the ancestry and offspring of - users.zoominternet.net
TRANSCRIPT
The Ancestry and Offspring of
ANDREW NOBLE,
Alfred and Parsonsfield, Maine
1796 - 1865
Based on a source document from the papers of Grace A. Miller (1893-1973)
by
John T. Miller, Jr.
2019
Contents
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I. Ann Noble Letter to Grace Miller. . . . . . . 3
II. Andrew, His Household and Descendants. 8
Marriages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Children and Grandchildren. . . . . . . . . . . 10
III. Andrew’s Ancestry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Birth and Parentage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Identifying Andrew’s Father. . . . . . . . . . 17
Benjamin Noble of Fairfield.. . . . . . . . . . 20
The Case for Benjamin as Grandfather. . 22
The Author: John T. Miller, Jr. holds a PhD in history fromYale University. He is retired from a career in intelligence andsecurity with the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense.
For more on our family history see my online family tree.
Copyright: This work may be reproduced without restriction.
Library of Congress control no: 2019396684
Grace Robinson Miller
FAMILY PAPERS can sometimes bemore than just memorabilia.
Sometimes they serve as vital records,reflecting events and connections not recorded in the public archives. If theircredibility can be reasonablyestablished, they can provide criticallinks in a family tree.
Such is the case with the letterpresented here, dated 11 Jan. 1937,from Ann Noble (1851-1940) ofPortsmouth, NH, to Grace A.(Robinson) Miller, my grandmother, ofMetuchen, NJ.
The letter provides a unique record of the offspring of Andrewand Elizabeth (Blaisdell) Noble, Grace’s great-great grandparents.Married in Alfred, ME, on 27 July 1817, they had seven children,and for three of those there appears to be no other record ofparentage. Two of them have many current descendants (includingmyself), and this document resolves a potential brick wall foranyone tracing their ancestry to those individuals.
The letter lists two additional wives for Andrew, as well assome of the spouses and wives of his children. And it identifies hisfather as “Benjamin Noble of Fairfield Me.” I believe that Benjaminwas in fact his grandfather, as I’ll discuss below.
Grace had been researching her pedigree for some time. MyDad recalled that his mother drafted him as her chauffeur as soonas he could drive, in about 1932, for several forays in the NewEngland, no doubt a fairly arduous trek in those days – no I-95, forbetter and for worse.
It is said that she hoped for the DAR, but there are no Patriotsin her line, and in fact the Robinsons were apparently Tories. Buther notes and correspondence have been very valuable to furtherfamily history inquiries.
Grace had been corresponding with Ann Noble (her fifth cousin,three times removed) since 1935, presumably referred to her by
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble2
family contacts. Ann was active in assisting Frank Albert Davis,compiler of an extensive Noble genealogy.1
In the 1937 letter Ann was conveying information received fromFrancis E. Bradbury (1860-1942) of Saco, ME, as passed on to himby his mother, Harriet (Noble) Bradbury (d. 1920), Andrew Noble’syoungest daughter.
The accounting of wives is somewhat confused (see below, p.9). The children’s wives and children are also partially incorrect(pp. 10ff). And I think there was a generational transposition inidentifying Andrew’s father (pp. 14ff).
But Ann’s listing of Andrew’s children appears to be entirelyaccurate. It is largely verifiable by other sources, in terms of theexistence, birth dates and marriages of those named. But this is theonly document which links all of those people to Andrew andElizabeth as parents. Notably, the information regarding children isfully consistent with the census returns for Andrew’s household,which appears from 1820 to 1860. Only Andrew as head ofhousehold is named until 1850 when only Harriet remained athome, but throughout the age/sex entries in the census match thelist passed down from Harriet.2
Rising Sun, MD
1 Frank Albert Davis, “Christopher Noble of Portsmouth, N.H., and Someof His Descendants”, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register,v. 94 (Oct. 1940), pp. 352-63; v. 95 (Jan. 1941), pp. 28-39; (April 1941), pp.184-186; (July 1941), pp. 245-252; (Oct. 1941), pp. 374-83. Online atAmericanAncestors.org.
