A Relative tale of three Governors of Maine

One of the stories I had been told many years ago by my great-aunt, Leona was that her grandmother was a cousin of two Governors of Maine.  If my great-aunt had told me the names, I didn't remember them or knew who they were at the time.  Several years ago I had tried to see if any of my great-great-grandmother, Susan Church (Spaulding) Mower's first cousins had been Governors and I had come up empty in that search. Recently with the addition of "Thru-lines" on Ancestry, I was able to trace down lines of my family related to me by DNA.  My research revealed that the tale of two Governor cousins was partially true and shed light on a third Governor of Maine connection.

My ancestor "Sue" as she was called by the family was actually a second cousin of two Governors of Maine through her grandfather's side and her grandmother's side.   Her grandfather was a great-uncle to one governor and her grandmother a great-aunt to another governor.

Susan C. (Spaulding) Mower
My great-great-grandmother

Governor Abner Colburn was a 2nd cousin to Sue Mower on her maternal grandfather's Benjamin Weston's side. [see my Weston Family Farm post for more on Benjamin Weston] 

Governor Abner Colburn of Maine

Gov. Colburn was born March 22, 1803 in Skowhegan, Maine, son of Eleazer and Mary (Weston) Colburn.  He  served three years in the Maine House of Representatives before being elected the 30th Governor of Maine in 1863. He served only one term during the Civil War years.  He became president of Skowhegan Savings Bank as well as president and director of the Maine Central Railroad. He served as the Chair of the Colby College Board of Trustees from 1874 until his death in 1885.  He was the uncle of the writer Louise Helen Colburn.   Many of his historical items can be seen in a museum that she began, the Skowhegan History House.  Colburn never married and resided in Skowhegan with his brother Philander Colburn who also never married, but also a wealthy business in Skowhegan.  Gov. Colburn died January 4, 1885 in Skowhegan, Maine.  

On Sue Mower's maternal grandmother's Anna (Powers) Weston, she was a 2nd cousin to Governor Llewellyn Powers.

Governor Llewellyn Powers

Gov. Powers was born October 14, 1836 in Pittsfield, Maine, son of Arba and Naomi (Matthews) Powers.  He attended Colby College and law school in New York.  After receiveing his law degree in 1860, he set up practice in Houlton, Maine in 1861.  He served in the Maine House of Representatives for several years and was Speaker of the House in his last term.  It was his bill in 1876 that abolished capital punishment in Maine.  He became Maine's 44th Governor in 1897 and served until 1901.  He married Martha Averill and they were parents to five children.  Llewellyn died July 28, 1908 in Houlton, Maine.  

My ancestor Sue was living during the time when both of her 2nd cousins became Governors of Maine, although she as woman would not have been able to vote for them.  I can only assume that probably the men in the family including Sue's husband, William Mower, would have voted them into office as they were both Republican governors and until my Dad and myself, my family had all been Republicans.  

Recently the addition of Thru-lines on Ancestry revealed another connection to a Govenor of Maine. My DNA connected me to the Reed family of Fort-Fairfield which I had known from tracing the siblings of Sue Mower.  Her older sister Electa (Spaulding) Reed was the grandmother of Govenor of Maine, John Hathaway Reed.  Sue was also the great-aunt of a Governor of Maine. 

Governor John H. Reed

Gov. Reed was born January 5, 1921 in Fort Fairfield, Maine.  He served in the Navy during World War II and came back to Maine serving in the Maine House of Representatives and Maine Senate.  In 1959, Maine had four Governors, one of which was John Reed.  Gov. Edmund Muskie had resigned to take his seat in the U.S. Senate in January 1959.  Robert Haskell then became Governor for 5 days until Governor Clinton Clauson was sworn in as Governor in 1959.  Gov. Clausn died while in office on December 30, 1959.  With John Reed as Senate President, he then became Maine's 67th Governor.  He was elected in 1960 and again in 1962 to become Maine's first 4 year Governor until 1966 when he was defeated by Ken Curtis.  Gov. Reed then took a seat on the National Safety Board and later was Ambassador to Sri Lanka under Presidents Nixon and Reagan.  He died October 31, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

I was a little too young to be aware of Gov. Reed during his term in the 1960s, as I didn't come along until 1963.  No one in my immediate family ever mentioned any connection to him and probably were not even aware as I don't believe my great-aunt meant he was one of the connections to a Maine Governor as she only said her grandmother was a cousin to two Maine Governors.  Whereas she herself was a 2nd cousin to Gov. Reed.  

