The Old Schoolhouse, the next building upon the road, stood upon a ledge at the left corner of what is now the shore road to Parker’s Point. It was an old-style square structure with square roof, unpainted and ancient-looking, that had been moved from beyond Bragdon’s brook, its first location, about 1830 or 1831. The author details a long held secret of how the old schoolhouse in Blue Hill Maine caught fire.
Samuel Smith, it is said, came from Beverly, Mass., to the town, and entered into trade of a gen-eral character in the village, keeping groceries. West India and other goods. He married Julia Ann Holt, Sept. 1st, 1833, daughter of Jeremiah Thorndike and Elizabeth (Osgood) Holt, born April 2, 1812, and died July 22, 1858. Samuel Smith died Dec. 16, 1845. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Smith were as follows: Albert, Frances, Amy and Benjamin.
Matthew Ray was a blacksmith and edge-tool manufacturer, with factory and trip-hammer run by water power upon the Mill stream in the village, above the bridge at Main street. He removed from the town to Bangor before 1840, and is supposed to have died in that city. He married, May 29, 1810, Roxana Nickerson, by whom he had: Louisa, Eunice, Harriet, George, William, John, Roxana. He married 2nd, Harriet Hinckley, by whom he had: Mary.
Edward Sinclair was born June 20, 1760, supposed at Beverly, where he died while on a visit May 19, 1827, aged sixty-seven years. He married Dec. 17, 1789, Mary Carleton, from Andover, a sister of David, Dudley, Edward and Moses Carleton. She was born Sept. 17, 1760, and died Jan. 1, 1841, aged 80 years and 4½ months. The family of Edward Sinclair, Sr. consisted of the following children: Maria, Edward, Nabby, Dudley, Ebenezer and William.
The family record of Robert Robertson is not found at Blue Hill, but the children were. Mr. Robertson died many years ago, and his widow on March 29, 1855, aged seventy-four years. Children: Jane, Ann, George, John, Robert, and William.
Benjamin Clay was the son of Jonathan and Mary (Roundy) Clay, born Oct. 17, 1781; married, first, Relief Green, Feb. 20, 1803, by whom he had the following children: Rebecca, Chesley, Amanda, and Clarinda. The mother of these children died of consumption May 10, 1830, aged fifty-three years, and Mr. Clay married second Sally Clough, Feb. 24, 1831, by whom he had children: Sarah (died young), Benja and Sarah.
Dea. Seth Hewins was born in Dedham, Mass., Feb. 12, 1773; married Katherine Fisher, sister to Rev. Jonathan Fisher, Sept. 2, 1799. She was born March 27, 1771; died Aug. 15, 1854. They came to Blue Hill in 1799, and here resided until their death, he dying May 9, 1844. Dea. Hewins and wife had four children born to them. They were: Katherine, Seth, Cynthia, and Sukey.
I find it disappointing in the wonderful manuscript of R. A. F. Candage that he failed to provide any substance on the progenitor of the Carter family in Blue Hill, James Carter, Sr. What we can gather, is James arrived in Blue Hill about 1770 from Edgecomb Maine with his young family and settled at the location known later as the Carter Places. He had at least the following children: James and David. The offspring of both James and David are much more thoroughly on this page.
The Coggin lot was the one taken up by Thomas Coggin, who came to it from Beverly, Mass., with his family in 1765. Here he built his humble abode and resided the first years of his life in town – just how many the record does not show. He was born Feb. 14, 1734; married Lydia Obear, Feb., 1755. He died Feb. 11, 1821, aged eighty-nine years; she died Oct. 22, 1800. The children were: Hezekiah, Molly, Lydia, Josiah, Samuel and Elizabeth.
Theodore Stevens, who was born in Andover, Mass., July 12, 1763, and came to Blue Hill in 1791. Theodore Stevens’ wife was Dorcas Osgood, whom he married Oct. 4, 1791. Their children were as follows: Elizabeth, Edward, Benjamin, Lydia, Lucretia, Elvina, and John. This genealogy provides descendants down in some cases 2 generations.
