A HISTORY OF EAST OXFORD, MAINE
by Mildred Lane Kendall, Janet Hamlin Owen Provencher, and John Lawrence Haldane
copyright 2002, Grand Memories Publications
PAINE PIONEERS
Abijah S. Paine, our common ancestor, was not the son of Jacob Paine of Foxboro, Massachusetts, as claimed in Mildred Kendall's original History. The Sumner, Maine vital records reveal clearly that he was the son of Abijah Paine of Harwich, Massachusetts and his wife, Hannah. The last name of Hannah has not been found, but it is believed she was Hannah Reed or Read.
The stagecoach passed through East Oxford, stopping at the tavern, which later became the Dudley place. The Perkins place was already built at the top of the hill in East Oxford, enroute to South Paris, (the road going North), when Loved arrived on the scene. His house was near the bottom or midway of the hill, near Minister Brook.
A story was told about Jacob Paine of Greenwood, thought by Mildred Lane Kendall and Eva Mabel Paine Elwell to be the father of Abijah Smith Paine. They built their own place, and it must have been a very good one and sturdy, because it is still standing. Aunt Maidie stated that the house was now newly built though. When Jacob inquired about which he should pay his taxes, they said: "Well, do you live in the house in Paris, or do you live in the barn in Greenwood?" I suppose the town lines were run quite some time after he had built his place, and that is why the house and barn were in separate towns. Some of Jacob’s children, or maybe his brothers, settled in Illinois, but we do not know when they went. Supposedly, they wrote to Abijah S. Paine, our ancestor, to come there to live, but Abijah's wife Sophronia was reportedly homesick, so he returned to Maine.
A search of United States census records for 1840 and 1850 fail to find our Abijah Paine in Illinois in 1840 or 1850. In fact, our Abijah Paine is not found in U.S. census records for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, or Rhode Island for either 1840 or 1850. The whereabouts of this family is a mystery as yet unsolved. This may never be resolved, as many western states did not have census records for 1840 or 1850 and people "on the move" were often missed in census counts.
Abijah S. Paine's son, Abner Reed Paine, is, however, found in Randolph, Norfolk, Massachusetts 1850 (Sept. 20, 1850; Line 32, page 225; LDS Film 443548). His profession is "pedlar." He is enumerated as "Abner R. Paine," age 19, born in Maine, so it is almost certain this is the same Abner Reed Paine.
The French and Indian War had only ceased in 1759. Some Indians were still hostile up to 1785 or 1790.
Mildred wrote, "It bothers us that Abijah S. Paine’s name was not recorded in the old family Bible along with the group below, but Aunt Maidie is sure he belongs there."
Of course, the reason his name isn't in that family Bible is that he is of a different family. It is curious how our Abijah S. Paine got associated with Jacob Paine of Foxboro. The real ancestors of Abijah S. Paine are listed in the vital records of Sumner, Maine. Their first son, Daniel Reed Paine, is not in the Sumner VRs, but is listed in the Paris, Maine VRs as follows: "Daniel Reed Paine Son to Abijah and Hannah Paine was born December the 16th 1793 and died the 4th Day of August 1795."
The Paris Vital Records:
The Sumner Vital Records:
Abijah Paine Born March 18th 1771
Hannah Paine Born December 11th, 1773
Their Children Born
Hannah Paine Born (probably Paris) May 15, 1796 (this date is also listed in the Paris VR)
Fanna Paine Born (probably Sumner) Novr 15 1798
Abijah Pain Jun born May 12 1801; Abijah Pain Jun Died July 30 1804
Samuel Clark Paine born January 11 1804
Abijah Smith Paine Born August 18, 1806
Zeletas Read Pain Born October 17, 1808
Abner Read Pain born September 4 1810
Abijah Paine, born 18 March 1771, is shown in Harwich Massachusetts Vital Records to be the son of Jonathan Paine and Rebecca Clark (1738-1831). This Jonathan Paine is the son of Joseph Paine and Hannah Huckins. Joseph is the son of Joseph Paine and Patience Sparrow. Patience is the daughter of Jonathan Sparrow and Hannah Prence. Hannah is the daughter of Thomas Prence and Patience Brewster. Patience is the daughter of Pilgrim William Brewster.
