52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No.34 - Mary McCURDY (1778-1855)

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes. Last week's theme was Defective, Dependent, Delinquint and I wrote about my 3rd great-grandfather Jacob ORMSBEE's unusual second wife.  This week's theme is NON-POPULATION SCHEDULES/censuses.  Rather than follow the theme, I'm choosing to write about another 3rd great-grandparent:  Mary McCURDY.

Mary McCURDY is the only daughter I have found to date, for parents, Neil and Abigail McCURDY. Her father was born 4 Jul 1745, Rathlin Island, Antrim, just off the northern coast of Northern Ireland, and apparently settled before 1775 in the St. Andrews region, New Brunswick, Canada. This is on the border with Maine, on Passamaquoddy Bay - a very fluid friendly border area for many years. Nothing is known about the history of his wife Abigail, to this date. Apparently a group of Rathlin Island families and individuals came over to Lubec ME, not far away (dates unknown), as found on one of several histories of McCurdy family lines.

It is speculated that there were also two sons born to Neil & Abigail McCURDY in New Brunswick:  George, (abt 1782-1835), and Alex (?1785-?).  Their names show up after Neil's death, in notices in the New Brunswick newspapers, but no other details have been confirmed. Daniel Johnson's newspaper transcriptions have been very helpful for NB ancestors.  Mysteries abound with this early family.

Mary McCURDY was born in March 1778. Her birthplace has been stated to be Halifax county, Nova Scotia in several histories; however that appears most unlikely as her parents lived in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, for all their life, as far as can be determined.

At the Christ Church & Trinity Anglican Church, on 4 Dec 1801, Mary married Thomas PETTYGROVE, in St. Stephen, which is literally across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine. Thomas PETTYGROVE was born Oct 1765 in Kittery, York, Maine, but the family moved to Calais before 1792.  At that time, Thomas and his elder brother Francis each bought a hundred acres of land in the region of Calais, settling there, and raising their families.  Note that Calais ME was incorporated as a town in 1809.  Her husband's surname is often spelled Pettegrow or Pettegrew.

Mary and Thomas had the following children, b. in Calais, ME unless indicated otherwise:

1. Thomas, b. 20 Jan 1804; m. Mary ___ 
2. Neal McCurdy, b. 18 Mar 1805, d. 4 May 1883 Pulaski WI; m. in Calais ME, 10 Mar 1833, to Abigail Hammond Pope, 6 children; m.2nd in WI to Lucinda 1854 in WI, 2 children; m. 3rd in WI to Eunice in 1860s.
3. Caroline Elizabeth, b. 4 Jun 1806; m. in Calais ME, to James Stewart est 1825
4. Elizabeth, b. 29 Sep 1808
5. Sarah Ann, b. 27 Aug 1809, d. 9 Jul 1895 Easton WI; m. in Calais ME, 25 Apr 1838 to  Jonathan Corliss Colby, 9 children
6. Mary Charlotte, b. 30 Jan 1811 Bailyville ME, d. 7 Oct 1889 Eagle Creek, OR; m in Calais ME, 9 Jul 1834 to Phillip Foster; 9 children (Oregon Territories pioneer settlers by sea)
7. Francis William (F.W.), [direct ancestor] b. 12 Oct 1812, d. 5 Oct 1887 Port Townsend Washington territories; m. 1842 (in ?New York) to Sophia RULAND [direct ancestor], 7 children (Oregon/Washington pioneer settlers by sea)
8. William A., b. abt 1818; m. in Calais ME, abt 1857 to Julia A. ___; one son, William A. (1859)
9. Abigail R., b. 1820, d. aft April 1, 1852 after 5th child; m. in Calais, ME, Oct 1843 to John C. Smith, 5 children
10. Lucy K., b. 1822, d. after 1900 ME; m. in Calais ME, 23 May 1854 to John C. Smith (yes her deceased sister's husband), 4 children.

She certainly saw sadness with losing children, either through death or migration.  #6 Mary Charlotte and #7 Francis William both disappeared to the west coast of America, over 3400 miles distant; they and their families were part of the opening of the Oregon territories (which became WA and OR).   #2 Neal her 2nd son, and #5 Sarah Ann, her 3rd daughter,  both moved with their families to Wisconsin, over 1300 miles distant.  #9 Abigail died after 5 children.