Jedediah Holt was the son of Nicholas Holt, who came from Andover, Mass., to Blue Hill in 1765. Jedediah was born at Andover, March 12, 1754. He married Sarah Thorndike, Feb. 24, 1778. She died Jan. 15, 1836. They had six children as follows: Jedediah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Samuel, Stephen and Sally.
Capt. Merrill was the son of Caleb and Betsey (Candage) (Day) Merrill, widow of James Day; born May 5, 1804. He was a sea captain, who married Louisa Clough, daughter of Asa and Abigail (Pecker) Clough, August 28, 1831; she was born Sept. 27, 1811; died August 22, 1847 leaving children as follows: Caroline, Juliet, William, Horace, Parris, Mary and Abby.
Nathan Staples, and wife Sally, from Sedgwick, lived upon Long Island, Blue Hill Maine, near the lower end. Children: Elizabeth, John and Nathan.
Daniel Spofford was born Feb. 18, 1766, where is not stated, and removed to Bucksport about 1803; he married, April 11, 1794, Phebe Peters, daughter of John and Mary Peters. She was born March 13, 1773, and died May 15, 1839. Mr. Spofford died Oct. 10, 1852, aged eighty-six years. He had three children, born at Blue Hill, as follows: Parker, Frederick and Ruby.
Andrew Jackson Gray, who married Nancy B. Dodge, daughter of Capt. Merrill Dodge, July, 1852. She was born April 6, 1831; he was born May 28, 1828. Their children were: Albert, Alice, Annie and Herbert.
Andrew and Abraham Fisk were brothers, but where and when they were born or whence they came to this town there is no date in possession of the writer, or when their houses were built, although they were standing in the earliest recollections of the writer. Andrew Fisk married March 12, 1827, Almira, daughter of Freeman and Thankful Hardin; she was born Nov. 15, 1802. Their children were: George, Andrew, Benjamin, Frederick, James, Rodney, Helen, Almira, Mary and John. Andrew married Sarah B. Milliken for a second wife, by whom he had: Abby, Abraham, and two additional unnamed children.
Capt. Steven Norton and family occupied the Ray-Stevens-Norton place after Mr. Stevens for some years, just how many the writer cannot state. He was a sea captain, born in the town of St. George, Me., March 22, 1789; came to Blue Hill, where he continued to make his home until his death Jan. 6, 1873, aged nearly eighty-six years. He commanded coasting vessels between the town and Boston until age and infirmities compelled him to retire from a sea life. Captain Norton was twice married— first Jan. 18, 1813, to Mehitable, daughter of Andrew and Mehitable Kimball Witham, born Aug. 28, 1797; she died July 10, 1835, leaving ten children. On Nov. 27, 1835, he married, second, Clarissa Carleton, daughter of William and Pamelia (Osgood) Carleton, born Feb. 7, 1813; died Nov. 17, 1873, aged sixty years and eight months. She also bore ten children, so that by two wives there were twenty as follows: By first wife: Mary, John, Stephen, William, Mehitable, Sophia, Priscilla, Frederick, Catherine and Lois. By second wife: Harriet, Hollis, Clara, Francis, Granville, Clara, Mehitable, Stephen, Ann and John. Beside these John Havlin was an adopted son of the family.
Jonathan Ellis was born in Bellingham June, 1774, married Susannah Parker, Sept. 11, 1795, daughter of Peter Parker, Sr.; she was born June 27, 1772; died August 17, 1803; her husband died Dec. 23, 1806. Children were: Jonathan, Charles, Almira and Amos.
Dr. Nathan Tenney was a native of Bradford, Mass., born May 23, 1769; came first to Sedgwick when a young man, then to Blue Hill about 1815. He married Mary, daughter of Major David Carleton, of Sedgwick, Aug. 21, 1796. She was born Oct. 23, 1777; died May 9, 1820. He died June 29, 1848, aged seventy-nine years. He practiced medicine; was considered skillful and for many years was the chief doctor in the town. His children were: Polly, Sophia, John, Rebecca, William, Jane, Nabby, Julia and David.
Capt. Joseph Wood was an early settler in Blue Hill arriving in 1763 with some of his sons: Israel, Joseph and Robert. Across the road from the schoolhouse is the cellar over which it is said the house of which he built stood, when he removed from the island at the Fore Falls.