoiild have
been no trouble, if, after doing honor to the
entertainer, they had left peaceably; l)ut one of
the guests wanted some more and so he took
the liberty to ask the mixer for an additional
bowl. This was more than the mixer could
endure, and, like an Englishman, feeling his
hospitality insulted, and being some the worse
for drink already, he used hasty language in
conferring with the landsman. Finally he
growled out: "You fellows come ashore and I
will give you all the punch you want."
Upon this the whole party landed and the
seaman seized upon Joe as soon as he reached
the landing. In the scrimmage Joe lost his hat
and wallet containing about a hundred dollars
in cash. When he had recovered possession of
his property, he found himself engaged by his
doughty antagonist, whom he proceeded to lay
floundering upon his back. At this point the
whole boat-crew attacked Joe, although at first
disposed to be on his side. He Avrenched one
arm from their vicelike grip and dealt powerful
blows to right and left, until, having either
knocked or kicked his adversaries out of the
140 THE MAINE SPEXCERS.
way, he had set his back agahist one of the
wharf buildings. Then he licked the whole
party, consisting of eleven men, all rough,
hardy sailors of the fighting class. When he
got through the vanquished were glad to slink
away, leaving him just in a fighting mood.
One of his friends tried to entice him to with-
draw with the ofter of a drink, assuring him
that he would call down the ''bully of York."
" Bring on your ' bully of York ' and any other
three men, the best you can find, and I am
ready for them," said he. The so-called '' bully
of York " lived in the near vicinity of the
port, but pshaw ! he knew better than to touch
Joseph Spencer, the best man at Berwick
musters. It is such stories as these that have
made his name a by-word among the later gen-
erations of half a dozen towns.
It is said, that Joseph once climbed a tree
and took down a living, struggling wildcat,
a feat unheard of; that he drove in a day
from South Berwick to Portland and thence
to Limiiigton in cold weather over rough
roads.
None of his descendants bear the name of
THK MAINE SI'KNCEHS. 141
Spencer; his brother, Thomas, left no children;
his brother, Amos, appears not to have been
married. Some are living' in Limington, who
saw Jose})h when he visited his brother,
Thomas, and still remember him.
lY. HUMPHREY SPEXCER.
Humphrey, a son of Moses and Elizabeth
(Abbott) Spencer, was born in 1728, about two
miles east of Quampheagan, on the i-oad leading
to Wells, in South Berwick. He was the
youngest of a large family, and this accounts for
his leaving his ancestral lands. His brothers
and sisters as well as himself were named for
some former generation. He had a brother,
Moses, taking his name from his father or
grandfather, a sister. Patience, called after her
great-grandmother; his name was for his uncle,
who had it originally from Humphrey Chad-
bourne. Quampheagan was at this time a settle-
ment not quite a century old, and the Indians
were still troublesome. The bold-hearted set-
tlers had begun to spread civilization, and here
and there among the trees appeared their cabins
in spite of danger itself which threatened them.
On the sunny hills appeared a fcAV acres of
gardenland. Only a winding trail led from
THE :MAINE Sl'ENCERS. 143
house to house, aud this was often obscured by
the falling leaves and spills.
Humphrey's ])arents lived in a garrison com-
munity, l)ut their liouse seems to have been only
a rough edihce of hewn logs. " Indeed," says
an early Avriter, " all houses built there between
1G90 and ITtto were of hewed logs sufficient to
oppose force of small arms." But in times of
greatest danger the people sought the shelter of
some garrison. At each more fortified position
soldiers were stationed, some at home, and some
in the fields. As late as 1714 people took their
arms to public worship; and in so old a settle-
ment as Berwick at that date. The natives,
till within a few years of that time, still came
on long plundering expeditions or thieving
journeys from what is now northeastern Maine.
The savages were much feared, even while
Humphrey was still a young man. They con-
tinued to rove in bauds until the last of the
eighteenth century. Of course they were to be
seen generally in certain localities, usually near
ponds or large streams or near the seacoast.
This was the state of things beyond the set-
tlement in which Humphrey lived. It is proba-
144 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ble that his early home was built like others of
the blockhouse type. During the early part of
his life he was engaged in farming, and grazing
or raising cattle. Hunting and trapping also
formed a very large factor in every man's exis-
tence in those days.
Since the land at home was to be the property
of so many of his brothers and sisters, he early
resolved to find a place which he could call his
own. We see displayed in him that tendency
so often shown by the English people to acquire
real estate. This tendency has been inherited
throughout the family, as well to-day as in
Humphrey's great-grandfather's time (Thomas
is referred to). One likes to hear the birds
singing in his own trees, to see the stars shining
above his own roof, to know that he treads his
own bit of earth. This is a sacred ambition,
and it would be bettor for the world if all felt it.
Humphrey held his first town ofiice in Ber-
wick in 1760. In that year he was elected a
surveyor of lumber and also a surveyor of high-
ways. In 1762 he was a ty thing-man, and held
that office from that year until 1785, a period of
over twenty years. The duty of a tything-man
THE MAINI-: Sl'ENt'EKS. 145
was, as a church officer, to be present in church
on Sundays to prevent any unnecessary dis-
turbance at the time of services. He was also
a constable and a culler of staves for several
terms.
Humphrey married about 1750 a daughter of
Anthony and Mehitable Airley, whose name
was Sarah. His wife was then living upon a
small plantation in the " north parish," now
Berwick, with her mother, who was a widow at
that date. This plantation was about five miles
from South Berwick and to the north. It is
since known to us as the birthplace of Simeon,
and called the " old place." It was then one of
the inhabited spots most remote from the sea-
coast, along- whose edge in Maine quite im-
portant and thriving villages were springing up.
How he came to be acquainted in this region,
while living as he did in South Berwick, can be
easily explained. The road u])on which the
Airleys lived then was Avhat was called a "mast-
road." This appellation was given it because
the best of the pines in the interior were cut
and drawn to Kittery and Portsmouth by this
route. So, as drawing masts was the connnon
146 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
business of most men then at certain times of
the year; and as this house stood, conveniently,
about midway of the route, so that one could
rest his team and refresh himself here, it is not
strange that Humphrey l^ecame known to its
inmates. And besides, the Airleys came from
the vicinity of his early houie only a few years
before and must have known his parents. "We
know that they could not have been living here
many years before Humi)hrey's marriage be-
cause Benjamin Chadbourne, who lived at
Quampheagan, said in 1793, when he was
seventy-five years old, that he then could re-
member when there was no houee standing be-
tween his and Canada. At the time of his
marriage Humphrey built a house containing
one room below and an attic. It stood on his
mother-in-law's land near her own dwelling.
Here he lived engaged in farming.
It is told of him that, desiring a deed of the
land on which he lived, he went to the pre-
tended owner of the district and laid the case
before him. This person, a resident of South
Berwick, agreed to give him a quitclaim deed
to the land on the receipt of a pair of steers that
148 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Humphrey had raised himself and kept in Ber-
wick. Humphrey started out one morning* to
deUver the steers at South Berwick. But,
when he had only gone a part of the way, he
fell in with a man who rather inquisitively
asked him where he was driving them. AVhen
the man had been informed of the whole matter,
he told Humphrey that this grantor of the land
had no more legal right to give a deed of the
land than he himself had; and he said further-
more, that if Humphrey would drive home the
cattle, he would himself give a quitclaim deed
of the place, which would be as legal and incon-
testable as any other. Humphi-ey Avent back
home but did not attempt to get the deed after
he understood that the land was nobody's
property more than his own. The result was
that no deed of the place was ever draAvn up
until Simeon, his son, obtained one.
Upon this frontier clearing were born Hum-
phrey's children: Sarah, 1750; Simeon, 1752;
Ichabod, 1757; John, 1758; Joseph, 17G1;
Lydia, 1764; Elizabeth, 17(59; Hannah, 1772.
Besides Humphrey's own family his mother-
in-law, commonly known as " Granny Airley,"
THE MAINE SI'ENCEHS. 149
lived on this i)lacc. Her luisbaiicr.s naiiK' was
Anthony Airley and he married her in 172G.
Her maiden name Avas Mehitable Allen. They
had several children, among whom was Joseph,
for whom Joseph Sj^eneer was named. Her
young-est daughter lived until within a few
years of the nineteenth century. As '• Grainiy
Airley " has been, perhaps, better known to later
generations than Humphi-ey himself, it may be
well to say a few words about her. She was
Scotch by birth and was presumably one of the
descendants of those Scotch ftimilies which were
conquered in Ci'omwell's time in the north of
Scotland and by him sent hither to dispose of
them. They settled in the northern part of
York which was called for this reason " Scot-
land 23arish."
Mehitable's parents lived in South Berwick
near the garrisons, and, when she was a child,
the Indians, who lived in the woods above the
settlement, ii«ed to come to her Other's house
for food. One of them, more friendly than the
rest, stopped one day, while passing, and after
eating said to Mehitable's mother in a signifi-
cant way: 'When Indian fall on, window-
150 THY. MAINE SPENCERS.
board fall in." This was to be a signal of his
for the family to escape to a place of safety.
The window-board was a kind of shntter which
served as a sash and was taken out of its frame
by day to let in the light and air. One morn-
ing soon after this they awoke to find that
some one had pushed in the window-board.
Acting upon the Indian's suggestion, the family
immediately retreated to the garrison. That
night the sky was lit with the glare of burning
houses; the war had, indeed, begun in earnest.
Mehitable lived to be very old, but seems to
have been vigorous. The house she lived in
during her last years was situated upon the
edge of the same knoll upon which Humphrey's
stood, and overlooked a marshy run now
covered with a growth of cat-tail flags.
The house had but one room and was sur-
rounded by the clearing which extended for
some distance towards the southeast. Mehitable
had several children, one of whom settled at
Otisfield, Maine. An old letter still exists as
testimony of their correspondence. It bears the
<late of 1786.
Humphrey's children preserved a distinct
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEKS. 151
recollection of their grandmother; Lydia, espe-
cially, was fond of repeating her sayings. She
had told them stories of the Indians, who had an
encampment below her home years before, when
she first came to live in Berwick. Her grand-
danghter, Lydia, used to tell of an incident of a
peculiar nature, that occurred in the old lady's
life. It was somewhat like this: One day an old
Indian squaw came up to Mehitable's house and
urged her to go with her to the Indian camp, as
her " sanap" ( husband) was sick. The squaw
was worried about him, and wished her to see,
and, if possible, relieve him or effect his cure.
It was in the summer, and when they came to
the Indian huts, there was a fire biu'uing before
one of them, and over the fire was hung a kettle
in the customary way. But when Mehitable
looked into the kettle, she saw a piH^P.y-
The squaw was boiling it to make broth for the
sick man. It would seem unnecessary to say
that the sick chief speedily recovered under such
dieting as this. And yet, the Indians ate not
only dogs, but a great variety of other animals
obnoxious to our tastes. The savages were at
this period rather of a thievish, than of a blood-
152 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
thirsty disposition. These, whom we have men-
tioned, might have been a party of the friendly
Indians, who had been bronght to Berwick,
in hopes that they might afford some protection
against the hostile ones. It is probable that
when Hnmphrey lived here the natives had
almost entirely disappeared. And this was the
case, notwithstanding the fact, that he lived on
what seems to have been an old Indian trail.
For all the inconveniences of a home in such
a location, we cannot doubt but that Humphrey
lived happily with his family.
There was no well or suitable brook near by
to supply the water for household purposes.
There was only a hollow scooped in the ground
in the wet season, and a distant spring in
summer to serve for their use. Their entire
subsistence had to be wrested from the sur-
rounding desert-like forests. The land was
called " comons" by those who dwelt in more
settled regions to the southeast.
Perhaps it will be as well to remark here, that
the true name of Humphrey's wife's family was
not Airley, or Early, but Earl. This has been
suggested ])y different members of our family.
THE ISIAINE SrENCERS. 153
and is probably true. But as the name is
spelled Earley in the parish records, I have not
felt justified in changing it. I will say, also,
that there was a fjimily of the name of Earl in
this vicinity at that date.
Humphrey always kept at least one pair of the
traditionary cattle, and, after he became too old
to work away from home, sent out his son, John,
to work in his stead. One of his daughters has
been known to say, that he would i)ut even her
to shame in dancing at huskings, and this, too,
after he was seventy years of age. As a man,
he was honest and frugal, and of a rather jovial
disposition He died December 14, 1808, at the
age of eighty years. All his children lived at
home until mature life, when some married and
left him. IS^either Humphrey, nor his children,
left any definite knowledge of their ancestry,
whether from diffidence or carelessness is not
known. Humphrey was buried in the church-
yard at Blackberry Hill, almost in the shadow of
the great bell, which he had heard so many
times, and which was tolled at his death. He
was an early member of the church, having
accepted the covenant in 1750. His wife, some-
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 155
times called Elizabeth and sometimes Sarah, was
buried in a field a quarter of a mile west of her
home. It is yet possible to locate the spot by its
walled enclosure.
Their children were widely scattered, Ichabod
and Joseph going eastward.
Y. SIMEON SPENCER.
Simeon, the second child of Hamphrey and
Sarah (Airly) Spencer, was born in Berwick in
1752. In his early youth he could not have had
great advantages for an education, living as he
did in a wilderness like that which surrounded
his ftither's home. But he was a good writer for
those times and a thorough business man. His
autograph is here inserted. It was taken from
his earliest writing in an old copy-book dated
1776.
The spelling here shows that he had mastered
his first name but spelled his second phoneti-
cally; it was written with a stiff pen, probably a
goose-quill. In one place in this book is the
expression, or exhortation, " Come, Simeon ! "
signed, John Tucker, in a strange hand. This
would indicate that the signer for whom Simeon
Y. SIMEO]^ SPENCER.
Simeon, the second child of Humphrey and
Sarah (Airly) Spencer, was born in Berwick in
1752. In his early youth he could not have had
great advantages for an education, living as he
did in a wilderness like that which surrounded
his father's home. But he was a good writer for
those times and a thorough business man. His
autograph is here inserted. It was taken from
his earliest writing in an old copy-book dated
1776.
