A HISTORY OF EAST OXFORD, MAINE
by Mildred Lane Kendall, Janet Hamlin Owen Provencher, and John Lawrence Haldane
copyright 2002, Grand Memories Publications
Mildred Lane Kendall originally wrote this History before 1948 with the help of some older relatives, who remembered events and interesting things of their younger days. It originally covered the 4 generations of her mother’s people (Annie Rowe Lane was her mother) who all lived in East Oxford, Oxford County, Maine: Andrews, Paines, Rowes and Chipmans.
The History was compiled and re-written by Maine Historian, Janet Hamlin Owen Provencher.
John L. Haldane edited the document again, making corrections and comments. He also added an Addendum including a detailed Genealogy Report of the Descendants of William Brewster, as they pertain to our family, in March 2002.
When dates, marriages, and other data were written in the original History and could not be proved or disproved, they were left as they appeared in that History with a comment that documentation is lacking. Such information should be taken as an oral history and not as proven fact.
The first part was of the original document was titled, "Our Pioneers of Maine" and the second, "Horse and Buggy Days."
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History of the Town
In the western part of our state lies an irregular parcel of land given to Alexander Shepard, Jr., of Newton, when the commonwealth of Massachusetts was rich in lands but poor in purse. This grant called Shepardsfield Plantation was given in payment for making a map of the district of Maine.
At the death of Mr. Shepard, quite a portion of the original grant was sold to Andrew Craigie; whose home in Cambridge is well known to tourists as the headquarters of Washington during the siege of Boston, and later as the home of the poet Longfellow.
Mr. Craigie was an ambitious man who not only encouraged agriculture in his Maine domain, but manufacturing as well. He established the once famous "Craigie Farm," dammed the outlet of Lake Thompson, erected lumber mills and put a grist mill into operation. Thus with the growth of the mills, the result of Mr. Craigie’s efforts, a small village grew by the name of "Craigie’s Mills."
East Oxford was originally a part of the Shepardsfield Plantation. It was once a part of Hebron; but as the development of Craigie’s Mills progressed, the need of separating the two became a prominent fact. In 1829 Hebron was divided. The Western part became the town of Oxford, named in honor of the newly formed county in which it was situated, and which General Learned of Livermore, the first Sheriff, christened after his old homestead in Massachusetts.
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"Our Pioneers of Maine"
We don’t know just what year Corp. John Andrews of Raynham, Mass. (b. 1756) and Betsey Deane of Taunton, Massachusetts left Taunton to come to the wilderness of Oxford to live. He must have had a rugged physique to serve his country at the age of 62 years. Previously he had served in the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1781. This is what the State Record has about his two separate services to his country.
"John Andrews of Raynham, Massachusetts enlisted in Raynham, April 9, 1777 for 3 years. Had further service in 1819. He was Corporal in Captain J. Callenders Co., Mass. Fair complexion, 5’ 8", Pension roll $96. Annual allowance, also a pension under act of March 18, 1818."
John Andrews was the son of Henry Andrews (b. abt. 1719) Raynham, Mass., and Mehitable Shelley (b. abt. 1723) Raynham, Mass. Proof of this was given in Photostat copies of Service Records that are kept in Washington, D.C., showing that he was a brother of Zephaniah Andrews of the same town.
At the time he applied for his pension in 1820, he was unable to pursue his occupation as blacksmith, by reason of his age and infirmities.
The schedule of his real and personal estate at this time was listed as follows: 1 old horse, 1 cow, 6 sheep, 7 lambs, 1 swine, 5 pigs, 1 chest, 1 case drawers, small lot earthenware, 5 articles iron – do, 1 table, 9 old chairs, shovels and hoe, a poor set of Blacksmith tools.
Here is a story handed down about (Corp) John Andrews of the Revolution. He carried his whiskey in a coffeepot with a stopper at the lower end of the spout. The spout was filled with milk. When the officers asked what was in the coffeepot he would say, "Milk, by G—" and turn out a little.
John and Betsey were married June 1781 at Taunton, Massachusetts. Their children were born in Hebron before it was divided in 1829. That section was later called East Oxford (Hebron Vital Statistics). His wife survived several years. Both were buried at Mechanic Falls, Maine, toward West Minot, and graves are marked. The descendants who contributed at the reunion at East Oxford, Maine purchased a stone. Their children were as follows:
Corp. John and Betsey built or purchased a place in Mechanic Falls, but Loved settled first on the Minot Road in East Oxford and later moved near the Washington Deane place. A descendant of Dean’s wrote:
"In the lot in front of Corp. John Andrews and his wife, at the Main Street Cemetery Mechanic Falls, are his son Dean and family. Children and grand-children of John Andrews and the Goldermans are living on Maple Street, in the old homestead."