2 1820 U.S. Census, Alfred, York County, ME (entered on Ancestry.com as“Nablo”); 1830, Alfred; 1840, Parsonsfield, York County; 1850, Parsonsfield;1860, Parsonsfield. Assuming that everyone nowadays will access the censusonline by name, date, and place, I have omitted NARA roll numbers,enumeration districts, etc. All census references were obtained fromAncestry.com.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 3
I. Ann Noble letter to Grace Miller
Sheet 1, Front
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble4
Sheet 1, Back
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 5
Sheet 2, Front; back is blank
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble6
Sheet 3, Front
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 7
Sheet 3, Back
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble8
II. Andrew, His Household and Descendants
ANDREW NOBLE was born in October (?) 1796, in Alfred, ME. His
parentage is discussed below. He died in Parsonsfield, ME, on 11
March 1865, and is buried at the Town House Cemetery, Merrill Hill Rd.,
Parsonsfield.3
His occupation is given in land records as boatbuilder in 1816 and
1817, and ship's carpenter in 1818; in the census as wheelwright in 1850,
millwright in 1860. Described as gentleman in a land transaction in
1825.4 A collateral family genealogy says that Andrew "was a successful
mechanic and invented a threshing machine, the principle of which is still
in use today" and that he was the "Master Workman" in building the
Alfred Methodist Church in 1834.5
In 1824 Andrew was granted a patent for his threshing machine,
which he advertised in an Alfred newspaper in 1824 and 1825. An 1830
ad in a Portland paper promoted a machine for cleaning grist mills.6 His
original patent – signed by President James Monroe (presidents weren’t
that busy back then) and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (likewise
3 Birth year based on age at death (68 in March 1865, from grave) and incensus (54 in 1850, 63 in 1860). Birthplace from AN letter and death recordsof daughters Lydia and Harriet. Death date from grave, Findagrave.com,Memorial #50306266. The AN letter states age at death as 67 years, 5 months,suggesting birth in Oct. 1797. But the grave clearly reads 68, based on myobservation and see also Frederick R. Boyle, Early Families of Alfred, Maine(Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall, 2006) p. 263. If 5 months is nonethelesscorrect, birth would be Oct. 1796.
4 York County, ME, Registry of Deeds, York County Courthouse, Alfred,ME, 94:98-99 (1816), 97:192-3 (1817), 104:244 (1818), 117/30-31 (1825),129/132 (1828), 161/279-80, 162/262 (1838); for census 1820-1860, seeabove, p. 2, n.2.
5 Eva Clough Speare, ed., Genealogy of the Descendants of John Cloughof Salisbury, Massachusetts ([Marblehead? MA]: John Clough GenealogicalSociety, 1952), v. 1, pp. 221, 226.
6 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Patent No. X3799, issued 1/12/1824;Columbian Star, Alfred, ME, July 1824-Feb. 1825; Eastern Argus, Portland,ME, 4/30/1830.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 9
apparently) – is at present offered for sale by Kaller Historical
Documents, Malboro, NJ for $4500.
Andrew was called a “gentleman” in the 1825 deed, when perhaps he
was expecting to live upon the proceeds of his inventions. But his
commercial ventures did not prosper. He mortgaged his homestead in
Alfred in 1830 and in 1838 sold it and relocated to up-county, down-
market Parsonsfield.7 Near the end of his life he mortgaged his
Parsonsfield property three times, to two sons-in-law and a neighbor, Dr.
Gillman Bennett. Bennett foreclosed after Andrew’s death.8
Andrew’s Marriages: Ann Noble reported correctly that Andrew had
married three times. But the third wife has been confused with the
previous married name of the first.
He married (1) in Alfred, ME, on 27 July 1817, Elizabeth L.
(Blaisdell) Seavey, in born Kennebunk, then part of Wells, ME, in 1788
or 1789, and died in Parsonsfield on 2 June 1854. She "committed
suicide. . . by cutting her throat", according to the Bangor Whig (13 June
1854), having "long labored under constitutional mental aberration." She
is buried with Andrew. She had married first Ebenezer Seavey in Alfred,
1807. They had one son, Thomas.9
Married (2) at Parsonsfield, ME, on 8 December 1854, (Mrs.)
Elizabeth R. Palmer (maiden name unknown) of Effingham, NH, born
1792 or 1793, and died at Parsonsfield on 22 November 1858. Also
buried at the Parsonsfield Town House Cemetery.10
7 York Deeds, 137:252 (1830), 161:279 (1838).8 York Deeds, 276:171-2 (1862); 283:320 and 288:328 (1864); 299:29
(1866).9 For both of Elizabeth’s marriages: Alfred, Me., “Town Records,
1796-1895" (FHL film 10469), hereafter Alfred VR. Date of death based ongravestone, birth range from age at death (65 in 1854). Birthplace from ANletter and death records of daughters Lydia, Elizabeth and Harriet, q.v. CalledBetsey in marriage records, Elizabeth L. in 1850 census, and Abigail in someland records. York Deeds 137:252 (1830), 161:279 (1838). Burial:Findagrave.com #50571834.
10 Marriage record: Vital Records of Parsonsfield, Maine (AncientLandmarks Society of Parsonsfield, 1988), pp. 169, 233; Parsonsfield, ME,
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble10
Married (3) on 27 Dec. 1861 in Effingham, NH, (Mrs.) Hannah
Watson (maiden name unknown), born 1794 or 1795.11 “Hannah Noble,
wife of said Andrew” is referenced in the 1862 deed mortgaging
Andrew’s land to Dr. Bennett, whereby she renounced her dower rights.