The spelling here shows that he had mastered
his first name but spelled his second phoneti-
cally; it was written with a stiif pen, probably a
goose-quill. In one place in this book is the
expression, or exhortation, " Come, Simeon ! "
signed, John Tucker, in a strange hand. This
would indicate that the signer for whom Simeon
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'"*>
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11
■^ -I A
-hxjj
9^
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I.
i:
<u >
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 157
worked was asking* him to stop writing and go
to work.
Simeon worked for the most part before he
became of age upon the farm near the outskirts
of the settlements and there were few, if any
other, dwellings near it. To the northeast there
was only a logging road, or, perhaps, only an
Indian trail running into the solitary forests as
yet unexplored.
Soon after Simeon reached his majority he
began to give his attention to the shoemaker's
trade. Of course the demand for his services
was small at first, but this district soon began to
be settled more and more and other neighboring
plantations had nuich work of this kind to be
done. From the first Simeon showed a decided
liking for his trade. He ap})renticed himself to
John Tucker of South Berwick for three or five
years. After his trade had been mastered he
still continued to work for Tucker. The pay he
received was only five dollars a month. After
this he set up a business of his own in the north-
ern part of the town, earning a fair subsistence
and helping supj)ort his father's family. Speci-
mens of his early copy-books are still extant,
158 THE MAINE SPEXCERS.
and from the beginning of the year 1776 he kept
a day-book and ledger for ahnost fifty years.
When war broke out with the mother coun-
try, he was drafted for service in the American
army. But upon its becoming known that he
was a shoemaker, he was employed at home to
make boots for the federal troops. The pay he
received was in Continental money and amounted
to only five dollars a month.
In the year 1779 Simeon married Lydia Good-
win of Berwick and, as his father's house had
but one room, he caused it to be enlarged. He
is said to have paid the carpenter employed for
this purpose over sixty dollars in Continental
money for a single day's work. Here he lived
until 1789.
It is amusing to hear that he received for his
pay all sorts of produce when cobbling shoes for
private families. Some of it was in the form of
boards, hides, cloth, and potatoes. The boards
were generally delivered at South Berwick,
where they were sold to some responsible person
who credited Simeon with their value. The
hides were of course utilized largely in his
trade.
THE INIAINE .SPENCERS. 159
In 1789 Simeon bonght the farm now known
as the " old Spencer homestead," situated aljont
a mile and a half northwest of his former home.
The deed is here copied as it is worthy of pe-
rusal for its antiquity, if in no other respects :
" Know all Men by these Presents, That I,
John Haggins of Berwick, in the County of
York, Gentleman, in Consideration of sixty nine
pounds three shillings lawful Money, paid me
by Simeon Spencer of Berwick afors., Cord-
waiuer, the Receipt whereof I do hereby ac-
knowledge, do hereby give, grant, sell and convey
unto the said Simeon Spencer, his heirs and as-
signes forever, two tracts or parcels of land lying
in said Berwick, bginning at the Highway lead-
ing from Cranberry Meadow to little river at the
Corner of Sam'l Furbush's farm as it now stands
and running by sd. Furbush's land S. 50° W.
one hundred and seven poles to lands supposed
to be Samuel Butler's and by sd. land S. 37° E.
twenty two poles to the land Moses Butler pur-
chased of Daniel Edmund Haggens, by sd. land
N. 54° E. to the sd. Highway, then by sd road
to the beginning; likewis another tract of land
lying on the East side of sd. Koad, bginning at
160 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
James Gubtail's Corner and rnnning N. 53° E.
fifty poles ahalf, then N. 53° W. seven poles by
James Gnbtail's Land, then N. 67° W. fifty poles
by Gubtail's & Clement's lands, then S. 46° E.
seventeen and ahalf poles to land Moses Bntler
bought of Daniel Edmund Haggens, then S.
56° W. to the Highway fifteen poles from James
Gubtail's Corner and by sd. road to the bgin-
ning, containing by estimation twenty seven
acres ....
To Have axd to Hold the same to the said
Simeon his — Heirs and Assignes to his own Use
and Behoof forever.
And I do covenant with the said Simeon
Spencer, his Heirs and Assigns, forever, against
the lawful Claims and Demands of all Persons.
In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourtenth day of December. A.
Domini One thousand seven hundred Eighty
Nine.
Signed, Sealed & Delvered
In presence of us: f John Haggens
Benjamin Chadbourne Jr. \ Lydia Haggens
Jeremiah Lord, : S
A^ork D. Berwick Dec. 14th, 1789.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 161
The above named John Haggens . . .
personally appeared and acknowledged this
Instrument his free Deed
Benj. Chadbourne,
Before me, Just, of Peace
When Simeon came into possession of his
farm, there was no dwelling upon it and he built
a low, old-fashioned house.
About a year after the purchase, he moved
hither with his family and plied his shoemaker's
trade. He carried his tools tied up in his
leathern apron and went from house to house,
often being away from home until nightfall.
Hardly a week-day can be found in his day-
book when he did not earn his honest wages.
His father and mother still lived at the '•' old
place," and several of their children. The ])lace
was even inhabited as late as 18.36-'39, when
the house was demolished and only a few scat-
tered stones now mark the spot. The inmates,
Simeon's brother and sister, John and Lydia,
then quite old, were removed to Simeon's home.
Among the few old letters still in existence is
one at this time from Dr. Low, the celebrated
162 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
astronomer living- in South Berwick, and the
author of Low's ahnanacs.
" To Mr. Simeon Spencer, Berwick. Dr.
Low's Compliments wait on Mr. Simeon Spen-
cer. He begs he would make it Convenient to
discharge the balance of his acct: 17/ imme-
diately, as the Doctor is in Distress for the
means or Cash to satisfy an execution in 15
Days — He hopes therefore that Mr. Spencer will
not neglect him beyond time.
" Wednesday June 3d 1789."
The receipt for this amount was found in the
old desk with this letter. Some of Dr. Low's
almanacs are still preserved among Simeon's
descendants.
Perhaps a greater curiosity is an old letter,
which cannot be accounted for, dated in 1683.
It was found among the other papers and is
somewhat mutilated. It was addressed to
James Staples of Berwick. The sender is not
known. A person really lived, in South Ber-
wick, then called Kittery, or Berwick in that
particular part, bearing this name. Has this
letter been handed down to us for a period of
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 163
two centuries as the only material reminder of
our early ancestors? At least it has been in
the family a long- time. This fragment is
worthy, from its venerable age, if for no other
considerations, to be preserved. I will not copy
it here as it is the significance of its being
found in such a place rather than its substance
which is so remarkable. It goes back to the
time of the other Humphreys before the Indian
wars.
Simeon was not in the habit of saying much
about his relatives outside his father's family.
Perhaps he w^as not enough acquainted with
them or their affairs to justify his doing so, but
it is evident that this is the reason that the line
of family descent has been so long lost. He
sometimes mentioned his cousin, Freathy.
Freathy's father, Avhose name was Freathy also,
and Simeon's father, Humphrey, were sons of
Moses Spencer. Freathy, Junior^ was born only
a year later than Simeon so that it was natural
that one so near the same age should be better
known to him than some of the others. The
fact that they lived so far apart forbade very
close, friendly acquaintance, but they must
164 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
have met at least once a year at annual
musters.
Several of Simeon's children had been born
on the " old place," but about half of his family
was acquired after he came to his new home.
The chief causes of his coming here to live
seem to have been his desiie for a home of his
own and more room for his increasing family.
The names of his children with the correct
dates of their births, as given by Simeon him-
self, are as follows:
1. Daniel Spencer, born February 5, 1780.
2. Foley (Mary) Spencer, born August 25, 1781.
3. Nabey (Abigail) Spencer, born December 28, 1783.
4. Aby (Abigail) Spencer, born February 18, 1786.
5. James Spencer, born April 3, 1788.
6. Oliver Spencer, born April 17, 1790.
7. Jont. (Jonathan) Spencer, born September 8, 1792.
8. Oley (Olive) Spencer, born October 10, 1794.
9. Hanar (Hannah) Spencer, born October — , 1796.
10. Timiothy (Timothy) Spencer, born April 15, 1799.
I I. A son, born August 8, 1802.
Two of these children died young, and soon
after the birth of the last child their mother
died. Simeon was thus left with a family of
small children to care for, besides merely finding
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 165
their support. lie was also appointed tax-
collector for the north parish in Berwick, a task
which took his time, although his other business
called him to all parts of the town. He mar-
ried as his second wife, in 1804, Susanna Hamil-
ton, Avho was from all accounts of a very disa-
greeable nature. She caused all her step-
children to leave home except Timothy who was
then very small. She had one child, born about
1813, and it had its mother's disposition. This
child died young.
About the first of May, 1812, Simeon's house
took fire, and the flames spread so rapidly that
he and his wife barely escaped with their lives.
It is related that Simeon, after having saved him-
self from the flames, remembered that he had
left behind his desk containing all his private
papers and business accounts.
He reentered the burning building and, tear-
ing the desk from its support, dragged it to the
window. He was unable to get out with it, and
was so exhausted, that one of the bystanders
drew him through the window and saved the
desk.
The old gentleman lost, not only his home
166 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
and clothing, but even the hair from his head in
this fire. A few days later his neighbors took
up a subscription reading as follows :
Berwick, May 12, 1812.
Mr. Simeon Spencer having lost his dwelling
house by fire and in a manner all his temporal
substance — stands in need of the assistance
of the charitable and humane, who are hereunto
— requested to subscribe their several mites — as
they may feel disposed, " he that giveth to the
poor lendeth to the lord."
Joseph Hilliard — two dollars paid June 5,
1812.
David Shaw — seventy five cents — paid —
Joseph Prime — two dollards —
Samuel Foss— -two dollars — paid —
Charles Gushing — six yards & half calico —
paid —
John Gushing Esq. — three dollars — in boards-
David Nichols — two dollars —
James Fogg — one dollar —
I*^athan Gogswell — a hat —
With this aid and what means he had him-
self, Simeon rebuilt his house. It is evident
168 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
that the old gentleman felt much gratitude for
the kindness of his neighbors. He preserved
this old paper among the many others for which
he had risked his life.
In personal appearance, Simeon is at this time
described as short, thin, and very erect ; his face
was disfigured by a large wen on the cheek; and
his hair was worn in a cue after the manner of
the times.
Much of his later life was embittered by the
unpleasant nature of his vixenish wife. Her
death occurred a few years before his, and
Simeon enjoyed this peaceful period of his old
aofe as he could not otherwise have done. His
own children had gone away to make homes of
their own, with the exception of Jonathan,
whose family was already springing up around
him. Simeon was very fond of his grandchil-
dren, especially Daniel, the oldest. They must
have seemed more like his own children than
some of his own family, who had left home at
such an early age. He a]jpears to have been as
proud of them — perhaps justly — as he could
have been of any children of his own.
Some idea of the esteem, in which Simeon's
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 169
second wife, Susanna, was held in the neighbor-
hood where she Hved, may ])e obtained from the
story of her death. When it was learned that
she Avas dead, a man of the locality sprang- upon
his horse and, in spite of the wind and cold,
rode about the town, making known the fact, as
he expressed it in these Avords : " The devil's
dead." Other tales are related of her in life,
which a century earlier would have branded her
undoubtedly as a '' witch."
After Simeon reached the age of eighty he
was wont to take his axe and walk three miles
to his most distant wood-lot and there cut and
pile wood until noon. Then he would walk
back home, eat his dinner, and take a stroll up
through the orchard to the " Goodrich place."
Coming back after a short visit, he would pick
up a few apples near the " sheep-lot " and bring
them liome, putting them on his desk to eat as
he desired them. The rest of the afternoon he
would read at his desk and doze until bedtime.
In his later days Simeon did no work upon
his farm but left it in the hands of his son, Jon-
athan.
170 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
He died in 1840 at the age of eighty-eight at
his home in Berwick.
As a man he was honest and nnassnming and
respected by all who knew him.
Daniel, the oldest of his children, was married
and lived near Sonth Berwick. He was killed,
while at work nj^on the machinery of a mill, by
some one's viciously hoisting the mill-gate npon
him. He left a fomily with three danghters.
One other occurrence in Simeon's later life
was the sonrce of mnch sorrow for him. His
son, Timothy, his yonngest child, ran away and
left no knowledge of his whereabonts. Timothy
left a family, and he ran away because he had to
support not only his wife and child, but his
father-in-law's family in part. His father never
heard from him, nor any of his father's family.
It is supposed that he settled in Massachusetts,
and was quite wealthy
Simeon's son, James, was perhaps, the worst
one of the family. He was married twice and
had a son and daughter. This man was so
addicted to strong drink and so unprincipled
that he invented a fictitious letter which he pre-
tended to have come for his father from Timo-
THE MAINE SPENCEIIS. 171
thy. He got in this way a little money from
liis father by working upon his atfeetions.
James lived in South Berwick near Great Hill.
Oliver was married in 1831 to Abigail Grant
and lived near his father. He had one daughter
and died in Berwick.
Mary married John Gowell; and Hannah,
Benjamin Wentworth.
yi. JONATHAIN^ SPENCER.
Jonathan, a son of Simeon and Lyclia (Good-
win) Spencer, was born in Berwick, Maine, at
what is now called the '' old homestead " by the
Spencer family. The date of his birth was
September 8, 1792, and it seems probable that
he was the first Spencer born npon that place.
At this date Berwick had almost four thousand
inhabitants and was almost as thickly settled in
portions as it is now in 1897.
He lost the use of one of his eyes at an early
age. When he was too small to defend himself,
he was playing near a hen with a brood of young
chickens, and it was supposed that by disturbing
her he provoked her to inflict this fearful injury
to his sight.
