My favorite cemetery sits at the corner of Congress and Westbrook Streets in Portland, just over the Westbrook line (where Westbrook Street then becomes Stroudwater Street), and near to where I was raised. While I enjoy all old cemeteries, in all their spooky yet tranquil glory, this one has a beautiful amount of tree cover, yet is very friendly and walkable to the public; and, located along the Stroudwater River, and the land's nearly 500 grave sites are still relatively unscarred by vandals. The 1998 Ice Storm and the "Patriot's Day wind storm" in 2007 apparently damaged quite a few of the stones.
I would like to use this post as a way to collect some research, share family and local histories, and create a place online where other researchers and historians can comment and contribute, since I see no evidence of it yet on the Net.
First, a bit of historical timeline about placenames in this vexingly labeled area of Southern Maine, with a bit of additional history regarding how this area grew:
-1658 - The Town of Falmouth is formed, named for Falmouth England. The neighborhood containing this cemetery (later known as Stroudwater Village), located at the spot where the Stroudwater River empties into the larger Fore River, is a part of Falmouth at this point. The first claimant of land arrives from England, named Francis Small, who reportedly purchased land rights from Scitterygusset, a prominent local Sagamore Indian. Small paid the Indian with "one trading coat a year for Capisic, and one gallon of liquor a year for Ammoncongan," (This is Stroudwater p.85). The amount of land is up for debate. Wikipedia claims it was only 200 acres, but This Was Stroudwater claims it was "about two miles" (1280 acres). Small sold his land to George Munjoy a few years later.
-1676 - The area was destroyed by Wampanoag Indians during King Philip's War. At some point around this time, Stroudwater's first settlers, the Ingersoll Family, begin living in the area. They had purchased the land from George Munjoy. According to History of Portland, though, the Ingersolls were living here in 1661. Not sure how they were able to live here while the Indians were destroying the area.
-1690 - French-backed Abenaki tribes swept through Falmouth Neck (later known as intown Portland), and killed all settlers, reducing the area to ash. The Ingersolls of Stroudwater take the hint and move south to Massachusetts proper before the Indians arrive there.
-1718 - Falmouth is incorporated as a town.
-1719 - Colonel Thomas Westbrook, because of his great skill as a frontiersman elsewhere in Massachusetts Colony, was dispatched to "Casko Bay" just before Christmas to attempt to establish peace with the Indians, in order to begin mast production in the area filled with great pines, as such had been success in other areas in New England. It was around this time that King George I enacted a law which forbade anyone from felling any white pine trees without express permit. Such trees were branded with Royal Navy symbols for later felling. This of course didn't always prevent locals from felling trees for their own use.
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| THE BROAD ARROW SYMBOL USED BY BRITISH ROYAL NAVY TO MARK TREES FOR USE BY THE CROWN |
-1727 - Stroudwater Village is formed as a hamlet located within Falmouth, and its name is christened by Colonel Westbrook. It is believed by most historians that the name of the Village (and the river flowing through it) stems from the town of Stroud of Gloucestershire, England. Myrtle Lovejoy, author of This is Stroudwater, believes that Stroud comes directly from the Oxford dictionary definition of "marshy land covered with brushwood". Burials began on this hill, yet no reliable burial records were kept until 1739. The Village gradually becomes an important producer of timber for the production of masts for the ships of the English Royal Navy. Colonel Westbrook and his friend and business associate, Samuel Waldo, are important figures in organizing the Village around this new industry, and the Ingersoll heirs sold them much land for their new lots adjoining the falls, and two active sawmills. The former Ingersoll land (near the future George Tate house) began to be used for the mast business. Westbrook himself purchased the large 1 acre plot of land for the graveyard. Parson Thomas Smith of the First Parish Church assisted Colonel Westbrook in attracting other settlers to the area.
-1734 - The James Forder House is built at what is now 1235 Westbrook Street, and the Isaac Fly house next door to it at 1227 Westbrook Street, which I believe we can today call Portland's oldest standing houses. Both Forder and Fly were important businessmen of Stroudwater who left the area before their death, and are not buried at the Cemetery, but later owners of these homes are (more on them below).
-1743 - Joseph Small of Kittery, grandson to early Stroudwater pioneer Francis Small, arrives in Stroudwater to settle in on or near the land once owned by his grandfather. He got to work quickly, appraising the vast and complicated estate of Colonel Westbrook, who was already dying, with Samuel Waldo ready to move in on his holdings. Waldo sold Small his first lot in Stroudwater on mortgage, which was paid by 10,000 feet of lumber. Small's home was very close to the graveyard, and was later sold to Jesse Partridge (more on him below).
-1744 - Colonel Westbrook died penniless, and most all of his holdings (including the burial ground) were deeded to Samuel Waldo, his former partner, and ultimate enemy at the end. Waldo had successfully sued Westbrook, and had begun stripping him of all his land and money before he died. Westbrook was hoping to be buried on his own land, but was instead buried in Scarborough in secret on the Knight Farm (owned by his sister Mary and her husband Nathan Knight), out of concern that Waldo might hold Westbrook's body hostage in order to pay the remainder of the debts to him, which was custom at the time. It's possible that this might be the reason why Westbrook wasn't buried at Stroudwater Burying Ground as well. A colleague of his, named Zebulon Trickey (wealthy local who was highway surveyor and large owner of land near what is now Maine Mall), also passed that same year, and also in his case many people from the Village swarmed in to collect on debts of the deceased. Colonel Westbrook's debts, according to This Was Stroudwater, were incurred as a result of his investment and passion for developing the mast trade in Falmouth, and to eventually be competitive with Portsmouth's lucrative trade along the Piscataqua River. His vision was realized after his death, and Falmouth's mast trade was booming for another 60 years, until the Embargo Act took hold.
-1755 - The Tate House is built, and today enjoys the distinction of now being one of Portland's oldest standing houses (although the Forder and Fly homes around the corner from it are 20 years older). Its owner, English born George Tate, was a former Royal Navy captain sent to live in the area in order to oversee the burgeoning industry of ship mast building in Stroudwater Village.
-1765 - Since the First Parish of Falmouth was overstretched in covering so much of the large settlement, including Stroudwater, the Fourth Parish of Falmouth ("Stroudwater Parish") was erected at what is now 37 Capisic Street (corner of Frost Street), and Thomas Browne, (a rebellious man whose life is discussed below) was ordained as the first Reverend. The building wasn't large enough to accommodate the growing flock, so it was razed and rebuilt on the same site in 1784. I'm curious if it's the same building that is now the Francis Warde Convent's chapel house:
-1775 - With the Revolution in full swing, the English Royal Navy bombed Falmouth Neck (now Portland), causing many survivors to flee to other areas of Greater Falmouth, including Stroudwater.
-1786 - Mrs. Sarah Waldo, heir to Samuel Waldo, deeds the burial ground to Stroudwater Parish.
-1790 - The first national census occurs, and the Village is featured:
-1794 - Many of the chief townspeople gathered at Jesse Partridge's house to subscribe money for the construction of the first public school in Stroudwater. Such land was donated by Andrew Pepperrell Frost near the northeast side of Fore River, and James Means did the construction. I wonder if the building still stands?
-1795 - Harrow House, the home of the late Colonel Thomas Westbrook, is razed, after many decades of disrepair. After the death of Westbrook, the home was owned and lived in by Enoch Ilsley, and at the end, by Jonathan Fickett, whose son Samuel demolished the house to build his own new house. Harrow House was one of the very first houses built in Stroudwater, and was located near the corner of what is now Garrison and Westbrook Streets.
-1807 - Upon the heels of the Embargo Act, the timber production of Stroudwater came to a standstill, and many in the Village lost their livelihoods and homes. William Tate and James Webb, among them.
-14 Feb 1814 - this area was annexed from the greater settlement of Falmouth, and was named the City of Stroudwater, which at that time also included the boundaries of (a) the towns of Saccarappa and Congin (later modern Westbrook) and (b) the Deering section of current Portland.
-April 1814 - The City of Stroudwater was renamed Westbrook, in honor of Colonel Thomas Westbrook.
-1734 - The James Forder House is built at what is now 1235 Westbrook Street, and the Isaac Fly house next door to it at 1227 Westbrook Street, which I believe we can today call Portland's oldest standing houses. Both Forder and Fly were important businessmen of Stroudwater who left the area before their death, and are not buried at the Cemetery, but later owners of these homes are (more on them below).
-1743 - Joseph Small of Kittery, grandson to early Stroudwater pioneer Francis Small, arrives in Stroudwater to settle in on or near the land once owned by his grandfather. He got to work quickly, appraising the vast and complicated estate of Colonel Westbrook, who was already dying, with Samuel Waldo ready to move in on his holdings. Waldo sold Small his first lot in Stroudwater on mortgage, which was paid by 10,000 feet of lumber. Small's home was very close to the graveyard, and was later sold to Jesse Partridge (more on him below).
-1744 - Colonel Westbrook died penniless, and most all of his holdings (including the burial ground) were deeded to Samuel Waldo, his former partner, and ultimate enemy at the end. Waldo had successfully sued Westbrook, and had begun stripping him of all his land and money before he died. Westbrook was hoping to be buried on his own land, but was instead buried in Scarborough in secret on the Knight Farm (owned by his sister Mary and her husband Nathan Knight), out of concern that Waldo might hold Westbrook's body hostage in order to pay the remainder of the debts to him, which was custom at the time. It's possible that this might be the reason why Westbrook wasn't buried at Stroudwater Burying Ground as well. A colleague of his, named Zebulon Trickey (wealthy local who was highway surveyor and large owner of land near what is now Maine Mall), also passed that same year, and also in his case many people from the Village swarmed in to collect on debts of the deceased. Colonel Westbrook's debts, according to This Was Stroudwater, were incurred as a result of his investment and passion for developing the mast trade in Falmouth, and to eventually be competitive with Portsmouth's lucrative trade along the Piscataqua River. His vision was realized after his death, and Falmouth's mast trade was booming for another 60 years, until the Embargo Act took hold.
-1755 - The Tate House is built, and today enjoys the distinction of now being one of Portland's oldest standing houses (although the Forder and Fly homes around the corner from it are 20 years older). Its owner, English born George Tate, was a former Royal Navy captain sent to live in the area in order to oversee the burgeoning industry of ship mast building in Stroudwater Village.