After Andrew’s death and Bennett’s foreclosure, Hannah Noble, 75, was
recorded as living in Parsonsfield with Bennett (and his wife) in the
1870 census. Gilman Bennett (1805-1872) was a physician and local
notable, who served in the State House of Representatives and Senate.12
Children of Andrew and Elizabeth Noble, all born at Alfred, ME, exceptThomas Seavey, as Andrew was resident there throughout. For Abigail,William, and Olive, the Ann Noble letter is the only record of parentage that Ihave found.
i. Thomas Seavey, stepson to Andrew, son of Ebenezer and Betsey(Blaisdell) Seavey, b. 2 June 1809 in Effingham, NH, d. 22 Apr.1886, Bangor, ME. Married Elizabeth Lawrence in Gardiner, ME, in1832 (intention 14 Oct.). 13
Children, with further descendants, listed as buried in Mount HopeCemetery, Bangor.1. William Lawrence Seavey, 1834-1912.2. Margaret A. Seavey, 1836-1912.3. Harriet E. Seavey, 1840-1922.4. Ellen W. Seavey, 1844-1896.
ii. Abigail F. Noble, b. 16 Sep. 1818, d. prob. at Brooks, ME, 31 Dec.1904, m. (1) about 1845, Woodbury Edwards, b. 1807, d. between1860 and 1870; m. (2) between 1870 and 1880, Masters Edwards,brother (possibly twin) of first husband, b. 1807, d. between 1880
“Town and Vital Records, 1771-1897" (FHL film 12042), “Record of VitalStatistics, 1830-57", p. 232. Birth and death from grave, Findagrave.com#50572171.
11 "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947", Bureau of VitalRecords and Health Statistics, Concord, NH., (FamilySearch.org).
12 York Deeds 276:171 (mortgage, 1862), 299:29 (foreclosure, 1866).Regarding Gillman Bennett, see Jeremiah W. Dearborn, History of the FirstCentury of the Town of Parsonsfield, Maine (Portland: Brown Thurston &Co., 1888), p. 141.
13 Obituary: Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, 4/24 & 26/1886. Marriage:Henry Sewall Webster, ed., Vital Records of Gardiner, Maine (Gardiner:Reporter Journal Press, 1914), p. 456. Children: Mount Hope Cemetery,Interment Records.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 11
and 1900.14 Ann Noble says that “Mr. Bradbury did not say whatbecame of Abigail Noble.” Abigail’s marriage and children havebeen transposed to Abbie Rollins, daughter of Abigail’s sister Lydia(below, p. 13).
Children of Abigail and Woodbury Edwards, with furtherdescendants:1. Roscoe G. Edwards, b. 18462. Horace Edwards, b. 1847.3. George W. Edwards, b. 1849.4. Harriet M. Edwards, b. 18535. Julie J. Edwards, b. 1855.
iii. Olive Noble, b. 29 Apr. 1820, d. Alfred, 2 Oct. 1821.15
iv. William Benjamin Noble, b. 24 Jan. 1822, d. at Staten Island, NY, on17 Jan. 1877. Married at New Dorp Moravian Church, Staten Islandon 13 Oct. 1842, Susan Catherine Houseman, b. 4 Sep. 1822, d. 27July 1867. Both buried at Silver Mount Cemetery, Staten Island.16
Middle name Benjamin is based on Grace Miller’s notes,presumably from her grandmother Martha, William’s daughter. RuthAyers also lists him as William Benjamin, based I believe uponanother family source.17 Generally called William B. in publicrecords. Sometimes called “William Po.” due to misreading of thehandwritten original record.
14 Abigail’s birth based on AN letter, month and year confirmed by 1900census; her death, Findagrave.com #54561724. Date of first marriageestimated from birth of oldest child. Other data from census: Brooks, WaldoCounty, ME, 1850-1900.
15 Church records list death of an unnamed child of Andrew Noble, on dategiven, age one year, six months, consistent with birth date per AN letter.“Congregational Church Records, 1782-1860" (typed copy by Sanford &Springvale Chapter, DAR; of records in custody of Parsons Memorial Library,Alfred, ME; Maine State Library; FHL film 1033845) combined vol. 1/2, p. 42.
16 Birth and death dates for both from grave (confirming William’s birthdate in AN letter; his parentage from AN letter). Burials: Findagrave.com#24201658, #24201636. Marriage: Moravian Church, New Dorp (StatenIsland), NY, “Church Records, 1749-1965" (FHL film 514669), “ChurchBook, 1807-1862", p. 47. Household appears in U.S. Census: 1850,Southfield, Richmond County, NY and 1860, Middletown, Richmond County.
17 Ruth Bridges Ayers, Early Families of Newfield, Maine (Camden, Me.:Penobscot Press, 1995), p. 513. She attributes some information to Utahresearcher Loni Gardner, who probably had information from Lucinda D.Noble, now deceased, a great-granddaughter of William B. Noble (based onemail from Carole Laubscher, sister-in-law to Lucinda’s brother).
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble12
Martha J. (Noble) Robinson
Children, with further descendants. Ann Noble omits Charles andMary, and mistakes Susan for Sara.1. John Andrew Noble, 1843-1862. As
Ann says, died in Civil War, fromwounds at the Second Battle of BullRun.
2. Albion Piper Noble, 1845-1876.Wounded at Gettysburg, 1863 butsurvived.
3. Charles William Noble, 1847-1883.4. Martha Jane Noble, 1849-1923.
Married Winslow Robinson; their sonJames W. Robinson was father ofGrace (Robinson) Miller.
