Hugh Libby, my third great grand uncle, was born on this date in 1793, in Gorham, Maine, the seventh of thirteen children born to Allison Libby and Sarah Dam, and their 4th son.
In 1814, at the age of 21, Hugh, the son of a Revolutionary War patriot, joined a local militia raised in Portland, Maine, as a private in Captain Skillings' Company, in Lt. Col. Nichols' Massachusetts Regiment.
Twelve years later, Hugh married his cousin (their mothers were sisters), Theodosia Small, of Limington, in York County. They were married in Limington on March 23, 1826. From 1830 to 1870, Hugh is listed in censuses as either a "farm laborer" or "laborer" in Gorham. However, according to church records, in 1831 he was admitted to membership at the First Parish Church there, and served as its sexton for many years. He probably received a small stipend for such services.
Hugh and Theodosia together had five children:
Elizabeth, b. June 23, 1828, who died young
William Henry, b. Feb. 28, 1830
Ellizabeth Dam, b. Jan. 1, 1832
John Francis, b. May 17, 1834
Thomas Roby, b. Dec. 17, 1839
Hugh died July 8, 1872, in Limington.
Theodosia survived him by 22 years. As you can see from the death record above, they are both buried in the Small-Thompson Tomb, off the Shaving Hill Road, in Limington. One of the two American flags honors Hugh's service in the War of 1812.
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| Photo credit: Karen Watson / Ancestry.com |
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| Photo credit: Karen Watson / Ancestry.com |
Another descendant and Ancestry member, Karen Watson, and her father, spent the entire summer of 2005 clearing and restoring this burial site. Karen's dad made this beautiful sign.
Credits:
1830 US Census; Census Place: Gorham, Cumberland,
Maine; Page: 312; Roll Number: 46, Hugh Libby.
1840 US Census; Census Place: Gorham, Cumberland,
Maine; Page: 531; Image: 993, Hugh Libby.
1850 US Census; Census Place: Gorham, Cumberland,
Maine; Page: 278A; Image: 25, Hugh Libby.
1860 US Census; Census Place: Gorham, Cumberland,
Maine; Page: 59; Image: 814, Hugh Libby.
1870 US Census; Census Place: Gorham, Cumberland,
Maine; Page: 296B; Image: 67, Hugh Libby.
Ancestry.com. Maine, Birth Records, 1621-1922
[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Hugh
Libby.
Ancestry.com. Maine, Death Records, 1617-1922
[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, Hugh
Libby.
Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military
Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations,
Inc., 2011
First Parish Church, Gorham, Maine, membership
records; downloaded database from Gorham (Me.) Historical Society website (http://www.gorhamhistorical.com/vital-records),
for Hugh Libby.
Libby, Charles Thornton. The Libby Family in
America, 1602-1881 (Portland, B. Thurston and Co., 1881), p.167.
"Maine, Marriages, 1771-1907," index,
FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F46G-MRM : accessed 24 May
2014), Hugh Libby and Theadosia Small, 23 Mar 1826; citing Limington, York,
Maine, reference IN 319 p 233; FHL microfilm 11533.
McLellan,
Hugh Davis, History of Gorham, Maine
(Smith & Sale, 1903), pp.621,624.
"Public Member Trees," database, Ancestry.com,
"Watson Jones Family Tree," for Hugh Libby (b. 26 May 1793), with
linked images.
U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815
[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999, Hugh
Libby.
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This is the 21st in a series, “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks,” coordinated by Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small.
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