Norrie/Park-- Old Family Photos Found

My father moved to Maine reccently (last year).  This past spring he made a trip back down to Deleware to where he used to live to pick up a bunch of his belongings, including a whole bunch of old furniture.  My Great Uncle Ellsworth Philip passed away a few years back and my Dad got a lot of his old furniture including a huge roll top desk.  Recently, while going through the drawers still full of things Uncle Ellsworth kept inside them, Dad found a bunch of old family photos.  They are beautifully kept, and Dad has sent scans of all of them.  I was able to help him identify some of the people he didn't know, and though we still have questions on a few of them, it was a joy to go through them.

Dad's new house in Downeast Maine

My ancestors, The Norrie Family of Aberdeen, Scotland UK--- The mother is Christian (Park) Norrie, Father Alexander Norrie, Daughters: Elizabeth (my great grandmother) and Mary, sons: I think George, John and James.

Alexander Norrie, Was a Wool Spinner who was born- 8 April 1852 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK; died- 1936 in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Married:  

Christian Park who was born- 1845 in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK and died in 1930.

After Alexander Norrie died, Christian Park remarried to:  James Philip, who died in 1868.

Alexander's Parents were:                                                                        

William Norrie

b. 1824  in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

d.  19 Dec.1912 in Scotland

One of my Australian relatives says she does not think this is the Norrie family of Scotland because he is in over-alls and they did not have those in Scotland at that time.  So my question is:  Who is this family?  Is it the Anson family on my grandfather's side that had been in the United States for years before everyone else on my father's side of the family?  Who is the child?  The Mother?  So this photo remains unidentified.

married- 1852 in Skene to:

Elizabeth McKenzie

b. 1830 in Skene, Scotland, UK

d.1900 in Echt, Scotland, UK

Christian Park's Parents were:

George Park  (We see George again in another part of this tree)

b.  1810 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

d.  1878 in Old Machar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Married in 1830 to:

Ann Bannerman

b.  Abt. 1808 in Scotland, UK

d.  1848 in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

I will have to put captions later.  Google seems to be deleting instead of creating captions right now.

New Pages Added

I have added some new  pages to the blog.  Most of the pages are still under construction.  As soon as I get things in some sort of order I will beef up the pages with photos etc.

A 1893 Interview of James Richards (The Oldest Man in Town), IV by Wilder W. Perry

Book:  Scrapbook History of Camden-Rockport (Maine),

Camden Herald Newspaper

Collection Organized by:

Jacqueline J. Young Watts and Isabel Morse Maresk

Cooperation of Bill Patten

Article: James Richards

Reporter:  Wilder W. Perry

Friday, March 31, 1893-- James Richards

James Richards, the oldest man in Camden, who passed away March 13 (1893) in his 95th year, was visited a few weeks previous by a representative of the press, who found him comfortably seated by the fire at his home on Free Street, one bitter cold day in February and was welcomed by a hearty handshake and pleasant smile.

“Yes,” said he, “I suppose I’m the oldest man in Camden.  I was born in Camden in a log cabin on what is now Pearl Street, near where I now live, and have lived my life time.  My grandfather, James Richards, was the first settler in Camden, coming here in 1768 and building a log house right back of the village hall lot, about where the Methodist Church stood before the fire.  I was the fifth child in a family of thirteen.  My grandfather came from Bristol, Maine, to which place he had moved the year before from a place on the Piscataqua river, New Hampshire.  My father’s name was James and he married the first white woman born in Camden, Mehitable, daughter of Robert Thorndike, who was the next settler after my  grandfather. My grandfather Thorndike lived to be 104 years old.  Soon after my grandfather Richards settled in Camden, his father, who was also named James, came here from Dover, New Hampshire and in a few years died and was buried in Camden.”

“This locality was a great place for hunting and fishing, and my grandfather came here to settle on that account.  He came in a small vessel with his negro slave.  When they rounded the Southern entrance to the harbor the negro pointed to the little island of ten acres, and said: ‘dar, dats my island and I’se gwin to have it.’  So the island has ever been called Negro Island.  It is now owned by the Government for the Camden harbor light house station.”

“Did he get along well with the Indians?”

