Winslows in Penobscot
Hi, just getting started here. I've done a lot of tracing lines but haven't started gathering legal records for DAR and the Mayflower Society yet (up to three Mayflower passengers so far, and quite a number of Revolutionary patriots). I should be doing that, but instead I'm beating my head against a brick wall, trying to trace the parentage of Elijah (1739-1822) and Eliza Winslow of Penobscot. Their graves are in the Elijah Winslow Cemetery on the property where he pioneered in 1761, and this gives birth and death dates. The cove edging the property is still called Winslows Cove, according to Google maps.
Apparently not much was recorded in Maine between 1739 and 1761. Elijah signed the petition for the incorporation of Penobscot in 1785, stating that he had been in residence since 1761, so that's the earliest date I have for him. In 1779 his house was taken over or destroyed by the British (I think he asked Congress for relief, but I forgot to make a note of where I found this). In 1802 he is listed as a resident of Castine in a list of letters awaiting delivery.
Coming at it from the other direction, I scoured the Winslow Memorial for possible parents who were of reproductive age and fit the marriage and birth parameters. The only subject that fits the bill is Job4 Winslow (James3, Job2, Kenelm1), born 1715, emigrated with father James and brother Benjamin to Falmouth/Birch Island around 1728, married 1736, and died before 1746 (no death date given). He was last heard of assisting the building of a mill. The Memorial shows three daughters but their information is incomplete. Job's widow, Margaret Barber/Barbour, married Enoch Knight in 1746, (Elijah would have been six or seven, assuming Margaret was his mother) and Margaret and Enoch had two sons at Falmouth, Job and Joseph. The Knights, like Job4's branch of the Winslows, were Friends.
So, my question. In 1783/4, after the War for Independence, the General Court of Massachusetts directed lawyer Nathan Dane (among others) to ascertain the claims of the settlers of Penobscot, who were to be sold/taxed on/redeemed for cash their own land in 100 acre plots if their claims were proven. Dane drew up genealogical charts to make sure the settlers were entitled to the land under patents previously given. How can I find this information? I am pretty sure Elijah Winslow is descended from the Mayflower Edward Winslow family as it's otherwise unlikely he would have been given the right to repurchase his own land from the new nation of the United States (the Winslow family received considerable patents for land in Maine). Any ideas?
Tammy
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Small on -
Greetings Tammy. My name is Richard Small and I live in the Ellsworth area. I am not related to the Winslow line, but, where I work there is a gentleman living here who is a Historian and has done extensive research about Hancock County. I do know that he has written a book related to Penobscot if my memory serves me well, He is a great guy and lives for local history. His name is Mark Honey and his telephone number is 667-5602.
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Permalink Reply by Tamara Davis Raetz on -
Thank you, Richard. I will give him a call this week.
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Irwin Kane on -
I am descended from Mercy [Marcey] Winslow b. 1775 and Jeremiah Clough m. 14 Apr 1791. I believe Mercy is the daughter of Elijah and Eliza. My notes say that Joseph Perkins sent a petition for Elijah Winslow and others through the courtesy of John Hancock for damages suffered as a result of the Penobscot Expedition. "...Penobscot Expedition Order of Council. Council Chamber Sept 10t, 1779 Petition of Joseph Perkins and Others. To the Honhle Council & House of Representatives of the State of Massachusetts Bay..." Reparations were paid. I don't think that any of Edward Winslow's descendents were able to carry the line forward. They all died young or without issue. I am descended from Kenelm Winslow who came over a little later than his brother, Edward. If you have any information about Mercy or Jeremiah, I would be very grateful to have it. We seem to be searching in the same areas.