5. Susan A. Noble, 1854-1862.6. Mary Elizabeth Noble, 1856-1885.
v. Elizabeth Larrabee Noble, b. 20 Feb. 1824, d. Kittery, ME, 1 April1915,18 married at Newfield, ME, 28 Jan. 1844 Timothy H. Locke b.22 Oct. 1822, d., 20 April 1891.19
Children, with further descendants:1. Martha E. Locke, b. 2 Nov. 1844.2. William F. Farrington Locke, b. 2 Jan. 1848.3. Helen Frances Locke, b. 22 June 1851.
vi. Lucius A. Noble, b. 10 June 1825, d. Parsonsfield 28 Nov. 1843.Buried at the Town House Cemetery, Parsonsfield.20
18 Birth from AN letter; month and year confirmed by 1900 census. Death,names parents: "Maine Death Records, 1761-1922", Maine State Archives,Augusta, ME, Ancestry.com. Middle and children: Arthur H. Locke, Historyand Genealogy of Captain John Locke. . . and His Descendants (Concord, NH:Rumford Press, 1916), p. 345. Locke household appears in U.S. Census 1860,Biddeford, York County ME; 1870, Biddeford; and 1880, Williamsburg,Rockingham County, NC. Elizabeth was a widow in 1900 and 1910, Kittery,York County, ME.
19 Marriage: John E. Frost and Joseph C. Anderson, Marriage Returns ofYork County, Maine Prior to 1892 (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993), p. 117.Timothy’s birth and death from Locke, p. 179.
20 Birth year from age at death (grave, with Andrew, Findagrave.com#50571863). But AN letter gives birth date as 6/10/1826.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 13
vii. Lydia Maria Noble, b. 3 Mar. 1829, d. Boston, MA, 28 Nov. 188721,married 9 Jan. 1850, Samuel George Rollins22, b. Barnstead, NH, 26Apr. 1820, d. Boston, MA, 15 Aug. 1907.
Children, with further descendants:1. Abbie Frances Rollins, b. 1851.2. Samuel George Rollins, Jr., b.1854.3. Lauria M. Rollins, b. 1858.4. Andrew N. Rollins, b. 1861.5. Charles A. Rollins, b. 1862.
viii. Harriet M. Noble, b. 29 Apr. 1832, d. Saco, Me., 18 July 1920, m.29 Sep. 1851, Edward R. Bradbury, b. Biddeford, Me., 17 June1827, d. Saco 17 June 1900.23
Children, no further descendants: 1. Elizabeth Jane Bradbury,1854-1872.2. Francis Edward Bradbury,1860-1942.3. Harriet Paine Bradbury,1863-1938.
21 Birth date from AN letter, consistent with age at death, death record,which names parents: Mass. VRs, v. 384, p. 369. Middle name from an entryfor her daughter Abbie in Clarence W. Bowen, The History of Woodstock,Connecticut (Norwood, MA: The Compiler, 1926-1943), v. 4, p. 591.
22 Marriage: "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," Bureau ofVital Records and Health Statistics, Concord, NH (FamilySearch.org). Deathrecord: Mass. VRs, v. 16, p. 148. Children from census: 1850 Barnstead,Belknap County, NH; 1860, Barnstead; 1880, Boston, Suffolk County, MA;1900, Boston Ward 1.
23 AN letter, month and year of birth confirmed by 1900 census (Saco,York County, ME). Death record, names parents: “Maine, Death Records,1761-1922", Ancestry.com, from Maine State Archives, 1908-1922 VitalRecords, Roll #6. Death notices in Biddeford Daily Journal for Edward (dated6/18/1900, gives birth place, death date), for Harriet Paine (6/10/1938, givesdeath date), and for Francis (1/12/1942, gives death date).
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble14
Probable Noble home at 389 Merrill Hill Rd., Parsonsfield (location from an 1860 map).
III. Andrew’s Ancestry
ANN NOBLE’S LETTER states that Andrew was born in Alfred, ME,
and that Harriet Bradbury had said that “her Grandfather was
Benjamin Noble of Fairfield, Me.”
In fact Andrew was the son of John and Abigail (Blunt) Noble. There
is no known record of John’s parentage. But I think the mention of
Benjamin of Fairfield needs to be accounted for – and is best explained
by a slip in oral transmission, i.e. Benjamin was “his” (Andrew’s)
grandfather, rather then “hers”. Connection to Benjamin is also suggested
by the name of Andrew’s oldest son, William Benjamin, who by this
account was named for his two grandfathers.
The matter is somewhat complicated by the presence in Alfred at the
relevant time-frame of a John Noble, b. 1773, who was the son of
Thomas Noble and Abigail Hodgdon. There is no record of any marriage
or children for this John. But it is tempting to assume that he was
Andrew’s father, and Thomas Andrew’s grandfather.24
24 John son of Thomas is listed as Andrew’s father in Boyle’s EarlyFamilies of Alfred, p. 263. And this view was supported by the editors of theMaine Genealogist when I submitted a version of this article for publication,which was ultimately declined since we disagreed on this point. I gratefullyacknowledge their considerable research input during the process of
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 15
I will argue that a connection to Thomas is actually not supported by
significant evidence and is inconsistent with important evidence –
whereas a connection to Benjamin is supported by the Ann Noble letter
and the transmission of the name within the family and is consistent with
all other available information. Hence a predominance of evidence in
favor of Benjamin as Andrew’s grandfather.