Thirty-three grandchildren she never met, and four children never seen again, plus one daughter who died as a young woman.  Challenges and losses. I always wonder if there are packets of letters to and from her children, sitting in an attic somewhere, which would provide more details of her life, and/or the lives of her children. 

I have not researched all details possible for the various other children.  I have researched #6 and #7 because of my connection with #7, and his sea migration together with his sister #6 and her husband and family to the west coast, in 1843.

Obviously if you have any information or corrections about Mary McCURDY and her family, I would be very pleased to receive this.  You may send details through my email at bottom of page, or in the Comments section below.  Please note that FindAGrave notes on memorials for her and her husband have inaccuracies.  I have added a few comments to their pages to help with corrections.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day.

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES: No. 7, "Love" - Sophia ROLAND/RULAND

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog, but based on Themes. Last week, it was So Far Away.  This week's theme is - in keeping with Valentine's Day - LOVE.  Amy suggests an ancestor I feel close to, or love to research, or who seems to have lots of lovin'. Hmmm.  This is a challenge. I'm chosing FW PETTYGROVE's wife, Sophia ROLAND/RULAND.  

We know very little about my 2nd great-grandmother, Sophia.  Her surname has been spelled as either ROLAND or RULAND.  We do not know where in "New York" she was born, nor do we know anything about her family, parents, siblings.  Another messy brick wall which I will have to do more research on "soon".  Written in my To-Do list, with where, what, why details.  Other details in my Research Log.  (Thank you Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers for the great research tools!).

The Oregon Historical Society (Portland, OR) has a card on her as follows.  Unfortunately I have yet to find out the basis of their information noted here: 

She married in early 1842 in at the age of 18 years to a 28 year old entrepreneur, Francis William PETTYGROVE. After marrying, likely in Calais Maine, the couple stopped in New York to bring aboard various supplies which FW intended to sell to the new settlers making their way across North America to the Pacific Northwest.  He was an agent with A.G. & A.W. Benson of New York, purchasing over $15,000 of merchandise to bring with him. 

The newly-weds immediately embarked on 10 Mar 1842 sailing around Cape Horn to the Sandwich Islands (Hawai'i), where Sophia delivered her first child, Alfred, on 3 Jan 1843.  FW brought not only his new wife and items to sell, he also brought his one-year-older sister, Mary Charlotte Pettygrove, married to Phillip Foster, with their four children. Happily this meant that Sophia had an experienced sister-in-law to help her in her first child's birth. From Hawai'i, the two couples and their families moved to a different barque and in 19 May 1843 arrived in Oregon City, then moving to Portland, Oregon Territories.   After 3 more children were born, they moved up the coast, where FW founded Port Townsend; and 3 more children were born in Port Townsend.

In other words, Sophia spent the first year of their married life - this 18 year old girl and her 10 years older husband - on a sailing boat, pregnant, then with a small baby, born in a strange island out in the Pacific Ocean, ending up in a wilderness forest by the sea.  Whew! Courage indeed. And I'll suppose definitely, LOVE as well.  

While in Portland region, FW tossed a coin with his partner A.L. Lovejoy for the rights of naming the new city known as "Portland".  FW Pettygrove won the toss.

Sophia & FW had the following 7 children, all but the first born in Portland:

  1.  Alfred Benson, b 3 Jan 1843 Sandwich Islands, d. 19 Apr 1878; m. 1867 to Sarah F. Shean, 4 children (all deceased as children)
  2.  Amelia "Millie" Ann [ancestor], b 1844, d 18 Jan 1888 Brooklyn NY; m. 17 Jan1864 Dr. Louis DeBarth KUHN, Port Townsend, WA Territories; 10 children
  3.  Benjamin Stark, b 30 Sep 1846, d. 7 Mar 1913; m 10 Oct 1874 to Zalia McKinley, Victoria BC, 1 son, 3 stepchildren
  4.  Sophia, b 14 Nov 1848, d. after 1930; m. 17 Nov 1865 to James McIntyre Port Townsend, WA; 6 children
  5.  Lucinda R., b 28 Sep 1866, d 5 Apr 1872 (16 yrs old)
  6.  Lucy Charlotte, b 8 Feb 1858, d 21 Nov 1928 San Francisco CA; m abt 1890 to Edward Stephenson, 1 daughter known
  7.  Francis "Frank" W. Jr., b 28 Jul 1861, d 1 Dec 1922 San Francisco CA; m abt 1885 to Isabella Burkett, 2 children known

