Picking up the bits and pieces of what remains of historical and/or apocryphal accounts of the life of people who lived more than three hundred years ago is an adventure. This is certainly true for what I've learned about Isaac Sawyer, the yeoman/farmer who migrated from Cape Ann and settled with his family in what we now call, East Deering. The expression,'terror of East Deering' came from stories related to Benjamin L. Sawyer,III and his brother Robert Sawyer by their father, Ben as they grew up near the Central Fire station in Portland,where the elder Benjamin was a fireman. In 1987, the Fireman statue was moved to its location adjacent to the Central Fire Station on Congress Street in Portland. I've been told that Benjamin Sawyer was the model for the statue, probably serving at the same time with Edward Souther Griffin, the artist who was commissioned to sculpt the statue in 1898, and who was, himself, a volunteer foreman. Although Griffin was a wood-carver known for his ship figureheads, the only reminder of his work not held in private collections and that has survived, is this wonderful monument. Many of us pass this statue without noticing it; I invite you to do so.
Ben,III and Robert, are gentlemen I've come to know since first meeting them because of this project to recover the ancient East Deering/ Grand Trunk Cemetery and their connection to the Sawyer family members interred at the GTC. They have participated in our annual cleanup and planting parties and regularly comment on this blog. I appreciate their encouragement and support to the preservation of the remnant that is the Grand Trunk Cemetery.
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| Robert and Ben Sawyer at the re-dedication ceremony for the Grand Truck Cemetery in October 2014. |
Ben and Robert Sawyer are descended from the Asa Sawyer line. Asa was one of the sons of Anthony Sawyer, son of Isaac Sawyer, Jr, and grandson of the first Isaac Sawyer who came here early (about 1725), during the period of the resettlement of ancient Falmouth and lived here until his death in 1772.
As to why the elder Benjamin referred to his ancient grandfather as the 'terror of East Deering' we cannot truly say. The memories have faded along with the stories. The only account I did find that may attest to the man's colorful personality exists in the Diary of the Rev. Thomas Smith, first settled minister of the First Church who, thankfully provides us with a chronicle of life in the early days of the little colony.
1728, November 22. There was a great uproar today about Capt. Larrabee complaining against Isaac Sawyer, for scandalising of him.
1728, December 28. There continues a desperate uproar in town about Capt. Larrabee, *** several neighbors summoned to York on account of his complaint against Sawyer.
Unfortunately, if the Rev. Smith included an explanation for the incidents that caused this uproar, they were lost. For now, I, and you will have to be satisfied with the brief snippets of historical information that I have been able to glean from William Willis's History of Portland, the Rev. Smith's diary, L.B. Chapman's Grampa's Scrapebook, and genealogical data provided by other researchers of the Sawyers, most notable, Theodore Sawyer's manuscript: From Back Cove to Quaker Lane.
William Willis records on page 353 in his History of Portland that in the autumn of 1725, "Jeremiah Riggs and John Sawyer came here from Cape Ann with their families; they became useful inhabitants,... Sawyer settled at Purpoodock." A footnote was added from John James Babson's History of the Town of Gloucester;Falmouth Records.
The three Sawyers, Isaac, John and Jacob, who early came to this town from Gloucester, were brothers, sons of James Sawyer, a weaver, and Sarah, daughter of Thomas Bray. His, James's father, was probably William, the first immigrant of the name to New England, about 1640. Isaac was born 1684, Jacob in 1687, and John, it is thought earlier. John married Rebecca Standford in 1701, and he had several children born in Gloucester. By wife Sarah, he had four children born in Falmouth, 1726 to 1735..... Isaac married Martha (Bond) in 1706, by whom he had several children born in Gloucester. Jacob married sarah Wallis in 1716, and had five children born in Gloucester before 1726, and two in Falmouth.
(As an aside: the name Riggs is one I'm familiar with coming myself from Gloucester. There is a 'Riggs Street and there also was a Riggs School, just as there was a Sawyer School which my parents attended as young students. And of course there is the Sawyer Free Library named for the earliest Sawyers)
There is some debate about James Sawyer's father being William. According to Eleanor Grace Sawyer's The Sawyer Family of New England, his, James's father is Edward Sawyer and his mother, Mary Peaslee. Records indicate that James was born in Lincolnshire, England c. 1732 and that he first lived in Rowley before coming to Gloucester and establishing his business as a weaver. He died in Gloucester on May 30/31, 1703 and is probably buried in the ancient church burial ground off Centennial Avenue.
Before moving ahead with Isaac Sawyer and his importance to our story of the East Deering Cemetery, a pause is needed to convey some interesting facts about his brothers, John and Jacob who moved to Purpoodock ( Cape Elizabeth/South Portland). It'is possible that John Sawyer may have preceded his younger brothers in coming to Falmouth because Willis mentions that grants were made to 34 persons in February 1720, to settle upon their 60 acre lots within 12 months, and on their house lots within 6 months. It appears John Sawyer may have been among these grantees. Willis says:
Accessions were made continuously to the population..those who were deemed suitable were regularly admitted as inhabitants by vote of the town, and grants were made to them.
Travel was challenging for the inhabitants of the infant town, following shore routes meant crossing rivers and streams. Sometime between 1719 and 1721, John Sawyer settled in Purpoodock near the Fore River side.
By reason of the difficulty of calling over the river, the privilege of the ferry on Purpoodock side should be given to John Sawyer, he keeping a good canoe for the accomodation of passengers.
Concerned for safety,the town received permission to establish garrisons and station soldiers at them. According to Wlliam Willis, previously there had only been the one established by Samuel Moody on the Neck near the location of the old demolished Fort Loyall at his own expense.
in January, 1723, soldiers were stationed in Falmouth as follows; on the Neck twenty-four men in three garrisons, viz., at Major Moody's, Ingersoll's, and Wass's; in Purpoodock, at Sawyer's, and York's, four men and a corporal at Spurwink, at Mr. Jordan's. where a ferry is kept, three men under the care of a corporal. pgs. 347-348
Another indication that John Sawyer came to Falmouth earlier is the fact that he was engaged in the task of establishing the first meeting house for the town. Shortly after the government was established, a major concern was 'to provide for the regular exercise of religion'by raising funds to acquire and support their own minister. The town voted to build a meeting house, but because the town was poor in actual money, the plan would take time and creative budgeting. The actual place for erecting a meeting house was designated on July 3, 1721.
A committee with Samuel Moody, Richard Collier and John Sawyer was chosen to oversee the work. A tax was assessed which could be paid in timber or as such things as were provided by the town.
It is evident that John Sawyer was a very useful contributor to the success of the town and would continue to be, until his death in 1760.
More about John and his brothers will follow shortly and news about our annual Spring Cleanup Party scheduled for Sunday, May 6, 2018. Since today, we are in the throws of a mid- March snowstorm, it's a bit hard to think about spring even though by the calendar, it's about a week away. Stay warm folks!
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