Andrew’s Birth and Parentage: Andrew’s birth in Alfred is attested by
the death records of his daughters Elizabeth, Lydia and Harriet, as well
as Harriet’s recollections as reported by Ann Noble. There is no
contemporaneous record of Andrew’s birth or parentage. He first appears
on the record in Alfred in June 1816, probably at age 20, when he bought
land there – next door to Abigail Noble, widow of Thomas, as to which
more later. He was described in the deed as a boatbuilder. The seller was
his uncle James Blunt of Arundel (now Kennebunkport), also a
boatbuilder.25
Prior to his purchase in Alfred, Andrew must have been living in
Arundel/Kennebunkport area, since the Kennebunk Port post office was
holding a letter for him in June 1816.26 It seems likely that he was living
with James Blunt, learning the trade of boatbuilder. The 1810 census for
Arundel shows a male of Andrew’s age (10-15) in the James Blunt
household.27
Andrew’s parentage is attested on a fortuitous and rather exiguous
basis – from a single entry in the diary of his neighbor and cousin, Gen.
Samuel Leighton: "2nd [March, 1828] Sunday. Pleasant forenoon. Mrs.
developing the article, the more so since publication did not come to pass.25 York Deeds, 94:98.26 “List of Letters, Remaining in the Post-Office, at Kennebunk Port, June
30, 1816", Kennebunk Weekly Visiter, 7/13/1816 (via GenealogyBank.com).27 1810 U.S. Census, bound photostatic copy, National Archives,
Washington, DC, vol. 6, Maine, p. 170. Pages 170 and 171 (including all B’s)are missing from the NARA microfilm and from reproductions onAncestry.com and other websites. James’s only son, William, was born about1807 and shows as male under 10. William appears by name in 1850 census,Hollis, York County, ME, where James and family had relocated in 1816(Kennebunk Weekly Visiter, 5/11, 8/10/1816).
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble16
Cluff went to meeting & to her son Andrw. Nobles to see his wife who
is very sick."28
Mrs. Cluff was Abigail, the widow of Samuel Cluff who had died the
previous May. She was staying with Leighton (her second cousin) and his
wife, Frances Usher Parsons (her first cousin – Leighton and his wife
were themselves second cousins).
Abigail’s first husband was John Noble, according to collateral
genealogies, which do not indicate his parentage. A John Noble died in
Alfred on 24 Sept. 1817. Abigail married Cluff in 1820.29
Abigail was born on 18 October 1767, in Portsmouth, NH, daughter
of William and Elizabeth (Slade) Blunt of Portsmouth, NH. Among
Abigail’s siblings was a half-brother James Blunt, who settled in
Arundel, the uncle of Andrew referred to above.30
The only public record for a John and Abigail Noble in Alfred is a bit
puzzling. Death of a “baby” Andrew Noble, son of John and “Nabby”, is
listed on 9 December 1796.31 Obviously this is not our Andrew. It could
be a brother and namesake if ours was born later. The best indication is
that he was born earlier in 1796 (above, p. 8). It is possible that whoever
recorded the death was confused about which child of the family had died
(perhaps a twin).
In 1850, Abigail “Clough” was living with Lydia and Lucius Curtis,
her daughter and son-in-law, in Brooks, Maine. Lydia was 49 in 1850,
28 Samuel Leighton, “Journal 1818-1848", MS, Maine Historical Society,Portland, ME (Coll 1429). Leighton was a Brigadier General in the militia. Hemoved to Alfred from Eliot, ME in 1821 and lived near Andrew until 1832,when he bought the Alfred House inn at the center of town. Boyle, p. 216.
29 Abigail’s marriage to John Noble, no date or place: Parsons, FrostGenealogy (1852), p. 12 and Cecil Hampden Cutts Howard, The Pepperrellsin America (Salem, MA: 1906), p. 29. John’s death: Alfred Congregational, v.1/2, p. 40. Cluff marriage: Alfred VR.
30 "New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900", Bureau of VitalRecords and Health Statistics, Concord, NH (FamilySearch.org); Roscoe C.Blunt, The Blunts: A History (Worcester, MA: 1981) pp. 30-31.
31 Delayed Returns for Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1670? - 1891(Augusta, ME: Maine State Archives, alphabetical on microfilm).
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 17
hence born in 1800 or 1801. She married Lucius in Alfred in 1819.32 A
Polly Blount, “daughter of widow Abigail Noble” died at age 18 in
Alfred in 1822 (born 1803 or 1804).33
So Andrew had two younger sisters. He may have had older siblings,
surviving or not, since his mother was 28 or so when he was born.
Identifying Andrew’s Father: The one John Noble recorded as living
in Alfred during the time-frame of Andrew’s birth was the son of Thomas
Noble, who died in Sanford in 1790, within the portion that later became
Alfred. John was probably born in Berwick, ME, in 1773. Thomas was a
tailor, and his son later pursued the same occupation.