-1765 - Since the First Parish of Falmouth was overstretched in covering so much of the large settlement, including Stroudwater, the Fourth Parish of Falmouth ("Stroudwater Parish") was erected at what is now 37 Capisic Street (corner of Frost Street), and Thomas Browne, (a rebellious man whose life is discussed below) was ordained as the first Reverend. The building wasn't large enough to accommodate the growing flock, so it was razed and rebuilt on the same site in 1784. I'm curious if it's the same building that is now the Francis Warde Convent's chapel house:
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| FRANCIS WARDE CONVENT 37 CAPISIC STREET CHAPEL TO THE LEFT (POSSIBLY OLD STROUDWATER PARISH) |
-1775 - With the Revolution in full swing, the English Royal Navy bombed Falmouth Neck (now Portland), causing many survivors to flee to other areas of Greater Falmouth, including Stroudwater.
-1786 - Mrs. Sarah Waldo, heir to Samuel Waldo, deeds the burial ground to Stroudwater Parish.
-1790 - The first national census occurs, and the Village is featured:
-1794 - Many of the chief townspeople gathered at Jesse Partridge's house to subscribe money for the construction of the first public school in Stroudwater. Such land was donated by Andrew Pepperrell Frost near the northeast side of Fore River, and James Means did the construction. I wonder if the building still stands?
-1795 - Harrow House, the home of the late Colonel Thomas Westbrook, is razed, after many decades of disrepair. After the death of Westbrook, the home was owned and lived in by Enoch Ilsley, and at the end, by Jonathan Fickett, whose son Samuel demolished the house to build his own new house. Harrow House was one of the very first houses built in Stroudwater, and was located near the corner of what is now Garrison and Westbrook Streets.
-1807 - Upon the heels of the Embargo Act, the timber production of Stroudwater came to a standstill, and many in the Village lost their livelihoods and homes. William Tate and James Webb, among them.
-14 Feb 1814 - this area was annexed from the greater settlement of Falmouth, and was named the City of Stroudwater, which at that time also included the boundaries of (a) the towns of Saccarappa and Congin (later modern Westbrook) and (b) the Deering section of current Portland.
-April 1814 - The City of Stroudwater was renamed Westbrook, in honor of Colonel Thomas Westbrook.
-1820 - Maine is annexed from Massachusetts and becomes its own state, as a result of the Missouri Compromise.
-1871 - Westbrook was split into two towns, Westbrook and Deering. Stroudwater Burying Ground was located in Town of Deering, but just under a quarter mile away from the Westbrook border.
-1898 - The Town of Deering (which contains the cemetery) was annexed into today's Portland.
-1931 - The first flight took place at Stroudwater Field (now Portland International Jetport), a half mile from the cemetery. The installation and expansion of the Airport resulted in the destruction of many dozens of historical homes.
-1973 - The Stroudwater District was added to the Register of Historic Places.
While some of the old Stroudwater families are buried in their homes' backyards (as was the custom of the time) many of the families listed above are buried at Stroudwater Burying Ground, and the below is a modest history of a few of them (some photo credit goes to IHRP & Family, aka Stone Finders):
Captain Jesse Partridge (1742-1795)
Jesse Partridge was born in Holliston, Massachusetts to Preserved Partridge and Katherine Strong of Holliston. His 2nd great grandfather John Partridge was an early settler of Jamestowne Colony.
At some point in the early 1750's young Jesse (along with his parents and his ten siblings) moved to the Gorham area (then part of Falmouth).
By 1765, they were living in Capisic, but Preserved was evicted for being a squatter.
In 1767, Jesse Partridge, now holding land in Stroudwater, held offices of lumber surveyor, fire ward, and hog reeve.
In 1778, Captain Partridge led a voluntary militia comprised of fifty Falmouth men. Together they marched the 250 miles to join Colonel John Greaton's 3rd Massachusetts Regiment stationed on the Hudson River.
In 1786, after having returned from fighting in the Revolutionary War, Jesse built his home next to his existing home (Joseph Small House). The remainder of his siblings still remained in Gorham. According to the 1790 Census, he appears to have had one son and two daughters, but I'm unable at this point to find out more about them.
Jesse worked in timber, particularly for the masts built for Royal Navy ships, and was a contemporary of English born George Tate, also spending time working as a shopkeeper in Tate's store, which he managed at the end of his years. He bought land from Joseph Small (who relocated to Gray afterwards), and built his house which is adjacent to the cemetery, and the house is still standing today and in great condition, and cared for by folks who enjoy the history of this house and the cemetery next door. The house itself has four bedrooms, two full baths and one half bath, an unusually large living room, dining room, office and a sitting room. Historic features include Indian shutters, wide pine floors, original pine molding, six fireplaces (and a bread oven) off one center chimney, and two fireplaces off the ell chimney. Tradition has it that 26,000 bricks were used for the grand chimney:
Jesse was ill for a few years before passing on in 1795. He and his family are buried at Stroudwater. When Jesse died, his wife Rebecca married recently widowed (with a windfall from the Dole estate from across the road) Andrew Titcomb, and Andrew then moved into the Partridge House). When Andrew's father passed a couple years later, he inherited his father's estate. Then, when Rebecca passed in 1808, Andrew inherited the Partridge House, making Andrew Titcomb one of the town elites.
Moses Quinby moved into the Partridge home around 1810 and married Andrew's daughter Anne Titcomb. Moses' daughter Almira Quinby (1828-1909) and Anne's niece Louisa Titcomb (1823-1905) inhabited the house during the Civil War, during which they worked as nurses. The Titcombs held the house until 1930. The Jesse Partridge House was the home of many prominent and pioneering Stroudwater residents for over 150 years.
Rhoda Partridge (1755-1834)
Jesse's sister Rhoda was the only child of Preserved Partridge to die unmarried. She was once betrothed to Daniel Dole, Jr., but Daniel married Rhoda's niece Katherine instead, which caused quite a stir in the community. Rhoda persevered through the family drama, and became the first female schoolteacher in the area, buying up the lot previously owned by William Maxfield, Jr., and building her own house in 1805 by the bridge over Stroudwater River (near where the current house at 1789 Congress Street is located). After she died, the house was moved in 1839 to its current location at 1747 Congress Street, right around the corner from the graveyard. The act of moving this house took many days, involved oxen and rolling on logs, and, it's believed, a fair share of rum consumed along the way.
Daniel Dole (1716-1803)
Capt. Daniel Dole, originally from Newbury, Mass, was born to William Dole Jr. and Rebecca Pearson of Newbury. William's grandfather Richard Dole was one of the first settlers of Newbury.
Dole purchased around 1770 an aggregated 218 acres of Stroudwater Village (the largest landowner at one point) from Joseph Small and from Francis and Samuel Waldo, Jr., son to the ruthless Samuel Waldo. Dole started a family farm there on Westbrook Street, across the street from the Jesse Partridge House and the Joseph Small House, and based on comments on a history of this house, it is believed that the house was already built when Dole acquired the land. He left after five years, to fight in the Revolution, and upon his return he became an important figure in Stroudwater, being elected Selectman for eight years, and also Treasurer of Stroudwater Parish.
In 1784, upon the death of Daniel's wife Sarah, the house went to wealthy Andrew Titcomb, who had married their daughter Mary. When Mary died in 1796, Andrew immediately married neighbor Rebecca Bailey-Partridge (whose husband, Captain Jesse, had died the prior year), and he moved across the street to live in the Partridge house, making Andrew one of the wealthiest property owners in Stroudwater. Old Daniel was alive through all this, and finally passed in the Spring of 1803, leaving the house to Daniel Jr., who left it to Daniel III, who sold the house away from the family in the 1890s.
Many of the Doles passed on from consumption, but Daniel's son Moses, a young silversmith, died of hypothermia from swimming in the river when it was too cold.
Dole's house was, at its construction, the largest in Falmouth Neck, and is still standing today as one of Portland's oldest buildings. Daniel was town Selectman for three years. He and his wife Sarah, along with their many descendants, are also buried here. There are 14 members of the Dole family buried here at Stroudwater Burying Ground.
SOURCE: New England Family History, Henry Cole Quinby 1894
The Doles owned a slave (then known as a bondman) named London, who died in 1812, and no record of his burial is kept here, but he is likely buried here too.
Daniel's son, Daniel Dole, Jr. and his young wife Katherine Partridge are also buried in the Dole lot. As mentioned above, Katherine's aunt, schoolteacher Rhoda Partridge (Jesse's sister), was previously engaged to Daniel Jr., at one time, but was a bit older than him. Apparently there was some drama surrounding Daniel's change of mind in choice of bride, according to Tate House Museum. Daniel Jr. died ten years into his marriage of an accident, leaving Katherine a young widow.
Captain George Tate (1700-1794)
George Tate was born in England, and senior mast agent for King George III as to the province of Maine, and his home below is a national landmark, and one of the oldest houses in Portland.
George was forever an Anglican, and didn't attend services at the Stroudwater Congregational Church.
Upon the death of Colonel Thomas Westbrook in 1744, and the subsequent loss of organization of the mast trade in Stroudwater for the King, Samuel Waldo (who had absorbed most of Westbrook's estate) was too busy with other matters while living in Boston to hire a new mast agent. Many living in Stroudwater took it upon themselves to continue mast trade through Waldo without any oversight, which fell under London's radar. This was the reason for Tate having been dispatched to Stroudwater by 1750, a full six years after Westbrook's death.
Soon after arriving in Stroudwater, Tate's wealth grew, and in 1755 he built his own home in Georgian style with prime view of the marshland and the mastyard from the front, and the river from the back. His house is still standing, is registered in the National Registry of Historic Places, and has been used for museum and historical purposes since 1931.
He soon opened up a storehouse on the riverfront, not far from where the Stroudwater Baptist Church sits today. Tate and his family ran the store until 1785, when neighbors James Means and John Kilby purchased it, and continued the business.
-1871 - Westbrook was split into two towns, Westbrook and Deering. Stroudwater Burying Ground was located in Town of Deering, but just under a quarter mile away from the Westbrook border.
-1898 - The Town of Deering (which contains the cemetery) was annexed into today's Portland.
-1931 - The first flight took place at Stroudwater Field (now Portland International Jetport), a half mile from the cemetery. The installation and expansion of the Airport resulted in the destruction of many dozens of historical homes.
-1973 - The Stroudwater District was added to the Register of Historic Places.
