Digging Down East: Libby Allison

Showing posts with label Libby Allison. Show all posts

Saturday, April 23, 2016

My 64 ~ Researching My 4th Great Grandparents : Allison Libby and Sarah Dam

My 4th great grandfather, Allison Libby, was born in Gorham, Maine, on April 6, 1755. He was the 3rd great grandson of John Libby, "The Immigrant," who arrived on the eastern shores from England in the 1630's.

John Libby (1602-1682) Memorial Stone, Scarborough, Maine

He was the 2nd son of Allison Libby and Sarah Skillings, one of 11 children born to them. At the age of 21, Allison enlisted at Scarborough, for a term of 3 years, in the Revolutionary War, with the rank of Private. He served in Captain Samuel Thoms' Company, in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment, commanded by Col. Benjamin Tupper. He was discharged on December 13, 1779.

A little over a year later, on February 15, 1781, in Scarborough, Allison took Sarah Dam as his bride. Sarah was born in Gorham on December 12, 1760, the daughter of John Dam and Abigail Libby. As described in The Libby Family in America,":

"After the war, he became one of the first settlers of the northern part of Gorham. The removal took place in February. There was no road from Scarborough to Gorham Corner, nor to Saccarappa. His only route was by Stroudwater Village. From Stroudwater he went back to Saccarappa, thence by a logging road into Windham, crossed the river on the ice at Horse-beef falls, and then by another logging road, with all his possessions loaded upon an ox-sled, reached his lonely home."

Together, Allison and Sarah Libby had 13 children, the first three in Scarborough, and the rest in Gorham. Following Allison's death, in 1825, Sarah married for the second time widower Daniel Small, another veteran of the Revolutionary War. He is buried in what is now an apple orchard on the Shaving Hill Road, in Limington, Maine.

Allison and Sarah Libby are buried in the North Street Cemetery, in Gorham, Maine.

Allison Libby's Grave, North Street Cemetery, Gorham, Maine

Sarah Libby's Grave, North Street Cemetery, Gorham, Maine

Most Maine Libby descendants pride themselves on knowing their "Libby number." This number is based on a numbering system devised by the author of "The Libby Family in America," Charles T. Libby. His explanation reads thus:

Following this system, my own number is 10-5-4-2-4-2-5-5-1-1.

John the Immigrant

David - 10th child of John

John - 5th child of David

Allison I - 4th child of John

Allison II - 2nd child of Allison (1733-1813)

Allison III - 4th child of Allison (1755-1816)

Harriet - 2nd child of Allison (1787-1869)

Clarence - 5th child of Harriet

Howard - 5th child of Clarence

Richard - 1st child of Howard

Me - 1st child of Richard

Allison Libby is a Patriot in the DAR's Genealogical Research System (GRS), Ancestor #A070199. Now that I am a Daughter, I plan to add him as one of my supplementals.

Sources:

Ancestry.com, Maine, Birth Records, 1621-1922 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Ancestry.com, Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; Pre 1892 Delayed Returns; Roll #: 66

Ancestry.com, Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Applications, 1835-36 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000), Ancestry.com.

Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), Ancestry.com

Libby, Charles Thornton. The Libby Family in America, 1602-1881 (Portland, B. Thurston and Co., 1881), p. 167.

"Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918", index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KXQ8-QQZ : accessed 14 Aug 2014), Allison Libby, 1806.

“Revolutionary War Service Records,” database and images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com/image/17719508/ : accessed 13 April 2016); service of Allison Libby (Capt. Samuel Thoms’ Co., in the 15th Battalion of Massachusetts Bay Forces commanded by Col. Benjamin Tupper, Revolutionary War); citing Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, compiled 1894 - ca. 1912, documenting the period 1775 - 1784, Record Group 93, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

My 64 ~ Researching My 4th Great Grandparents : Taking Sides During the American Revolution

When you grow up in New England, the American Revolution is all around you. Historic sites appear at left and right, field trips from school include museums and exhibits glorifying the struggles and battles of the war, and school assignments invariably include literature and histories depicting famous soldiers and generals.