His schooling advantages were not very great
although he could " command his hand " — to use
an old copy text of his, — and understood arith-
metic quite well. He attended the district
school which was then one of the best in the
THE .AIAINE SPENCERS. 473
town or, perhaps, in the connty. He was said to
have been qnite fond of mischief in those youth-
fnl school-days of his. Some of his ])ranks are
still recounted but, like all such deeds, are not
to be especially commended.
AVhen Jonathan was about twelve years old,
his father married the second wife and she
caused a revulsion in the family. To escape
from the presence of his disagreeable step-
mother, he went to find a home upon an adjoin-
ing farm. Here he worked for his board for
some little time and no doubt enjoyed himself
with the large fomily of boys that lived there.
When he became of an age sufiicient, he began
to work for himself. He married Abigail Went-
worth in 1820, and settled down for life on his
fother Simeon's farm. Here, although their cir-
cumstances in life were not so fovorable as those
of some of their neighbors, they lived quite
happily and comfortably.
Their children Avere eight in number, of whom
the youngest, Joseph, died at the age of nine-
teen. The names and births of these children
are as follows:
Daniel "Wentworth, born T^ovember 8, 1820.
174 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Maiy Elizabeth, born April 2, 1822.
Lydia Ann, born August 16, 1824.
I^ancy Fogg-, born Angust 15, 1826.
Alvan Butler, born May 26, 1829.
John "Willard, born December 13, 1831.
Joseph Henry, born November 22, 1837.
Jonathan sent these children to a private
school, then kept in the same school-house
where he went to get his education. The site is
still occupied by a district school building. In
the case of private schools the teacher was hired
by some of the more wealthy families and each
contributed an equal share, according to the
number of pupils it sent, to the teacher's pay.
In 1830, Jonathan paid Sarah Langston thirty-
seven and a half cents for ten weeks' '^' school-
ing"; in 1832, he paid Dorothy "Wood for
eighteen weeks' of " schooling " at five and a
half cents a week; and in 1836, Orrin Quimby
received seventy-nine cents of him for " instruc-
tion."
Jonathan's i^ecuniary circumstances were not
of the best for the support of so large a family,
but with the products of the woods and fields
he succeeded in bringing up a strong and
THE MAINE SPENCEltS. 175
healthy group of children. Crops could be
grown with less dilHculty and of a better quality
then than now upon the same soil. Besides this
means of support wild game was abundant.
Vast flocks of wild pigeons and partridges were
to be found in this vicinity. Berries also were to
be found in the low pastures and clearings. Al-
though berries have come to grow spontaneously
in many of our highland pastures, the drum-
ming of the partridge is coming to be more and
more infrequent and the pigeon has disappeared
altogether. A king might envy such food!
The children began to like work at an early
age and, as soon as they were old enough to
support themselves, Avent away from home to
find a living elsewhere. Jonathan and his wife
saw all of them leave home in this way except
the two boys, Alvan and Josej^h. The girls,
when small, had been almost as much accus-
tomed to work in the fields as the boys; they
were, also, very frugal and capable house-
keepers.
Jonathan died April 21, 1854, at the age of
sixty-one years and seven months. He had the
reputation of being honest and kind-hearted as a
176 THE MAIISTE SPENCERS.
man, and his character seems to have complied
well with his reputation.
His wife survived him a few years. Just
Abigail (VVentwortii) Spencer.
before her death, the custom of family gather-
ings had its rise. It was the reunion of Jona-
than's family of sons and daughters with their
families. The first family reunion occurred at
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 177
the " old Spencer homestead " in Berwick, on
Thanksgiving day, 18(35. It was in honor of
Jonathan's wife, Abigail, who was then resident
there. It was a pleasant assembly. Abigail
died, December 24, 1866, at the age of seventy-
one. She was a loving and helpful wife and
mother. She and her husband are buried in
Evergreen cemetery, near Pine Hill.
The next family gatherings were surprise
visits, and took place at the homes of the chil-
dren. The second meeting was at Elizabeth
Grant's, at Lebanon, Maine, in the fall of 1874.
The third happened at Lydia Mathews' in Ber-
wick, Maine, on Thursday, ]N"ovember 25, 1875.
The fourth was at Nancy Hutchins' home in
Salem, New Hampshire, Wednesday, October
23, 1876. The fifth was in honor of Daniel,
who was then living at the old homestead in
Berwick, on Thursday, September 27, 1883.
The sixth Avas celebrated at John's residence in
Stoneham, Massachusetts, Tuesday, October 14,
1884. The seventh was at Alvan's, in Berwick,
Saturday, October 12, 1889.
The last series of meetings were annual
reunions of the family of Jonathan Spencer at
178 THE MAIXE SPENCERS.
Berwick, Maine, and occnrred on the Satnrday
before the first Monday in September of each
year. The calendar is as follows: Elizabeth
Grant's, at the residence of John Mathews,
October 15, 1892; Daniel Spencer's, at the old
homestead, September 2, 1893; Lydia Mathews',
September 1,1894; Daniel's, August 31,1895;
Lydia's, September 5, 1896; Daniel's, Septem-
ber 4, 1897.
The officers of the association are :
President — Daniel "W. Spencer.
Vice-president — Elizabeth Grant.
Treasurer — N^ancy Hutchins.
Secretary — Minnie Spencer.
Historians — W. D. Spencer, W. S. Mathews.
Auditor—W. S. Mathews.
THE MAINE SPENCERS.
HEIRLOOMS.
" Woe to bim whose dariug baud profanes
Tbe bouored beirlooms of bis aucestors."
—Moir.
Our family has but little that has coiiie to
them from preceding generations. Perhaps the
oldest article of personal property is a large
brass warming-pan, with the initial '* E." This
letter stands for Elizabeth, and was probably
engraved at least one hundred and twenty years
ago. This came from the " old place." The
fact of Simeon's house being burned explaius
the scarcity of later keepsakes. A pocket-book
of Humphrey Spencer's is all that reminds us of
him, and this was saved from the fire, probably,
in the old desk. Simeon's desk was made of old
timber pine, and painted red. In it were his
accounts, his pocket-book, ^\ath his autogra])h,
written in 1778, and several old newspapers.
His cuff buttons, of solid silver, are still in pos-
session of a member of the family. They are
double, and connected by a link. Simeon's
shoemaker's tools are still in existence, although
scattered. Some of his almanacs, of which he
had a full list from the time of his keeping house
180 THE MAIXE SPENCERS.
(1779) until his death (1840), are preserved.
His old Watt's hymn-book bears the inscription,
" Pew 13, Old Sonth Meeting House," and his
signature. The old family Bible of Abigail
Spencer, printed in 1793, is yet extant.
GENEALOGY
Note. — If the locality of birth does not appear under any num-
ber in this Genealooy, the reader is referred to the number of the
ancestor immediately preceding. This record is, of course, not
perfect in every detail; much of these, as well as the foregoing
pages, was compiled by the writer when not of age. For the
future the earnest cooperation of all interested persons is re-
quested.
W. D. S.
1. Thomas Spencer, born in England in 1596, came to
America in 1630; he married Patience Chadbourue ; he
lived first at Strawberry Bank (Portsmontli), New Hamp-
shire, later at Piscataqiia (Kitter}' Point), Maine, and
finally at Newichawannock (South Berwick), Maine; he
was a planter, lumberman, and tavern-keeper; be died
December 15, 1681; bis wife died in 1683; children:
2. William.
3. Margaret.
4. Mary.
5. Susanna.
6. Humphrey.
7. Elizabeth.
8. Moses.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 181
SECOND (iEXERATION.
2. William, bom about IGoO; planter and lumberman at
South Berwick; became his father's heir; died May lo,
1696, unmarried.
3. ^Margaret, born about 1632 ; married Daniel Goodwin
of South Berwick in 1654; she died about 1670; children:
I.Daniel; 2. James; S.Thomas; 4. Moses; 5. William.
4. Mar}', born at South Berwick about 1634; married
Thomas Etherington, or Everington, about 1656; she and
her husband died at sea in November, 1664; children in
South Berwick : 1. Mary; 2. Patience.
5. Susanna, born at South Berwick about 1636; married
John Gattiusby about 1657; he died at South Berwick
about 1670;. she married second P^phraim Joy of South
Berwick; she died after 1700; children by first husband:
1. Moses, 2. Susanna; by second husband, 3. Ephraim.
6. Humphrey, born at South Berwick about 1638 ; mar-
ried first Elizabeth Shears, of Cape Neddock, York, Maine,
in 1673; married second Grace in 1676; farmer and car-
penter; removed to Portsmouth in 1676, and lived on Great
Island; died December 19, 1700; children:
9. Humphrey, Junior.
10. Mary.
7. Elizabeth, born at South Berwick about 1640; mar-
ried about May 12, 1674, Thomas Chick, of South Berwick ;
he died soon, and prior to 1687, she married Nicholas Tur-
bet, of Kittery ; she had one son, Thomas, by her first hus-
band.
182 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
8. Moses, born at South Berwick about 1642 ; married
Elizabeth Botts, July, 1679 ; she was the widow of Isaac
Botts and had a child, Elizabeth, who married Samuel
Brackett iu 1694 ; he was a planter and lived in South Ber-
wick; died about 1719; children:
11. Moses, Junior.
12. Isaac.
13. Mary.
THIRD GENERATION.
9. Humphrey, Junior, born about 1674 at South Ber-
wick; married Mary about 1700; he was planter, husband-
man, and viuter ; lived at South Berwick ; died iu August,
1712 ; children :
14. William.
15. Sarah.
16. Samuel.
10. Mary, born about 1670 at South Berwick; died,
unmarried, April 19, 1704.
11. Moses, Junior, born at South Berwick about 1680;
husbandman; married Elizabeth Abbott about 1708; died
1746; children:
17. Freathy.
18. Sarah.
19. Elizabeth.
20. Lydia.
21. Moses, Tertius.
22. Alice.
23. Isaac.
24. Patience.
25. Humphrey,
THE MAINE SPENCEES. 183
12. Isaac, born about 1()<S2 at South Berwick; married
Elizabeth P^mery about 1710 ; died prior to IToG ; children :
26. Moses.
27. Hannah.
13. Mary, born about 1684 at South Berwick; married
Joseph Jones, Februar}' 7, 1707.
FOURTH GEXEUATIOX.
14. William, born about 1706; lived in South Berwick
till 1742, when he removed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire ;
cooper by trade ; married Mary Plaisted about 1727; chil-
dren :
28. Mary.
29. Mehitable.
30. Martha.
31. William, Junior.
32. Sarah.
33. Mehitable.
15. Sarah, baptized as an infant at South Berwick, May
3, 1708; married Thomas Newmarsh of Kittery, Maine,
December 25, 1726; died, probably in 1800, at the age of
92 years.
16. Samuel, born about 1711 ; probably died young.
17. Freathy, born about 1709; baptized at South Ber-
wick, or Berwick, as it was then, December 20, 1719 ; mar-
ried Mary ; lived at South Berwick ; farmer ; soldier in
French and Indian War; died October 30, 1759 ; children:
34. Freathy, Junior.
35. Isaac.
184 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
36. William.
37. Jane.
38. Mercy.
39. Phoebe.
40. Moses.
18. Sarah, baptized at South Berwick, December 24,
1719.
19. Elizabeth, baptized at South Berwick, December 24,
1719.
20. Lydia, baptized at South Berwick, December 24,
1719.
21. Moses, Tertius, baptized at South Berwick, Decem-
ber 24, 1719; lived at South Berwick; married Susanna
Peavey about 1740; he was a farmer; children :
41. Joseph Peavey.
42. Susanna.
43. Amos.
44. Elizabeth.
45. Thomas.
22. Alice, baptized at South Berwick, January 21, 1728;
she accepted the covenant at South Berwick, November 22,
1741 ; married July 2, 1744, Anthony Littlefield of Wells;
they had : Edmund.
23. Isaac, baptized at South Berwick, January 21, 1728 ;
settled in Arundel (Kennebunkport) , Maine, in 1750.
24. Patience, baptized at South Berwick, January 21,
1728; accepted the covenant November 22, 1741.
25. Humphrey, baptized at South Berwick, January 21,
1728; lived in town all his life; farmer; married Sarah
(Elizabeth) Early, daughter of Anthony and Mehitable,
THI<: MAINE SPENCERS. 185
about 1748; she was baptized Jamiaiy 23, 1735; be died
December 14, 1808; cliildreu :
46. Sarah.
47. Simeon.
48. Ichahod.
49. John.
50. Joseph.
51. Lydia.
52. EHzabeth.
53. Hannah.
26. Moses, baptized at South Berwick, July 24, 1720;
married Lois, 1737 ; he was iu the French and Indian War
for Arundel in 1758, and the war record states that he was
born in 1711 ; children baptized at South Berwick :
54. Daniel.
55. Abigail.
56. Lois.
A history of Kennebunkport says, that Moses was an
early settler, but sold his land to Ephraim Downs in 1760
and moved eastward. See Appendix for Daniel Spencer.
27. Hannah, baptized at South Berwick, July 24, 1720.
FIFTH GENERATION.
28. Mary, baptized at South Berwick, September 1,
1728 ; probably mari'ied Nathaniel Spencer at South Ber-
wick, April 7, 1757; he had by his marriage three children.
See Appendix for a Nathaniel Spencer.
29. Mehitable, baptized at South Berwick, April 12,
1730 ; died young.
30. Martha, baptized at South Berwick, March 5, 1732.
13
186 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
31. William, Junior, baptized at South Berwick, Decem-
ber 9, 1733 ; he was a cooper by trade and lived in Ports-
mouth ; he married Lucy Brewster of Portsmouth, Septem-
ber 8, 1766.
32. Sarah, baptized at South Berwick, September 10,
1738.