DNA and it use by Law Enforcement

Recently in Maine news the headlines read:

"Genealogical Databases" used to match Maine man's DNA to Alaska murder!

DNA from an unsolved murder over 26 years ago was used in Public DNA Genealogical Databases and a Maine man's aunt who had done a DNA test came back as a close match and the police were able to use this evidence to find him.  He had lived in the same dorm as the victim, but had denied knowing the victim at the time in 1993 when DNA evidence was not where it is now.

A reporter from a Portland News Channel contacted myself and a few others in the DNA Interest Groups (or DIG) for comment.  However his take on the case was not that DNA was used to find a murderer, but that maybe people shouldn't do DNA testing as it might lead to the arrest of a loved one and if people were aware of this, they may choose not to do DNA testing?   I didn't feel comfortable doing his interview for that reason.  Luckily another person volunteered to be interviewed and did a great job trying to point out that people doing DNA testing are really more interested in their ancestry and finding family than criminals.

I know that GEDmatch makes it very clear that they are a public website and people who use it voluntarily upload their DNA to the site and Gedmatch can be used by Law Enforcement to upload DNA from cases of rape, murder and sexual assault to find the perpetrator of these crimes.  Recently FamilyTreeDNA has allowed Law Enforcement to also upload DNA from crimes as stated, but they do not get any extra benefits, only the same benefits as anyone else who uses the site has access to.

I also have struggled somewhat with this question when people ask me about DNA and Law Enforcement.  Do I feel comfortable with the police just having free access to all databases to use in any crime?  For example if I had posted signs around the city against a certain politician or someone in a position of power, who I felt was doing something wrong or not being honest about something they were involved in and my DNA was found on the signs.   This person in power could ask law enforcement to use the DNA to find me and stop me from exercizing my free speech rights.  No I do not  feel that Law Enforcement should have have access to anything without probable cause.

However, if one of my immediate family members or relatives were discovered to have committed a heinous crime like murder, rape or sexual assault because of my DNA being posted in various DNA webistes would I feel guilty.  I have to say, I would not.  I would of course feel bad for my family members of the person who would be convicted, but not really for the person who committed the crime who either lied or hid from it.  I have always told my family members I love them no matter what.  But if they committed a terrible crime,  I would still probably love them.   I would not be happy about what they had done or necessarily even forgive them for what they had done to another person.

I also have a strong belief that if one of my immediate family members was a victim of a crime of murder or a sexual assault, it would be my hope that Law Enforcement would use any tool, including DNA databases to catch the person or persons guilty of the crime.  I would hope for some closure and maybe some reason for why this happened. So if DNA was also used to find one of my family members guilty of these heinous crimes, I hope it would give that victim's family some closure as well.

These are the early days still of DNA tests and how DNA can and will be used is still being determined by courts and often laws and regulations are behind in any new technology.  Eventually, some case will arise where someone will overstep the boundaries and laws and rules will begin to instituted.

DNA has been shown to solve crimes, but also to free innocent people wrongly convicted years later.  I think back that not in my lifetime, many school children were fingerprinted and put in a government database to help in child abductions if that terrible event should occur.  Fingerprints like DNA are unique and yet used to solve crimes as well.  For now, I not against or feel uncomfortable with my DNA on some of the above websites being used by Law Enforcement.   Not everyone will agree with my opinion, but it is what I currently believe when it comes to DNA use in solving these cold case crimes.

The Thurston Family Divorces

                In 2008, my cousin Nancy Battick and I published an article in The Maine Genealogist on our ancestor Emily (Woodman) Thurston’s divorce in 1849 from her husband called “Finding Hidden Gold in Divorce Records:  The search for Emily Woodman of Newport, Maine.”  It had been assumed by many since Emily did not appear on the 1850 census in the household of her husband and children and no oral family stories about her had been passed down, that she had died prior to that census.  It was by luck that I came across her divorce and then we discovered she was living in Bangor, Maine under her maiden name in 1850.  The divorce explained why when Emily’s husband, Stephen Thurston died in 1862, only his sons received a guardianship. Emily had received custody of her daughters and he had custody of his sons.  Then we learned that Emily’s oldest daughter and possibly her granddaughter would also divorce their husbands.  It would then make three generations of divorce.