Thomas’s widow Abigail is listed as a head of household in Sanford
in the 1790 census (“Wid. Abbigale Nble”), with two males under 16,
one 16 or over, and three females. That is presumably the household of
the late Thomas, with John as the oldest male at 17 (although there is an
extra male and missing female). John together with his mother sold land
in Alfred in 1805 to settle debts of Thomas’s estate, land in the
possession of John at that time.34
John son of Thomas was of an age to be Andrew’s father. He was six
years younger than Andrew’s mother but within possible range to be her
husband. However there are no records of his marriage or children. One
John Noble appears in the census for Alfred in 1800 and in 1810.35 The
age ranges are right for him, and it seems most likely that these were both
John son of Thomas since he owned land there in 1805.
Andrew’s first land purchase in 1816 was next door to Abigail
widow of Thomas. He subsequently (1818) bought land from her,
32 1850 U.S. Census, Brooks, Waldo County, ME; Alfred VR.33 Alfred Congregational, v. 1/2, p. 42. The “Blount” suggests this was a
daughter of Abigail (Blunt/Blount) Noble – even though in 1822 Abigail wasMrs. Cluff. Leighton Journal, April 3, 1822: "Polly Noble died about midnightvery sudden...."
34 Boyle, p. 262; York County, ME, “Probate records, 1687-1938", vol 15,p. 452;York Deeds, 74:28-29; 1790 U.S. Census, Sanford, York County, ME.
35 1800 U.S. Census, Alfred, York County, ME.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble18
adjoining his own, with a mortgage due to her and to John Plummer and
his wife (Abigail’s son-in-law and daughter Sarah).36
Supporting the view that this John Noble was Andrew’s father are (a)
his known presence in Alfred at the right time, (b) lack of direct records
for another John Noble in Alfred, (c) Andrew’s residence adjoining the
Widow Abigail, and (d) Andrew’s purchase of land from Abigail. The
last two were particularly emphasized as conclusive by the Maine
Genealogist editors (above, p. 14, n. 24).
But there are several problems with this theory.
Regarding the land purchase, Andrew originally bought from his
uncle James, then later acquired adjoining land from his neighbor
Abigail. The deed makes no mention of relationship (as deeds generally
don’t).37 This was a portion of a large tract originally owned by Thomas
Noble but sold off to pay debts of his estate, with a set-aside for Abigail’s
dower portion. James Blunt bought the land from a consortium who were
evidently among the local investors who originally bought up Thomas’s
land. So this was real estate that was on the market, not currently
occupied or presumably improved S and a natural place to buy a start-up
property for Andrew (who married the following year). James bought the
two acres for $50 and sold it to Andrew for the same. Andrew later paid
Abigail $200 for the two adjoining acres.38
Notably as well, Andrew’s mother had a family connection in Alfred
which would explain why she and her husband John located there or
thereabouts. Abigail (Blunt) Noble was the niece of Abigail Frost Blunt
(1744-1818) who married William Parsons (1743-1826), a prosperous
citizen of Sanford from 1775 and a leader in the establishment of Alfred
as a separate town in 1794.39
36 York Deeds, 94:98, 104:244.37 Note that Andrew would have a family connection with Abigail through
either Benjamin or Thomas Noble, who were second cousins, descending fromChristopher Noble (b. abt. 1645) and Martha Peverly (b. 1647), ofPortsmouth. Davis, v. 94 (Oct 1940), p. 353.
38 Blunt purchased the Alfred land on 11/14/1814, but deed was recordedon the same day as sale to Andrew, York Deeds, 94:98.
39 Boyle, p. 268. Abigail and William Parsons were the parents of FrancesUsher Parsons, Abigail Noble’s cousin who married Samuel Leighton.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 19
So there are reasons, other than an assumed relationship with
Thomas’s widow, for Andrew’s purchase of property in Alfred next to
her. There is nothing here to indicate a relationship, except that they
shared a not-uncommon surname.
Also, the census returns for the John Noble in Alfred are not
consistent with presence of Andrew’s mother in that household. In 1800
the oldest female is 16-25, when Abigail (Blunt) Noble was 33; in 1810,
45+, when she was 43. Moreover, John’s two females were evidently not
the same person. In 1800 he appears to have either no wife or a second
wife. There are two girls over 9; the woman under 25 is unlikely to have
been their mother. And if she was at most 25 in 1800, she could not be
over 45 ten years later. So the woman in 1800 was gone in 1810,
presumably deceased – and was not Andrew’s mother, who was alive in
later years. The best bet is that the older woman in 1810 was John’s
mother, Thomas’s widow, who probably died in 182340. (No John Noble
household appears in Alfred in 1820).
The census returns are far from infallible. But they are the only
evidence we have of the composition of this John Noble’s household, and
the evidence is contrary to the theory of Andrew’s descent from Thomas.
There was another John Noble, of Waterboro, adjacent to Alfred,
who is a better candidate for Andrew’s father. In 1798 tax records there
were John Nobles in Alfred (owner of house and 24 acres) and
Waterboro (occupant of 73 acres).41 The Alfred landowner was
presumably the son of Thomas, the Waterboro occupant was someone
else.
And the 1800 census entry for John of Waterboro fits both Andrew
and his mother, male under 10, female 26-4442. Again note that we have
no record that Andrew was born in Alfred vs. nearby, simply the belief
40 “Mrs. Noble” died on 1/4/1823, age 82, of “old age”, AlfredCongregational, v. 1/2, p. 42.