33. Mehitable, baptized at South Berwick, November 29,
1741; died subsequent to 1776; married Nathan Prentice
(Harvard, class of 1756), son of Deacon Henry and Eliza-
beth (Rand) Prentice of Cambi'idge, June 1, 1763; Nathan
Prentice was a trader in Berwick, but removed to Cam-
bridge, Massachusetts, and died there July 29, 1769, aged
34; they had: 1. William, baptized at Berwick, November
18, 1764, died young; 2. Mehitable, baptized at Berwick,
March 30, 1766, died young; 3. Henry, and 4. Nathau,
twins, born July 25, 1767; Henry married Elizabeth Jelli-
son and had twelve children ; Nathau married Lydia Lin-
coln and had nine children; 5. Mehitable, baptized June
4, 1769, married Joseph Fosdick and had seven children.
After the death of Nathan, Mehitable married a Davis of
Boston, Massachusetts.
34. Freathy, Junior, baptized at South Berwick, April
15, 1753 ; farmer; minute-man in 1775 ; married Sarah Ab-
bott of Somersworth, New Hampshire, October 24, 1775;
his wife died January 5, 1820; he died June 26, 1821;
children :
57. Theodore.
58. Nancy.
59. Joanna.
GO. John.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 187
3"). Isaac, baptized at South Berwick, April If), IToS.
See Appendix for Isaac Spencer.
3(i. William, baptized at South Bei'wick, April IG, ll'io;
farmer; married Lydia Davis, December 16, 17(')2; chil-
dren :
61. Isaac.
62. Samuel.
63. William, Junior.
64. Hannah.
C.5. Freathy.
()(>. Lydia.
He married second Sarah Patch of Berwick, November
-27, IT'Jl.
37. Jane, baptized at South Berwick, April 15, 1753;
married' Beujamiu Row, June 10, 1777.
38. Mercy, baptized at South Berwick, April 15, 1753;
married Eleazer Knox of Lebanon, Maine, March 19, 1788.
39. Phoebe, baptized at South Berwick, April 15, 1753;
married Daniel Wilkinson in 1788.
[It will be seen that the last six persons have the same
■date of baptism ; the parish register gave four blanks, sim-
ply indicating the number.]
40. Moses, baptized at South Berwick, October 31,
1755; married Mary Row, June 6, 1777; he was a minute-
man in 1775 ; he entered the army and was reported to have
died at Valley Forge, January 16, 1778; his widow mar-
ried Benjamin Downs January 6, 1782.
41. Joseph Peavey, baptized at South Berwick, October
7, 1750; married Sarah Mars, April 21, 1776; Sarah died
Saturday, March 1, 1777; he married Catherine Mars, June
188 THE MAIXE SPENCERS.
10, 1771) ; he was a Revolutionary soldier for six mouths;
was called " Fightiug Joe ;" died in May, 1828 ; children by
second wife :
67. Benjamin.
68. Apliia (Affie).
69. Sarah (Sally).
70. Joseph, Junior.
42. Susanna, baptized at South Berwick, April 15, 1753 ;
married John Bennett, Junior, F'ebruary 24, 1763.
43. Amos, baptized October 24, 1762, at South Berwick ;
removed to Rochester, New Hampshire ; soldier in the Rev-
olution, 1777 to 1782.
44. Elizabeth, baptized at South Berwick, October 24,
1762; married Timothy Gerrish of Rochester, January 27,
1791.
45. Thomas, born at South Berwick, August 12, 1764;
enlisted as a soldier in the Revolution at the age of sixteen ;
described as five feet and five inches in height ; complexion,
light; hair, brown; married Olive Nasou, June 24, 1787;
he removed to Limingtou, Maine, about 1800; his first wife
died, and lie married Rachel Sawyer of Limiugton, born
June 12, 1772; she died February 7, 1858; Thomas died
February 11, 1845, childless.
46. Sarah, baptized at Berwick, September 16, 1750;
married John Hartford of Dover, New Hampshire, prior to
1779; died subsequent to 1825; children: 1. John, mar-
ried; 2. Hope, married Ezekiel Hayes ; 3. Sarah, married
Joseph Horn; 4. Olive, married Alvin Varney ; 5. Eph-
raim; 6. Spencer; 7. Abigail D., married Joseph Cook.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 189
47. Simeon, baptized at Berwiclv. June 21, 17r)2; mar-
ried Lydia Goodwin, November 2."), 177!» ; children :
71. Daniel.
72. Mary (Polly).
73. Abigail (Nabey).
74. Abigail (Aby).
7-5. James.
76. Oliver.
77. Jonatlian.
78. Olive (Olley).
79. Han nab.
80. Timothy.
81. Son.
Lj^dia died about 1800, and Simeon married Susanna
Hamilton P'ebruary 5, 1804 ; she died May 5, 1827 ; Simeon
died in 1840.
48. Ichabod, baptized at Berwick, June 5, 1757; mar-
ried Sarah Nason May 10, 1775 ; married second Love Na-
son June 13, 1776; removed from Berwick to Shapleigh,
Maine; he was in the Revohition for the year 1777; about
1800 he appears to have moved into the adjoining town of
Sanford, Maine ; the following is probably one of his chil-
dren :
82. Epbraim.
49. John, baptized at Berwick December 10. 1758; died,
unmarried, about 1830 ; he was a farmer by occupation.
50. Joseph, baptized at Berwick, November 15, 1761;
farmer; married Abigail (Nabby) Scales January 25, 1787,
and lived in Somersworth for a time ; went east and settled
somewhere in AValdo county, Maine ; child :
83. Joseph, Junior.
190 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
He seems to have had other children after he left Ber-
wick.
51. Lydia, baptized at Berwick, October 21, 1764; died
there, unmarried, about 1840.
52. Elizabeth, boru at Berwick in 1769; died there,
unmarried, January 20, 1835.
53. Hannah, boru August 23, 1772; married Jonathan
Kicker February 9, 1792; lived at Pine Hill in Berwick,,
her native town.
54. Daniel, baptized May 25, 1740, at South Berwick;
there was a Daniel at Arundel in 1757 as soldier; a Daniel
in Eddington, Maine, in 1784, who was probably the same.
See Appendix for Daniel Spencer.
55. Abigail, baptized at South Berwick, February 12,
1745; married, in the Kennebec River settlements, James
Burns, May 26, 1768.
56. Lois, baptized at South Berwick, March 28, 1749 ;
married Thomas Clarke November 18, 1766, at the same
place where her sister above was married.
SIXTH GENERATION.
57. Theodore, born about 1781 at Berwick, farmer;
married Nancy Kenuistou of South Berwick ; children :
84. Esther.
85. James T.
86. William.
87. Mary.
88. John.
He died at the age of 61.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 191
58. Nancy, boi'ii about 178-4 at Berwick; never married.
59. Joanna, born at Berwick about 17'.»1; married .loiin
Wilkinson of Dover, New Hampsliire, in 1812.
60. John, born at Berwick in ITH'.I; farmer; married
Ruth Clark of Berwick, March 21), 1816; soldier in the
War of 1812; wife died in 1859; he died in May, 186 1;
children :
89. Mary.
90. Abigail B.
91. Nathaniel.
92. Catherine.
93. Joauna.
94. Sarah.
95. Paul Richmond.
96. Margaret.
97. James.
98. Joshua C.
61. Isaac, last known residence in Norfolk, Virginia.
62. Samuel, last heard from in Ohio.
63. William, Junior^ born in Berwick; married Eleanor
Cooper May 26, 1785; moved to Limington, Maine, 1794;
he was a soldier in the War of 1812; he died May 29,
1835 ; children :
99. Sarah (Sally).
100. Phoebe.
101. Samuel.
102. William, Tertius.
103. Eunice.
104. Lydia.
105. Frederick.
106. Ehza.
64. Hannah, married Nathan (Benjamin) Hodsdou,
192 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
October 5, 1801, at Berwick; moved to Limiugton ; no
issue.
65. Freathy, moved to Limiugtou aud married Rebecca,
sister of Racliel Sawyer who married Thomas Spencer ;
children :
107. Isaac.
108. Joshua.
109. Sewell.
110. Thomas.
111. Sarah,
Freathy was married twice and lived after his second
marriage in Gray, Maine, where some of the second wife's
children are living.
66. Lydia, born at South Berwick; married John Jacobs
May 11, 1802 ; they removed to Limington.
67. Benjamin, born at South Berwick in 1792 ; died, un-
married, at his home December 30, 1811.
68. Aphia (Affle), born at South Berwick ; married John
Thompson of the same place September 8, 1811 ; children :
1. Susan; 2. Catherine.
69. Sarah (Sally), born at South Berwick; married Na-
thaniel Hearl of that town December 10, 1812 ; they had no
children.
70. Joseph, Junior, born 1795 at South Berwick; mar-
ried Lydia Bennett March 28, 1813 ; children :
112. Benjamin.
113. Rosan.
114. Joseph F.
He married second Mary Ann Hall Goodwin, who was
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 193
born December, 1S12, in ] 8-^10; he died in l.sOS ; Mary died
July 27, 1887; their cliildren :.
115. William H.
116. LydiaM.
117. Sarah A.
118. Mary E.
119. Amanda.
71. Daniel, born at Berwick, February 5, 1780; married
Lydia Ilobbs, who was born November 17, 1775, and died
November 5, 1862, in 1801 ; he was killed in the mill at
South Berwick about 1808; children :
120. Louisa.
121. Harriet.
122. Mary.
72. Mary (Polly) born at Berwick, April 2"), 1781 ; mar-
ried John Gowell in June, 1803; died in February, 1812
the}' had : 1. James; 2. Lydia; 3. Elizabeth.
73. Abigail (Aby), born at Berwick, December 28, 1783
died young.
74. Abigail (Nabey) born at Berwick, February 18, 1786
married Stephen Jellisou August 7, 1807.
75. James, born at Berwick, April 3, 1788; married first
Margaret Emery ; child :
123. James, Junior.
He married second a Brown, and they had :
124. Daughter.
76. Oliver, born at Berwick, April 17, 171)0 ; married Ab-
igail Grant October 30, 1831 ; died in Berwick; he was a
farmer ; child :
12.5. Olive.
194 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
77. Jonathan, born in Berwick, September 8, 1792;
married Abigail Wentwortb of Lebanon, born November 8,
1795, February 2, 1820; he died April 21, 1854; she died
December 24, 1866 ; children :
126. Daniel Wentworth.
127. Mary Elizabeth.
128. Lydia Ann.
129. Nancy Fogg.
130. Alvan Butler.
131. John Willard.
132. Joseph Henry,
78. Olive, born at Berwick, October 10, 1794; died No-
vember 29, 1815.
79. Hannah, born at Berwick, in October, 1796; married
Benjamin Wentworth of Lebanon, Maine, March 29, 1820 ;
he was born August 13, 1798, and died May 22, 1868 ; she
died prior to 1871 ; children : 1. Experience, who married
J. Y. Ricker, December 4, 1846 ; 2. Malvina, married James
Wentworth, born February 8, 1834; 3. Lucretia, married
Nathan Wentworth (a brother of James above) April 13,
1855; he was born May 1, 1827; 4. John, born 1834, at
Lebanon, married January 27, 1865 ; 5. Meicy, married a
Cole and lived in Biddeford, Maine. Nearly all of the
above have children.
80. Timothy, born in Berwick, April 15, 1799 ; married
Adah Butler, born in Berwick, October 1, 1797, in Decem-
ber, 1817; she died October 2, 1875; children:
133. Thirza.
134. Ichabod Butler.
135. Sarah.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. . 195
81. Son, boni Aii<iii<;t S, 1802, died young.
82. Ephraim, born about 177() at Sanford ; married Sep-
tember 22, 17VIG, at Sanford, Martha Clay; removed to
Bucklleld, ]Maine ; children :
186. Samuel.
137. IcluibocL
138. Stei^lien.
83. Joseph, Jnnior, born at Somersworth, in 1787; went
east with his parents.
SEVENTH GENERATION.
84. Esther, born in 1804 at Berwick; married Albion
Carpenter of South Berwick in 1826; died July 10, l.Si»2 ;
children born at South Berwick : 1. George, born in 1S27;
2. Frederick, born in l.s;)4; 3. Albion, Junior^ born June
7, 1836 ; 4. Delia, married a AVarren of Salmon Falls, New
Hampshire; 5. Henry; 6. Josephine; 7. William; 8. Rich-
ard ; 9. Zenas.
8.5. James T., born in Berwick, August 26, 1801) ; mar-
ried Eliza Cram, who was born in Berwick, December 17,
1807, April 26, 1830; he died in Exeter, New Hampshire,
November 2, 1882 ; his wife died at Sanford, ]Maine, Janu-
ary 7, 1879 ; children :
139. Samuel L.
140. Mariah J.
141. George VV.
142. John C.
143. John C.
144. Oliver C.
14.5. Mary A.
196 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
86. William, born at South Berwick; married Naucy
Duuus of that place ; children :
146. Eldora.
147. Charles W.
148. Jane.
149. George.
150. Henry.
87. Mary, born at Berwick, married Stephen Gilman
of South Berwick, August 12, 1836; she married later an
Alleway.
88. John, born at Berwick, iu 1822 ; married Mrs. Nancy
(Jewell) Drake ; died in 1883 ; children :
151. Infant.
152. Nancy A.
153. John.
154. Mary.
155. Everett.
1.56. Frank M.
157. Emma J.
158. Infant.
159. Armine W.
89. Mary, born at Berwick, May 31, 1817; married
Charles CTordon of Berwick; died July 18, 1891 ; children :
1. George; 2. Sarah, lives in Newton, Massachusetts; 3.
Olive, married George Pearsons of Newton ; 4. Augusta,
lives in Somersworth ; 5. Charles, married Lucy Brown of
Somersworth ; lived there ; 6. Ezra, married Lizzie Kidder
of Somersworth ; 7. Dora, married Obadiah Lenuard of
Berwick; 8. Mary, married Henry Jameson of Somers-
worth; 9. Frank, lives in Somersworth, unmarried; 10.