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| AERIAL VIEW STROUDWATER BURYING GROUND AND ENVIRONS |
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| PHOTO CREDIT: LEONARD BOND CHAPMAN (CA. 1900) |
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| SAME VIEW AS ABOVE FROM GOOGLE EARTH (2020) |
While some of the old Stroudwater families are buried in their homes' backyards (as was the custom of the time) many of the families listed above are buried at Stroudwater Burying Ground, and the below is a modest history of a few of them (some photo credit goes to IHRP & Family, aka Stone Finders):
Captain Jesse Partridge (1742-1795)
Jesse Partridge was born in Holliston, Massachusetts to Preserved Partridge and Katherine Strong of Holliston. His 2nd great grandfather John Partridge was an early settler of Jamestowne Colony.
At some point in the early 1750's young Jesse (along with his parents and his ten siblings) moved to the Gorham area (then part of Falmouth).
By 1765, they were living in Capisic, but Preserved was evicted for being a squatter.
In 1767, Jesse Partridge, now holding land in Stroudwater, held offices of lumber surveyor, fire ward, and hog reeve.
In 1778, Captain Partridge led a voluntary militia comprised of fifty Falmouth men. Together they marched the 250 miles to join Colonel John Greaton's 3rd Massachusetts Regiment stationed on the Hudson River.
In 1786, after having returned from fighting in the Revolutionary War, Jesse built his home next to his existing home (Joseph Small House). The remainder of his siblings still remained in Gorham. According to the 1790 Census, he appears to have had one son and two daughters, but I'm unable at this point to find out more about them.
Jesse worked in timber, particularly for the masts built for Royal Navy ships, and was a contemporary of English born George Tate, also spending time working as a shopkeeper in Tate's store, which he managed at the end of his years. He bought land from Joseph Small (who relocated to Gray afterwards), and built his house which is adjacent to the cemetery, and the house is still standing today and in great condition, and cared for by folks who enjoy the history of this house and the cemetery next door. The house itself has four bedrooms, two full baths and one half bath, an unusually large living room, dining room, office and a sitting room. Historic features include Indian shutters, wide pine floors, original pine molding, six fireplaces (and a bread oven) off one center chimney, and two fireplaces off the ell chimney. Tradition has it that 26,000 bricks were used for the grand chimney:
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| JESSE PARTRIDGE HOUSE 1346 WESTBROOK STREET BUILT 1786 |
Moses Quinby moved into the Partridge home around 1810 and married Andrew's daughter Anne Titcomb. Moses' daughter Almira Quinby (1828-1909) and Anne's niece Louisa Titcomb (1823-1905) inhabited the house during the Civil War, during which they worked as nurses. The Titcombs held the house until 1930. The Jesse Partridge House was the home of many prominent and pioneering Stroudwater residents for over 150 years.
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| GRAVE OF JESSE PARTRIDGE |
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| GRAVE OF REBECCA BAILEY WIFE TO JESSE PARTRIDGE AND ALSO ANDREW TITCOMB |
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| ANDREW TITCOMB 1753-1818 |
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| GRAVE OF ANNE CONANT-PARTRIDGE SISTER-IN-LAW OF JESSE PARTRIDGE (HER DAUGHTER, KATHERINE PARTRIDGE-DOLE, MARRIED DANIEL DOLE JR. SEEN BELOW) |
Jesse's sister Rhoda was the only child of Preserved Partridge to die unmarried. She was once betrothed to Daniel Dole, Jr., but Daniel married Rhoda's niece Katherine instead, which caused quite a stir in the community. Rhoda persevered through the family drama, and became the first female schoolteacher in the area, buying up the lot previously owned by William Maxfield, Jr., and building her own house in 1805 by the bridge over Stroudwater River (near where the current house at 1789 Congress Street is located). After she died, the house was moved in 1839 to its current location at 1747 Congress Street, right around the corner from the graveyard. The act of moving this house took many days, involved oxen and rolling on logs, and, it's believed, a fair share of rum consumed along the way.
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| RHODA PARTRIDGE HOUSE 1747 CONGRESS STREET BUILT 1805 |
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| GRAVE OF RHODA PARTRIDGE SISTER OF JESSE PARTRIDGE (once betrothed to Daniel Dole, Jr., who married her young niece Katherine instead). This is an excellent example of the Bartlett Adams style. The stone was most likely carved by Joseph R. Thompson, one of Bartlett’s successors after he passed in 1828. Thompson took over Bartlett’s shop with business partner Francis Ilsley when Bartlett died in 1828. Ilsley left stone cutting after a few years (probably around 1833) but Thompson was a prolific stone cutter who worked stone until the 1860’s. |
Daniel Dole (1716-1803)
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| DANIEL DOLE HOUSE 1365 WESTBROOK STREET BUILT AROUND 1765 |
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| CAPTAIN DANIEL DOLE |
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| DANIEL'S WIFE SARAH PEARSON-DOLE Daughter to Moses Pearson (Town Selectman of Stroudwater) |
Capt. Daniel Dole, originally from Newbury, Mass, was born to William Dole Jr. and Rebecca Pearson of Newbury. William's grandfather Richard Dole was one of the first settlers of Newbury.
Dole purchased around 1770 an aggregated 218 acres of Stroudwater Village (the largest landowner at one point) from Joseph Small and from Francis and Samuel Waldo, Jr., son to the ruthless Samuel Waldo. Dole started a family farm there on Westbrook Street, across the street from the Jesse Partridge House and the Joseph Small House, and based on comments on a history of this house, it is believed that the house was already built when Dole acquired the land. He left after five years, to fight in the Revolution, and upon his return he became an important figure in Stroudwater, being elected Selectman for eight years, and also Treasurer of Stroudwater Parish.
In 1784, upon the death of Daniel's wife Sarah, the house went to wealthy Andrew Titcomb, who had married their daughter Mary. When Mary died in 1796, Andrew immediately married neighbor Rebecca Bailey-Partridge (whose husband, Captain Jesse, had died the prior year), and he moved across the street to live in the Partridge house, making Andrew one of the wealthiest property owners in Stroudwater. Old Daniel was alive through all this, and finally passed in the Spring of 1803, leaving the house to Daniel Jr., who left it to Daniel III, who sold the house away from the family in the 1890s.
Many of the Doles passed on from consumption, but Daniel's son Moses, a young silversmith, died of hypothermia from swimming in the river when it was too cold.
Dole's house was, at its construction, the largest in Falmouth Neck, and is still standing today as one of Portland's oldest buildings. Daniel was town Selectman for three years. He and his wife Sarah, along with their many descendants, are also buried here. There are 14 members of the Dole family buried here at Stroudwater Burying Ground.
SOURCE: New England Family History, Henry Cole Quinby 1894
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| DANIEL DOLE, JR. |
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GRAVE OF KATHARINE PARTRIDGE-DOLE
NIECE OF JESSE and RHODA PARTRIDGE
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Daniel's son, Daniel Dole, Jr. and his young wife Katherine Partridge are also buried in the Dole lot. As mentioned above, Katherine's aunt, schoolteacher Rhoda Partridge (Jesse's sister), was previously engaged to Daniel Jr., at one time, but was a bit older than him. Apparently there was some drama surrounding Daniel's change of mind in choice of bride, according to Tate House Museum. Daniel Jr. died ten years into his marriage of an accident, leaving Katherine a young widow.
George Tate was born in England, and senior mast agent for King George III as to the province of Maine, and his home below is a national landmark, and one of the oldest houses in Portland.
George was forever an Anglican, and didn't attend services at the Stroudwater Congregational Church.
Upon the death of Colonel Thomas Westbrook in 1744, and the subsequent loss of organization of the mast trade in Stroudwater for the King, Samuel Waldo (who had absorbed most of Westbrook's estate) was too busy with other matters while living in Boston to hire a new mast agent. Many living in Stroudwater took it upon themselves to continue mast trade through Waldo without any oversight, which fell under London's radar. This was the reason for Tate having been dispatched to Stroudwater by 1750, a full six years after Westbrook's death.
Soon after arriving in Stroudwater, Tate's wealth grew, and in 1755 he built his own home in Georgian style with prime view of the marshland and the mastyard from the front, and the river from the back. His house is still standing, is registered in the National Registry of Historic Places, and has been used for museum and historical purposes since 1931.
He soon opened up a storehouse on the riverfront, not far from where the Stroudwater Baptist Church sits today. Tate and his family ran the store until 1785, when neighbors James Means and John Kilby purchased it, and continued the business.
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| HOUSE OF GEORGE TATE "THE TATE HOUSE" 1270 WESTBROOK STREET |
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| GRAVE OF CAPTAIN GEORGE TATE and WIFE MARY |
In late September 1770, George's wife Mary was killed by a shotgun booby trap in their storehouse, which had been set up by her son William in order to catch thieves. William was convicted of her murder but was later pardoned by King George III. William absconded to England to avoid creditors after his father died. He is buried in England, and his brother George is buried in Russia, after serving in the Russian Royal Navy for many years, and who was a point of pride to the family. Samuel's first wife Elizabeth is also buried at Stroudwater.
George's son, Captain Robert Tate (1751-1804), his wife Martha (1751-1822), and daughter Catherine are buried at Stroudwater. Robert died in Berbice, Guyana. It's quite possible that his stone is only an "in memoriam" stone (cenotaph), since Tate House Museum states that Robert was buried in Guyana.
There are an additional 11 known Tate gravesites, but it's not clear to me yet what their relation is to Captain George, including one Eleanor Tate (1710-1770). The rest are of younger generations.
Capt. John Quinby (1758-1806)
John Quinby was a young soldier in the Revolution and later a church treasurer. He practiced Puritanism (although his son Moses was more liberal). He grew up in Portland near the waterfront, having been well educated in private schooling. His family was forced to move to Gorham after the Mowatt bombing of 1775. In 1782, he married Eunice Freeman, a descendant of Mayflower pilgrim William Brewster, and had six children. In 1783, he purchased the land adjacent to, and to the south of, Capt. George Tate, and such land was purchased from the Estate of Francis Waldo (now a Tory deserter after the Revolution). He went in on the land buy with Archelaus Lewis, and together they subdivided, with Quinby taking the lot just south of the Tate House, and Lewis taking the lot just south of Quinby's lot. Also involved in the land buy and subdivision were Benjamin Gayley, Reverend Thomas Browne and Jabez Jones, and each of these three sold to speculation and didn't build upon them. John's parents, Joseph and Mary Quinby, joined John in Stroudwater.