Betsey Dean’s sister, Lavinia Dean b. 1866, Taunton, Mass., had married Abitha Richmond, b. 1762, Taunton, Mass. They moved to Greene, Maine, near Quaker Ridge. Later in this history we will find that their granddaughters Elvina and Sarah married their 2nd cousins Freeman and Edwin Andrews. (Loved and Betsey Deane Andrews’ grandsons). This is how some of our relatives became Quakers.
Oxford record states that Loved was born at Minot, but since Minot borders on Hebron, that may be the reason for his birth date having been recorded in both towns. In those days Minot must also have included what later became known as the Mechanic Falls road toward Welchville, etc. Therefore if Corp. John had settled in Mechanic Falls as George Stephens said, Dean Andrews moved from Hebron and settled near Minot, so that his grandson (I believe George Stephens was), grew up at Welchville, Maine, where we visited him and got this genealogy.
Aunt Maidie Paine Elwell [Eva Mabel Paine, married to Benjamin Franklin Elwell] wrote:
"Our Loved Andrews was 21 years old when the War of 1812 was started. He was a seaman on the Brig. Enterprise, fighting with the English Brig. Boxer 5 Sep. 1813. The Enterprise won the battle and the Captains were buried side by side in Portland, before Maine became a State. The British Captain had requested this.
Loved met and married Huldah Marston who lived near Portland, or Falmouth as it was called. He was jolly and lively. I think he took Huldah to Hebron (Oxford County). They were married 24 Dec 1818 and had their honeymoon Christmas week. I believe they soon moved on the Minot road in E. Oxford and later near Washington Deane. In those days relatives settled near each other.
Aunt Maidie wrote: "At one time he was put in jail for something he did, but he escaped with 2 other men; one was a fat man who got stuck when half-way through the window and was almost skinned alive being pulled out. Loved used to tell the story with great laughter." I think Aunt Mary Marston (Huldah’s sister) who married Washburn, lived at E. Oxford for a while, near Aunt Maidie’s grandmother. Her daughter, Diantha Washburn of Welchville, was killed by the Indians in Minnesota where she lived with her husband. He was killed also.
Children of Loved and Huldah Marston Andrews (see genealogy at end of this story for details and documentation):
Until James Marston’s death, they lived between Mechanic Falls and East Oxford, Maine. Oxford record states that Loved was a stonecutter and died Aug 1863 in Poland, Maine, but Aunt Maidie says that he died in East Oxford. After his death one of his daughters had nightmares that he was buried alive because a clairvoyant said so, and it scared her. A few years before this, David who was a sailor in the Civil War, was hospitalized down South. He was given his discharge and money for service and started home, but never reached there. The clairvoyant said that two men with him murdered him for his money. He disappeared at 25 years of age. He had just written a letter stating that he was on his way home with money, and a friend was with him.
Elbridge went to sea several times. At that time seamen were not treated will, and the last time he signed up to go, he said that he was almost afraid to go again as he had taken an oath that if he ever was foolish enough to do so, he hoped he would be drowned. He went with his cousin Charles Wright, (Esther Marston having married a Wright). Elbridge was addicted to walking in his sleep and Charles told that he did so that night saying, "Good God, see me go," and jumped overboard. The boat was stopped but they didn’t find him.
Uncle Jack Andrews ran away at the age of 12 years with his cousin Charles Wright. He was a seafaring man and traveled all over the world. He did not marry until late in life and lived near Bangor (LaGrange, Maine). After 3 children were born, his wife died. He gave his son to a friend to take West and His daughters he left with his wife’s sister in Massachusetts to bring up.
Of the 10 children of Loved and Huldah’s who lived to marry, four boys were to carry the name on, but Dianna Andrews is the one that we are most concerned with, since she was the one in East Oxford, whose posterity increased there; we are her descendants. Loved’s wife, Huldah Marston died in 1876, Loved having died 13 years previous. He had been buried the day following his death.
Loved Andrews stone, Shepardsfield Cemetery, East Oxford, Maine
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More Chapters:
Comments, corrections, and inquiries are welcome. You may contact John Haldane at: FatherJohn@grandmemories.com
http://www.grandmemories.com/ or http://grandmemories.homestead.com/