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Permalink Reply by Tamara Davis Raetz on
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Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for the info on the Penobscot Expedition, I'll add that to my notes. I am descended from Mercy's younger sister, Mary (Polly) Winslow, b. 1777, who married Reuben Grindle, a North Bay neighbor (Grindle's Eddy is still marked at the bend of the waterway). They named their firstborn Elijah Winslow Grindle (Grindall), and he married Caroline B. Higgins on 2 Dec 1826 in Penobscot, emigrating after his marriage to St. Anthony (later Minneapolis), Minnesota around 1854. I don't know anything about Mercy and Jeremiah, but will take note of any Clough information I come across. I show that E&E Winslow had David (b. 30 Dec 1765, d. 15 May 1782), Elijah (b. 23 Mar 1767), Olive (b. 3 Feb. 1769), Eliza (b. 11 Jul 1770, d. 1848), Lydia (b. 5 Aug. 1772), Patty (b. 9 Nov 1773), Marcy (b. 14 Mar 1775), Mary/"Polly" (b. 2 Mar 1777, m. 11 Sep 1803 to Reuben Grindle in Penobscot, d. 9 Jan. 1854, buried with Reuben in the Reuben Grindle Cemetery, South Penobscot), and John (b. 17 Apr 1780, m. Lydia Bowman 24 Feb. 1805, dau. Lydia b. 29 Aug. 1835 who m. Joseph Young). All children were born in Penobscot.
Are you descended from the Winslows in another line? Btw, I meant that Elijah Winslow is a member of the same family as Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow, not that Elijah is descended from him. It's remotely possible some other unrelated Winslows settled in Maine at this time, but the odds are against it. :) If you have any information about Elijah's descent, I would be very grateful for it.
As for Elijah, I am formulating an idea of where he must have traveled and who his wife might have been by studying maps of Falmouth, Newcastle/Damariscotta, and Penobscot, and would like to find a good contemporary map of Maine that shows rivers and towns. Do you know of such a map? Right now I am trying to get a look at the records of the First Congregational Church of Great Falls (Somersworth), New Hampshire, which is right up the river from Damariscotta. In my early meanderings I made a note that Eliza's birthplace is "Sommersworth" New Hampshire, and it so happens that there was only one church and one very long lived pastor in Somersworth during the pertinent time, and he recorded all the vital statistics in the community, even for the Quakers--see First Parish United Church of Christ (Congregational) 1729-2004:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=first%20parish%20united%20c...
I would like to see if there is an Eliza who was born in Somersworth on 3 March 1740.
All the best!
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Irwin Kane on
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Hi Tamara,
On p. 147 at this very long URL Elijah is listed as joining the Congregational Church in Jun 1793.
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=El...
I have a couple of Winslow sticking points. I began research with my father, Stanley Gilbert Irwin in Freeport. His maternal great grandmother was Elizabeth F. Winslow Coffin of Freeport. My 6th great grandparents were Abraham Winslow (1761?-1806) and Betsey Welch (N. Yarmouth until it be came Freeport) (1765?-1840). Apparently Abraham is a newly discovered DAR patriot, so that was a nice reward for all the years of research). I have no idea who their parents were, however. I suspect the fathers were Samuel Winslow of N. Yarm. and Thomas Welch. Elizabeth was awarded Abraham's war pension after his accidental death cutting ship masts in 1806. She was left with 8 young children. The eldest, Thomas W. Winslow married Esther (1795-1870), daughter of Mercy Winslow and Jeremiah Clough (m. 14 Apr 1791 in Freeport). I''m wondering if they were cousins.
The rest of the family on the paternal gr grandparents side came from Calais. That's a whole new chapter!
More as I find it and if you can shed any light on Abraham and break the logjam, I'd be grateful.
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Permalink Reply by Tamara Davis Raetz on
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Elizabeth,
I assume you have visited this old post:
http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/MECUMBER/2000-09/0968079478
It directs to an issue of "Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine," which I accessed on archive.org. Abraham's and Betsy's marriage is listed on p. 725. The 1790 census lists two Winslow households, Else Winslow (two females), and Benjamin (one male over 16, 2 males under 16, two females). I wonder why Abraham and Betsy weren't counted. Could they have moved after their marriage? Could Benjamin be Abraham's father? No Welches are listed. Another knotty problem! :)
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