Though it ended up being a very cold and wet trip, I took time during my vacation in October 2019, and made a day-trip up to Somerset County, Maine, where many of my maternal ancestors had lived and where many of their burial places can still be found.
​

The first location was about three hours from home, and was the grave of my 5th Great-Grandmother, Abigail (Whitcomb) Steward. I had just recently found out that she was buried in St. Albans, in a plot with her son Randall Steward, so made this one a priority.

I went north from here, to visit a Civil War soldier from the 27th Maine, who had settled in Dexter, Maine and was buried there in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. I then traveled southwest to Athens, Maine, making a stop at Mount Rest Cemetery.

While I probably have direct ancestors buried there, including perhaps my 5th Great-Grandparents, Philip and Mary (Pike) Leavitt (and possibly my 4th Great-Grandparents), there are no stones to mark their resting places. I did photograph all of the Leavitt stones there, some two dozen cousins. I have placed them on a cemetery page at the National Association of Leavitt Families (NALF) website, which can be viewed at:
https://www.nalfinc.org/cemeteries---athens-maine.html

Next on my list was the Jewett Cemetery in Madison, on Rt 43 (Horsetail Hill Rd). Two sets of 6th Great Grandparents awaited me there: Henry and Sarah H. (Tuttle) Wyman, and James and Emma (Tarbell) Shattuck. Henry's daughter, Sarah Wyman, would marry Lovell Shattuck, the son of James and Emma.

Slightly north of this location is the South Solon Burial Ground. I have several relatives buried here without stones, including my 2nd Great Grandfather, Charles Leavitt and his parents, Joseph and Lucy Ann (Brown) Leavitt. Charles' wife is here, as are Lucy's parents, Joseph and Lucy A. (Shattuck) Brown.

​I drove west to get onto Rt 201, taking the road south back to Madison. I made a quick stop at Blackwell Cemetery to see another 27th Maine veteran (George A. Taylor, who also served w/ the 32nd ME). There were two other ancestors that I did need to by-pass, Sarah (Wyman) Shattuck in Solon Village Cemetery, and Thomas Steward in Sunset Cemetery, North Anson, as the day was passing by too quickly, and I REALLY NEEDED to reach that Dunkins in Skowhegan!

​My last stop was the Old Bloomfield (or Bloomfield Weston) Cemetery in Skowhegan. The earliest settlers of "Old Canaan" are buried here, the spot where the meeting house once stood.

For my Irish immigrant ancestors, on their holiday. While I've been able to document their lives following their arrival in the States, the place of origin is not yet known for several of them, so the research continues on.

One Irish branch settled in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They were: 
My 2nd Great-Grandparents,
JOHN CONDON (b. abt March 1833 Cappoqiun, Waterford - d. 30 June 1884, Portsmouth, NH)
ELLEN GRIFFIN (abt 1834 IRE - 17 July 1894, Portsmouth, NH)

​My 3rd Great-Grandmother,
ELLEN (BOWLES) GRIFFIN (abt 1800 - 17 Dec 1889, Portsmouth, NH)

There is a stoneless plot at Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth that bears the name of Condon and Mulligan on its concrete border, the latter being the married name of my 2nd Great-Aunt Margaret. Cemetery records do not show who lies in the other graves, but it is probably John and Ellen, and possibly her mother Ellen.

Gloucester, Massachusetts was where another line of my Irish families settled.
My 3rd Great-Grandparents,
DENNIS HESSIAN (11 Aug 1827  Bruff, Limerick - 17 Mar 1882, lost at sea, George's Bank)
MARY WALDRON (abt 1825 Killham, IRE (unk location) - 14 Sep 1857 Gloucester, MA)

The results from my autosomal DNA tests varied greatly when it came to calculating my Irish ethnicity. Some of the companies even combined Ireland and United Kingdom into a single percentage value. The highest return came from AncestryDNA, at 31%.
Note: these test numbers have changed over the years [see blog entry from Nov 2016: It's in my DNA]

DUNCAN STEWART was my 9th Great-Grandfather, and lived in the towns of Ipswich, Newbury, and Rowley, Massachusetts. He was living in Ipswich, in the service of George Hadley, when he married ANNE WINCHURST, also a servant, in 1654. They moved to Newbury, Mass in 1659, and resided there for 30 years before going to Rowley, MA [Stewart Clan Magazine, Dec 1923]. 