It never entered my consciousness, before I began my genealogical research, that my ancestors included individuals and families who sided with England and its King. My 4th great grandfathers, however, include both Patriots and Loyalists, It was, in fact, a deep and complex dilemma for many, often resulting in the uprooting of families, and their resettlement in distant lands. My 4th great grandfather Thomas Bustin migrated from North Carolina, fought with Burgoyne in New York, and was among those evacuated onto one of many ships bound for Saint John, in Canada. My 4th great grandfather Hugh Cowperthwaite, a Quaker, grew up in New Jersey, and also found himself compelled to move to Canada, in support of the Crown.

Three of my 4th great grandfathers fought for independence in the Revolutionary War, Allison Libby II (15th Massachusetts Regiment), Benjamin Griswold (Massachusetts Continental Line), and William Prior (Connecticut Continental Line). Two more of my 4th great grandfathers supported the Patriot cause, however, without engaging in actual combat.

Deacon Thomas Cross, living in Gorham, Maine, was a member of Gorham's Committee to Hire Soldiers.

Moses Seavey, of Rye, New Hampshire, was a signatory of that colony's Association Test. His father-in-law, my 4th great grandmother Huldah Locke's father, Elijah Locke, signed as well. The Association Test, also known as the Patriot Test, was written by the New Hampshire Committee of Safety. In Rye, it began:

WE, the Subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage, and promise, that we will to the utmost of our Power, at Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with ARMS, oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets, and Armies, against the United American COLONIES.

The Test referred to a resolution passed by the Continental Congress on March 14, 1776, which called for two actions: the signatures of every adult male who was willing to take arms against the British, and the names of all who refused to sign. Their signature indicated their obligation to oppose the "hostile proceedings" of the British fleets and armies. The returns of such documents (there were others, like Maryland's List of Associators and New York's Signers of the Association) gave the signers of the Declaration of Independence assurance that their acts would be sanctioned and sustained by the citizens of the country. Town officers in New Hampshire were requested to obtain these signatures, who in turn sometimes selected a local "Committee of Safety," to carry out this order. Only white males above 21 years of age ("lunatics, idiots, and negroes excepted") were asked to sign this document. Not everyone qualified to sign agreed to do so, and not all of those who refused to sign were considered "Tories."

There are numerous signers of Rye's Association Test with the surnames Seavey, Locke, Foss, and Philbrick, which I am sure figure in my family tree somewhere, so this document may lead me forward in my continuing genealogical research.

Four of my 4th great grandfathers appear in the Daughters of the American Revolution's Genealogical Research System:

4th Great Grandfather Ancestor Number

Moses Seavey A101196

Allison Libby II A070199

Thomas Cross A028166

Benjamin Griswold A048653

A fifth 4th great grandfather, William Prior, is not in the DAR's GRS, but his complete Revolutionary War service record and pension file are available at Fold3.com

Sources:

Allen, Francis Olcott, History of Enfield Connecticut, Vol. 2 of 3. (Lancaster, Penn.: Lankersham Printing Co., 1900)

Daughters of the American Revolution. "GRC National Index." Database. DAR Library. (http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/default.cfm)

Genealogy & History of New Hampshire (http://www.nh.searchroots.com/glossary.html)

New Hampshire Revolutionary War Association Test, Town of Rye. (http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/new-hampshire-genealogy/association-test/rye.htm)

Parsons, Langdon B. History of the Town of Rye, New Hampshire, from its discovery and settlement to December 31, 1903. (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumford Printing Co., 1905)

Revolutionary Soldiers. A List of the Names of the Men Who Fought for Independence, and Who Are Buried in Vermont. St Albans Daily Messenger (Saint Albans, Vermont), Saturday, August 19, 1905, p.2, (via Genealogybank.com)

Monday, May 26, 2014

52 Ancestors: #21 Hugh Libby (1793-1872)

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.