Joseph Paine the elder (spouse of Patience Sparrow) is the son of Thomas Paine (b. 1610) and Mary Snow. Mary is the daughter of Nicholas Snow and Constance Hopkins. Constance is the daughter of Pilgrim Stephen Hopkins and his wife, Mary. All three of these Hopkins arrived at Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620.
Thus our Paine family descends directly from four Mayflower passengers. This editor has documented proof from Vital Records of Harwich, Massachusetts and Mayflower Society Publications. See the Addendum at the end of this History for more details.
Abijah Paine and his wife, Hannah
Abijah Paine came to Paris, Maine prior to 1796, when he is recorded as having purchased lands (The History of Paris, page 74): "Abijah Paine of Paris, bought of Jonathan Bemis, Feb. 11, 1796, lots 21 and 22, in the 5th range."
It is possible he came with his father, Jonathan Paine, as The History of Paris records the fact that a Jonathan Paine came to Paris (page 518): "John [Bird]…in company with Jonathan Paine came to Paris." Nothing further is recorded in Paris regarding this Jonathan, however, and his origin and final destination are unknown. If he were the father of Abijah, it is possible he died before Abijah purchased land in 1796, explaining how Abijah had the money to purchase two lots. This is only speculation, however, and this may be another Jonathan Paine. The fact that our Jonathan Paine's wife, Rebecca Clark Paine, died in Brewster, Massachusetts 25 February 1831 (Brewster Vital Records) at age 93 would seem to indicate that her husband, Jonathan, was not the one who came to Maine.
Abijah left for Sumner sometime after May 1796 when his daughter, Hannah, was born and before March 1799. The History of Paris states that he sold land at that time (page 74): "Peter Chase of Sutton bought of Abijah Paine of Sumner, March 6, 1799, part of 21 in the 7th."
Abijah may have moved to Sumner before November 1798 when his daughter, Fanna, was born. Fanna is not listed in the Paris VR, but she is listed in the Sumner VR.
Paris Vital Records also notes the following interesting information about our ancestor:
"Abijah Paines Marck for Sheep A Crop of the right ear and half penny out of the underside of the left ear - entered Feby ye 4th 1796"
Abijah is found in the 1800 US Census for Sumner, Maine with 2 females under 10 years of age, one female 10-15, and one female 26-45 (wife Hannah). Abijah is the sole male listed, age 26-45. It is clear the two youngest females are Hannah and Fanna, but the female age 10-15 is a mystery, although she might be a nanny, a teacher, or a relative.
Abijah S. Paine was the son of Abijah Paine, born in 1806, before Maine became a state. Maine became a state March 15, 1820, when Abijah S. Paine was 14 years old. It was originally believed that Sophronia was born at Turner (Dist of Mass.) 1806, now Maine, but no Sophronia Davis is listed in the Turner, Maine Vital Records. A Sophronia Davis was born 1804 in Pejepscot (later Danville, now Auburn) Maine and was raised by her grandparents, named Merrill. It seems likely, that this Sophronia Davis is our ancestor. Sophronia’s age in the 1860 census is given as 53 and in the 1870 census she is listed as 63. Both census records are for Oxford, Oxford, Maine.
Uncle Amos thought she was related to Jefferson Davis. If she were related to Jefferson Davis, however, it would be through her father, who has not been identified.
She was buried on the farm in East Oxford, which Abijah S. cleared himself. (It was between Minot and E. Oxford near where Walter Rowe lived in 1947). Aunt Maidie wrote: "My father, Abner Paine was born in East Oxford, on the farm his father cleared. It was situated one-half mile below the Wilder place, off the beaten road. Minot Vital Records state that Abner was born at Minot, while his death record at the Maine State Archives says he was born at Oxford. The former is far more likely based on census records and other data. Abner could not have lived far away from the Red School house since he and Dianna Andrews both attended this school together for a while. In those days they had family graveyards right on their own farm. Only Sophronia and her oldest son, Samuel Clark Paine were buried on Abijah’s farm however.
Mildred found in the 1860 Census of Oxford, Maine that our Abijah S. Paine was born 1806, while his wife Sophronia Davis was born 1807. That is the first proof that they had of their births.
Since that time (pre-1948), Abijah S. Paine has been found in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 census records for Oxford, Maine, and the Sumner Vital Records, but not the 1840 or 1850 census. He may be in the 1820 census with Abijah Paine in Minot as there is a male of the correct age listed, but names are not given in the 1820 census for any other than the Head of Household. There is an Abijah Paine of the correct age in the 1830 census for Minot, too, with 2 males under 5 years old (Samuel Clark and Abner Reed).
