Chris Dunham's Page

The Hodsdon/Penney marriage certificate does not state the place of the ceremony, but the minister signs as George Boynton, North Yarmouth, so quite possibly the marriage took place there. 

I became aware of the link between Sarah Grant and the Jim Ring place once you identified her by maiden name, and that helped me understand how the paper got to me.  Sorry, Chris, but you've expressed just enough interest in this to entice me to tell the whole (abbreviated) story.  I am a Ring descendant too, which I believe you already know. 

Earlier this year, Ken Ring (son of Keith, grandson of James Ring) gave me a bag full of old letters and documents which, he said, his father had salvaged from the Portland home of our great aunt Iva Ring Packard after her death in 1969.  I could pretty quickly sort the material into two piles -- one pertaining to the family of Iva's husband, Arthur Ward Packard of Somerset County, the other pertaining to the family of Iva's aunt Martha Spalding, who married Francis Milliken of Portland.  (By the way, if you have anything in your files about these Millikens or Spaldings, I'm interested.) 

Then there was this marriage certificate, which didn't seem to fit with either of the above mentioned piles.  I knew there were Hodsdons around Greenwood, but couldn't see any link to Packards, Millikens or Spaldings.  It didn't make sense that these documents would be commingled as they were.  Your comments allowed me to make an educated guess as to what's going on here. 

The Hodsdon/Penney marriage certificate was, I believe, never in Aunt Iva's Portland house.  It was probably preserved by Sarah Penney's sister Harriet after Sarah's death.  From Harriet Grant (Herrick) it went down to daughter Mabel Herrick (Farrington), then to daughter Ruth Farrington (Ring), and thus to Keith Ring who probably threw it into the same bag with the papers he rescued from Portland.  Keith's son, Ken, didn't know there had been any mixing of sources here and so told me all the papers came from the Portland house.  

So, Chris, thanks again for a satisfying conclusion to this episode. Now I just have to locate someone who might like to have the certificate.  I'm determined that it shall not end up in the trash.

PS:  Do you know of any historical societies in the Skowhegan area who might take the Arthur Ward Packard papers?

Chris -- You may jump into any conversation of mine whenever you like!  You are, as always, a fountain of information.  Thank you.  In case you want to add to your database -- the marriage of Jesse D. Hodsdon and Sarah J. Penney is not merely plausible, it's a fact.  I hold in my hand their original marriage certificate, in very good condition.  It is dated 1 Feb 1872.  Says both parties are "of Pownal".  I've been trying to find out enough about them to offer the certificate to a living descendant.  Now I realize that while Jesse and Sarah had no children, I can certainly find descendants of Jesse, still living in the Greenwood area.  How this document came to me is a convoluted, fascinating genealogical story in itself.  Just know that you have solved more than one mystery with the information you shared.  Thanks.

Chris,

Am thoroughly enjoying this site. Have worked my way through the albums and have added two of my own. A very valuable resource that I hope becomes more active with time.

According to Lincoln County Probate records, mariner William Jackson of Newcastle, ME died in  Jan 1796 with James and Benjamin Jackson as sureties.  Then, James Jackson of Pownalborough, died in Sept 1796 with widow Rebecca Jackson as administrator of estate. 

I wonder if this Benjamin is a son of Benjamin (1707-1771), from Portsmouth (son of Benjamin and Mary Ball) who was married to Abigail Fickett (1710-1776) in 1733.  He might have been born approx 1742 and been an older brother to Samuel and Joseph...

From other pieces of information from vital records I have imagined the following possibility-

                                                 Benjamin Jackson and Abigail Fickett

                                                          William  1734 - 1796

                                                           Thomas 1740

                                                           Benjamin1742

                                                            Isaac     1748

                                                            Joseph   1752

                                                             Samuel  1754