41 "Massachusetts and Maine 1798 Direct Tax" (AmericanAncestors.org),v. 3, pp. 300, 298.
42 1800 U.S. Census, Waterboro, York County, ME. John Noble does notappear in Waterboro in 1810.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble20
years later by his daughters and/or the informants for their death
certificates.
Benjamin Noble of Fairfield: In considering Benjamin as the other
candidate for Andrew’s grandfather, we are again faced with a dearth of
direct records.
Ann Noble identifies Benjamin as the son of Lazarus and Abigail
(Whidden) Noble, born 1744. This is the only Benjamin of Fairfield who
fits the bill according the Davis’s accounting.43
Benjamin’s life is largely undocumented during the period we are
most interested in. But as a child he was notable in his way as one of the
Swan Island captives of 1750, carried to Canada by Abenaki Indians. He
and most of his family were ransomed by a colonial delegation the
following year.44
His parents died probably in 1763 and 1764. He and his older brother
John began selling off their land on Swan Island in June 1764, with
several additional transactions through 1769. In 1770 they bought land
in Gardinerstown Plantation, which included today’s Gardiner and
Pittston. They sold the Gardinerstown property in 1777.45
Benjamin and John are not heard of again until 1787, when they
voted for Maine statehood in Hancock Plantation. Hancock later became
Clinton. So they had moved further upriver into the Kennebec back-
country. Tradition credits Benjamin with operating the first ferry on the
upper Kennebec, between Clinton and Fairfield, at about the time of the
Revolutionary War from a location in Clinton still known as Noble’s
Ferry.46
43 Ann Noble to Grave Miller, 10/30/1935; Davis, v. 94, p. 361.44 Davis, v. 94, p. 359; Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives
Carried to Canada between 1677 and 1760, During the French and IndianWars (Portland, Me.: Southworth Press, 1925), v. 2, pp. 241ff.
45 William D. Patterson, Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine,1760-1800 (Portland, ME: Maine Genealogical Society, 1895. Online:“Lincoln County, Maine, Probate Records, 1760-1800", Ancestry.com), pp.24-5; Lincoln County Registry of Deeds, Lincoln County Courthouse,Wiscasset, ME, 3:249-50, 4:114, 5:67, 6:218, 7:213, 11:253-4.
46 Documentary History of the State of Maine (Portland, ME: Bailey and
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 21
Benjamin’s one recorded marriage was in 1782 in Pownalborough,
now Wiscasset, to Sarah Doe of Pownalborough. He registered his
intention in Winslow, just below Clinton, but he was living “without the
bounds of any town”.47
By 1790 both Benjamin and John were located in Fairfield, according
to the first U.S. Census. Benjamin appears in the census in Fairfield from
1790 to 1820 but not thereafter, so he evidently died between 1820 and
1830 (age 76 to 86). In 1790 Benjamin had one child under 16.
Thereafter the household appears to include multiple couples and perhaps
grandchildren.48
One source says that Benjamin had ten children, John two, this based
on family contacts in the 1890's.49 It may have been roughly the other
way around. Davis lists eleven children for John – the eldest was
Benjamin “Jr”,50 born 1774 – but he did not identify the elder Benjamin’s
children. His attribution of John’s children was presumably based on
family sources, though he does not say so. He was in contact with
grandchildren of Benjamin Jr. in 1935. However “they knew but little
Noyes, 1896-1916), v. 22, p. 20; Carleton E. Fisher, History of Clinton, Maine(Augusta, ME: K. J. Printing Co., 1970), p. 241.
47 Sarah D. Lang, Vital Records of Winslow, Maine to the Year 1892:Births, Marriages, Deaths (Auburn, ME: Merrill and Webber, 1937), p. 206.William D. Patterson, "Intentions of Marriage in Pownalborough, 1780-1802"(p. 1562) and "Record of Marriages in Pownalborough" (p. 2074), reprinted inJoseph W. Porter, ed., Bangor Historical Magazine and Maine HistoricalMagazine, 1885-1894 (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993; 3 vols w/continuouspagination). Davis, v. 94, p. 361.
48 1790 U.S. Census, Fairfield, Lincoln County, ME; 1800 (entered as“Nobel”), Fairfield, Kennebec County; 1810, Fairfield, Somerset County;1820, Fairfield.
49 Henry O. Thayer, "The Indian's Administration of Justice: The Sequel tothe Wiscasset Tragedy", Collections and Proceedings of the Maine HistoricalSociety; 2nd Ser., X (1899), pp. 209-10. He cites (generally) correspondencewith Dr. Alfred I. Noble, descendant of John Noble (see Davis v. 95, p. 39),“and others”.
50 Sr. and Jr. did not necessarily mean father and son, but older andyounger men of the same name in a given locality.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble22
about the Noble family”, and at that time they (and he) thought they were
grandchildren of Benjamin Sr.51
Benjamin was 38 when he married Sarah Doe. It is very plausible
that he might have had an earlier marriage and children of an age to be
Andrew’s father, born in the sparsely documented period between Swan
Island and Clinton/Fairfield.