Edward, married Sarah Hall of Barrington and lives in
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 197
Dover, New Hampshire ; 11. .John, lives iu New York city;
12. Lizzie, married Andrew Bradeeu of Berwick.
90. Abigail B., born at Berwick, September 4, 1819;
married John Hubbard of Somersworth June 10, 1840;
died January 21, 1897 ; she had : 1. Sarah F. ; 2. George
E. ; 3. Belle H. ; 4. Alma J.
91. Nathaniel, born at Berwick, February 2, 1821 ; mar-
ried Adeline W. Tasker of KoUinsford, New Hampshire, in
1844 ; later he went westward ; children :
160. Henry A.
161. Alphonso H.
162. William E.
163. jSTathaniel A.
92. Catherine, born at Berwick, about 1823 ; married
Joshua M. Hanson of South Berwick; died iu 1855.
93. Joanna, born at Berwick, about 1825 ; married James
Grant of South Berwick.
94. Sarah, born at Berwick, February 5, 1827; married
Thomas Hilton of Wells, Maine, about 1853; she has: 1.
Lizzie; 2. Cora; 3. Chandler; 4. Anuie.
95. Paul Richmond, born at Berwick, January 19, 1831 ;
resided in Somersworth ; married Olive A. Abbott April 1,
1845 ; she was born March 26, 1834, and died November
G, 1895 ; he died January 21, 1892 ; his children :
164. William W.
165. Margaret A.
166. Frank P.
167. Sarah A.
168. Catherine E.
169. John H.
198 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
170. Delia E.
171. Olive E.
172. Walters.
173. Grace V.
174. Paul R., Junior.
175. Alice M.
176. Florence M.
96. Margaret, born in Berwick, May 6, 1833 ; married
Charles Willey of South Berwick; died May 10, 1853.
97. James, born at Berwick about 1835; brickmason ;
married lirst Jane Hilton of Wells, who was a sister of
Thomas Hilton who married Sarah; she was born about
1840 and died about 1870; they lived at South Berwick ;
he died in the summer of 1880 ; children :
177. Parker.
178. Walter.
179. Charles Clark.
ISO. Georoe Parker.
181. Lilla Belle.
182. Annie.
He married second a widow Galium.
98. Joshua C, born at Berwick, May 30, 1837; occupa-
tion, carder ; married Elizabeth E. Parker of Bartlett, New
Hampshire, November 13, 1858; after his marriage he
settled in Fall River, Massachusetts; no children.
99. Sarah, born at South Berwick; married George
Noble; they had: 1. James, who married Jane Cram of
Baldwin and was the father of Daniel, a railroad manager
iu Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, with a salary of $10,000 per
annum, and of the Reverend Frederick Noble of Chicago,
who receives $12,000 a year ; 2. Clarissa, married Benja-
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 199
mill Libby of Buxton, Maine; 3. George, married Jane
Doberty ; 1. Joseph, married Cynthia Goodrich and lives
at Denmark, Maine; 5. Martha, married Daniel Edgerly ;
6. P^leauor, married Daniel Acres ; second, Joseph Ilackett ;
third, Joseph Smith,
100. Phoebe, born at South Berwick ; married Benjamin
Wyman ; they had: 1. Orrin, married Dolly Fogg and
lived successive!}' in Standish, Liinington, and Hiram,
Maine ; 2. Louise, who married Seth Jones of Baldwin ; 3.
Jane, married Charles Dunton ; 4. Mary, who married
Joseph Cram of Baldwin,
101, Samuel, born at South Berwick, January 1, 1792;
was with Colonel Lane at Plattsburg in 1.S12 ; settled in
Baldwin in 1814 ; married Joanna Noble in 1821 ; children :
183. Belinda A.
184. Samuel, Junior.
185. Ambrose.
102. William, Teytius, born at South Berwick, April 1,
1793; married Mary Robinson of Limington ; died in
August, 1877 ; children :
186. Ellen.
187. William H.
188. Almecla.
189. Lorenzo D.
190. Eunice.
191. Jane.
192. Elizabeth.
19:;. ,lohn.
194. Edwin P.
103, Eunice, born at Limington; married Daniel Ward
of Baldwin; they had: 1. Albert; 2, William, who mar-
200 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ried Jane Brown; 3. Charles, who married Pollen Whittier ;
4. Simon, who married a Seavey ; 5. Frank, who married
A.lmeda Black; 6. Cyrus, who married Joan Whitney.
104. Lydia, born at Limiugtou ; married Daniel Libby ;
they had : 1. Dearborn B., who married Kate Pridestie and
lived in Baldwin ; 2. Sally, married John Hill of Baldwin ;
3. Eliza J., never married; 4. Olive, married Charles R.
Noble.
105. Frederick, born at Limington, April 10, 1799;
farmer; married January 19, 1826, Louisa Downs, born
January 24, 1808, and died March 28, 1897; he died Sep-
tember 8, 1877 ; children :
195. Martha W.
196. Ruth G.
197. Arthur.
198. William.
199. Jane B.
200. Hiram B.
201. Phoebe R.
106. Eliza, born at Limington; married Daniel Cram of
Baldwin; died in March, 1897; they had: 1. Sarah, who
married Charles Woodsum of Baldwin; 2. Ann, who never
married; 3. Leander E., who married Hattie Rowe, and
has been commissioner, sheriff, and register of deeds in
Cumberland county, Maine.
107. Isaac, born at Limington and resided there,
108. Joshua, born at Limington ; his child :
202. Andrew.
109. Sewell, born at Limington.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 201
110. Thomas, born iNIareh i;», 1807; fanner; resided at
East Limingtou, Maine; married, November 12, 1843,
Mary A. Green ; she was born July 'J, 1820 ; lie died Sep-
tember 10, 1878 ; children :
203. Phoebe A.
204. Charles J.
111. Sarah, born at Limington, and married Abijah
Woodsum of Gray, Maine; sou, Charles, born in 182'.),
died at Baldwin, Maine, July lo, 1892.
112. Benjamin, born at South Berwick; mai'ried his
cousin, Catherine Thompson; no issue.
113. Rosau, born at South Berwick; married David
Hasty; children: 1. Albert; 2. Emma; 3. Ann ; 4. Charles;
o. Jane; 6. Joseph; 7. David; 8. Sarah; 9. Frank.
114. Joseph F., born in South Berwick; mustered in the
27th Maine, Company B, infantry, September 30, 1862 ;
was discharged with his company; died in middle age;
unmarried.
115. William H., born at South Berwick, ]March 17,
1841; died, unmarried, November 17, 1862.
116. Lydia M., born at South Berwick in January, 1844;
married Alsbrey Goodwin of York, Maine; childien : 1.
Emma E., born in December, 1864; 2. Annie E., born in
January, 1863; 3. Edward E., born in 1869; married
Laura Talpe}'.
117. Sarah A,, born in South Berwick, February 22,
1845; married Isaiah Boston; child: Alice J., born No-
vember 13, 1864.
118. Mary E., born at South Berwick in 1849; married
14
202 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Samuel Moulton of York, Maine; children: 1. Fred, born
in April, 1874; 2. Maud, born in Jul}', 1876; 3. Joseph,
and 4. Lyman, twins, born in August, 1877 ; 5. Elroy,
born in 1881.
119. Amanda, born in South Berwick; died 3'oung and
unmarried.
120. Louisa, born in Somersworth, New Hampshire,
1803 ; married Joseph Thompson of Dover, New Hamp-
shire, December 25, 1819 ; he entered the army and was
never heard from ; she married, second, Hiram Downs
August 30, 1825 ; child : Abby Frances Downs, born Octo-
ber 8, 1828 ; married Lyford T. Graves of Brentwood, New
Hampshire, September 8, 1865 ; their child, Spencer Graves,
was born September 8, 1867; Louisa died September 28,
1897.
121. Harriet, born at Somersworth, June 13. 1805; mar-
ried, February 20, .1828, Samuel Dame of Dovei', son of
Joseph Dame of that place ; died at Somersworth Septem-
ber 20, 1838; they lived at Rolliusford ; children: 1.
Henry Clay Dame, born at Rolliusford July 22, 1830; 2.
Infant, born at Rolliusford December 26, 1828; died Sep-
tember 18, 1829.
122. Mary F., born in Somersworth, October 19, 1809;
married Richard Ayers of Dover August 29, 1830; she
died August 12, 1834, childless.
123. James, Junior, born at South Berwick; went east-
ward and lived near Portland, Maine.
124. Daughter, born at South Berwick, died young.
125. Olive, born at Berwick in 1832; married Timothy
Otis; died June 27, 1897; child died at an early age.
THE :maine spencers.
203
126. Daniel AVontworlh, born at Uerwiek, November 8,
1820 ; he attended the district schools and went a few terms
to Berwick Academy ; he began teaching at the age of
twenty ; he taught a district school by day and conducted
Daniel Wentwohtu ISpencek.
singing classes in the evening for more than fifty years ; he
married Sophia Hoyt Tuttle September 5, 1847; she was
born at Barnstead, New Hampshire, September 18, 1826 ;
child :
205. Clara Ella.
204
THE MAINE SPENCERS.
His first wife died February 15, 18G7, and he married,
March 23, 1868, Amanda Ann Prescott, born April 11,
1837, at Bridgewater, New Hampshire; children:
206. Jessie Sophia.
207. Wilbur Daniel.
Amasa Gkant.
Daniel was a carpenter by trade and went to Lawrence,
Massachusetts, in 1847, where he was associated somewhat
with his brothers, John, Alvan, and Batchelder Hutchins ;
he moved back to Berwick in 1858 and resides at present on
THE MAINE SPENCEK
205
the "old homestead;" he has been justice of the peace and
has filled several town otHces creditably ; his personal ac-
quaintance in the county has been widely extended.
127. Mary Elizabeth, born in Berwick, April 2, 1822 ;
married Amasa Grant of Lebanon, Maine, October 28,
Maky Elizabeth (fcji'KNCEn) Giiant.
1848; there they lived until recently, when they moved to
Berwick, living a few years with J. W. Mathews upon the
'' Hill" place and then taking up their abode in the village,
where they live at present ; she has made friends everywhere.
206 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
128. Lydia Ann, born at Berwick, August 16, 1824 ; mar-
ried Horatio Nelson Mathews of Berwiclv, June 8, 1852 :
cliildreu: 1. John, born at Berwick, September 1(3, 1854;
Lydia Ann (Spknckk) Mathews.
married Mary C. (Hilliard) Spencer, widow of Frank C.
Spencer, January 6, 1881 ; contractor; they have :
Forest C, born August 26, 1881.
Lottie M., born January 18, 188-'3.
Edith, born March 10, 1887.
Fred A., born August 1, 1888.
208 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
Harry H., born March 18, 1890.
Charles H., born January 22, 1892.
Lydia, born August 28, 1894.
2. William S., boru April 2, 185G, at Berwick; married
Etta Roberts of Lymau, Maine, October 4, 1882 ; be is an
attorney-at-law ; he has also been representative to the
state legislature. 3. Joseph M., boru March 13, 1858?
at Berwick; married Anna Roberts of Lyman (sister of the
above) March 21, 1888 ; they have :
Ralph Roberts, born June 9, 1889.
Maurice Monroe, born December 24, 1890.
Joseph is a smith by trade. 4. Samuel S., born at Ber-
wick, June 3, 1861 ; married Lottie Lennard of Somers-
worth. New Hampshire, June 3, 1890; he is a member of
the firm of Mathews Brothers, of which John, above-men-
tioned, is manager; they are engaged chiefly with building
contracts and the manufacture and sale of lumber; Samuel
is at present living in Berwick ; he has :
Wilbur L., born February 8, 1893.
Lizzie, born April 23, 1895.
Horatio N., born July 15, 1897.
5. George A., born at Berwick, June 30, 1863; married
Edith A. Lord of Berwick, July 18, 1888 ; he is a farmer
and lives in Lebanon ; they have :
Hattie Emily, born November 13, 1889.
Artliur Lord, born June 19, 1891.
6. Harry N., boru at Berwick, February 1, 1866; he
lives there at present with his mother. Horatio died in
THE MAINE SPENCEKS.
209
Ma3% 1871, and Lydia had the entire managenieut of this
large family of boys; not one in a hundred could have done
so well ; Mrs. Mathews is one of tlie most highly respected
women in the community.
BaTCHELDEK BkOWN HUTCHIiN"S
129. Nancy Fogg, born in IJerwick, August 15, 1826 ;
she married there. May lo, 1841), Batchelder Brown Hutch-
ins of Moultonboro, New Hampshire ; he was born April
22, 1820 ; they went to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to leside ;
the city was then in its beginning and Batchelder, who was
210
THE MAINE SPENCERS.
a cai'peuter, easily rivaled the best in his trade ; owing to ill
health Mr. Hutchius removed on April 8, 1858, to Salem, New
Hampshire, where he had purchased a farm and has lived
since; their home is about one mile from Methuen, Massa-
chusetts; children: 1. Emma, born April 11, 1850, died
Nancy Fogg (.Spencei;) Hutciiins.
August 25, 1851. 2. Charles, born December 2, 1853 ; mar-
ried Harriet E. Crosby of Methuen, February 9, 1886; he
is a carpenter by trade ; he had :
Emma Alga, born January IS, 1887.
212 THE MAINE SPENCEES.
His wife died February 26, 1891 ; he married agaio, Mrs.
Alice Morse Morrison of Methuen, formerly of Derry, New
Hampshire, December 24, 1894; they have a son:
Raymond Morse, born September 26, 1896.
3. Warren, born October 31, 1855; married Sarah C.
Howe of Methuen, November 10, 1886 ; they had a son :
Clarence, born December 24, 1888, died the day after.
4. Edwin, born December 12, 1861 ; married Lizzie Stan-
ley of Methuen, April 11, 1888 ; they have :
Eichard B., born December 14, 1891.
George Stanley, born May 3, 1894.
It happens that Edwin, like the two preceding, is a car-
penter and resides in Methuen. 5. Willis, born July 14,
1869 ; lives with his parents; he is a musician, as yet un-
married.