Quinby and Lewis built houses nearly identical to each other (This Was Stroudwater, p. 132). While Lewis' house remains, Quinby's house was eventually moved to the corner of State Street and Pine Street in the West End, and was later razed and replaced. See before and after of Pine/State Streets, showing the Quinby house in the before:
In addition to running a sawmill in his backyard, Quinby also built and owned many tradeships, and was one of many such privateers who used their ships to trade with (among others) the English and the French, two of which were taken by the French during their own revolution (This Was Stroudwater p. 138), and one of them manned by his own nephew, Thomas Seal.
From 1785 until 1804, Quinby was Treasurer at 4th Parish of Falmouth (Stroudwater).
In 1790, Capt. Quinby suffered a great loss. His wife died in early September (possibly during childbirth), his young son George drowned in late September, and his infant son died in December. He never remarried, and it's presumed that his four surviving children were raised by housekeepers.
In 1802, Quinby was one of the incorporators of the Fore River Bridge just down the street. During that same year, he suffered additional tragedies: his son Thomas died of sickness on a ship commandeered by Robert Tate (son to Capt. George) in Haiti, Captain Robert died 18 months later of a tropical disease in Guyana. John himself contracted consumption (like so many others). Captain John died four years later, at age 48.
George's son, Captain Robert Tate (1751-1804), his wife Martha (1751-1822), and daughter Catherine are buried at Stroudwater. Robert died in Berbice, Guyana. It's quite possible that his stone is only an "in memoriam" stone (cenotaph), since Tate House Museum states that Robert was buried in Guyana.
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| GRAVES OF CAPT. ROBERT TATE, WIFE MARTHA AND DAUGHTER CATHERINE |
There are an additional 11 known Tate gravesites, but it's not clear to me yet what their relation is to Captain George, including one Eleanor Tate (1710-1770). The rest are of younger generations.
Capt. John Quinby (1758-1806)
John Quinby was a young soldier in the Revolution and later a church treasurer. He practiced Puritanism (although his son Moses was more liberal). He grew up in Portland near the waterfront, having been well educated in private schooling. His family was forced to move to Gorham after the Mowatt bombing of 1775. In 1782, he married Eunice Freeman, a descendant of Mayflower pilgrim William Brewster, and had six children. In 1783, he purchased the land adjacent to, and to the south of, Capt. George Tate, and such land was purchased from the Estate of Francis Waldo (now a Tory deserter after the Revolution). He went in on the land buy with Archelaus Lewis, and together they subdivided, with Quinby taking the lot just south of the Tate House, and Lewis taking the lot just south of Quinby's lot. Also involved in the land buy and subdivision were Benjamin Gayley, Reverend Thomas Browne and Jabez Jones, and each of these three sold to speculation and didn't build upon them. John's parents, Joseph and Mary Quinby, joined John in Stroudwater.
Quinby and Lewis built houses nearly identical to each other (This Was Stroudwater, p. 132). While Lewis' house remains, Quinby's house was eventually moved to the corner of State Street and Pine Street in the West End, and was later razed and replaced. See before and after of Pine/State Streets, showing the Quinby house in the before:
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| HOME OF JOHN QUINBY CIRCA 1900 ORIGINALLY NEXT TO THE TATE HOUSE MOVED HERE TO STATE AND PINE STREETS IN 1826 COURTESY OF THIS WAS STROUDWATER |
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| QUINBY HOUSE REMOVED REPLACED WITH OFFICE BUILDING IN 1920 NOW 188 STATE STREET |
In addition to running a sawmill in his backyard, Quinby also built and owned many tradeships, and was one of many such privateers who used their ships to trade with (among others) the English and the French, two of which were taken by the French during their own revolution (This Was Stroudwater p. 138), and one of them manned by his own nephew, Thomas Seal.
From 1785 until 1804, Quinby was Treasurer at 4th Parish of Falmouth (Stroudwater).
In 1790, Capt. Quinby suffered a great loss. His wife died in early September (possibly during childbirth), his young son George drowned in late September, and his infant son died in December. He never remarried, and it's presumed that his four surviving children were raised by housekeepers.
In 1802, Quinby was one of the incorporators of the Fore River Bridge just down the street. During that same year, he suffered additional tragedies: his son Thomas died of sickness on a ship commandeered by Robert Tate (son to Capt. George) in Haiti, Captain Robert died 18 months later of a tropical disease in Guyana. John himself contracted consumption (like so many others). Captain John died four years later, at age 48.
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| CAPTAIN JOHN QUINBY (STONE WORK BY BARTLETT ADAMS) |
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| EUNICE FREEMAN-QUINBY (1761-1790) (STONE CARVED BY JOHN HOMER'S SHOP OF BOSTON) NOTE: THE WINGED SKULL DESIGN HAD FALLEN OUT OF FAVOR BY MID 1700s SO THIS STONE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN PREMADE WITH BLANK AREA FOR LATER INSCRIPTION |
Thanks to John's son, Moses (1786-1857), many of the Captain's records are intact, and thus gave early historians the ability to retain much of Stroudwater's history.
The son of Moses (and his wife, Anna Titcomb - daughter to Andrew Titcomb) was Thomas Quinby, a Portland attorney and civil engineer. While Thomas and his wife (Jane Brewer - daughter to Captain Dexter Brewer) relocated to Saco, they are both also buried here at Stroudwater:
Captain James Means (1753-1832)
James Means was Captain in Washington's army, serving at Valley Forge and Bunker Hill. Upon moving to Stroudwater after the War, he worked as a shopkeeper in George Tate's store, taking over from Jesse Partridge around 1786, just after marrying Mary Cox. James and Mary lived above the store for a time, and James bought Tate's business in 1785, running the store, while living upstairs until he had the 'means' to build his own home across the street from Tate.
The Means House was built in 1797 (just a few years after George Tate died) on the triangle of land that was the former site of Colonel Westbrook's mast yard. According to Tate House Museum, the Tate and Quinby families were not happy about this new house being built, because it ruined their view of the river and bridge in front of their houses. They had wanted to keep this land going as a village green. When James died (a year after his wife Mary), the house went to James' daughter, also named Mary. When Mary passed, the house went to Mary's sister Sophie Means-Mason. Sophie's son Frank sold the house out of the family in the 1900s.
It still stands today and is the home of the offices of the Tate House Museum.
Andrew Hawes (1836-1928)
As mentioned above, Captain John Quinby, early shipbuilder and settler of Stroudwater, kept many records of his business dealings, and thanks to his son Moses, such records were kept intact and used as early source material for later research. Such research and commentary was spearheaded by Moses' grandson, Andrew Hawes, who is also buried at Stroudwater. We have Hawes to thank for much of what is available to us researchers.
Upon death of Martin Hawes, Mary Ann and her son Andrew moved into the Jesse Partridge House profiled earlier.
William Slemons (1866-1930)
Slemons (born to farmer George and Lydia Slemons, of Spring Street Westbrook - who are also buried at Stroudwater) was a carpenter in Stroudwater. While he lived on County Road in Westbrook/Scarborough at the end of his life, he lived in Stroudwater during his prime.
His grandfather, named William Slemons, Jr. (1753-1834), was business manager for the Means and other families, and charged $1 per day. He also sold hay and land to various members of Stroudwater. According to the Means of Maine, he handled the real property transfers of the Means house and possibly others, William lived on what is now known as 17 Garrison Street in Stroudwater.
Dr. Jeremiah Barker (1752-1835)
Dr. Barker, of Barnstable Massachusetts, was a descendant of Mayflower passenger John Howland. He fought in the Revolution, where he served as a surgeon. Afterwards, he relocated to Gorham by 1780 (becoming the Town's second Town Doctor), but relocated to Stroudwater Village by 1790, and returned to Gorham by the 1830s, having sold his business to competitor Jacob Hunt. (p. 96, A History of Gorham, published 1862, Foster & Cushing).
He was a noted research physician and authored the book "Account of Febrile Diseases, as they have appeared in County of Cumberland, District of Maine," published in 1802, and other medical publications (according to p. 93 of Bibliography of the State of Maine, from the Earliest Period to 1891, Volume 1 published 1896, The Thurston Print).
According to Worth Point:
Reverend Thomas Browne (1733-1797)
Reverend Browne's life was colored by rebellion and scandal. Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts (the son of Reverend John Brown and Joanna Cotton), he attended Harvard, where he was routinely in trouble for skipping church on the Sabbath, stealing bottles of wine and for singing along to lewd lyrics over hymns in church, along with his buddy Langdon (a man after my own heart). His actions didn't cause his expulsion (to the dismay of some in the church), but he did lose his scholarship, and it took him some time to regain his reputation. Once he turned 26, he was forming the First Church of Marshfield, Mass., which was a hotbed for Loyalists at the time. It's unclear if he was considered to be one of them, but the Tate House Museum states that his thesis for his Master's degree at Harvard argued that frequent war did more to promote public safety than frequent peace. During his work at the Church, he succeeded in relaxing a law requiring church membership candidates declare a public reason for their conversion (perhaps due to his own wild youth). A few years later, in 1763, he again was under public scrutiny when the Church investigated his morals (it's not stated what he supposedly did). Browne was so disgusted by the inquiries he left the Church, and in that same year married Lydia Howard of Duxbury.
In 1764, he was invited to preach at Falmouth. Apparently he was ill received by his fellow clergymen Smith and Deane from the 1st Parish in Falmouth (now Gorham) as he was "first refused shelter on a bitter winter night and given inadequate supper and breakfast of pea porridge and johnnycake without butter".
In 1765, Browne was officially called to the new 4th Parish of Falmouth (located on Capisic Street), which was founded as a house of worship for 13 ousted members of the 1st Parish (likely all rebels in one way or other, just like Browne). His installation to this new church was seen unfavorably by Smith and Deane, and their flock, and none of them showed for Browne's installation.
Even after his installation to the 4th Parish, ill will followed Browne. He leased the Samuel Waldo home in Cape Elizabeth and commuted to work, and refused to pay taxes in Cape Elizabeth, which caused the Town of Cape Elizabeth to petition the Mass General Court in 1771 for his taxability. This caused some kind of consternation amongst the people, but apparently that all died down, since he served as head clergy at the Stroudwater Parish for 32 years until his death at age 64, and his clergy meetings were usually held at his second home in Woodfords. Browne was succeeded by Dr. Caleb Bradley.