​A deposition by Duncan in 1698 said he was about 75 years old (so born ca 1623), though his death notice in 1717 (see below) claims it was thought he was about 100 yrs.

​​Duncan and Anne had 12 known children, as given in the Stewart Clan Magazine, Dec 1923 (Vol 2, pg 69), a clip of the page shown here:

Above image from the "Copy of the record of deaths of the First Church in Rowley, Mass" (pg 27)

The children (and bio) of Solomon and Martha, as given in the Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts [page 361: archive.org]

See also:
Worcester County Probate: Series A, Case #56063 "Solomon Steward", 1758
Stewart Clan Magazine, Jan 1924 (Vol 2, No. 7)

DANIEL STEWART/STEWARD
born 21 Nov 1734 in Salem, MA
died 2 Jun 1802 in Fitchburg, MA
Married in Lunenburg on 14 Mar 1757, MARY IRELAND

The children of Daniel and Mary (Ireland) Stewart [Stewart Clan Magazine, Vol 2, No 9, pg 82]

The following was printed in the article "Fitchburg Soldiers in the Revolution" [Proceedings of the Fitchburg Historical Society, Vol. 4, pg 230]. This service is the same as his son Daniel, and I do not see two of this name in the Mass Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolution. Daniel senior's may be an error, as the son filed a pension and his service documented. 

Daniel is buried in the South Street Cemetery, Fitchburg, MA (Find a Grave memorial #51725531). Wife Mary (Ireland) went to Maine following her husband's death, to live with their son Daniel [Skowhegan on the Kenn, pg 1011], and is buried in the Old Bloomfield (now Bloomfield Weston) Cemetery (Find a Grave memorial #51726171).

JOHN STEWARD
​born 18 Aug 1765 in Lunenburg, MA
died: unknown
​Married ABIGAIL WHITCOMB in Norridgewock, Maine, 26 Feb 1787

From the Town Records of Canaan, Maine [Canaan VR 1776-1883, pg 19], the following family record of John and wife "Nabby" is found:

John and Abigail's children, as listed in the Stewart Clan Magazine [Jul 1924: Vol 3, No 1, pg 99], with a few spelling differences (incl Alaxus became "Alexis").

The 1840 census for Skowhegan, Somerset, Maine, showing the John Steward household, with a male aged 70-80, a female aged 70-80, along with a female, aged 20-30, and a male, aged 5-10. This is surely John and Abigail, with daughter Malora (she didn't marry until 1841). The youngster could be a grandson

ALAXIS STEWARD
born 4 Dec 1812 in Canaan, Maine
died 15 Jul 1885 Otter Tail, MN
Married in Milburn, ME on 10 Mar 1835, CHARLOTTE (HARNDEN) REED

For Alaxis, who was my 4th Great-Grandfather, his story can be found in the following blogs I have previously written about him and his family:
- Alaxis Steward, son of John
- Alaxis Steward, from Maine to Minnesota 

Blogging in 2018
While I have been blogging about my ancestors on this website since 2014, it wasn't on a continuous scheduled basis. Starting in 2018, seeing other weekly blog challenges going on in the genealogy community, I thought I would do the same, and challenge myself to post an entry each week about one of my ancestors. While I started off the year by just choosing an ancestor and writing about them, I switched over in February to the prompts given by the 52 Ancestors Challenge. Yes, that sure was a challenge! 
 
I still have a few unfinished posts that need completing, but here are my entries (so far) from 2018. As for 2019? I will see where I stand after completing this prior year, and go from there.  