“Yes, the Penobscot Indians were always very friendly.  They used to come to his log cabin and make use of his grind stone to sharpen their tomahawks on.  Sometimes grandmother was afraid of them.  They came once when grandfather was away, bringing some rum with them, and had a drunken pow wow.  When he returned in the evening, he drove them out, one of them being so drunk that he had to be dragged out of the cabin.  That was the only time he ever had any trouble with them.  They used him well except once when they found out he had quite a lot of beavers housed up side of a brook on Beach Hill meadow.  Grandfather would go and get one when he wanted it, but the Indians tore open the houses and got them all.  Grandfather was a great bear trapper and hunter.  Once a bear got into John Thorndike’s barn and took a calf.  They came for grandfather, and he rigged a log trap.  The bears returned that night, two of them, and both got caught in the trap.  One was headed one way and one the other, when the log came down on them, both happening to be passing through the trap at the same time.  One night, when grandfather came home, his wife told him that she had heard a bear growl near by on the side of the mountain during the afternoon.  He went out and in a few minutes shot him.  He weighed over 400 lbs. and was the largest one he ever killed. Grandfather used to go hunting a great deal with Leonard Metcalf, who ran away from the English service druing the Revolutionary times and settled in Camden, whom Locke in his history speaks of as having rode a bear bare back down Mt. Battie, finally killing him.  They were once hunting for moose.  That animal defends himself with his forward feet.  They found a moose yearling in the deep snow, where the moose had trodden out a place to feed.   Metcalf was on the point of getting down into the yard, when grandfather saw a big moose coming, and pulled Metcalf out by the collar just in time to save him from being pounded to death by the moose.”

While the old gentleman was relating the incident, his nephew, Mr. Fred M. Richards, who had been listening, returned from the attic with an old gun, a long single barreled flint lock English piece, the identical one used by the old hunter.  It bore this inscription:  “This gun is more than 200 years old used by James Richards the first settler.  He killed 70 moose with it and over 100 bears”.  He also brought down from the attic the large old steel bear trap, with its well worn links, which the primitive hunter used.

“My grandfather,” continued the old citizen, “had a hard time during the Revolutionary war.  The English burned his cabin but did not find him or his family.  He went up river about 2 miles and built another log cabin.  The English also came up and burned that too.  One of his boys saw them coming and gave the alarm in time to get the cattle away off in the woods where the English could not find them. The English burned the grist mill and the settlers then had to carry their corn through the woods twelve miles to the Warren mill.  It was grandfather’s brother, Dodapher who was held at bay one night in the woods by wolves, on his return from Warren with a half bushel of meal on his shoulder.  He stood up back to a big tree and fought them with his cane and a little dog;  he would throw the dog out among the wolves, and for a little while they would fall back, and then return, the dog being afraid and coming back to his feet.  In this way he kept them off until morning, when the wolves slunk away, and he returned home safe with his grist.”

“I can remember all about the war of 1812,” said he, “and saw the English fleet of twenty vessels sail up the Penobscot when they took Castine.  The also took Belfast, but did not take Camden.  They were afraid to try it.  My brother, Asa, defended the harbor from the top of Mt. Battie with a few men and one small cannon which he carried a ball about 6 inches in diameter.  I saw him fire it several times, and the balls struck the water out beyond the ledges at the entrance to the harbor.  There were two other small cannons in use at the settlement.  So the English passed by what they thought a strongly fortified town.  My brother Asa and Peter Ott were afterwards taken prisoners at Clam Cove.  They took Asa for a pilot, but he would only pilot them away, and so they let him go on Lassells’ Island.”

On being asked to what he attributed his long life, our aged friend could give no special reason, except temperate habits.  He followed his father’s occupation of running a saw and grist mill and has always been active in life until within a few years.  When a young man he was a great wrestler.  Few could ever take him down.  He  went by the name of “Stiff Back”.  He also used tobacco freely until he was 72 and  then thought it hurt him and left it off.  He never was married.  He has 2 sisters living in Camden, one Mrs. Eliza Simonton, aged 90 and Mrs. Nathaniel Crooker, aged 86.  These three with eight other near relatives in Camden all over 80, had a picnic a year ago last summer at Lake City, at the summer cottage of his nephew, Mr. E. E. Richards, of Boston.  Mr. Richards always had a habit of greeting everyone with a smile and then as he was nearing the century mark, he found life a pleasure, and was enough interested in passing events to enjoy it as he was passing along.