The Case for Benjamin as Grandfather: I believe that the mention of
Benjamin by Harriet Bradbury is a credible indication of a lineal
connection to Andrew. Harriet’s statement was either mistaken or
mistakenly transmitted. But mistakes in oral testimony through
intermediaries are both common and commonly meaningful. We have
noted inaccuracies regarding Andrew’s marriages, for instance. But the
wives were mixed up, not made up. All of the names mentioned were
valid. I think the same must be true of Benjamin. I think he must fit in
somewhere, and if so, grandfather to Andrew is the only real possi-bility.
It is relevant that Benjamin was not rich or famous, or even infamous.
I see no reason for anyone to contrive a connection. Harriet is unlikely to
have even heard of him without a family link. Where did “Benjamin
Noble of Fairfield” come from, unless there was a family connection?
As we have noted, the name Benjamin was carried forward in
Andrew’s family. His oldest son was William Benjamin – on this theory
named for Andrew’s two grandfathers. Benjamin was not a particularly
common name at that time and place. Prior to 1840 the census shows
only three Benjamin Nobles in Maine: Benjamin Sr., Benjamin Jr., and
in 1830 a Benjamin W. (they were all “of Fairfield”). On the other hand,
the name Thomas does not occur among Andrew’s children or near
descendants or the known children of his sister Lydia.52
Geography has been offered as an objection to the theory of
Andrew’s descent from Benjamin, who ultimately settled in Fairfield –
so could a grandson come to be born in Alfred? I have been advised that
51 AN to GM, 1/27/1936 (source of quote); cites contacts by Davis withFrank William Noble and Clara (Noble) Tobey. See Davis, v. 95 , p. 39.
52 1850 census, Brooks, Waldo County, ME.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble 23
such “reverse migrations” were unheard of. But it seems implausible that
none of the offspring of pioneers to the back-country would have
returned to the more prosperous and populous parts of the state.
In fact, at least one of the Nobles did, and there was substantial
continuing contact between the Nobles of Fairfield and the Alfred
vicinity. John Noble of Fairfield (either Benjamin’s brother or nephew)
owned land in Buxton, York County, in 1815.53
Tamar Noble, daughter of Benjamin’s brother John, was listed as “of
Buxton” when she married there in 1799 at age 24. She married
Scammon Fogg of Limerick, where they lived until her death. So with
Tamar we have at least one confirmed instance of a return migration,
perhaps before marriage if she was “of Buxton”.54 Also, her brother,
Benjamin Jr., was married in Buxton to Elizabeth Rolph of Buxton in
1801.55
Moreover, the lack of reference to Thomas’s family in the Leighton
diaries is noteworthy. Leighton had a close and continuing relationship
with Andrew and his mother, on familial, social and professional bases.
They are both frequently mentioned in the diaries,56 as was Thomas
Seavey (above, p. 10), and the death and burial of Polly Noble, Andrew’s
sister, in 1822.57 There is no mention of the death of Thomas’s widow
Abigail, in 1823, or indeed any mention of her or her children. This even
though Abigail was a next-door neighbor to Andrew and a near neighbor
to Leighton.
53 York Deeds, 90:274, 99:511.54 Buxton, ME, Town Clerk, “Town and Vital Records, 1773-1891", v. 1,
pp. 306, 341; Book 3 (1787-1891), pp. 19, 26 (FHL Film 10594). Or is itpossible that Tamar remained rather than returned, that one or more childrenwere left behind – with relatives and/or apprenticed or indentured – when thefamily moved to the frontier, expecting straitened conditions.
55 Tamar was 30 when she died in 1805. Robert L. Taylor, Early Familiesof Limerick, Maine (Rockport, ME: Picton Press, 1993), p. 58; BN Jr.marriage: Christine R. Brown, ed., Vital Records of Fairfield, Maine: Births,Marriages, Deaths (n.p., 1980), v. 1, p. 312 (gives date as 1800).
56 Though only once as mother and son, above, p. 16.57 Leighton Journal, 4/3 & 4/5/1822.
The Ancestry and Offspring of Andrew Noble24
Finally, Frank Davis told Ann Noble in 1935 that he believed that
Grace Miller was descended from Lazarus Noble, based on information
Grace had provided which traced her line only back to her great-
grandfather, William Benjamin. “As soon as Dr. Davis read your letter
he knew just where to place you in our family,” according to Ann. This
was before Ann had received anything from Frank Bradbury regarding
his mother’s recollections. She first heard from him a couple of weeks
later. Unfortunately we do not have Grace’s letters to Ann or any further
explanation of Davis’s inference.58 But this perhaps lends another
increment of credence to the Benjamin connection.
Ann Noble’s 1937 letter to Grace Miller is a unique and reliable
source for the origin of Andrew’s children. I also believe that (mutatis
mutandis) it provides credible evidence of Andrew’s ancestry.
58 AN to GM, 10/30 and 11/16/1935. Davis did not attempt to reconstructBenjamin’s descendancy in his published compilation; v. 94, p. 361. A smalldeposit of Ann Noble’s papers at the Portsmouth Athenaem does not containany of this correspondence.