​Week 1: In Memory of Great Grandmother Yeaton
Week 2: Hannah B Steward, aka Alberta Ann Rowell
Week 3: Emily Augusta (Waitt) Brown
Week 4: James Shattuck of Pepperell, Mass and Solon, Maine
​Week 5: Alfred A. Meloon of New Castle, NH
Week 6: The Family of William A Meloon of New Castle, NH
​Week 7: "Valentine" (a 52 Ancestors Challenge post)
​Week 8: "Heirloom" (a 52 Ancestors Challenge post)
Week 9: "Where There's a Will" [still working on this one]
​Week 10: Emily Jane (Brown) Kramer (my 2nd Great-Grandmother)
​Week 11: ​The St Patrick's Day Gale of 1882
Week 12: "Misfortune"
​Week 13: "The Homestead"
Week 14: "The Maiden Aunt" - My Aunt May Brown
Week 15: "Taxes" - the 1771 Massachusetts Tax Inventory
Week 16: "Storms" - To Those Lost at Sea from New Castle, NH
​Week 17: "Cemetery" - My ancestors in Riverside Cemetery
Week 18: "Close-Up" with a Distant Cousin
Week 19: "Mother's Day"
​Week 20: "Another Language"
Week 21: "Military" - my Revolutionary War ancestors
Week 22: "So Far Away"
Week 23: "Going to the Chapel" - the East Eliot, Maine Methodist Church
Week 24: "Father's Day"
Week 25: "Same Name" - John Taylor Dow of Hampton, NH
Week 26: "Black sheep"
Week 27: "Independence" - The Association Test of NH, 1776
Week 28: "Travel" - Road Trip!!
Week 29: "Music" - the "Four Jills" of Eliot, Maine
Week 30: "Colorful"
Week 31: "Oldest"
Week 32: "Youngest" - My WAITE family from Malden, MA
Week 33: "Family Legend" - The Marr Heirs
Week 34: "Non-Population"
​Week 35: "Back to School" - School House #1 in Eliot, ME, 1921
Week 36: "Work" - The Fishermen of New Castle, NH (1839)
Week 37: "Closest to Your Birthday"
Week 38:  "Unusual Source"
Week 39: "On the Farm" - the Knight farm in Portsmouth, NH
​Week 40: "Ten" - William Chandler of Kittery, Maine
Week 41: "Sports" - John Knight in a bowling alley challenge
Week 42: "Conflict" - The Murder of Thomas Chamberlain
Week 43: "Cause of Death" - The Execution of Daniel Goble
Week 44: "Frightening" - Goodwife Walford, the Witch
Week 45: "Bearded" - Grandpa Brown
Week 46: "Random Fact" - the "Harold L Dow" Highway in Eliot, Maine 
Week 47: "Thankful" - Town Records of New Castle, NH
Week 48: "Next to Last" - Alaxis Steward, son of John (Canaan, Maine)
Week 49: "Winter" - Joseph Amazeen of New Castle, NH
Week 50: "Naughty" - Must Comply with Law
Week 51: "Nice"
​Week 52: "Resolution"

[Updated list on 1 Nov 2020]

"WINTER" is the Week 49 prompt of the 52 Ancestors Challenge

​JOSEPH AMAZEEN was my 6th Great-Grandfather, and he perished during a winter storm, lost close to his home in New Castle, New Hampshire one evening. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register [Vol 9, pg 221 July 1855], in a follow-up to an earlier article on the Brown family (Joseph married Hannah Brown), printed the following about the incident:

No source was given for this story, and this 1855 recollection is the earliest I have seen it in print. Perhaps it was family lore, passed down through the generations.

While the above note lists his date of death as unknown, the town records of New Castle, New Hampshire do narrow it down. The annual town meetings, when officers were voted into service, took place the first week of March. In 1754, Joseph Amazeen was elected constable and he was later presented with the tax lists, dated the 20th of August, 1754, from which he needed to collect the province and parish taxes from the inhabitants. In November (on the 4th and 7th, respectively), both he and son Joseph Jr were listed in the 1754 abatements [NCTR, Vol 7, pg 40], though no monetary amount or reason was listed. He may have been deceased by then; if not, he was so prior to 1 February, 1755, when the final tax collection was due [the back side of this sheet of paper also listed him as deceased - NCTR Vol 6, pg 50]. When the new constable/tax collector was voted in for the year, he also received a list of the rates "remaining uncollected from Constable Joseph Amazeen" [NCTR Vol 6, pg 41,43]. His wife, Hannah, would be listed as a widow on the 1755 tax list [NCTR, Vol 7, pg 56].

