Maine Genealogy
Source: Augustus W. Corliss, ed., Old Times: devoted to the publication of documents relating to the early history of North Yarmouth, Maine, including Harpswell, Freeport, Cumberland, and Yarmouth, all offshoots of the old town: also genealogical records of the principal families in each town, vol. 7 (Yarmouthville, Me.: A.W. Corliss, 1883).
[p. 1035]NORTH YARMOUTH NECROLOGY.In the subjoined list of deaths I have attempted to construct a necrology of the inhabitants of the town of North Yarmouth, Me., for the twentwy years between 1730 and 1750. The town records furnish most of the material, but I have occasionally gathered an item from the chiseled marble of the graveyard. Of course this list is exceedingly incomplete, as the negligent clerks of the early settlers have failed to record the events of their own times properly. To show how much disparity is possible between recorded and actual deaths we need only to read the statement of that accurate and minute chronicler. Parson Smith, of Falmouth. He states that seventy-five persons died of "distemper" previous to May 1, 1737, but only one death is noted that year previous to his memorandum! The family genealogist of the old town, who is at a loss to know what has become of many of his stray sheep, can look over this list and conclude that they must have died of "canker ail" or "distemper," and failed of recorded immortality. It will be plain in many instances, by referring to the annotations, to know why some of our unblown ancestral buds dropped off so unceremoniously.
1730 to 1750.
[BY DR. CHARLES E. BANKS.]
1730-1731, no deaths recorded.1732.5 Feb. Capt. James Parker.1733.27 Dec. Sarah, dau. of Samuel & Susanna Baker.1734.28 Apr. Elizabeth, dau. of David & Abigail Seabury.
5 June Susanna, dau. of Abner & Mary Brown.
21 Dec. Deacon Jacob Mitchell.1735.21 Jan. Archelaus, son of Jacob & Mary Brown.
25 July Eleazer Eaton.
4 Oct. Josiah, son of Samuel & Susanna Baker.[p. 1036]1736.30 Jan. Richard Webber.
5 Feb. Mary Potter, dau. of Stephen & Margaret Larrabee.
28 Apr. John, son of John & Patience Hammond.
24 Oct. Elsie, dau. of Noah & Hannah Mitchell.
16 Dec. Esther, dau. of Barnabas & Mercy Winslow.1737.[Note: Under date of May 1st, Parson Thos. Smith writes in his journal. "The distemper is now bad at North Yarmouth. In all seventy-five have died of it in the whole town."]
28 Apr. Sarah Chandler.
12 July Simeon, son of Jacob & Mary Brown.
15 July Daniel, son of Jacob & Mary Brown.
29 July Miriam, dau. of Jacob & Mary Brown.
30 July Mary, dau. of Jacob & Mary Brown.
12 Sept. Mrs. Huldah (Weare) Mitchell.
24 Sept. Peter, son of Peter & Sarah Weare.
24 Sept. Daniel, son of Peter & Sarah Weare.
8 Oct. Content, dau. of Peter & Sarah Weare.
20 Oct. Stephen Larrabee,
[Note: Under date of Nov. 26th Parson Smith writes, "The pleurisy fever prevails, and has proved mortal to several at North Yarmouth." And under date of Dec. 1st he notes, "We have melancholy accounts of the sickness at North Yarmouth."]
18 Nov. Stephen, son of Stephen & Margaret Larrabee.
1 Dec. Mrs. Margaret (Larrabee) Welch.1738.[Note: Under date of June 27th Parson Smith writes, "The canker distemper is at North Yarmouth."]
23 Apr. Hannah, dau. of Barnabas & Abigail Seabury.
28 Apr. Samuel, son of Barnabas & Abigail Seabury.
4 May Mary, dau. of Barnabas & Abigail Seabury.
3 June Benjamin, son of Gilbert & Patience Winslow.
8 June Stephen, son of Barnabas & Mercy Winslow.
17 June Benjamin, son of Gilbert & Patience Winslow.
20 June Mary, dau. of Benoni & Mary Fogg.
2 July Jeremiah, son of Benoni & Mary Fogg.
20 July Hannah, dau. of Benoni & Mary Fogg.
27 Sept. Mrs. Abigail Seabury.1739.13 Nov. William, son of Benjamin & Mary Ingersoll.1740.29 Feb. Sarah, dau. of Samuel & Susanna Baker.1741.27 Apr. Abner, son of Abner & Mary Brown.
7 July Issachar Winslow.[p. 1037]1742.17 Apr. John, sou of Solomon & Mary Mitchell.1743.29 Jan. Samuel, son of Ebenezer & Anna Clough.
1 Apr. Hannah, dau. of Elisha & Joanna Eaton.
19 Apr. Peter Weare.1744.17 Apr. Susanna, dau. of Samuel & Susanna Baker.
17 Nov. Andrew Ring.
21 Dec. Deacon Jacob Mitchell.
[Note: Under date of Dec. 26th Parson Smith writes, "It has been a sickly and dying time there (North Yarmouth) with this slow fever."]1745.6 Mar. Sylvanus, son of Deacon John & Rachel White.1746.18 Apr. Lydia, dau. of Seth & Deborah Mitchell.
16 June Miriam, dau. of Jacob & Lydia Brown.
9 Aug. Philip Greely [killed by Indians.]
22 Aug. Jacob, son of Ebenezer & Anna Clough.
7 Nov. Joseph Brown.1747.27 Sept. William, son of Solomon & Mary Mitchell.
1 Nov. Deacon John White.1748.10 May Enos, son of Moses & Abigail Bradbury.
__ June Ebenezer Eaton [killed by Indians.]
18 Oct. Rachel, dau. of Amos & Hannah Harris.
23 Oct. James, son of Deacon John & Rachel White.
30 Oct. Thomas, son of Deacon John & Rachel White.
7 Nov. Rachel, dau. of Solomon & Elsie Loring.
7 Nov. Hannah, dan. of Solomon & Elsie Loring.
[Note: Under date of Nov. 9th Parson Smith writes, "Nine children have lately died at North Yarmouth of the canker ail."]
15 Nov. John Foss.1749.5 Nov. John, son of Daniel & Lydia Paul.
Additions to this necrology may be contributed to the Editor. It is believed that this will be an interesting and valuable plan of collating events of the town's history. By a comparison of contemporary events, such as births, marriages, baptisms, purchases of property, removals and internal improvements, the natural growth of the settlement appears in detail. The joy of the newborn child, the delights of a wedding, and the poignancy of death[p. 1038]proceed in their chronological sequence, and only by that means can we see the daily life of the settlers as they saw it.
