The Brothers Sawyer Part II

Prelude

     Though the focus of this blog is to recover a fragment of the stories of those souls interred at the East Deering/Grand Trunk Cemetery, I will take some time to share what I hope will be beneficial to others who are interested in genealogical sleuthing. Many may be in pursuit of information about other branches of the James Sawyer family tree. 

   The early history of the ancient town of Falmouth, which encompassed Cape Elizabeth and South Portland (Spurwink and Purpoodock) contains information that acknowledges that John Sawyer and his brother, Jacob were inhabitants of this area of the settlement.  From James Babson's History of Cape Ann, and William Willis's History of Portland, I have found evidence which I will share here.

The Falmouth Records reveal the names of those persons who
migrated from Cape Ann to Falmouth

     The History of Cape Ann also gives us a more accurate account of when each of the sons of James Sawyer came to Falmouth:  John in 1719, Isaac Sawyer, Sr. arrived about 1725, and Jacob Sawyer sometime in 1728.  Evidence of the Sawyer brothers can be found in William Willis's History of Portland, and in York County and Cumberland County Deeds.  I will include the deeds settling the final estates for both John and Jacob later.

     In 1719, John Sawyer, who we associate today with Sawyer Road in South Portland, built a business and conducted ferry service for many years; a valuable service to anyone who needed to get across the water to or from Portland.

     As we learned, John Sawyer was admitted as a proprietor of Famouth early on, about 1720. He was instrumental, along with others, in building the first meeting house and acquiring the first settled minister, The Rev. Thomas Smith for the infant settlement.

     In 1726, the town voted to supply Rev. Mr. Smith with firewood, "during his continuance as our minister."  At the same meeting, arrangements were made for Mr. Smith's ordination.  A vote was passed desiring Maj. Moody to entertain the minister and messengers, and that John Sawyer be desired to take care of their horses.  Sawyer lived on Purpoodock side, where they were to leave their horses, which saved the ferrying over.  They all came from the west to the ferry at Purpoodock side.

Portland In The Past by William Goold, pgs. 282 - 283

     The total population of Falmouth in 1725, was forty-five families including seventeen families who resided in Purpoodock and Spurwink.  Traveling back and forth to attend church services was a burden, so the residents built a log house which served both as a garrison for their protection and a meeting house where the whole village could assemble.  Goold records:

The people at Purpoodock had also a log house on the Point, which they built partly for a meeting house, in which the whole town assembled every third Sabbath.  The log meeting house and garrison were on the rising ground in the rear of Fort Preble point; Spring Point.

 Goold goes on to record that the graveyard adjoined the meeting house,

sometimes the sea encroached, letting down many graves and lettered stones, where were buried the Simontons, Whites, and others, the first settlers.

     Concern for the safety of the inhabitants of the town of Falmouth was real.  Although hostilities had lessened after the Treaty of 1713, there was evidence that invasions were still probable.  Finally, the petitions of the inhabitants were heeded by the governing body in Massachusetts, and soldiers were assigned to the various garrisons in the town for their defense.

     William Willis records:

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 at 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.

     Undoubtedly, the job of ministering to the spiritual needs of the infant settlement, scattered in such an extensive geographic area, had to be very challenging for the Rev. Smith. He performed this duty for many years.  

     Remember that the town of Falmouth,during this era encompassed what are today's Portland, Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Westbrook and today's town of Falmouth.  Rev. Smith's ministry was not just to care for the spiritual needs of his flock. Oftenhe would find that he needed to offer help for their sicknesses.  Since medical doctors were rare, the Rev. Smith, would often be their only source of health care.  He also attended to the dying which he often records in his journal.

     For this next section, I will share some of the research material that I found in hopes that those who read this blog will be inspired to pursue their own inclinations and direction in wanting to know more about the Sawyer brothers.

These gravestones were carved in Boston and are in remarkable condition.

Rebeckah Sawyer's Memorial

     John Sawyer was about 43 years old when he immigrated to Falmouth.  Eight of his children were born in Cape Ann.  Only his daughter Bethiah Sawyer was born in Falmouth.  John Sawyer died in 1760 at he age of eighty-four, and from was laid to rest at the Meeting House Hill/Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.  You will note that the spouses of his children are names that we still recognize today, and are associated with the history of Cape Elizabeth: Skilling, Strout and Jordan.