Sophronia is listed as "of Minot" in both her marriage intentions (February 10th, 1826) and her marriage record (April 12th 1826). Both the intention and the marriage are recorded in the Minot VR.
Abijah S. Paine, b. 18 August 1806.
Sophronia Davis born 29 November 1804 at Pejepscot (Pejepscot VR). An independent record of her death has not been located. The birth date of 1807 is derived from U.S. Census records and is probably inaccurate. It was quite common for a woman to state her age to census takers as younger than her husband.
5 children:
Abijah Smith Paine Stone, Paine Cemetery, East Oxford, Maine
Abner’s brother Abijah Merrill Paine and family lived at the cute house on the corner, which he built himself. His first daughter Lillian died of consumption in 1888 in East Oxford. Then Rena was only 14 years old. She was preparing to be a schoolteacher. (She taught one term at East Oxford). Her mother was Rebecca Soule, daughter of Galen Soule and Clarissa Dudley. (Galen was a brother to Eliza Jane Soule who married Abraham Deane.) Uncle Abijah and Aunt Rebecca had only two girls.
They were not blind to the advantages of civilization and progress for all their self-sufficiency and semi-isolation. Nevertheless they were living in an era of their own, quite apart from the rest of the world, out of touch with the progress of a rapidly approaching mechanical age. Many of the events of which they heard or read seemed incredible. Aunt Maidie wrote: "I once told my father, (Abner Paine) he should write an account of the family moving to Illinois and back for the "ADVERTISER" but he said he had no dates, and said the paper would require them. They went by train to Paris, Illinois, where they bought a pair of horses and a covered wagon, in which they traveled the rest of the distance across the plains to their destination. Grandmother and Ann rode. Grandfather and the boys walked, so they must have been quite large boys. We don’t know how long they lived out there. They raised swine that had to be branded, as they were turned out to run with other people’s pigs. At school the pupils all studied aloud, which bothered these children from the East. Soon after they started on the return trip, a stranger who asked to accompany them across the plains joined them. Grandmother was suspicious of him, but Grandfather, being a trusting soul, readily gave his consent; but Grandmother took the precaution to coach her boys, telling them if the stranger should ask if their parents had money, to tell him "no" and if he should ask if they had firearms in the covered wagon to say "yes". After that, Grandmother was more nervous than ever, but Grandfather still scoffed at the idea. However, he stopped each night near a house or settlement. A week before reaching Paris, Illinois, where they would take the train, the stranger left them and thereafter they saw him at a distance every day with 4 more men on horseback, who seemed to be watching and following them. One night Gramp had to make camp with no house near. It was a moonlight night and Grandma awoke and looking out saw those horsemen not far away. She awoke Gramp and he seemed at last to wake up to their danger. He woke the boys, they harnessed quickly, and he galloped the horses all the way to the nearest town. Not long after their return home they read in the paper that the stranger was one of five Thayer brothers who were all hung for murder.
Here is another interesting historical account of Aunt Maidie’s grandmother’s sister, Esther (Huldah), who married Samuel Wright. "She lived in East Oxford and resided at the foot of Robinson Hill. When young and working out doing housework, she declared that she saw the devil. The man of the house was a very rough and profane person. One night at dusk, there came a knock at the door. Esther answered it, and said the devil stood there as tall as the house and asked to see the man of the house. She called him and he went to the door, and was never seen again. Esther and her employer went out and listened. They heard a great thrashing as of a struggle at a distance. Next morning they found the bushes on a boggy piece of land, all broken down; the man was never heard of again.
Mary, another sister of Huldah, who married a Washburn, lived in East Oxford, but moved to Welchville. The property in Welchville was purchased in 1820, along with the remainder of the Craigie estate (5,000 acres) by Jacob D. Brown, who opened a lumbering business and later sold to John Welch of Boston, who continued and increased the business.
Aunt Maidie wrote: "My grandmother Huldah grieved over losing baby James (2½ years) more than any of her troubles, and she had plenty. One day she was out of doors and all at once she heard the most beautiful music in the air that mortals ever heard. She felt that it was sent to comfort her, to tell her that he was an angel, and it did comfort her. Afterward she felt better. "
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