Unfortunately, when Sophia died on 21 Feb 1889, her obituary notice in the Morning Oregonian (Portland) stated only the following minimal detail:
"Port Townsend, Feb. 21.  - Mrs. Sophia Pettygrove, wife of the late T.W. Pettygrove, the oldest pioneer in Port Townsend, died today after a lingering illness of several months."  [note error in husband's name]

The photo of the Pettygrove family (Oregon Historical Society) has been copied into a number of books and articles about the Pettygroves, and shows FW PETTYGROVE seated with wife Sophia on the right, FW's sister, Mary Charlotte Foster seated on the left, Benjamin S. standing, daughter Sophia behind, Frank Jr on the ground.  

Note that the standing daughter could be either Sophia or Lucy.

If you have information about the Pettygrove family, or about Sophia Ruland/Roland, I would be thrilled to receive any details via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below.  Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, No. 38: Francis PETTEGREW, 1669-1747

Following the challenge from Amy Johnson Crow to write a post weekly, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, here is my 38th installment, Francis PETTYGROVE/PETTIGREW.  He is my 6th great-grandfather on my maternal lines, and was born and settled in the Kittery, Maine, region. 

Earlier Pettygrove families spelled their surname variously: as Pettegrew or Pettigrew, later as Pettigrove, and in my recent ancestors, as Pettygrove. All variants are found currently in the United States. Because the name appears to be of French origin, some have assumed that Francis came from France, but this assumption has not been proven.  Perhaps long before Francis was born, a French Pettigrew settled in England?  

Francis PETTYGROVE was apparently born about 1669 in Kittery.  In 20 Oct 1706, he married, first, Elizabeth BALL Hammons, the widow of Edward Hammons. Elizabeth's parents were John Ball and wife, Joan/Joanna. Elizabeth brought to the marriage her daughter by Edward, Joanna Hammons, b. 20 Apr 1701. 

Francis and Elizabeth had 7 children that we are aware of, born in Kittery:

1. Mary, b 12 Oct 1707, m. Francis Allen
2. John, b 3 Dec 1708, m. Mary____
3. Francis, b 27 Jan 1709/10, m. Elizabeth Hutchins
4. *Thomas [ancestor], b 27 Sep 1713, m. Mary HUTCHINS 12 Feb 1729/30, 9 children
5. William, b 29 Jun 1716, m. Lydia (?Ball); Wm d. abt 1748
6. Joseph, b 20 Sep 1719, d. bef 1747
7. Benjamin, b 9 Jun 1723

Note that the Hutchins wives of #3 and #4 above, are apparently NOT sisters. Two Hutchins brothers, Enoch and John, were very early settlers in Kittery, and it is likely the women are cousins. However, this has yet to be proved. The 3rd Hutchins wife, in the paragraph that follows, also needs to have her paternity determined.

Elizabeth BALL Hammons died several years after her youngest son, Benjamin, was born.  Francis married, second, another Elizabeth - widow Elizabeth HUTCHINS Davis.  There were apparently no children of this second marriage. I have yet to determine the relationships between the three Hutchins women who married into the Pettygrove family! 

Francis is listed in 1703 as having a land grant in the Kittery area.  After marrying Elizabeth BALL Hammons, his father-in-law, John BALL, deeded a house & 30 acres for them.  Later, in 1717, John BALL conveyed the whole of his land to his son-in-law, for maintenance of himself and his wife Joan/Joanne, during their lifetimes. 

Francis died approximately 1747, in Kittery.  His 2nd wife, Elizabeth Hutchins Davis, and the "two surviving sons waived adm. in favor of Francis Allen".  Note that Francis' eldest daughter, Mary, married Francis Allen.  I do not have a death date for Francis' 2nd wife, Elizabeth Hutchins Davis, nor do I have burial information for Frances and his two wives.

Most details have come from Old Kittery and Her Families (by Everett S. Stackpole), and Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire (by Sybil Noyes, Charles T. Libby, & Walter G. Davis). 

If you have more information, or corrections to the above details, please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net or in the Comments below. Thanks for stopping by.