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.

***

This is the 21st in a series, “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks,” coordinated by Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Mrs. Lois Cross Libby

Mrs.

LOIS

Wife of

ALLISON LIBBY

DIED

Mar. 25 1860

AE. 76 yrs.

North Street Cemetery

Gorham, Maine

Died of Consumption¹

^{1 Maine State Archives; Augusta, Maine; U.S. Census Mortality Schedules, Maine, 1850-1880; Archive Collection: 2; Census Year: 1860; Census Location: Gorham, Cumberland, Maine; Page: 1; Line: 17.}

^{My Third Great Grandmother}

^{N.B. The jury is still out on the my interpretation of the script preceding the name LOIS. Hopefully, during my next trip to Maine, I will be able to give it a second look. Stay tuned!}

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Gorham, My Gorham ~ Sentimental Sunday

Nearly 35 years ago, I returned to Maine with a newly-minted Master's Degree in Library Science from Illinois, and no prospect of employment. I moved back in with my folks (sound familiar?) in South Portland and started watching the want ads.

It wasn't long before I landed the position of Town Librarian in nearby Gorham, and moved into an apartment over a real estate office. I was the first Librarian ever to be hired who wasn't from Gorham, so, naturally, the earth shivered a little. At 23, I was younger than anyone who worked for me, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Baxter Library as it looked when I worked there
1978-80

Baxter Memorial Library 2012

I made many wonderful friends in my two years in Gorham, led a Junior Girl Scout troop (ever tried winter camping and had to be dug out?), and taught Sunday School at the Congregational Church.

What I didn't realize back then was that Gorham was the home of my Libby and Cross ancestors, and I was walking right by their graves on my way to work.

Naturally, this called for a return to Gorham this past week, and my day began north of the center of town, at the North Street Cemetery, just past Phinney Lumber on the way to Sebago Lake.

Here are buried my 4th Great Grandparents,

Allison Libby (1757-1816) and his wife Sarah (1760-1849).

This Allison Libby, the middle of three generations of Allison Libbys,

fought in the Revolutionary War.

Feeling triumphant at discovering these two gems, I drove into town to stop into the Historical Society, where I was met by Brenda Caldwell. She and I had started our professional lives at about the same time in Gorham, Brenda as the Town Clerk (the first female), and me as the Town Librarian. We reminisced and enjoyed several laughs thinking about how the Town has changed, and assisted another Find-A-Grave volunteer who dropped in.

I walked back to my car, which I had parked next to the cemetery just off the main juncture, alternatively known as the South Street Cemetery and, as I prefer to call it, the "Old Burying Ground."

Here rest some of Gorham's first settlers (the ones that aren't buried on Fort Hill), including my 4th Great Grandparents, Deacon Thomas Cross (1741-1819) and his wife Lucy (1748-1821).

Here lies

Deac. Thomas Cross

born in Ipswich,

Ms. Nov. 18, 1741.

died Feb. 15, 1819;

having been a Deac. of this

Church 15 years.

Also in the same grave his son,

Capt. William Cross;

born Aug. 21, 1779,

died Feb. 14, 1819.

No passing mortals and surviving friends

Regard....eloquence of death

Who more than...angelic tongue

"Capt. William Cross died Feb. 14, 1819, the day preceding the death of Dea. Thos. Cross, and father and son were borne to the grave on the same hearse."

~ McClellan, History of Gorham, Maine.

Here lies

Mrs. Lucy Cross

wife of Deac. Thomas Cross

born at Boxford, Ms. Mar. 16,

1748. Died May 21, 1821.

By her side lie their children

Rebekah Cross,

born Jan. 20, 1774,

died Apl. 11, 1794.

And Harriet Cross,

born Oct. 20, 1790,

died Mar. 14, 1798

First Parish Church (left)
where my 4th Great Grandfather was a Deacon for 15 years,
and where,
159 years later,
I attended church and taught Sunday School