130. Alvan Butler, born at Berwick, May 26, 1829 ; mar-
ried September 5, 1850, Olive Tuttle of Barnstead a (half
sister of Daniel's wife) ; they lived on the home place until
the Civil War, when Alvan volunteered, in the First Maine
Cavalry, August 14, 1862 ; he was enrolled Band-master of
the First Brigade Band of the Second Cavalry Division,
January 1, 1863 ; he was in many of the severest battles of
the war ; he was honorably discharged at the end of the war.
May 30, 1865; he removed to Berwick village in 1867; he
has been prominent in town affairs since, holding many
offices ; he has been town treasurer for upwards of ten years ;
town clerk for several terms, justice of the peace six years,
trial justice since 1893 ; since his residence in the village he
THE MAINE SPENCERS.
213
has been eugaged iu the mercantile and undertaking busi-
ness ; bis children :
208. Emma.
209. Hattie E.
210. Franklin C.
211. Abigail E.
212. Fred A.
Alvax Butlek Spenckk.
131. John Willard, born in Berwick, December 13,
1831 ; he obtained his education in the public schools of
his native town; he went to Lawrence iu 1849, where he
THE ISIALNK SPENCKUS. Zlh
served as an ai)prenli('e at the trades of carpenter and
joiner; on May 21, l.sr.l, he married Klizabetli Ann Brown
John Wili.akd .Spencek.
of Nottingham, New Hampshire; she was born July 19,
1831, she died March 24, 1857 ; child :
213. Frank Willard.
July 5, 1858, Mr. Spencer moved to Stoneham, Massa-
chusetts, where he was engaged at his trade until July,
216 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
1861, when, enlisting in tlie army, he served three years in
Company G, Thirteenth Massachnsetts Volunteer Infantry;
February 21, 1863, he was married to Miss Eliza Ellen
Sanborn in Wakefield, New Hampshire, August 3, 1839 ;
children :
214. Lizzie.
21.5. Addie.
After the close of the war John W. resumed his former
business, working until 1892, when he retired on account
of ill health. He has been representative to Massachusetts
legislature.
132. Joseph Henry, born in Berwick, November 22, 1837 ;
died September 2, 1857.
133. Thirza, born at Berwick, April 4, 1821 ; married
Nahum Wentworth of Somersworth, December 4, 1845 ;
died September 22, 1846.
134. Ichabod Butler, born at Berwick, February 10,
1823 ; married Lucy J. Knox of Lebanon, May 24, 1842 ;
died at Berwick, February 26, 1880; children:
216. Harriet A.
217. Henry C.
218. Thirza W.
219. Henry C.
220. Emma E.
221. MaryF.
135. Sarah, born at Berwick, September 4, 1825; mar-
ried Samuel T.Parker, June 24, 1848; children: 1. Mary
A., born October 2, 1853 ; married January 9, 1872, Philip
H. Stiles; 2. Minnie E., born at Berwick, August 13,
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 217
1855; munied May 18, 1872, Edward E. Nelson; 3.
Josephine B., born at Berwick, January 6, 1857; married
John H. Jellison of Berwick, Xoveni])er 1, 1879 ; 4. Jennie,
born at Berwick, May 3, l.S5i), married Herman Wiggin of
Berwick.
136. Samuel, born at Bucklield, August 30, 170i).
137. Ichabod, born at Buckfield, December 10, 1801.
138. Stephen, born at Buckfield, January 30, 1804.
EIGHTH GENERATION.
139. Samuel L., born at Somersworth, May 8, 1831;
married Sarah D. Norman, February 19, 1852 ; she was
born at Industry, Maine, February 8, 1831 ; children :
222. Henrietta.
223. Isabel B.
224. AlvahD.
225. Julia E.
226. Alvah D.
140. Mariah J., born at Sauford, May 7, 1834.
141. George W., born at Sanford, August 10, 1836 ; died
in South Groveland, Massachusetts, May 31, 1871 ; child:
227. George W.
142. John C, born in Sanford, March 5, 1839; died in
Springvale, Maine, December 30, 1841.
143. John C, born in Sanford, August 18, 1842; killed
by a cannon-ball in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 9, 1863.
144. Oliver C, born in Sanford, February 20, 1845.
145. Mary A., born in Sanford, October 8, 1847.
218 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
146. Eldora, born at South Berwick; never married.
147. Charles W., born in South Berwick; died unmar-
ried.
148. Jane, born at South Berwick; died unmarried.
149. George, in California.
150. Henry, in California.
151. Infant, died young.
152. Nancy A., born January 23, 1847; married Octo-
ber 7, 1874, James F. Thurell of South Berwick.
153. John, born in Berwick, April 3, 1849 ; married
there Ellen A. Scammou, November 23, 1887,
154. Mary, born in Berwick, September 1, 1851.
155. Everett, born in Berwick, January 14, 1853.
156. Frank M., born in Berwick, November 16, 1855.
157. Emma J., born in Berwick, February 9, 1859.
158. Infant, born in Berwick, February 9, 1859, twin to
Emma J. ; died at birth.
159. Armine W., born in Berwick, March 14, 1861.
160. Henry A., born in Berwick, November 22, 1844
married Evelyn Abbott of Rollinsford, August 20, 1866
resides in Rollinsford ; he is a molder by trade ; children
228. Mabel F.
229. Myrtie.
230. Hattie.
231. Flora.
232. Ralph.
233. Alphonso.
161. Alphonso H., born in Somersworth (or Rollinsford)
April 21, 1848; married Ida E. Abbott, April 26, 1871
lives in Rollinsford ; children :
THE MA1K1-: SPENCERS. 219
234.
Ida M.
23,0.
Henry E.
236.
Leander.
237.
Luis.
238.
Elizabeth.
23tt.
Lavinia,
240.
Helen.
241.
Arthur.
162. William E., born in Somersworth, December 8,
18.31; married Lizzie S. Grant of Wells, July 29, 1877;
molder by trade and lives at Rollinsford ; children :
242. William A.
243. Sarah L.
244. Louis G.
163. Nathaniel A., born in Somersworth, April 20, 1854;
married Evelyn Cooper, June 28, 1874 ; died in Berwick,
April 2'.), 1886 ; children :
245. Oscar A.
246. FredN.
164. William W., born at Somersworth, July 14, 1849;
died September 24, 1849.
16.5. Margaret A., born September 18, 1851; died in
New Orleans.
166. Frank P., born November 24, 18.53; married May
17, 1876, Abigail F. Cooper of Berwick; resides in Dover,
New Hampshire, where he is manager of a section on the
Northern railroad ; children :
247. Altie E.
24S. Myra B.
249. Frank A.
220 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
250. Bernice F.
251. Clarence.
252. Mabel B.
253. Mildred.
167. Sarah A., born April 3, 1855; died September 12,
1855.
168. Catherine E., born October 23, 1856; married
Melvin Grant October 25, 1872 ; residence is in Tampa,
Florida.
169. John H., born January 27, 1864; died August 4,
1864.
170. Delia E., born September 10, 1866; married Wil-
liam Hodsdou of Haverhill, Massachusetts.
171. Olive E., born January 19, 1869 ; died January 31,
1869.
172. Walter S., born March 26, 1870; died September
18, 1870.
173. G-race V., born November 3, 1871 ; married Melvin
Waterhouse December 16, 1887, and Henry Folsom Janu-
ary 16, 1892 ; resides in Somersworth.
174. Paul R., Junior, born January 8, 1873; died April
10, 1873.
175. Alice M., born November 1, 1874; lives in Somers-
worth; unmarried.
176. Florence M., born May 25, 1877; married George
Robinson November 11, 1893.
177. Parker, born in Berwick; died young.
178. Walter, born in Berwick; died young.
179. Charles Clark, born in Berwick, May 9,1862 ; shipped
aboard the MayeUan, bound around the Horn for Valpa-
THE MAIXE SPENCEIfS. 221
raiso, Chili, ami ports of Peru ; this voyage took one year
lacking eleven days ; worked at farming in Kentucky and
Ohio until 1880; came east and worked at iron-molding for
about a 3'ear and a half, and then went West again ; fanned
in Texas ; shipped at St. I.ouis on a river steamer, which
he left at New Orleans ; lived with Spanish fishermen and
hunters for a long time ; left New Orleans at the time of
the exposition and went to Galveston, Texas, to El Paso,
to Los Angeles, California ; worked on a ranch ; canvassed ;
went to San Francisco and canvassed ; joined the U. S.
Marine Corps at Mare Island at the time of the trouble at
Panama; enlisted April 27, 1885, and was honorably dis-
missed April 27, 1890, serving the most of his time on the
U. S. S. Mohican ; then went to San Francisco and worked
at the molding trade; soon after engaged in ranching;
went to Victoria, British Columbia, by steamei- and re-
turned by land ; appointed guard at San Quentin prison
February, 1893; now resides there; married May Edna
Harriman, daughter of William S. Harriman of Bangor,
Maine, and Mary A. (Grable) Harriman of Indianapolis,
Indiana ; she was born at San Louis Obispo, California,
April 6, 1873 ; the marriage occurred at San Francisco,
March 10, 1895; child:
254. Margaret Lucile.
180. George Parker, born at Berwick, 1864 ; iron-molder ;
lives at Kennebunk, Maine ; married Cora Stevens of Ken-
nebunk ; children :
2o.5. Cliarles.
256. Myrtle.
^A'L THE MAINE SPENCERS.
181. Lilla Belle, born at Berwick, October 24, 1866 ; was
adopted by the Hobbs family of South Berwick ; niari-ied
David W. Clay of Somersworth, February 17, 1886; chil-
dren : 1. Frances M., born May 10, 1891 ; 2. Charles W.,
born January 1, 1894.
182. Annie, born at South Berwick ; died young
183. Belinda A., born in Baldwin, June 22, 1823; mar-
ried June 20, 1847, Shipley W. Perkins of Lynn, Massa-
chusetts ; child: Samuel Spencer Perkins, born August 14,
1848, who had: 1. Annie B., born May 18, 1870; married
Ira K. Elliott of Lynn in June, 1890; and has: Earl R.,
born January 9, 1891, and Leon S., born November 8,
1894; 2. Charles S., born April 20, 1877; 3. Ernest S.,
born April 17, 1878; 4. Clarence A., born October 13,
1885; 5. Harry A., born October 17, 1886; 6. Edith E.,
born December 2, 1890; 7. Nelson O., born May 8, 1892.
184. Samuel, Junior, born May 8, 1825, in Baldwin ;
there married Jane Doherty ; last known residence was
Aberdeen, South Dakota.
185. Ambrose, born August 16, 1830, at Baldwin ; he is
merchant at East Baldwin ; married Althea Flint of Bald-
win April 24, 1853; she was born June 15, 1834; chil-
dren :
257.
Adriana.
258.
Ella M.
259.
Etta B.
260.
Edward W.
261.
Joanua E.
262.
Sarah F.
263.
Gertrude A.
264.
Ethel E.
THE MAINE SPENCEKS. 223
186. Ellen, born at Baldwin; she niari'ieil Kiehard Row
and lives in Woodfoids, Maine.
187. William Henry, born at Baldwin about 18:55; mar-
ried Parmelia vStanton ; children, born at East Hiram,
Maine :
265. Frederick.
266. Preston.
188. Almeda, born at Baldwin ; she married James Miller
and lived at West Baldwin.
18i). Lorenzo D., born in Baldwin, November 24, 1839;
farmer; married Nancy M. Burnell of Baldwin, who was
born June 17, 1842, June 11, 1863 ; he now resides in Lim-
ington and just across the road from the place where his
grandfather, William, settled when he came from Berwick ;
childi'en :
267. Howard L.
268. Mary N.
269. Phrebe F.
270. Waldo A.
He married in 1888 Louise H. Boothby of Baldwin.
190. Eunice, born at Baldwin ; married George Millikenof
Baldwin.
191. Jane, born at Baldwin; married Elias M. Noble.
192. Elizabeth, born at Baldwin; married Alonzo Hart-
ford.
193. John, born at Baldwin, in 1851 ; resides in Lynn,
Massachusetts ; married first Mary Ellen Dow, second Ade-
line Marsh.
194. Edwin P., born at Baldwin, March 28, 1856; mar-
224 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ried, November 25, 1883, Delia Mahau ; resides in L3'nn ;
children :
271. John.
272. Charles Frederick.
195. Martha W., born at Limington, July 5, 1826; mar-
ried Samuel Warren of Portland, May 19, 1856.
196. Ruth G., born at Limington, March 30, 1829 ; mar-
ried George S. Burnell of Springfield, Ohio, June 4, 1858.
197. Arthur, born at Limington, April 21, 1833; died
May 9, 1836.
198. William, born at Limington, January 13, 1835;
married Lydia J. Binford January 2, 1859; farmer; re-
sides at Chatham's Center, Maine.
199. Jane B., born January 8, 1839; died February 22,
1847, at West Baldwin.
200. Hiram B., born at West Baldwin, August 31, 1841 ;
married, October 31, 1861, Melissa Dyer, born October 31,
1844 ; resides at East Hiram, Maine ; children :
273. Eliza J.
274. Horace D.
275. CoraW,
276. Sophronia K.
277. Frederick L.
278. Arthur.
201. Phwbe R., born at West Baldwin, July 23, 1844;
married May 3, 1874, Samuel H. Tuttle of East Hiram,
Maine.
202. Andrew, born at East Limington; is a farmer;
resides there at present.
THE MAINE Sl'ENCEKS. 225
203. Pluiebe A., born at East Limiiigton, October oU,
1844.
204. Charles J., born December 23, 18r)2 ; tanner; re-
sides at East Liuiington, wliich is his native town ; nnuuir-
ried.
20"). Clara Ella, born at Berwick, .lannar}' (i, l.s')l ; mar-
ried Erank P. Demerritt at Rochester December 2<S, 1872;
they live at present in ]\Iilton, New Hampshire ; child :
Guy P., born November 23, 1877.