During his tenure at Stroudwater, Browne always told new ordained ministers that the church had no control over them.
The original 4th Parish building from 1764 was a simple one story church, 40'x30', with no pews, only simple benches. They expanded in 1784 to accommodate a growing flock. It contained two stories and two rows of windows, and a high vestibule. Perhaps the chapel building below is the old Parish?
Thomas and Lydia Browne had eight children, who each 'married well'. Their eldest daughter, Abigail (nicknamed "Nabby"), married the wealthy Hugh McLellan, shipping magnate and first owner of the historically preserved McLellan Sweat House on High Street in Portland, now home to Portland Museum of Art.
Their 2nd daughter Elizabeth Lewis is their only child buried at Stroudwater.
Elizabeth was one of three wives of Archelaus Lewis, more on him below...
Lieutenant Archelaus Lewis (1753-1834)
Polly Porterfield (1780-1854)
Polly was an old spinster who lived on the corner of Westbrook Street and Congress Street. She and her sister Peggy ran a gift shop called "West India Company". According to Tate House Museum, Polly would offer neighborhood boys some peppermint sticks if they would pick up twigs in her yard and bring them to her. She was locally famous, according to This is Stroudwater. She was the daughter of William Porterfield, Jr., who himself was an early Stroudwater resident and son to William Porterfield and Mary Jamieson, early Scotch-Irish immigrants to Casco Bay.
Isaac Lobdell (1714-1802)
The son of Moses (and his wife, Anna Titcomb - daughter to Andrew Titcomb) was Thomas Quinby, a Portland attorney and civil engineer. While Thomas and his wife (Jane Brewer - daughter to Captain Dexter Brewer) relocated to Saco, they are both also buried here at Stroudwater:
Captain James Means (1753-1832)
James Means was Captain in Washington's army, serving at Valley Forge and Bunker Hill. Upon moving to Stroudwater after the War, he worked as a shopkeeper in George Tate's store, taking over from Jesse Partridge around 1786, just after marrying Mary Cox. James and Mary lived above the store for a time, and James bought Tate's business in 1785, running the store, while living upstairs until he had the 'means' to build his own home across the street from Tate.
The Means House was built in 1797 (just a few years after George Tate died) on the triangle of land that was the former site of Colonel Westbrook's mast yard. According to Tate House Museum, the Tate and Quinby families were not happy about this new house being built, because it ruined their view of the river and bridge in front of their houses. They had wanted to keep this land going as a village green. When James died (a year after his wife Mary), the house went to James' daughter, also named Mary. When Mary passed, the house went to Mary's sister Sophie Means-Mason. Sophie's son Frank sold the house out of the family in the 1900s.
It still stands today and is the home of the offices of the Tate House Museum.
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| PAINTING OF BACK OF MEANS HOUSE FRONT OF TATE HOUSE VISIBLE IN THE BACKGROUND |
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| JAMES MEANS HOUSE 1267 WESTBROOK STREET 2014 |
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| GRAVE OF JAMES MEANS, ESQ. |
Andrew Hawes (1836-1928)
As mentioned above, Captain John Quinby, early shipbuilder and settler of Stroudwater, kept many records of his business dealings, and thanks to his son Moses, such records were kept intact and used as early source material for later research. Such research and commentary was spearheaded by Moses' grandson, Andrew Hawes, who is also buried at Stroudwater. We have Hawes to thank for much of what is available to us researchers.
Upon death of Martin Hawes, Mary Ann and her son Andrew moved into the Jesse Partridge House profiled earlier.
William Slemons (1866-1930)
Slemons (born to farmer George and Lydia Slemons, of Spring Street Westbrook - who are also buried at Stroudwater) was a carpenter in Stroudwater. While he lived on County Road in Westbrook/Scarborough at the end of his life, he lived in Stroudwater during his prime.
His grandfather, named William Slemons, Jr. (1753-1834), was business manager for the Means and other families, and charged $1 per day. He also sold hay and land to various members of Stroudwater. According to the Means of Maine, he handled the real property transfers of the Means house and possibly others, William lived on what is now known as 17 Garrison Street in Stroudwater.
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| WILLIAM SLEMONS HOUSE |
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| WILLIAM SLEMONS |
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| GEORGE & LYDIA SLEMONS |
Dr. Jeremiah Barker (1752-1835)
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| HOME OF DR. JEREMIAH BARKER (LATER OF JACOB HUNT) |
Dr. Barker, of Barnstable Massachusetts, was a descendant of Mayflower passenger John Howland. He fought in the Revolution, where he served as a surgeon. Afterwards, he relocated to Gorham by 1780 (becoming the Town's second Town Doctor), but relocated to Stroudwater Village by 1790, and returned to Gorham by the 1830s, having sold his business to competitor Jacob Hunt. (p. 96, A History of Gorham, published 1862, Foster & Cushing).
He was a noted research physician and authored the book "Account of Febrile Diseases, as they have appeared in County of Cumberland, District of Maine," published in 1802, and other medical publications (according to p. 93 of Bibliography of the State of Maine, from the Earliest Period to 1891, Volume 1 published 1896, The Thurston Print).
According to Worth Point:
"Dr. Barker's chief service to medical history consists in a large number of interesting accounts of epidemics of scarlatina, malignant fever, measles and putrid sore throat occurring in Maine between 1790 and 1810. He also published meteorological sketches of great value to the historian. At one time he planned a history of epidemics in Maine, and strove to interest his fellow physicians in his scheme, but no printed material or even manuscript remains to prove that his work was ever given to the public. He was one of the famous "sixty-niners" of the year 1818, with which title he goes down into Maine liquor law history, meaning that he was one of the sixty-nine persons who attended in the Friends' Chapel in Portland the first temperance meeting ever held in Maine, the purpose of which was to prohibit the drinking of rum sold on the premises."Dr. Barker and his three wives are buried at Stroudwater Cemetery. According to Tate House Museum, he unsuccessfully tried to save each of them by using 'lime water' as a curative. Dr. Barker resided near the corner of what is now Westbrook Street and Garrison Street, near Harrow House (the home of Colonel Westbrook). His house dates to 1800 and is called a 'fine hip roof structure'. Not sure if it's still there.
Reverend Thomas Browne (1733-1797)
Reverend Browne's life was colored by rebellion and scandal. Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts (the son of Reverend John Brown and Joanna Cotton), he attended Harvard, where he was routinely in trouble for skipping church on the Sabbath, stealing bottles of wine and for singing along to lewd lyrics over hymns in church, along with his buddy Langdon (a man after my own heart). His actions didn't cause his expulsion (to the dismay of some in the church), but he did lose his scholarship, and it took him some time to regain his reputation. Once he turned 26, he was forming the First Church of Marshfield, Mass., which was a hotbed for Loyalists at the time. It's unclear if he was considered to be one of them, but the Tate House Museum states that his thesis for his Master's degree at Harvard argued that frequent war did more to promote public safety than frequent peace. During his work at the Church, he succeeded in relaxing a law requiring church membership candidates declare a public reason for their conversion (perhaps due to his own wild youth). A few years later, in 1763, he again was under public scrutiny when the Church investigated his morals (it's not stated what he supposedly did). Browne was so disgusted by the inquiries he left the Church, and in that same year married Lydia Howard of Duxbury.
In 1764, he was invited to preach at Falmouth. Apparently he was ill received by his fellow clergymen Smith and Deane from the 1st Parish in Falmouth (now Gorham) as he was "first refused shelter on a bitter winter night and given inadequate supper and breakfast of pea porridge and johnnycake without butter".
In 1765, Browne was officially called to the new 4th Parish of Falmouth (located on Capisic Street), which was founded as a house of worship for 13 ousted members of the 1st Parish (likely all rebels in one way or other, just like Browne). His installation to this new church was seen unfavorably by Smith and Deane, and their flock, and none of them showed for Browne's installation.
Even after his installation to the 4th Parish, ill will followed Browne. He leased the Samuel Waldo home in Cape Elizabeth and commuted to work, and refused to pay taxes in Cape Elizabeth, which caused the Town of Cape Elizabeth to petition the Mass General Court in 1771 for his taxability. This caused some kind of consternation amongst the people, but apparently that all died down, since he served as head clergy at the Stroudwater Parish for 32 years until his death at age 64, and his clergy meetings were usually held at his second home in Woodfords. Browne was succeeded by Dr. Caleb Bradley.
During his tenure at Stroudwater, Browne always told new ordained ministers that the church had no control over them.
The original 4th Parish building from 1764 was a simple one story church, 40'x30', with no pews, only simple benches. They expanded in 1784 to accommodate a growing flock. It contained two stories and two rows of windows, and a high vestibule. Perhaps the chapel building below is the old Parish?
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| REVEREND THOMAS BROWNE |
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| LYDIA HOWARD-BROWNE (1736-1805) |
Their 2nd daughter Elizabeth Lewis is their only child buried at Stroudwater.
Elizabeth was one of three wives of Archelaus Lewis, more on him below...
Lieutenant Archelaus Lewis (1753-1834)
Archelaus Lewis of Berwick, said to have been a large framed man of over six feet in height, settled in Saccarappa in 1774 and opened a tailor shop in Stroudwater. In 1776 he entered Continental Army and served five years. He fought with Washington's Army at Valley Forge and earned rank of Lieutenant.
His uncle, Francis Lewis, was a signer of Declaration of
Independence
Source: History of Cumberland Co., p 384
The following is from the Daughters of the American
Revolution Lineage Books (Miss Margaret Blaine Reynolds, DAR ID Number 38325):
"Archelaus Lewis, (1753-1834), enlisted 1775 under
Capt. John Brackett and served until the British evacuated Boston. He was
ensign 1776 in Capt. Wentworth Stewart's company and was at Ticonderoga. In
1777 was lieutenant under Capt. George W. Smith, Col. Joseph Vose's regiment.
His pension in 1832 was allowed for two years actual service as lieutenant,
Massachusetts militia. He was born in Berwick; died in Westbrook, Maine. Also
Nos. 3085, 7821, 14053, 34174, 35673."
The National Society of the Daughters of the American
Revolution Volume 39 page 119.
All three of Lewis' wives are buried at Stroudwater alongside him and two of his young boys.
In addition to land and mill property bought in Ammoncongan (later known as Cumberland Mills, and now part of Westbrook), Lewis partnered with John Quinby for the land to the south of George Tate, and then subdivided, Lewis' home being to the south east of Tate's.
