Welcome, Franz Martin!

Well this is a strange coincidence: FamilySearch today added Aroostook County probate records to its website. Here is Jesse D. Hodsdon's file, which shows that he drew up his will 2 Sept. 1881 and died soon after.

One last note on Jesse Hodsdon: his daughter Lucretia's birth was recorded 26 Jan. 1837 in Woodstock, but later censuses place her birth at about 1843. So it is possible that he and Narcissa had two daughters named Lucretia, one of whom died young.

Thanks for sharing the details of the discovery! I've always wondered if anything valuable was passed down through the line of daughters at the old Ring house.

As for the Arthur Ward Packard papers, the Skowhegan Free Public Library has a Genealogy Room; and the Skowhegan History House's collection already includes some information on the Packards.

Was the marriage performed in Pownal? Many years ago I looked through the town records, but didn't notice it there.

Interesting that Sarah's parents lived on the farm in Locke Mills that was later the James Ring place. And James' nephew Merle married a descendant of Jesse Hodsdon. Small world.

If I may jump into your conversation, Jesse Duston Hodsdon of Greenwood and Bethel was indeed the same who lived in Aroostook County. He was the son of James and Esther (Bartlett) Hodsdon, born 16 Jan. 1815 in Bethel. He married Narcissa Nutting of Greenwood, 24 Mar. 1836 in Bethel, lived for a time in Woodstock, and bought land on Howe Hill in Greenwood in 1838. By 1856 they had moved back to Bethel, where they lived on her father's place on Chandler Hill. I believe they sold out in Bethel in 1862, and moved to Aroostook County. Narcissa's death from consumption, 20 Mar. 1870, was recorded in Perham. Jesse (misnamed "James" in the 1880 census) bought land in Caribou with son James in September of 1880, mortgaging it a month later. James seems to have quitclaimed this land away in 1881, and there are no further references to Jesse in Aroostook deed books. Jesse left a will, probated in Aroostook County, but I haven't viewed it.

Jesse and Narcissa had children Lucretia Hodsdon, born 26 Jan. 1837 in Woodstock, who married Dennis M. Potter; and James Nutting Hodsdon, born 28 Sept. 1847 in Greenwood, died 29 Mar. 1922 in Paris. His intentions to marry Lucy E. Morse were published 7 Nov. 1870 in Perham Plantation; he married Phila Grant 27 July 1872 in Perham. They were divorced in 1884 on grounds of (his) adultery. He married Hannah Elizabeth Blake of Bethel 3 Dec. 1888 in Bethel.

It is plausible that Jesse married Sarah J. Penney in Pownal in 1872. Sarah was the daughter of Isaac W. and Margaret (Wentworth) Grant of Greenwood, born 23 Apr. 1821, died 10 Nov. 1878 in Pownal. She lived in Greenwood prior to marrying her second husband, Capt. Ephraim Penney, in 1860. In fact, she bought a house in Locke Mills in 1854 which a short time earlier had been owned by Jesse D. Hodsdon. I'm fairly sure that this is the same house where my father was born, and where my aunt Eileen still lives.

Hi, I think I deleted your comment by mistake, when I was trying to read the whole message about Jesse Hodsdon. My husband is a Hodsdon from the Bangor area. He just had his family tree send to him by email, so I will have to check to see if Jesse is on it. Thank you so much for contacting me. I did not get to see the whole message, but here is my husband, Bruce's email address if you want to contact us again. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Sue  Hodsdon