     It is clear from reading the final disposition of his estate, that John Sawyer was highly regarded by his children, as they refer to him as our 'honored father'.

The deed, dated March 18, 1760 gives a great deal of information about how the property was divided among the sons and daughters and their spouses.  It also indicates proximity to his brother Jacob Sawyer's land.

    This second deed was a sale from John Sawyer, Jr., his brothers and sisters and his cousins, after the death of Jacob Sawyer,  to Peter Woodbury and Nathan Winslow of part of their inherited land.  It was dated March 22, 1773.  You will note the occupations of the Sawyer's listed.

     Jacob Sawyer probably arrived in Falmouth late in 1728, after the birth of his son, Jeremiah who was born in that year. He and his wife, Sarah Wallis brought six children with them, but three more would be born in Falmouth.

    Like his brother, John, he owned a farm.  Apparently, from a deed I found, not included here, he was also in partnership with others who owned marshland in Scarborough.  Marsh hay was used for feeding and bedding animals.  Jacob, born in 1687,  was about 43 when he came to Falmouth.

       Jacob Sawyer died at the age of eighty, but I could not find a record of his burial.  I hope that someone else has better luck.  Here is a copy of the final settlement of his estate listing the names of his children and dated April 8, 1767.

    I am also including the following from the town's account of municipal jobs important to run the government of the day.  You will note some mention the Sawyer's and their relatives.

     I am ending this account of the Sawyer brothers, John and Jacob here. Although I could have spent much more time on this interesting bit of history, I meed to get back to the task at hand of looking more closely at Isaac Sawyer.

    I hope that others who are so inclined,  will share their own research with us.  I finalize this piece with a photo.  I found a picture of the house in West Gloucester where James Sawyer, the father of John, Isaac, Sr., and Jacob Sawyer resided until his death on May 30, 1703.  His legacy shaped both the history of Cape Ann and through his sons, the state of Maine.

Isaac Sawyer: The 'terror' of East Deering and Brothers

Introductory Thoughts

 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.

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!

"Snow On Cemetery Stones"

A Brief Reflection

     It has been several months since I have written: holidays, a short bought with illness, lack of motivation?  Today, I wandered over to the Grand Trunk Cemetery to take some winter shots of the cemetery after yesterday's storm.  As I trudged across the soccer field,  I thought 'I need to visit this place for inspiration; to remember why I started this blog in the first place.'   While I have been accumulating lots of pieces of research, I'm not quite ready to share.  So, for today, I'll share this little poem I found  written by a teenager, and some pictures of the cemetery in the snow.

 I watch as nature masks herself in

flakes of snow that leap, from heights.

 They fall in endless tandem

Hiding her veiled cruelty.

In winter's months when all is bare,

No flowers to distract the eyes,

We see the gravestones wearing away

And the remainder of unfinished good-

byes.

We see Natures's curse and her destruction

In the words once legible.

"Will" who preferred 'William'

Is now 'Wil' with one 'L' left alive.

And what of the rest of us

Who walk the world still.

Will she shroud our names in

supposed beauty,

And leave all that we are

To become all that we once were.

by_swoopingpigeons

     The cemetery is a lovely place to visit for a walk or just  for quiet reflection, especially on a brisk, and sunny winter morning.

For the Record

     Our sixth annual Daffodil Planting Party was a success of course,  because of the hard work of the participants. Despite the small number of crew who opted to spend their Sunday afternoon digging in the dirt at the Grand Trunk Cemetery, several hundred bulbs were planted in four locations within the cemetery. We were fortunate to receive a large number of donated bulbs from the City's Cemetery Division, as well as from Skillin's Greenhouse, Jean Koster, and each participant.

  I still have many bulbs left, so I am hoping that if Girl Scout Troops who may be looking for an outside activity during their Troop meetings, or for a fun service project, have only to contact me,  and I'd be happy to provide the bulbs and tools and the support. 

 A heartful "thanks" to Janet and Eric Christopher, Stacia Hanscom and her Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 1547: Nora Hansom and Hadleigh McPartian, Karen McPartian, Hadleigh's Mom, Ann Rich, from Skillins' Greenhouse, who has volunteered for the last two years, and has brought along donated bulbs, compliment of Terry Skillin,   Kitty Chadbourne, representing the Elizabeth Wadsworth Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and our indomitable Sawyers, descendants of Isaac Sawyer, Sr., Isaac Sawyer, Jr.  and Anthony Sawyer, all who are interred here at the GTC. We are always happy to see Benjamin L. Sawyer,III and his wife Norma, and Robert Sawyer. Robert celebrated his 91st birthday this past August.  He is amazing.  He walks every morning from his home in South Portland to the Bug Light and back!