In addition to land and mill property bought in Ammoncongan (later known as Cumberland Mills, and now part of Westbrook), Lewis partnered with John Quinby for the land to the south of George Tate, and then subdivided, Lewis' home being to the south east of Tate's.
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| LEWIS' HOME ON THE LEFT 1258 WESTBROOK STREET QUINBY LOT TO THE RIGHT (REPLACEMENT BRICK HOME FROM 1826 BUILT HERE) 1266 WESTBROOK STREET |
Polly Porterfield (1780-1854)
Polly was an old spinster who lived on the corner of Westbrook Street and Congress Street. She and her sister Peggy ran a gift shop called "West India Company". According to Tate House Museum, Polly would offer neighborhood boys some peppermint sticks if they would pick up twigs in her yard and bring them to her. She was locally famous, according to This is Stroudwater. She was the daughter of William Porterfield, Jr., who himself was an early Stroudwater resident and son to William Porterfield and Mary Jamieson, early Scotch-Irish immigrants to Casco Bay.
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| POLLY PORTERFIELD HOUSE 1296 WESTBROOK STREET |
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| GRAVE OF POLLY PORTERFIELD |
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| CAPTAIN ISAAC LOBDELL, SR. |
The very large Lobdell family came from Plymouth in 1795 and bought the James Forder House (built 1734) at what is now 1235 Westbrook Street. Given the Isaac Fly house next door built at the same time, these are Portland's oldest standing houses. Captain Isaac Lobdell Jr. (son to the Isaac Sr whose memorial is pictured above) bought the house from the Billings family. At that time the house was known as the Billings Inn, where rum was sold. While the Lobdells briefly occupied the house to the left of Archelaus Lewis (which had been built by shipmaster Jonah Dyer, but was rarely lived in by him), they eventually settled and prospered quite well in the Forder House, beginning in May of 1795, making it the first house in Stroudwater to be carpeted and wallpapered. His family was reputed to have been comprised of very polite and upstanding people, and had brought with them by boat from Plymouth, a large supply of household goods. They inhabited the house until 1825, at which point they sold it to George Tate, son to William, grandson to colonial Captain George Tate. George's son, Augustus, eventually owned the property until 1921, when it was then sold to Arthur Maxfield, taking it out of historical Stroudwater family ownership.
Thaddeus Broad was from Natick, Massachusetts, one of 16 children born to Thadeus Broad, Sr., and just prior to the Revolution, like many others, he migrated north to Stroudwater Village. He and his wife Lucy (whom he met through his boss at Samuel Skillings' gristmill) had at least eleven kids (Thaddeus Jr., Silas, Lucy, Thomas, William, Ephraim, Eunice, Joseph, Daniel and Amos), eight of whom are buried at Stroudwater with he and his wife. A total of 18 Broad family members are buried together here.
Thaddeus was known for building the Broad Tavern in 1780 in Stroudwater Village (on what is now known as 1 Cobb Avenue), a popular hostelry located on a former 100 acre parcel that was adjacent to what is now the Portland Jetport. The Tavern was a popular gathering spot for the locals for over 120 years, and was the focal point for muster gatherings. When a military gathering occurred at the Tavern, it was reportedly a formalized affair, beginning in front of the George Tate House, whereupon they would commence drill exercises, and march two abreast all the way down Congress Street to the Tavern, with a tag along of village boys to the rear (although the boys were never admitted into the bars). Prior to entering, the men would stack their arms, and upon leaving the Tavern they would reassemble in the same manner and then march to the Frost-Brewer Tavern.
Thaddeus' granddaughter, Almira Anne (1820-1903) was the last to live at Broad Tavern (This Was Stroudwater p. 128), which closed in 1840, under the ownership of Thaddeus' son Silas. Almira and Leonard Bond Chapman temporarily opened up the building a museum to raise money for the Christian Temperance Union.
Artist Herbert Milton Sylvester painted "Painting of Broad Tavern, Stroudwater, 1892"
And a picture courtesy of the Leonard Bond Chapman collection of the Maine Historical Society, a photograph from around 1900:
Peleg Mitchell (1775-1859)
Peleg Mitchell from Watertown Mass. formed a real estate partnership with fellow Watertown locals Jonas Hamilton and Joseph Chenery, in order to buy land of Jeremiah Riggs, Jr. of Stroudwater (land across from what is currently known as Westgate Shopping Center), who had died in 1800. Chenery and Mitchell relocated to the area. Mitchell fought briefly in the War of 1812 in Hobbs Regiment, alongside other Stroudwater neighbors. Chenery, a tanner, drowned himself while coming home to Stroudwater drunk. His son Edward married Peleg's daughter Barbara. His son Joseph Jr. married Mary Dole (daughter to Captain Daniel profiled above).
Peleg, in addition to the Riggs house, held a large amount of property on Capisic Street, and then also in Deering, near what would be come to known as Morrill's Corner. He
Peleg was a charitable soul, according to This Was Stroudwater:
Lillian Ames-Stevens (1844-1914)
Lillian Stevens is probably the most noteworthy of Stroudwater's inhabitants, due to her role in Maine Prohibition. Upon her death, flags across Maine were lowered, the first such State tribute to a woman.
According to her memorial on FindaGrave:
Lillian's husband Michael survived her by and was bequeathed the house and land, and willed it to his daughter Gertrude and her husband William Leavitt. Interestingly enough, Michael had deeded his half of the estate to Lillian in 1900, additional land and house which he had purchased in a bankruptcy sale from the Estate of real estate baron John Stidworthy in 1877. It's clear that Lillian was an interesting character, and a strong woman of her time, or any time. It appears that Michael was very supportive of her until the end.
Shadrach Chapman (1764-1812)
Shadrach Chapman was a Revolutionary War Patriot from Newmarket, NH. He was, according to some sources, with General Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778 but that would have meant he was 13 years old at the time (so perhaps the birthdate is off). After the War he married Lydia Starbird and moved to Stroudwater Village, where had one daughter, Nancy. This family, along with Nancy's husband and their three children (Michael is buried with his wife Lillian, as noted above) are buried together at Stroudwater Burying Ground. Upon Shadrach's passing, Lydia's application for Widow's Pension was rejected because he hadn't served the minimum six months.
William Maxfield, Sr. (1724-???)
William Maxfield wasn't known for his own direct accomplishments, but moreso for his children's.
His eldest son, William Maxfield, Jr. (1760-1840), was known as "Wild Bill Max", and was reputed to have been quite the character. He worked as a "river pilot" who guided vessels through the winding channel of the Fore and Stroudwater Rivers. Once the Vaughn Bridge opened to traffic in 1800, Wild Bill's work got more difficult. Given the draw was narrow, and also given variations in tide, often times a ship was too wide for the available space, and Wild Bill would get ornery and curse the ship captain. He lived in a log cabin on the lot later purchased by Rhoda Partridge, who built her own home there in 1805. More on her above.
William Sr.'s son Daniel was just a touch more of the calmer sort. He bought a portion of Jesse Partridge's land that had been purchased from Joseph Small, and settled in at the Small house, but didn't like the location of the house, so he had a team of oxen pull the house across the street for a better view of the marshland. Daniel's seven children are purportedly the ancestors to all Maxfields living in Stroudwater (This is Stroudwater p.89). Daniel was a farmer, but also worked as a mariner aboard the Rainbow schooner in 1793. One voyage left him captured by the French, and while in captivity, he became gravely ill, and died very soon upon returning home to Stroudwater. His home does not still stand today, from what I believe. The only old house in that particular area of Westbrook Street is the Daniel Dole house. Daniel's son Charles, of Stevens Plains, was a bricklayer, and in the aftermath of Portland's Great Fire of 1866, he kept busy with work in the massive rebuild of what is now known as the Old Port. Daniel's other son Josiah married into the Stevens family. He moved his father Daniel's house even further down Westbrook Street in 1842. Many of Josiah's debts were paid by tinware, likely from his Stevens' in-laws and their own business over in Deering.
Josiah Maxfield married Nancy Partridge, niece to Jesse. They are buried at the Maxfield Cemetery in Casco.
Asa Fickett (1769-1835)
Asa Fickett was born in Cape Elizabeth to Jonathan and Bette Fickett. Jonathan was an early Stroudwater settler, and the final owner of Colonel Westbrook's Harrow House, which was razed in 1795 by Asa's brother Samuel. Asa married Dorcas Plummer in 1792 and moved to Stroudwater Village. When Dorcas passed, he married Eliza Edwards. The three are buried together at the Burying Ground.
Asa's son Francis was a shipbuilder, and his ship, the Savannah, was the first vessel to cross the Atlantic using both sail and steam (This Was Stroudwater, p. 163).
Nahum Fickett (1809-1866)
Asa's son Nahum was a ship carpenter, and later a milk farmer, born in Stroudwater Village, He's buried near to Asa and other Ficketts. He and his wife Elizabeth had at least five children, but only one, Franklin, appears to be buried here.
Charles Fickett (1845-1919)
Son to Martin and Sarah Fickett of Cape Elizabeth, Charles was likely a grandnephew or grandson of Asa. He and his wife, Mary Libby, lived at 126 Westbrook Street, Stroudwater Village.
Several other Ficketts are buried here, but I'm having trouble linking them. According to This Was Stroudwater, there was a "Fickett Exodus" to New York, and some additional Ficketts relocated to Gorham.
William McMahon (1737-1803)
William McMahon was a teacher in Stroudwater, and among his pupils were the Tate children. He started in 1767 or earlier, and according to This Was Stroudwater, p. 108, he was believed to be one of the first schoolteachers in the Village.
The Cummings Children
Many children were born to the Cummings family, and apparently they all died very young. Such was the case with many families at the time. Eight infants and one teenager are buried here, three born in the 1810s (possibly due to meningitis), and six born in the 1830s (potentially from the cholera epidemic), with a stone commemorating five of them. I believe these were children of Methodist minister Reverend Cyrus Cummings (who was also Westbrook town Selectman), originally of Grafton, NH, who had many other children who survived to adulthood. Cyrus, who died of typhoid, is buried with his wife Elizabeth and some of his other children at Western Cemetery in Portland. I cannot verify this connection yet, because all online trees appear to omit these babies, yet the birth/death dates of the babies fit well into his list of children, and his published list of children includes Andrew Jackson Cummings, born a few years after the baby memorialized in the above photo had died. Cyrus did have one famous son, Joseph Cummings, who was president of Wesleyan and Northwestern Universities.
