New Harbor, ME. By Eric Richards - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, link.
Growing up northwest of Boston, instead of visiting the Cape in the summer, we headed north to Maine. I have many fond memories of trips to Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Damariscotta, and Boothbay Harbor. That early exposure laid a foundation for a love of the state, as many of my long weekends and vacations were spent crisscrossing Maine.
One place that keeps drawing me back is the Pemaquid Peninsula. Anchored by Damariscotta to the north and Pemaquid Point to the south, the peninsula is peppered with old houses, quiet roads, coastal villages, and scenic coves.
Beyond my family’s residence in Thomaston working as limeburners in the early 19th century, I was not aware of any other familial connections to Maine. After an afternoon exploring one of my many colonial lines, I was surprised to learn of a very early connection to the Pemaquid Peninsula. In my search, I learned that I was descended from John Brown of Pemaquid, who settled on the peninsula by 1639.1 Located in modern day Bristol, Maine, this region had been inhabited by the Wabanaki for thousands of years before European settlement. First a seasonal fishing outpost, a year-round settlement was established in 1620s.
Located on the northern outskirts of English rule, Colonial Pemaquid was a turbulent area that became a scene of conflict for the English, French, and Native Peoples. Two major attacks on the settlement, one during King Philip’s War in 1676, and another in 1689 during King William’s War forced settlers to abandon Pemaquid. Many fled south to Massachusetts Bay Colony essentially abandoning this frontier region of mid-coast Maine.
This conflict would directly impact the descendants of John Brown. Margaret (Gould) Stilson (ca.1658-1750), granddaughter of John Brown, and her children were captured at Pemaquid in the 1680s and held in captivity by the French in Quebec.2 It is very possible that they were captured during the Siege of Pemaquid in 1689. Margaret’s husband, James Stilson, was killed in the attack. Like many visitors to the Pemaquid Peninsula, I have visited the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in Bristol, the epicenter of the attacks.
Fort William Henry. By Paul VanDerWerf - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0, link.
Here, three different military forts were built and rebuilt after each assault. It is a beautiful place, with sweeping views of the Pemaquid River. I remember walking the grounds and finding it difficult to imagine the destruction.
Margaret (Gould) Stilson (ca. 1658-1750), and her daughter Margaret (Stilson) Hilton (ca. 1675-1763), are my ancestors. Learning that they were taken captive and held in Quebec was a surprise; Margaret (Gould) Stilson (ca. 1658-1750) was redeemed in 16953 while Margaret (Stilson) Hilton (ca. 1675-1763) remained with her siblings in Quebec for almost twelve years.3 After they returned, they would settle in Marblehead and Manchester in Essex County, Massachusetts.
I wrote about sharing a place with an ancestor in 2017, and my sentiment has remained the same – it makes genealogy come to life. Our ancestors are more than birth, marriage, and death dates; uncovering details of their lives can provide new perspectives for us. But, learning that my ancestors endured a traumatic experience was unsettling - it was also an experience that was impossible for me to imagine. Though it is still one of my favorite places in Maine, I have a bit more reverence for the area now. I know that my next visit will be a little bit different.
Do you share any places with your ancestors?
Learn More
Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 6th edition.
Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire.
Notes
[1] Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Surnames A-B (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979), p. 115; York Deeds, Vol. 35, p. 54-56
[2] Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars (Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2008) p. 175-179
[3] Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars (Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2008) p. 175-6