-by William W. Perry

James Richards, III

Mehitable Thorndike Richards

The Pedigree of the man being interviewed, and how he is related to me: I am related to James Richards II through his brothers, Dodipher and Joseph. Their sons (both Joseph) each married a Young daughter and each daughter had a child (then 3 more generations) that married, eventually creating my Great Grandmother, Charlotte Richards Berry.

James Richards, I (My 7x Gr. Grandfather) (1709- 1789) James Richards, II (bro. of Dodapher, my 6x Gr. Grandfather) b. Dover, NH d. Camden, ME Sarah Foss, 1713- ? James Richards, III b. 22 Feb. 1766 Camden, Maine m. 2 July 1791 Rockport, Maine d. 29 Dec. 1858 Camden, Maine William Hasson ?-? Elizabeth Hasson b. 22 Oct. 1747 Maine d. 29 May 1812 Camden, Maine THE MAN BEING INTERVIEWED: James Richards, IV b. 9 Oct. 1798 Camden, Maine m. Never married d. 13 Mar. 1893 Camden, Maine Robert Thorndike b. 4 Feb. 1730 Falmouth, Maine m. 11 Feb. 1758 Falmouth, Maine d. 10 Dec. 183 Camden, Maine Mehitable Thorndike b. 8 April 1770 Camden, Maine d. 13 July 1851 Camden, Maine John Wallis, 1695-1768 Deborah Wallis b. 2 Nov. 1740 Cape Elizabeth, Maine d. 2 March 1821 Camden, Maine Patience Hodgkins, 1697-1706

Pedigree generated by PedigreeQuery.com

The Family Connection: John Foss and Mary Berry

The Family Connection: John Foss and Mary Berry

Confusing, but necessary.  John Foss is frequently referred to as Johann Foss from Danish ancestry.  There is no Johann.  Only John who is from England.  Mary Berry is often referred to as Mary Chadbourne, wife of John Foss.  She is not.  She is Mary Berry, daughter of William Berry and Jane Locke Hermins.  I had to delete a bunch of names from my family pedigree to correct this problem, but I would rather have the truth of who I am than some false story.  If these names look familiar to your family tree, read this article and figure out if you are descended from John Foss or John Fosst, Mary Chadbourne or Mary Berry.

http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2012/07/john-foss-and-mary-berry.html

My Book Collection

Funny how I like all those black and white book/magazines about each town in the State of Maine.  I was in my book shelf today and found 3 books that might be able to help me with my genealogy research.  The first one is the black and white booklet I salvaged from some pile of books I found somewhere.  It was damaged, the soft cover was ripped and many of the pages torn out of its binding.  The book is named:  "Mirror into the Past":  Town of Passadumkeag, Maine Sesquicentennial 1835-1985. It credits:  George Websters "Passadumkeag and its People", Bangor Historical Society "Battle of Scalp Rock", Bangor Daily News, Bangor Public Library, Kay Trickey, Marion Hannemann, Arlene Parker, True Severence, and includes a special thanks to Bea Mottram "for her help and advise, and all the others too many to name them all."  It was compiled by Lillian Marquis.  I have no idea who published it.  This book seems like a good source for anyone who was descended from earlier people from that area.  Though I did highlight a few surnames, I may never find out if any are actually related to me because if they were, it would be someones sisters, daughters child, and indirect.  Mostly I do direct bloodlines and their spouses, and list their children and spouses if the information is available.  It would be a fun read for anyone from Passudumkeag as it has old photos from the town and even has school photos.

I did scan some of the photos from the book about Passadumkeag to possibly help people with their own family genealogy.  I know that for me, there is nothing as great as seeing an old photo of a relative.  I just have to remember to tag my posts.