Samuel Dalton (1777-1827)
Samuel Dalton and his two wives, Mary and Hulda, are buried here. This may be the same Dalton family that lived in Parsonsfield Maine, and for which Dalton's Corner there is named.
Captain Dexter Brewer (1795-1850)
Dexter Brewer was originally from Framingham, Massachusetts. He and his wife Jane Frost moved from Dover, NH to Stroudwater Village (where Jane was originally from) just before 1821. They ran the Frost-Brewer Inn at Stroudwater, originally in the home of Jane's grandparents, Charles and Joanna Frost, and such building was located near Harrow House (Colonel Westbrook's home), and was formerly owned by Thomas Haskell. Charles Frost was an important figure in Stroudwater who died intestate in 1756, causing his widow to lose much of the family fortune to legal fees and petitions. Joanna had turned their vast home into an Inn in order to raise funds to pay for it all. She ran the Inn until her death in 1796, at which point various heirs continued to run it, until Dexter Brewer took over in the 1820s.
In 1833, Jane Frost-Brewer died, and the saddened Captain Brewer remarried to a Mary Ann Cloyes, also from Framingham, who was not a popular replacement mother for the seven children of Dexter and Jane.
From the Portland City Directory of 1846, his home lot (next to the Inn he was now running solo):
Jonathan Sparrow, Jr. (1768-1843)
Sparrow founded the Sparrow Inn, which was located to the left of Archelaus Lewis house, and built in 1785 by Captain Jonah Dyer.
According to Sparrow's children quoted in This Was Stroudwater;
Jonathan, his two wives and six of his nine children are buried at Stroudwater.
Isaac Libby (1818-1885)
Carriage maker Isaac Libby of the Scarborough Libbys (son to Lemuel) fought in the Civil War, and later lived in Stroudwater during the time when it was renamed as part of Deering. He and his wife Mahala are buried at Stroudwater Cemetery
Almon Libby (1816-1895)
Reverend Almon Libby, originally from Minot, and ordained in Poland, Maine, was a very distant cousin of Isaac's, and is also buried here with his wife and their sons Charles and Almon Jr. and daughter Annie (who married Stroudwater historian Andrew Hawes). Almon never lived in Stroudwater, however.
10 other Libbys, all younger than the two patriarchs above, are also buried at Stroudwater, including another of their distant cousins, Charles Libby (1804-1944) and his wife Ella Slemons.
All these Libbys are descended from initial Libby immigrant John Libby (1602-1682), and are well traced in the Libby Family in America family genealogy book.
Drunken Drownings
Apparently the Stroudwater Bridge was a vortex for death by intoxication by some villagers.
Farmer Jonas Bond, son to Elijah Bond (who bought the Robert Slemons house) died of exposure after falling off the bridge just before Christmas 1857, leaving his wife Sarah widowed until her death 24 years later. His son Elijah was also reputed to have been a drunk, according to the home court records of Moses Quinby, Esq.:
Tanner Joseph Chenery also died of drowning in the River, whilst coming home to Stroudwater after an evening of drinking in 1817. He left Rebecca widowed for 46 years until her death. Joseph is buried at Pine Grove.
***
As a reward for those readers having made it to the end of this writing, here is a Stroudwater Tax Map annotated with the names of some of the historical residents as to each of their lots (click to enlarge):
***
SOURCES:
History of Portland (1632 to 1864), by William Willis, © 1865 Bailey & Noyes.
New England Family History Quarterly, by Henry Cole Quinby, © 1907-1908 5 Nassau Street, NYC.
This Was Stroudwater, by Myrtle Kittridge Lovejoy, © 1985 National Society of Colonial Dames of America.
The Tate House Museum
Maine Historical Society
Find A Grave
Portland City Directories
Portland Assessor
Portland Registry of Deeds
Portland House Stories
Other sources are hyperlinked within this article.
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| JAMES FORDER HOUSE 1235 WESTBROOK STREET AKA THE BILLINGS INN AND THE ISAAC LOBDELL HOUSE |
Caleb Bartlett (1757-1820)
Next door to the Forder House can be found the Isaac Fly house, also built 1734, which was sold in 1830 to Charles Bartlett, son to Caleb:
Caleb Bartlett was born in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, one of eleven children born to Robert & Rebecca Bartlett. At age 22, Caleb enlisted in Capt. Thomas Mayhew's Plymouth company for the Rev. War, 1775, for a period of 3 mos. and 8 days. At some point between 1776 and 1790, he and his wife, Elizabeth Holmes, moved to Stroudwater Village and had at least seven children. They lived near the cemetery as well, and I'm not sure if Caleb also worked in timber. A few of Caleb's siblings moved to the Norway, Maine area, but it appears the bulk of this family stayed behind in Plymouth. Caleb's dad remarried twice after the death of his first wife, and ultimately settled in Maine himself. Caleb, his wife, and several of their children and grandchildren are buried together at Stroudwater; at least 24 members of this family can be found here.
Next door to the Forder House can be found the Isaac Fly house, also built 1734, which was sold in 1830 to Charles Bartlett, son to Caleb:
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| ISAAC FLY/CHARLES BARTLETT HOUSE 1227 WESTBROOK STREET |
Caleb Bartlett was born in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, one of eleven children born to Robert & Rebecca Bartlett. At age 22, Caleb enlisted in Capt. Thomas Mayhew's Plymouth company for the Rev. War, 1775, for a period of 3 mos. and 8 days. At some point between 1776 and 1790, he and his wife, Elizabeth Holmes, moved to Stroudwater Village and had at least seven children. They lived near the cemetery as well, and I'm not sure if Caleb also worked in timber. A few of Caleb's siblings moved to the Norway, Maine area, but it appears the bulk of this family stayed behind in Plymouth. Caleb's dad remarried twice after the death of his first wife, and ultimately settled in Maine himself. Caleb, his wife, and several of their children and grandchildren are buried together at Stroudwater; at least 24 members of this family can be found here.
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| GRAVE OF CALEB BARTLETT |
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| ELIZABETH HOLMES-BARTLETT CALEB'S WIFE WITH SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN |
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| ROBERT BARTLETT AND FAMILY SON TO CALEB BARTLETT |
Thaddeus Broad (1745-1824)
Thaddeus Broad was from Natick, Massachusetts, one of 16 children born to Thadeus Broad, Sr., and just prior to the Revolution, like many others, he migrated north to Stroudwater Village. He and his wife Lucy (whom he met through his boss at Samuel Skillings' gristmill) had at least eleven kids (Thaddeus Jr., Silas, Lucy, Thomas, William, Ephraim, Eunice, Joseph, Daniel and Amos), eight of whom are buried at Stroudwater with he and his wife. A total of 18 Broad family members are buried together here.
Thaddeus was known for building the Broad Tavern in 1780 in Stroudwater Village (on what is now known as 1 Cobb Avenue), a popular hostelry located on a former 100 acre parcel that was adjacent to what is now the Portland Jetport. The Tavern was a popular gathering spot for the locals for over 120 years, and was the focal point for muster gatherings. When a military gathering occurred at the Tavern, it was reportedly a formalized affair, beginning in front of the George Tate House, whereupon they would commence drill exercises, and march two abreast all the way down Congress Street to the Tavern, with a tag along of village boys to the rear (although the boys were never admitted into the bars). Prior to entering, the men would stack their arms, and upon leaving the Tavern they would reassemble in the same manner and then march to the Frost-Brewer Tavern.
Thaddeus' granddaughter, Almira Anne (1820-1903) was the last to live at Broad Tavern (This Was Stroudwater p. 128), which closed in 1840, under the ownership of Thaddeus' son Silas. Almira and Leonard Bond Chapman temporarily opened up the building a museum to raise money for the Christian Temperance Union.
Artist Herbert Milton Sylvester painted "Painting of Broad Tavern, Stroudwater, 1892"
And a picture courtesy of the Leonard Bond Chapman collection of the Maine Historical Society, a photograph from around 1900:
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| GRAVE OF THADDEUS BROAD |
Peleg Mitchell (1775-1859)
Peleg Mitchell from Watertown Mass. formed a real estate partnership with fellow Watertown locals Jonas Hamilton and Joseph Chenery, in order to buy land of Jeremiah Riggs, Jr. of Stroudwater (land across from what is currently known as Westgate Shopping Center), who had died in 1800. Chenery and Mitchell relocated to the area. Mitchell fought briefly in the War of 1812 in Hobbs Regiment, alongside other Stroudwater neighbors. Chenery, a tanner, drowned himself while coming home to Stroudwater drunk. His son Edward married Peleg's daughter Barbara. His son Joseph Jr. married Mary Dole (daughter to Captain Daniel profiled above).
Peleg, in addition to the Riggs house, held a large amount of property on Capisic Street, and then also in Deering, near what would be come to known as Morrill's Corner. He
Peleg was a charitable soul, according to This Was Stroudwater:
"Besides being able to play the fiddle, making life a bit more lively, Peleg had an unusual kindness. A few Negro families lived on the road west of the village, descendants, doubtless, of the early servants. It is said that at Christmastime, Peleg gathered up a pung load of these young Negro children, not only for a ride, but for a supper as well. For outer garments, some only had meal bags with holes cut for the head and limbs. According to the custom of the times, the pung would have been layered heavily with hay to keep them warm."
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| GRAVE OF PELEG MITCHELL |
Lillian Ames-Stevens (1844-1914)
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| LILLIAN AMES-STEVENS |
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| MEMORIALS TO MICHAEL AND LILLIAN STEVENS OVERLOOKING THE RIVER (THEIR ASHES WERE SCATTERED HERE) |
Lillian Stevens is probably the most noteworthy of Stroudwater's inhabitants, due to her role in Maine Prohibition. Upon her death, flags across Maine were lowered, the first such State tribute to a woman.