  .

Janet and Eric Christopher raked leaves on Saturday.

Stickers I prepared to give participants.

As promised, donuts and cider for the workers!

Donated bulbs ready for planting.

Tools ready!

Nora Hansom and Hadleigh McPartian, Junior Girl Scout, Troop 1547 hard at work.

Stacia Hansom and Karen McPartian share a moment.

Ben, Norma and Robert Sawyer

Anthony Sawyer's descendants.



  

Kitty Chadbourne, representing the Elizabth Wadsworth Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution.

A very special "Thanks" to all for the care you have given to this little piece of Portland history, and by your service, the honor
you have paid to the souls interred here



The Grand Trunk Cemetery Update - October 2017

 

     For the last seven years,  since Samantha (Allshouse) Lopez and Kayla Theriault initiated their project, "Unearthing the Roots of the Back Cove and East Deering Communities", a project to recover the East Deering/Grand Trunk Cemetery, we have attempted to map out the graves of the early settlers by placing steel numbered pins where we have found evidence of the burial sites. By evidence, I mean the partial remnants of monuments made of slate or field stones, most with no engravings.

 

 



 

     To date, we have marked 121 graves.  However, scattered bits of slate and field stones have been located throughout the cemetery. These are the remains of headstones, some, probably worn-out by age and weather, most were destroyed by vandals who smashed them  with glass bottles; a sad testament to the drinking parties that took place in the 70's and 80's.   Never-the-less, we do what we can to preserve the little that remains.

 

      The  1936 WPA survey listed 197 marked graves.  Unfortunately, the 347 grave forms which could provide vital information as to who was interred  and the actual locations of the graves are still missing.  Now that the city has hired an expert archivist and re-activated a committee to investigate old records and artifacts in the vaults at City Hall,  I am hopeful that these grave forms will be found in the future.

     One of the mysteries of the ancient graveyard has been the area on the little berm where four 12x12 inch granite corner stones are located.  The 1936 chart indicated that there was once an ornamental iron fence with a gate which opened on the side which measured 60 inches.  This was a prominent enclosure for two graves.

The square on the left shows the ornamental enclosure and the two graves.

      Who is buried here is a mystery.  We might imagine that the two souls  may have been husband and wife, probably with some degree of wealth and prominence for that area.  I couldn't help wonder if this might be the final resting place for Joseph Lunt and his wife Jane?  Apparently, Joseph was a highly respected and regarded gentleman, whose death at a relatively young age, devastated his wife Jane (Noyes) Lunt.  The only record that still exists indicated they were buried in section I of the cemetery; wherever that may be is unknown.

Two examples of Victorian Enclosures



      For those of you who might visit the cemetery,  or participate this Sunday in our annual Daffodil Planting Party, you'll notice that the Cemetery Crew has moved the kiosk, which houses the extant names of those interred and a graphic depiction of the cemetery.  Until recently, the kiosk was positioned on this berm.  It's now located at the front of the entrance to the cemetery from the soccer field. 

     Once the kiosk was removed, Joel and I did probe the gravesite hopeful of finding remnants of a monument. No such luck!  What we did find, at about two feet down, were the corner pieces of a rather good sized granite base.  Each piece has tooled markings  where there were probably iron bolts which attached to the actual headstone.  There were a few slate spacers and an oval stone with a drilled out circle; probably to hold another iron pin.  Beneath these, were broken, smaller pieces of the base and an elongated slab.  A small hole of about 3 inches opened up revealing a deep chamber.  Not wishing to disturb what is inevitably the burial chamber, we filled in what we had uncovered, leaving only the larger corner pieces.  The mystery prevails.

The tooled corner pieces. 
 Two steel numbered plates have been placed to indicate the two burials.





     
     Sunday, October 22nd is our sixth annual Daffodil Planting Party.  It promises to be a lovely, warm October day.  The three small gardens have been turned over and are ready for planting.