Joseph probably didn't own any land in New Castle, as no deed has been found in his name. In his father's will [link in notes below], Christopher wrote that his son "shall dwell & enjoy the apartments of house he now dwells in", keeping the place until sons John and Ephraim came of age [Joseph was also supposed to be executor of this will, which was dated 2 years prior to his death]. The widow Hannah Amazeen, in tax lists for several years following, was listed with a son and "a place", though the latter was stricken off the original lists, and she was abated for her taxes. She would later be seen, in a 1777 inventory listing, with just a cow. There is no probate for Joseph, though a newspaper ad printed in January of 1765 by Abraham Trefethen and Mescheck Bell of New Castle, asked those with claims against "Joseph Ammazeon" (and Jonathan Martin) to come forward. Perhaps there was a court case involved for the collection of his bills, though I have yet to check those records [not available online as of this writing].  

JOSEPH AMAZEEN, the son of Christopher Amazeen [see note 1], was born about 1709 [1725 Tax List of New Castle, "Xtopher and son" taxed]; died between 8/20/1754-2/1/1755. He was married, on 27 Jan 1732 [Hist of Hampton, pg 619], to HANNAH BROWN, dau of Samuel, of Hampton, NH. She died circa Sept 1798, aged about 85 years, at New Castle [NEHGR: Vol 9, pg 221].

Four known children, all listed in will papers of their grandfather Christopher [note 2]:
i. JOHN AMAZEEN, baptized 30 Sept 1732 [NCTR Vol.7, pg 17]; died in 1818, aged 85 [NCTR: Vol 3, pg 272]. Married MEHITABLE (surname unknown), b. 1736; d. 1792, aged 56 yrs [NCTR: Vol 3, pg 272].

ii. EPHRAIM AMAZEEN, b. abt 1734 [based on 1750 Tax List, when Joseph was taxed for himself and two sons]; d. bet 13 Oct 1804 (date of will) and 20 Feb 1805 (will proved) [Rock County Probate, Vol. 36 pg 78]. Married 24 Nov 1756 to ABIGAIL JONES [NCTR: Vol 3, pg 250].

iii. JOSEPH AMAZEEN, b. abt 1737; buried 16 June 1824, aged 87 years [NEHGR: Vol 83, pg 30]. Marr 1st to DORCAS (surname unknown); Marr 2nd to Mrs SUSANNAH SHANNON, 24 Nov 1799 [NCTR V.3 pg 274]; 3rd to LYDIA THOMPSON, 21 Dec 1821 [NH VR] 

iv. CHRISTOPHER AMAZEEN, bapt'd 24 Apr 1737 [NCTR: Vol 7, pg 17]; died abt 15 Mar 1823 [Portsmouth Journal, 3/15/1823 "In New Castle, Mr Christopher Amazeen, aged 82"]. Married MARY TREDICK, probably prior to 1762.

​Notes:
​1. In March 1717-18, Christopher Amazeen and James March were in court "for living with and entertaining those women by whom they have had bastard children" [Gen Dict ME & NH, pg 457]. Martha Moore/More was summoned into court, and was living with Christopher in 1720 [GDMNH, pg 488]. I haven't looked into court case yet, but she is said to have been the mother of Joseph Amazeen.
2. If there were any daughters born to Joseph and Hannah, they are currently unknown. The will of Christopher Amazeen [NH State Papers, Vol 34, pg 212] list none. Unfortunately, there is a 10-year gap in the New Castle records for marriage notices (ca 1759-1769) so, had there been female children, they likely would have married around this time (as Joseph, with wife Dorcas, probably did, and her maiden name remains unknown).
​
Links:
[NCTR] ​New Castle, NH Town Records [I listed the volumes in this earlier blog post w/ links to Family Search pages]
New England Historical & Genealogical Register [Vol 9 on Google Books]
New Hampshire State Papers (40 volumes) - numerous copies hosted on archive.org [UNH scans here]