According to her memorial on FindaGrave:
She entered the profession of teaching, following her father’s footsteps, at about the age of 16. Within a few years she abandoned her career to marry Michael Stevens, a Portland businessman. Later, with school-age daughter in tow, she eagerly traveled to Old Orchard Beach when she learned that Frances Willard would speak at a temperance rally. In 1875 she helped organize the Maine Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, and would later assume its presidency for 36 years. She was a member of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union for nearly four decades, proudly wearing its white ribbon badge, and becoming its president in 1898. She collaborated with Portland’s Neal Dow in the successful drive to add a prohibition amendment to the Maine Constitution. She was a tireless worker for social reform, helping to advance the Maine Industrial School for Girls, Portland’s temporary home for women and children, and to obtain a matron for Portland’s women prisoners. She was selected to represent Maine in the World’s Congress of Representative Women, held at the 1893 Columbia Exposition at Chicago.Lillian's home still stands today, to the right of the George Tate House, but I wonder who owned the house originally, since it appears to be of similar age to many of those in the Village:
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| HOME OF LILLIAN STEVENS (2014) 1282 WESTBROOK STREET |
The home was originally built by brothers Tristram and Samuel Stevens, sons to Tristram Stevens, Sr. Samuel died during War of 1812. These Stevens were cousins to the Haverhill Stevens family who settled Stevens Plains and had Stevens Avenue named for them in Portland.
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| HOME OF BROTHERS TRISTRAM AND SAMUEL STEVENS (circa 1900) 1282 WESTBROOK STREET |
Lillian's housekeeper, Nora Durgin (originally from Rockingham County, NH), is also buried near the Stevens plot. Lillian named Nora in her will and gave her a small portion of the land to the west of the Stevens' house, upon which sat her servant's quarters, at 1288 Westbrook Street. To add to Nora's fortune at the time, Lillian's husband, Michael Titcomb Stevens (1833-1915) he had additional land he had inherited from his father, Tristram Jr., which he also deeded to Nora, on the other side of Congress Street.
Lillian's husband Michael survived her by and was bequeathed the house and land, and willed it to his daughter Gertrude and her husband William Leavitt. Interestingly enough, Michael had deeded his half of the estate to Lillian in 1900, additional land and house which he had purchased in a bankruptcy sale from the Estate of real estate baron John Stidworthy in 1877. It's clear that Lillian was an interesting character, and a strong woman of her time, or any time. It appears that Michael was very supportive of her until the end.
Shadrach Chapman (1764-1812)
Shadrach Chapman was a Revolutionary War Patriot from Newmarket, NH. He was, according to some sources, with General Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778 but that would have meant he was 13 years old at the time (so perhaps the birthdate is off). After the War he married Lydia Starbird and moved to Stroudwater Village, where had one daughter, Nancy. This family, along with Nancy's husband and their three children (Michael is buried with his wife Lillian, as noted above) are buried together at Stroudwater Burying Ground. Upon Shadrach's passing, Lydia's application for Widow's Pension was rejected because he hadn't served the minimum six months.
William Maxfield, Sr. (1724-???)
William Maxfield wasn't known for his own direct accomplishments, but moreso for his children's.
His eldest son, William Maxfield, Jr. (1760-1840), was known as "Wild Bill Max", and was reputed to have been quite the character. He worked as a "river pilot" who guided vessels through the winding channel of the Fore and Stroudwater Rivers. Once the Vaughn Bridge opened to traffic in 1800, Wild Bill's work got more difficult. Given the draw was narrow, and also given variations in tide, often times a ship was too wide for the available space, and Wild Bill would get ornery and curse the ship captain. He lived in a log cabin on the lot later purchased by Rhoda Partridge, who built her own home there in 1805. More on her above.
William Sr.'s son Daniel was just a touch more of the calmer sort. He bought a portion of Jesse Partridge's land that had been purchased from Joseph Small, and settled in at the Small house, but didn't like the location of the house, so he had a team of oxen pull the house across the street for a better view of the marshland. Daniel's seven children are purportedly the ancestors to all Maxfields living in Stroudwater (This is Stroudwater p.89). Daniel was a farmer, but also worked as a mariner aboard the Rainbow schooner in 1793. One voyage left him captured by the French, and while in captivity, he became gravely ill, and died very soon upon returning home to Stroudwater. His home does not still stand today, from what I believe. The only old house in that particular area of Westbrook Street is the Daniel Dole house. Daniel's son Charles, of Stevens Plains, was a bricklayer, and in the aftermath of Portland's Great Fire of 1866, he kept busy with work in the massive rebuild of what is now known as the Old Port. Daniel's other son Josiah married into the Stevens family. He moved his father Daniel's house even further down Westbrook Street in 1842. Many of Josiah's debts were paid by tinware, likely from his Stevens' in-laws and their own business over in Deering.
Josiah Maxfield married Nancy Partridge, niece to Jesse. They are buried at the Maxfield Cemetery in Casco.
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| DANIEL MAXFIELD |
Asa Fickett (1769-1835)
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| HOME OF ASA FICKETT (LATER THE HOME OF JONATHAN SMITH) |
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| GRAVE OF ASA FICKETT |
Asa's son Francis was a shipbuilder, and his ship, the Savannah, was the first vessel to cross the Atlantic using both sail and steam (This Was Stroudwater, p. 163).
Nahum Fickett (1809-1866)
Asa's son Nahum was a ship carpenter, and later a milk farmer, born in Stroudwater Village, He's buried near to Asa and other Ficketts. He and his wife Elizabeth had at least five children, but only one, Franklin, appears to be buried here.
Charles Fickett (1845-1919)
Son to Martin and Sarah Fickett of Cape Elizabeth, Charles was likely a grandnephew or grandson of Asa. He and his wife, Mary Libby, lived at 126 Westbrook Street, Stroudwater Village.
Several other Ficketts are buried here, but I'm having trouble linking them. According to This Was Stroudwater, there was a "Fickett Exodus" to New York, and some additional Ficketts relocated to Gorham.
William McMahon (1737-1803)
William McMahon was a teacher in Stroudwater, and among his pupils were the Tate children. He started in 1767 or earlier, and according to This Was Stroudwater, p. 108, he was believed to be one of the first schoolteachers in the Village.
The Cummings Children
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| CUMMINGS BABIES |
Samuel Dalton (1777-1827)
Samuel Dalton and his two wives, Mary and Hulda, are buried here. This may be the same Dalton family that lived in Parsonsfield Maine, and for which Dalton's Corner there is named.
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| GRAVE OF SAMUEL DALTON AND WIVES |
Captain Dexter Brewer (1795-1850)
Dexter Brewer was originally from Framingham, Massachusetts. He and his wife Jane Frost moved from Dover, NH to Stroudwater Village (where Jane was originally from) just before 1821. They ran the Frost-Brewer Inn at Stroudwater, originally in the home of Jane's grandparents, Charles and Joanna Frost, and such building was located near Harrow House (Colonel Westbrook's home), and was formerly owned by Thomas Haskell. Charles Frost was an important figure in Stroudwater who died intestate in 1756, causing his widow to lose much of the family fortune to legal fees and petitions. Joanna had turned their vast home into an Inn in order to raise funds to pay for it all. She ran the Inn until her death in 1796, at which point various heirs continued to run it, until Dexter Brewer took over in the 1820s.
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| CHARLES FROST HOUSE LATER KNOWN AS FROST INN AND FROST-BREWER INN |
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| GRAVE OF JANE FROST-BREWER |
From the Portland City Directory of 1846, his home lot (next to the Inn he was now running solo):
February 11: The dwelling house of Dexter Brewer, near Stroudwater Village, took fire this evening, and was with difficulty extinguished.Dexter died in 1850, and is buried next to his first wife Jane. His second wife returned to Framingham. His children are buried in other cemeteries in Portland and Wiscasset. In 1882 the old Inn burned as well.
Jonathan Sparrow, Jr. (1768-1843)
Sparrow founded the Sparrow Inn, which was located to the left of Archelaus Lewis house, and built in 1785 by Captain Jonah Dyer.
According to Sparrow's children quoted in This Was Stroudwater;
He was indeed a man of few words, always looked down when walking the streets and never noticed anyone; yet a man at that time full of business. In addition to being an innkeeper he was a shopkeeper, built vessels, freighted them, and owned Capisic Mill. Of the block of stores built Portland in 1894 where the Evening Express is printed [Monument Square] he owned one. And when the town of Stroudwater was created in 1814 he was created Town Clerk, and his Inn, by a vote of the town, the office of selectmen.He moved to Portland in his final years and turned the house over to his son-in-law Charles Bartlett. The house burned in 1871.
Jonathan, his two wives and six of his nine children are buried at Stroudwater.
Isaac Libby (1818-1885)
Carriage maker Isaac Libby of the Scarborough Libbys (son to Lemuel) fought in the Civil War, and later lived in Stroudwater during the time when it was renamed as part of Deering. He and his wife Mahala are buried at Stroudwater Cemetery
Almon Libby (1816-1895)
Reverend Almon Libby, originally from Minot, and ordained in Poland, Maine, was a very distant cousin of Isaac's, and is also buried here with his wife and their sons Charles and Almon Jr. and daughter Annie (who married Stroudwater historian Andrew Hawes). Almon never lived in Stroudwater, however.
10 other Libbys, all younger than the two patriarchs above, are also buried at Stroudwater, including another of their distant cousins, Charles Libby (1804-1944) and his wife Ella Slemons.
All these Libbys are descended from initial Libby immigrant John Libby (1602-1682), and are well traced in the Libby Family in America family genealogy book.
Drunken Drownings
Apparently the Stroudwater Bridge was a vortex for death by intoxication by some villagers.
Farmer Jonas Bond, son to Elijah Bond (who bought the Robert Slemons house) died of exposure after falling off the bridge just before Christmas 1857, leaving his wife Sarah widowed until her death 24 years later. His son Elijah was also reputed to have been a drunk, according to the home court records of Moses Quinby, Esq.:
March 23, 1825: State of Maine against Elijah Bond, yeoman, on complaint of William Slemons, Jr., brought by David Wescott, for being a drunken, disorderly person, committed to the House of Correction, Portland, for six days, M.Q.
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| GRAVE OF JONAS BOND |
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| GRAVE OF JOSEPH CHENERY |
***
As a reward for those readers having made it to the end of this writing, here is a Stroudwater Tax Map annotated with the names of some of the historical residents as to each of their lots (click to enlarge):
***
SOURCES:
History of Portland (1632 to 1864), by William Willis, © 1865 Bailey & Noyes.
New England Family History Quarterly, by Henry Cole Quinby, © 1907-1908 5 Nassau Street, NYC.
This Was Stroudwater, by Myrtle Kittridge Lovejoy, © 1985 National Society of Colonial Dames of America.
The Tate House Museum
Maine Historical Society
Find A Grave
Portland City Directories
Portland Assessor
Portland Registry of Deeds
Portland House Stories
Other sources are hyperlinked within this article.