206. Jessie Sophia, born at Berwick, May (>, 1870.
207. Wilbnr Daniel, born at Berwick, Jannary 24, 1872 ;
was gradnated at Dartmouth, 181);").
208. Emma, born at Berwick, July 20, 1852 ; died Febru-
ary 20, IS.T-l.
209. Hattie E., born at Berwick, December 21, 1853;
married Samuel C. Martin, born October 21, 1847, in Ber-
wick, July 25, 1874; she died June 11, 1888; children:
1. Harry S., born November 27, 1875; died March 12,
1877; 2. Warren H., born January 15, 1877; died March
13, 1888; 3. Elizabeth May, born February 12, 1881.
210. Franklin C, born at Berwick, February 15, 1856;
married May C. Hilliard July 4, 1875 ; died September 9,
1877 ; children :
279. Daughter.
280. Alvan B.
211. Abigail E., born at Berwick, March 2, 1862 ; gradu-
ate of Kent's Hill Female Seminary ; preceptress of the
Berwick Academy, 1886-'90 ; married George Perry Dun-
ham September 28, 1891; children: 1. Izah, born Janu-
226 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
ary 1. 1893; 2. Speucer, born January 1, 1893, and died
soon after.
212. Fred Alvan, born at Berwick, April 27, 1871 ; mar-
ried Minnie L. Foss November 17, 1891 ; children :
281. Frank.
282. Olive.
213. Frank W,, born at Lawrence, April 1, 1856; con-
tractor and builder ; lives in Stoneham ; married first Ella F.
Eaton, who was born at Auburn, New Hampshire, Septem-
ber 12, 1859, at Deerfield in the same state December 31,
1878 ; she died January 13, 1883 ; child :
28.3. May Edna.
He married second Hattie M. Brown at Berwick, May 30,
1896; she was born at Deerfield, June 17, 1865.
214. Lizzie, born at Stoneham, December 29, 1870; was
graduated from Bridgewater (Massachusetts) Normal
School ; she leaches in Winchester, Massachusetts ; she
resides with her parents and is as yet unmarried.
215. Addie, born at Stoneham, September 19, 1873; she
was graduated from Wellesley College, class of 1897; she
has accepted a position as teacher in Lexington, Massachu-
setts; she resides with her parents and is unmarried.
216. Harriet A., born at Berwick, August 10, 1842;
married first in December, 1860, Monroe Hyde; married
second February 14, 1868, George M. Parks of Portsmouth,
New Hampshire; they had: Nancy Adeline Parks, born
January 30, 1869 ; died March 16, 1869.
217. Henry C, born in Berwick, April 17, 1844; died
young.
THE MAINE SPENCERS. 227
218. Thirza W., born at Berwick, November 80, 1845;
died June 11, 1859.
219. Henr}' C, born at Berwick, January 15, 1849 ; mar-
ried June 17, 1871, Nellie Buzzell of \'ermont ; the}' had:
284. Kate M.
28.5. Artlmr II.
286. Harriet G.
220. Emma E., born at Berwick, November 1, 1850;
married July 3. 1877, George H. Carletou of Portsmouth;
they had : 1. Cora Emma, born April 20, 1878; 2. George
Henry, born November 25, 1879; died July 28, 1880; 3.
George Albion, born February 26, 1882 ; 4. William
Wright, born December 21, 1884.
221. Mary F., born at Berwick, February 28, 1856 ; mar-
ried August 4, 1873, Jacob Mason ; they had : 1. Lillie M.,
born July 24, 1874; 2. Mabel, born March 6, 1876; 3.
Alice P., born August 6, 1878; 4, George C, born Sep-
tember 29, 1880; 5. Cora E., born October 12, 1882; 6.
Flora p]., born September 23, 1885.
NINTH GENERATION.
222. Henrietta, born at JCpping, New Hampshire, April
19, 1854; died September 22, 1854.
223. Isabel B., born at Epping, November 6, 1855.
224. Alvah D., born at Epping, September 24, 1857;
died September 8, 1859.
225. Julia E., born at Epping, August 23, 1859.
226. Alvah D., born at Epping, March 14, 1861.
227. George W., died in South Lawrence, Massachu-
setts, in May, 1897.
228 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
228. Mabel F., born at Rollinsford, March 2, 1872 : mar-
ried William E. Frost, April 25, 1891.
229. Myrtle (Myrtle), born at Rolliusford, January 21,
1875 ; died March 2, 1887.
230. Hattie, boru at Rollinsford, October 26, 1879 ; died
March 2, 1887.
231. Flora, born at Rollinsford, May 15, 1885.
232. Ralph, born at Rollinsford, July 5, 1890; died Sep-
tember 7, 1890.
233. Alphonso, born at Rollinsford, October 29, 1894.
234. Ida M., born at Rollinsford, August 30, 1867 ; mar-
ried Frank E. Sanborn May 7, 1887.
235. Henry E., born at Rollinsford, March 25, 1869.
236. Leander, born at Rollinsford, August 20, 1871;
married Maud Foss June 22, 1892 ; children :
287. Walter A.
288. Ralph L.
237. Lois, born at Rolliusford, February 27, 1874;
married John Williams and lives in Walpole, Massachu-
setts.
238. Elizabeth, born at Rollinsford, May 14, 1876.
239. Lavina, born at Rollinsfoi'd, March 15, 1879 ; mar-
ried Henry Hutchius of Dover, New Hampshire ; children :
1. Roland, 2. Florence V.
240. Helen, born at Rollinsford, June 26, 1882.
241. Arthur, born at Rollinsford, September 14, 1881.
242. William A., boru at Rollinsford, May 18, 1878.
243. Sadie L., born at Rollinsford, March 14, 1881.
244. Louis G., born at Rolliusford, December 4, 1894.
THE INIAINE SrENCEES. 229
245. Oscar A., born at Berwick, April .S, l-ST") ; mill-
hand ; married Charlotte Lowell of South Berwick, August
28, 1896.
'2H]. Fred N., born at Berwick, October '.), 1880.
24:7. Altie E., born November 19, 1878, at Dover.
248. Myra B., born INIarch 22, 1880, at Dover.
249. Frank A., born April 18, 188:3, at Dover; died
September 14, 1884.
250. Bernice F., born February 27, 1885, at Dover.
251. Clarence, born February 22, 1889, at Dover.
252. Mabel B., born April 6, 1891, at Dover.
253. Mildred, born March 26, 1893, at Dover; died Octo-
ber 17, 1895.
254. Margaret Lucile, born January 8, 1896, at San
Quentin, California; died March 11, 1896.
255. Charles, born at Kennebunk.
256. Myrtle,. born at Kennebunk.
257. Adriana, born at East Baldwin, November 23, 1854 ;
died October 24, 1856.
258. Ellen M., born at East Baldwin, .Tuly 9, 1856.
259. Etta B., born at p]ast Baldwin, December 27, 1857 ;
died November 16, 1864.
260. Edward AV., born at East Baldwin, .Tanuary 26,
1860; corn-packer at Baldwin; married Elizabeth M. Bond
of Baldwin, March 27, 1883; children:
289. Elsie M.
290. EarlW.
291. Harold M.
292. Mary A.
230 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
261. Joanna E,, born at East Baldwin, February 19,
1862.
262. Sarah F., born at East Baldwin, July 4, 1865 ; died
in March, 1872.
263. Gertrude A., born at East Baldwin, April 13, 1870 ;
married December 24, 1892, John E. Snell of Jay, Maine;
they had: 1. Henry A., born September 23, 1893; 2. Ber-
tram S., born June 19, 1895 ; died September 24, 1895.
264. Ethel E., born at East Baldwin, March 23, 1873;
married Elmer E. Boothby, October 12, 1895.
265. Frederick, born at Baldwin, August 18, 1857; lives
there.
266. Preston, born at Baldwin, in 1870; resides there.
267. Howard L., born at Baldwin, February 2, 1864;
married Elizabeth K. White, March 6, 1895 ; child :
293. Delia.
268. Mary N., born at Baldwin, February 20, 1867,
married Burleigh F. Ridlon of Lynn, Massachusetts, Febru-
ary 19, 1890.
269. Phoebe F,, born at Deering, Maine, March 18
1870 ; lives in Lynn.
270. Waldo A., born in Deering, August 16, 1876; died
at Deering, June 6, 1877.
271. John, born at Lynn, November 1, 1885.
272. Charles Frederick, born at Lynn, September 6,
1887.
273. Eliza J., born at East Hiram, January 28, 1862;
married July 3, 1883, Perley G. Rankin; children : 1. lOva,
born February 19, 1892; 2. Ruth L., born September 19,
THE MAINE 8PENCEKS.
231
1895 ; died January 22, l<s;)6; 3. Perloy, boin February 12,
1897; died March 18, 1897.
274. Horace D., born at East Hiram, February (!, 18(55;
married. May 8, 1895, Celia M. Douglass.
FkAMv fePKNCKK.
275. Cora W., born at East Hiram, Augusi 2(i, 1807;
died December 20, 1.S79.
276. Sophronia'R., boin at East Hiram, April 21, 1871 ;
married P^dwin J. Spencer October 16, 1891: ; child : Frank-
lin H., born May 23, 1897.
232 THE MAINE SPENCERS.
277. Frederick L., born at East Hiram, .June 26, 1874;
married Edua S. Sanborn June 19, 1897.
278. Arthur, born July 19, 1876, at East Hiram; mar-
ried Vesta F. Sanborn March 11, 1896 ; child :
294. Lura Vesta.
279. Daughter, born August 14, 1875 ; died, unnamed,
August 28, 1875, at Berwick.
280. Alvan B., born at Berwick, July 23, 1876; died
February 13, 1877.
281. Frank, born at Berwick, September 5, 1893.
282. Olive, born at Berwick, March 20, 1895.
283. May Edna, born at Stoneham, August 24, 1880;
died January 12, 1881.
284. Kate M., born July 5, 1872.
285. Arthur H., born July 26, 1874.
286. Harriet G., born April 1, 1880.
TENTH GENERATION.
287. Walter A., born at Rollinsford, March 10, 1894.
288. Ralph L., born at Rollinsford, February 23, 1896.
289. Elsie M., born at Baldwin, April 4, 1884.
290. Earl W., born at Baldwin, December 12, 1885.
291. Harold M., born at Baldwin. February 9, 1887.
292. Mary A., born at Baldwin, October 27, 1888.
293. Delia, born at Baldwin, December 1, 1896.
294. Lura Vesta, born at Hiram, October 1, 1896.
APPENDIX
APPEJSTDIX.
It seems proper to iusert under this heading the few
records which cannot 3'et be used in connection with the
Genealogj.
Marriages.
Ber/ricJ: SokIJi J\irish.
Mehitable Spencer and .lames Ilearl October 17, 17!)(».
Mar}? (Molly) Spencer and Joseph Muchmore June 2().
1794.
Susanna Spencer and Tobias Sherbourne November 7,
1800.
Jennie N. Spencer, aged 41, of Rollinsfojd and Lorenzo
D. Merrow of Lawrence, Massachusetts, May 26, 1874.
Loizie Spencer of Soutii Berwick and Michael Brewster
of West AVanen, Massachusetts, December 16, 1801.
Dorcas Spencer, born prior to 1785, and Ebenezer Abbot
April 2'.), 1810.
Bx.vfon.
Mary E. Spencer and James Towle of Biddeford Janu-
ary 1, 1850.
Lydia Spencer and Daniel Libby, wlio was born October
28, 1790.
236 APPENDIX.
Laviuia, daughter of Eben Spencer, aud Ai Libby of
Byron.
Liini))gton.
William Spencer and Mary J, Libby August 10, 1857.
Saco.
Stephen Spencer and Mary Whitney August 24, 1804;
they had: 1. Samuel, born April 16, 1804; 2. Alvin, born
February 1, 1806 ; 3. E:sther, born March 6, 1808 ; married
William vSawyer December 6, 1827; 4. Joseph, born March
6, 1810; died June 4, 1829; 5. James, born February 7,
1812; 6. Stephen, born February 24, 1814; died January
20, 1817; 7. Mary, born April 1, 1816. Stephen's first
wife died April 19, 1818, and he married Elizabeth Sargent,
published July 21, 1821. His son, Samuel, married Mehit-
able Goodwin, published January 24, 1829 ; he had : Joseph,
born December 15, 1830; Henry, born May 13, 1832;
Mary, born August 24, 1833 ; George, born May 24, 1835 ;
Mehitable, born January 11, 1837.
Sanford.
Sarah Spencer and Simon Johnson, published December
17, 1802.
Waterho rough.
Ruth Spencer and George Bennett of Alfred December 1 ,
1838.
Joseph C. Spencer and Eleclra Thyng March 15, 1853 ;
and Sarah Thyng November 25, 1859.
APPENDIX. 237
-lohii Spencer and ]Mi-s. Susan Smith October 20, 1851.
Louisa Spencer and Calvin W. Sniitii Septeml)er 17, IS'tT.
Wells.
.Tereniiali Spencer and Kstlier : their chihlren : 1. Eliza,
born iNIav -"), 1802; died Noveniher 10. 1822; 2. Mary,
born August 15, 1804; o. Sarah, born August 7, 1800;
died February 12, 1823; 4. Lydia, born January 22, 1810.
5. Louie, born October 3, 1813. Esther, wife of Jeremiah,
died August 12, 1822, aged 43. lie married second Olive
Butlaud, published March 20, 1825.
Mary Spencer and Jothani Miiuson.
* ******* *
York.
This family can have no near relation to ours, as their
ancestor was contemporar}' with Thomas Spencer of South
Berwick. There is nothing to show that he was a brother.
John, alias George, Spencer was at York in 1(54(); prob-
ably died there; children: 1. John, Jioiior ; probably he
left no children, although he married a Brawn ; 2. Eben-
ezer; 3. Deborah; 4. Bethuel. This line is extinct in that
vicinity. These Spencers lived near that part of the town
known as Bald Head CHIT.
* ******* *
Roger Spencer, who came to Saco in 1652, was of
Charlestown, Massachusetts; he lived at Saco al)ont ten
years and returned to Charlestown.