     There will be cider and donuts for the workers.  It is always fun, and the company is delightful.  I hope those of you who live in the Portland area will join us in our effort to continue to beautify this sacred and unique historic space.

 

 

 



Rev. and Major Samuel Moody: Leader of the Resettlement

Portrait in Oils by Joseph Badger
Museum of Art
New Britain, Connecticut

     After the de-commissioning and demolishing of Fort Casco, Major Samuel Moody petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to settle in the abandoned town formerly Casco and to bring with him some of his disbanded soldiers, their wives and children.  On July 20, 1716, the Order was passed as follows:

A memorial presented by Captain Samuel Moody, late Commander of his Majesty's fort, at Casco Bay, praying that he might have liberty to build a small fortification, with stockades, at the town of Falmouth, commonly called Old Casco, about his own house, upon his own land in the said town, and that he may furnish the same with arms and ammunitions at his own charges for himself and the inhabitants there, being in number fifteen men, beside women and children.  Ordered that the prayer of said petition be granted.

THE HISTORY OF PORTLAND, FROM 1632-1864: William Willis, pg. 321

     Thus began the arduous, complicated, albeit exciting, re-birth of the colony that would, in time become Portland, Maine.  The following is a list of some of the men whose names survived and  accompanied Maj. Moody.  All would become new proprietors in time.  They are:

James Doughty     John Gustin     Mark Rounds     Matthew Scales

          William Scales     Ebenezer Hall     Thomas Thomes     John Wass    
         
           James Mills     Joseph Bean     John Barbour     James Barbour

      William Willis in his chapter called the 'Character of First Settlers' makes an interesting observation and records a rather harsh opinion of the Rev. Thomas Smith, who would be become the first settled pastor of the town, and who was actively recruited and supported by these new proprietors.

The persons who revived the settlement of Falmouth, came from different parts of the country; they were actuated by no common principle, and held together by no common bond, except that of self-preservation.  It was a frontier post, and few persons who were able to live in more secure places, or unless moved by an uncommon spirit of enterprise, would venture their persons and property in so exposed a situation.  The first settlers were consequently poor; many of them were soldiers, "the cankers of a calm world", whom the peace, of 1713, had thrown upon society, and who found a resting place here.

     Willis goes on to request some indulgence of the venerable, and usually sympathetic pastor, whose prejudice against the "early settlers who thronged here to the exclusion of the ancient proprietors, whose cause he seems to have warmly espoused."  One of the major complexities for the rebirth of the settlement was the return of relatives of those people who had previously owned granted land, before the destruction of the town.  How these claims would be reconciled with the designs and rights of the new settlers would be disputed many times causing unrest and hard feelings.  This issue would finally be settled to the satisfaction of both parties, but not until 1732.

     When Major Moody and his band of soldiers arrived, they found that Elisha Ingersoll from Kittery, was already living in his old family homestead near the Fore River.  Apparently, he drowned soon after.  Sometime in 1715, Benjamin Skillings and Zachariah Brackett returned to their fathers' claims on Back Cove and were working on refurbishing the old homesteads.

    The focus of re-building would take place primarily on 'The Neck' because it was more defensible, and closer to the potential sources for industry and commerce.  Major Moody settled at the foot of King Street (India St.), fronting the beach at a spot on the corner of our present Fore and Hancock Streets.  Others in the effort to re-build also settled near Maj. Moody.

     I was particularly interested in the Proprietors map shown above, and outlined a few names of persons who will be discussed as they relate to the East Deering area and my continued research on the East Deering/ Grand Trunk Cemetery.  

     Before continuing further, I want to pass on a fuller picture of Samuel Moody, who some, perhaps rightly, refer to as the 'second founder' of Portland. There is no question, he was the leader and promoter of Portland's revival, and deserves our recognition.

     The following is from the 'Biographical Sketches of the Moody Family by Charles C.P. Moody, published in Boston in 1817:

 

    

 

 

 

     As we have done since the beginning of the project:  "Unearthing the Roots of the Back Cove and East Deering Community", a project to recover the East Deering/Grand Trunk Cemetery, we will hold our annual Daffodil Planting Party at the cemetery in October.  Readers and followers of this blog are most welcome, if they live in the area, to join our Portland Girl Scouts and Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery in continuing to beautify this little historic cemetery behind the Presumpscot School at 69 Presumpscot Street.