The next book, "The Maine Coast:  Penobscot Bay Region:  Special Bicentennial Supplement Maine and the American Revolution."  The printing of this soft cover bookwas done at Maine Coast Printers.  Rockland Ads were composed at the Island Ad-Vantages Newspaper, Stonington.  Proof was read by Blanche.  This book was edited and published by Richard Baker, Ellsworth Falls, Maine.  Copyright 1975  by Richard Baker.  It has bits of history from up and down Penobscot Bay.  One of my complaints about this book is that they are telling a story about some battle or something and they leave out the names of who does what, and only add the names of the captain or maybe not even him.  I am waiting for a name drop that never happens, and it is a bit frustrating.  These people were a part of the American Revolution.  Many of these names are around and known.

On page 23 of "The Maine Coast..." , there is a description of Rockland Bog.  It doesn't say where it is.    Could be in Thomaston, Warren, Rockport or Rockland.  it talks about Bear Hill there.  Then it goes onto tell a story about one of my relatives, Dodipher Richards who was the brother of the first settler of Camden, Maine.  (They don't say who he is, but he is James Richards (Jr.).  Anyway, it says a bear killed one of Dodipher's children (doesn't say which one).  It goes on to say Dodipher fought for hours against blood thirsty wolves.  I've never heard this story of a Bear killing one of his children.  I have read a story about him taking some grain to Warren to sell (and of course he would have to hike on some trail to do this).  Says the woman at the other end was alone and she was afraid of Richards.  So Richards turns around and on his way home is confronted by a pack of wolves.  There is a book that was written in 1909 (I believe) that tells this story, but nothing about Bear Hill or his child being killed by a bear.  My husband looked it up on the internet where there was yet another story about this incident, which sounds like the person killed was not his child at all.  I got this little book from the shelves of a used bookstore in Marblehead Village, MA.

The third book I pulled from my shelf also came from the old Marblehead Village, MA.  This one is "Stories Behind the Stones".  It was written by Gail M. Potter.  Published by South Brunswick and New York:  A. S. Barnes and Company, and London: Thomas Yoseloff Ltd.  Copyright 1969.  I got it because I became enthralled by some of the stories behind these gravestone engravings.  Some told part of a long story.  The author, Potter, then goes on to tell the whole story, which in most cases is quite interested, and you get a bit of history from reading them.  It wasn't till later when I got involved with the internet's "Find a Grave" website, and I began taking pictures of family gravestones that I got the idea that maybe, just maybe that book had some family information in it!  So I am approaching this book with a new frame of mind.  I looked in the back where it has an index of names from history and some events.  It even has indexed some New England towns of historic interest.  Today, I highlighted any name, town or event that I know is related to my family history.  I will begin reading the book probably tomorrow.

New Lindquist Pedigree Chart Coming Soon

 In light of my Cousin Eddie's death, I am going to type up a new pedigree chart to post for that part of my tree to post.

Death of a Cousin

  Edward Lee Lindquist, age 45, died on Friday March 1st, 2013 when he pulled out turning wide into the path of a tractor trailer.  He was riding his new 1999 Harley Davidson at the time, & was wearing a helmet.  He had left to run a quick errand and had several children home waiting for him to return.  This accident occurred when Ed was pulling out of the long driveway/road.  Fortunately none of the children witnessed the accident. Eddie, a loving father, Grandfather, U. S. military veteran, God loving man leaves a beautiful wife and children, a mother, sister and several other family members behind as he goes to join the Lord in Heaven.  Eddie is my Uncle David's oldest child (of two).  Uncle David is my father's youngest brother.  I believe Eddie's birthday is May 1967.

Ed and I never had a chance to really get to know each other while growing up, but recently, over the  past few years on Facebook I had enjoyed getting to know him and his family.  Politically, Eddie and I definitely did not see eye to eye, but love is unconditional.  We both made it through the presidential elections of 2012 okay.  He is a kind soul wrapped in a rough-looking exterior.  Now, with God, he is simply a kind Soul who has shed his physical body, and is free!  No pain!  Rest in Peace my dear cousin.

Ed with most of his children (minus some older ones)

Ed and his large clan (I believe there is one extra here)

Ed with his mother, and sister Lizz.

Ed doing Halloween duty.

Ed recently, after he got his bike.  I mean he just got this damn bike
 like within the past month, that is how new.