238 APPENDIX.
The foUowiug account was given 1113- father, D. W. Spen-
cer, by a Spencer, presumably John, who lived at Somers-
worth. New Hampshire, in 1862 :
'' Three Spencer brothers, Dominicus^ Daniel and Wil-
liam^ whose father was an Englishman and whose mother
was a Scotch woman, emigrated from Strong, King's county,
England (King's county is really in Ireland) in June, 1712,
and lauded at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
" William settled at Kitter}' Point, or on the Maine side
of the river nearly opposite where the Cocheco empties into
the Salmon Falls river.
" Doininiciis settled at the mouth of the Kennebec, where
he died in 1716, after a desperate fight with an Indian of
whom he bought his land for one barrel of rum and one
half barrel of molasses ; after using the rum and molasses
the Indian claimed the land again, whereupon they agreed
to fight it out, the Indian stabbing Dominicus so that he
lived but a short time. He killed the Indian dead on the
spot. He left three boys, William, John, and Daniel.
" Daniel settled on the Penobscot at Bucksport, where he
raised eight bo3's and four girls ; in 1755, at the time of the
Indian war, he returned to England and remained there un-
til the Kevolution, when he was pressed into the English
service and came to Boston and deserted at the battle of
Lexington, after which he fought at the battle of Bunker
Hill, where he met his son, Daniel, who was married and
had three boys : David, William, aud Daniel. After the
war he (probably Daniel, Jimior) had five boys and four
girls."
APPENDIX. 239
From a writer in the Ikmiior Historical Magazine 1 eull
the followino' extract: *' Spencer Families of Penobscot
Rivei-."
" I think the first Spencer settlement on the river was at
Bradley, near the mouth of what is now known as Black-
man brook. In the course of time they overflowed into
Eddington, Orono, and that part of Bangor now Yeazey,
and into all the up-river towns. I think there are more
people in Penobscot county who are descendants of these
early Spencers than from any other famil}'. Much time has
been spent to get them into families, but without certain-
ties in some cases."
In Capt. John Chamberlain's Held notes (of Oi'ono) 171>7,
he says :
" October 19, proceeded down the river to Captain Col-
burn's, take breakfast, go over to the east side of the river
to survey squatter lands (in what is now Brewer).
"1. Begun at Isaac Page's, 50 rods on the river, log
house, small improvements, settled 10 years.
"2. Southerly to Nathaniel Spencer, .//-., 50 rods on the
river, log house, considerable improvements, some apple
trees.
"3. Thence to Nathaniel Spencer, old man, 50 rods on
the river, good improvements, log house, settled 1774.
"4. Thence to Enoch Ayres', 50 rods on the I'iver, small
improvements, settled 10 years.
"5. Thence to Daniel Spencer's, 50 rods on the river,
small improvements, settled by some Spencer, 1774, pur-
chased by Moses Spencer.
240 APPENDIX.
"6. Philip Spencer, 50 rods on the river, log house,
small improvemeuts, settled 10 3^ears.
" 7. Daniel Spencer, 50 rods on the river, log house,
now sold John Spencer, settled 12 years."
* ******* *
Nathaniel Spencer, see Genealogy (28), soldier at Arun-
del, Maine, 1757; may be identical with the Nathaniel
who married Mary Spencer at Berwick April 7, 1757, and
had several children. The records say of him at Berwick :
" Order to Dr. .Tohn Parsons for six pounds one shilling,
being in full for boarding, doctering, and tendance of
Nathaniel Spencer thirty-one days in the year 1770;
February 17, 1772, To an order to widow Mary Spencer
(Freathy's widow) six shillings for support of Nathaniel
Spencer's children; April 13, 1772, order to widow Mary
Spencer for keeping three of Nathaniel Spencer's children ;
March 11, 1773, order to Mary Spencer for keeping one of
Nathaniel Spencer's children."
There is no record of Nathaniel's death at Berwick.
Nathaniel married at Cushnoc (Augusta), Maine, Decem-
ber 8, 1772, Bridget Simpson; was at Orono in 1774, at
Eddingtou in 1791, at Bradley on the Penobscot in 1797;
he died in Bangor October 26, 1826, at the age of 103 or
106 years ; he had been in the Revolution ; his wife died
February 1, 1832; child: Nathaniel, Junior, of Orono in
1774, Eddingtou plantation in 1791, and at Bradley in
1797; married first Lucy Rankin, second Mary Warren,
and had seventeen children ; died at Greenbush in Novem-
ber, 1809; he had:
Al'l'KNDIX. 241
1. Benjamin, horn in liradloy ; maiiied Hannah Stanley
of Pxldingtou July 1(5, ITDo; married second Thankful
Page (Widow Place) of Eddington in December, 1824; she
died in 18()3 ; he was a soldier at Orono in 179S; he had
eight ciiildren by Hannah.
2. James, in F^dinbnrg in 1813, at Gould's Ridge and
Passadumkeag later ; married first Ann Ayres of Passadum-
keag at Orono May 28, 1810; married a second wife, who
had four children by a former husband and four by him.
3. Asa, of Bradley, lived in Greenbush and died there ;
son : Elijah, born October 9, 1803, and married Elizabeth
Stanley in 1823.
4. John.
5. Lucy, married Caleb Maddocks.
6. Israel.
7. Abigail, married a Stone.
8. Nathaniel, Tertius, born 1796; married Mrs. Sarah
Page of Eddington, October 3, 1813 ; died December 30,
1862, at Eddington.
Isaac Spencer, see Genealogy (35), an original settler in
Bradley; married Lucy Patten ; they had:
I. Philip, who bought land of Samuel Wilson at Orring-
ton in 1772; moved to Bradley in 1783; moved to Passa-
dumkeag in 1816, on the line between it and Greenbush;
married Lillis, daughter of Temperance Mansell, before
1800 ; he died in Lowell ; she died in Greenbush ; their
children : 1. Lucy, married William Foster of Argvle about
1800; she died in 1826; he died in 1860; child: Nancy,
242 APPENDIX.
married Joseph Libby of Molunkus ; 2. Jane, married John
Philips, Junior, of Dedham ; o. Philip, Junior, married
and settled in Arg3de on the Elisha Tnrtelot place before
1813 ; 4. Patty, married William Bailey of Greenbnsh ;
they had: p]leanor, Henry, Philip, George W., Daniel,
William, Junior, Martha, Benjamin F., Charles A., Nan-
cy: 5. Harriet; 6. Leah, married James Anderson; 7.
George, married an Ayres ; 8. Nancy, married Gyles Lit-
tlefield of Greenbnsh; 9. p]lijah, born Jannary 17, 171)9;
married vSally Littlefield ; lived in Passadnmkeag or Grand
Falls (now Bangor) ; Sally (Littlefield) Spencer married
Zeaas Drinkwater of Oineville, January 4, 1823 ; 10. I'em-
perauce, born in 1807; married Elizabeth Petteugill ; widow
lives at East Lowell.
IL Daniel, Senior.
III. Nathaniel.
IV. Samuel, of Orono ; married Phoebe Page November 8,
1797.
V. William, of Orono ; married Huldah Page October 11,
179G.
VI. Ruth, married her cousin, Daniel Spencer.
VII. Martha, married Archibald McPhetres, who w-as
born in 1797.
VIII. Isaac, complained of for not training at Orono in
1798 ; Methodist in 1812 ; probably married Lucy Hathoru,
who was born September 16, 1785, and died July 31, 1848 ;
children: 1. Lydia, born July 7, 1805; 2. Ashbel, born
November 12, 1807; 3. George, born May 19, 1810; 4.
Nancy, born October 29, 1812; 5. Daniel, born July 8,
API'ENDIX. 243
1814; G. Reuben, born September 8, 1817; 7. Liiemla,
born November 8, 1820; 8. Isaac Hathorn, born March ;U,
1823; 9. Albert, born December 8, 182.').
IX. Kliza1)etli. married William Inman about INOI.
X. Hannah.
* ******* *
Daniel Spencer, see (lenealoo-y (54), in E(l(lin>iton in
1784, upon land purchased b}' Moses Spencer, perhaps,
in 1772; in Aroyle in 1787; at Bradley in 171»7; at Sun-
berr^Mn 1797; the record has this: "Has fell trees, set-
tled on a good spot of land and chopped two acres," of a
Daniel at Milford; sold in Bradley in 1807; children: I.
Daniel, Junior^ Bangor in 1785; II. Moses, of Bangor in
1797; probably drowned there in 1821; married Sarah
Grant of Eddiugton October 27, 1800; children: 1. Ste-
phen; 2, Jordan.
February' 2(5, 1773, Eunice Spencer mari'ied Ephraim
Wilson, per Lincoln county record.
John Spencer had chopped three acres at Argyle in 1796.
In 1797, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Junior^ Daniel, Junior,
Philip Spencer, and their families lived at Bradley ; some
had been there ten years and all had houses.
December 19, 1797, Abigail Spencer of Belfast married
Henry Lord of Prospect.
Moses, William, Samuel, John, John, Jmtiur, Isaac, and
Benjamin Spencer were soldiers at Coberton plantation
(Orono) in 1798.
244 APPENDIX.
Nancy Spencer of Great Works and Eufus Trafton of
Suukhaze were published September 12, 1809, at Orono.
October 17, 1811, Wealthy Spencer of Goose Pond and
John Lords of Belfast were wed.
Olive Spencer and Josiah Stone were published in Bangor
March 27, 1814.
John Spencer, died in Bangor October 6, 1816 ; children :
1. Sally N.. born May 29, 1802 ; married William Thomas
of Bangor March 30, 1822; 2. Peltiah, born June 17,
1804; married Margaret Brown, published at Bangor
March 13, 1824; Widow Mary Spencer married David
Ring, published at Orono April 14, 1818.
Isaac Spencer, died December 30, 1816, at Eddington,
aged 22.
Rebecca Spencer of Orono married P^ber Ring April 15,
1820.
Robert Spencer and Affie Driukwater were published at
Bangor July 4, 1822.
September 21, 1831; Arabella Spencer of Rowland mar-
ried John Hathorn of Passadumkeag.
August 30, 1844, Charlotte administered on the property
of her deceased husband, Samuel Spencer of Bradley ; the}^
had four children.
February 18, 1851, Elizabeth, widow of John Spencer of
Brewer, asked for the appointment of an administrator.
Ann Spencer married Thomas Inmanof Orono.
Dolly Spencer married Samuel Littlefield of Olamon
(Greenbush).
Nathaniel, Daniel, and John Spencer were brothers.
AIM'KNDIX. 245
GLOSSARY.
accon— account.
Agamenticus — York village.
Asbenbedick — Burleigh's Mills.
Banke — Portsmouth, N. H.
Barwick — Berwick.
blew — blue.
Bonabis — Bouneg Beag (ludiau).
Cayrsey — Kersey.
Cocheco — Dover, N. H.
comons — commons.
cordwainer — shoemaker (French).
Cow Cove — inlet below Lower Landing.
doe — do.
dores — doors.
ff — when initial capital F.
Gillison — Jellison.
Great Works — Burleigh's Mills.
hamacher— hammock (Indian).
Hobb's Hole— Burleigh's Mills.
Inprs — in the first place.
j — i in many cases.
Kittery Commons — Maine lands near Salmon Falls.
Laconia — Southeastern New Hampshire.
lijng— lying.
Little Newichawannock | ^ t ^ir i
> Great Works river.
Little River )
Lysborne — Lisbon.
Magne — Maine.
messuage — house and garden.
Ministry — for the churcli.
Newgewanacke — Newichawannock.
Northam — Dover, N. H.
Newtown — Cambridge, Mass.
Old Fields— Yeaton's Mills.
ordinary — tavern.
246 APPENDIX,
Oyster River — Exeter.
p — 2Jr in many cases.
palisade — fence.
pappoose — child (Indian).
Parish of Unity— Berwick.
Pennacook — Concord, jS". H.
peyre — pair.
Pied Cow — vessel.
Pipestave Landing — Lower Landing.
Piscatique — Piscataqua (Indian) .
Quampheagan — Salmon Falls.
sacliem — chief (Indian).
sagamore — captain (Indian).
sci mfir — skim me r.
Scotland Parish — Northern York.
skellett — frying-pan.
Slut's Corner — Conway Junction.
se — see.
sjjonne — spoon.
stileyard— steelyard.
Strawberry Bank — Portsmouth, N. H.
Sturgeon Creek — Eliot.
sundrie— sundry.
Tattanock — Tatnic (Indian).
Towwoh — Lebanon.
tynn — tin.
u — V in many cases.
uidzt — (vide licet) to wit;
ure — pitcher.
V — u in many cases.
vinter — tavern-keeper.
Wampegon — Quampeagan (Indian).
Warwick — vessel.
Willcox I Cox (pond).
Wm. Cox )
Winnichahannat — Dover, N. H.
APPENDIX. 24'
wodden — wooden.
well — wool.
wras — whereas.
y — til in many cases.
yrabouts — thereabouts.
21y — secondly.
: or / — period.
BIBLIOGRAPOY.
Annals of Portsmouth, Adams.
Butler Genealogy, Butler.
History of Maine, Sullivan.
History of Maine, Williamson.
Life of Capt. John Mason, Prince Society.
New Hampsiiire State j'apers.
Revolutionary Rolls of Massachusetts.
York County Atlas.
Wentworth Genealogy, Wentworth.
The following county records have been reviewed: York, Cum-
berland, and otliers formerly included in York; Rockingham and
Strafford in New Hami^shire; Suft'olk and Plymouth in Massacliu-
setts.
The following town records have been examined: Berwick,
Biddeford, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Lebanon, Saco,
Sanford, South Berwick, Wells, and York in Maine; Dover, New-
ington, Portsmouth, Rochester, Rollinsford, and Somersworth in
New Hampshire.
^Jtes^^^l
ERY,
OCT 02
In. MANCHESTER. INDIANM
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