Emily (Woodman) Thurston

                The divorce records shed light on these women’s lives and sometimes the unfortunate circumstances probably many women endured in their married lives.  Especially when a divorce would mean these women would have to support themselves and their children at a time when there were few jobs women held outside of the house.  The roles of men and women were well defined with the husband working to support the family while the wife stayed at home to raise children and do all household chores.  Marriage shifted support for a woman from her father to her husband.

                Since that article was published a few more details have been uncovered. So many newspapers have been added online to search.  One article that shed light on their early years of their marriage, Emily appears to have fled her husband with their eldest daughter, Adressa.

Bangor Daily Whig & Courier, Dec. 4, 1839

We also need to understand Maine law at time.   A divorce to the petitioner meant that person was legally divorced from their spouse.  However, their spouse was still legally married unless they also petitioned for divorce.  So, until the Maine legislature changed the law in 1857, court records often show double divorces.  First a one spouse would file for a divorce and then at a later date, the other spouse would then file for their divorce.  If this was not done, the spouse who did not file a divorce would still be legally married and their estate if they were the husband could still go to his divorced wife who was legally divorced from him.  So often the motivation for the filing for the second divorce was to protect the estate or to remarry.  So, it is understandable why Stephen Thurston wanted to file for his own divorce from Emily, if he did not want her to receive whatever his estate or if he wanted to remarry.

Stephen Thurston

                Stephen first petitioned the Judicial Court in Penobscot County in the October term of 1851.  For whatever reason, the Court dismissed his case.  It may have been he did not meet the required proof necessary for a divorce decree.  Just two years earlier his wife had accused him of drunkenness and Stephen may still have struggled with the disease of alcoholism.  In 1852, Stephen still determined to get his divorce chose another option outside of the Courts, he petitioned the State of Maine legislature to be granted a divorce.

                His petition presented his version of the marriage.  Stephen claimed to always have behaved himself as a faithful, chaste and affectionate husband towards his wife. However despite these facts, Emily deserted him August 1848 leaving their four children in his care.  He stated Emily was granted a divorce in 1849 and custody of their two daughters, Adressa and Mary Emily and he was awarded their sons.  Since that time, Stephen had been a good, honest, industrious and peaceable citizen and continues to support his sons.  It was signed by 46 other men in Newport.  At the top of the list was the name of his brother and his lawyer, Granville Flint.  In February 1853, the legislature took no action on his divorce petition. There may be some truth to his claim as he took an Ad in the paper at the time stating his wife had deserted him.

The Democrat issue of September 12, 1848

                So Stephen, not to be deterred in his quest, went back to the Supreme Judicial Court.  However Stephen made no claims of being a role model, but purely stated his wife, had been granted a divorce in 1849 and now wished the same be granted to him.  Stephen did ask for custody of his two daughters in this petition.  The Divorce was granted in October 1853, but no change made in the custody of his daughters.  Sadly, Stephen’s desire for a divorce resulted in him owing a large debt and he was forced to sell his property in April 1854.  And who came to purchase Stephen’s property?  None other than his lawyer, Granville Flint 

                Lastly in 2008, we speculated that Emma Augusta Badger of Etna, Maine was the same Emma A. Badger, daughter of Jonathan Badger and Adressa Thurston.  Adressa being the eldest daughter of Stephen and Emily Thurston.  Emma A. Badger had appeared on the 1870 census of Etna living the household of her great-aunt, Olive (Woodman) Glidden.  Living next door was a Samuel W. Sanborn whom she married January 25, 1874.  Samuel deserted her the very next day for parts unknown.  With advancement in on line records, Samuel left for Minneapolis, Minnesota where he lived the rest of his life as a single man. 

                The death certificate for Emma confirmed her parents as Jonathan and Adressa.  Again since the article’s publishment, more has been discovered about Emma’s life.  Emma (Badger) Sanborn was granted a divorce on October 4, 1876.  On November 15, 1876 in Bangor, Maine, Emma A. Sanborn married William Holmes.  They had 3 children together between 1877 and 1882.  However after 1884, Emma appears in Bangor Directories living alone with her husband, who also appears living alone at a different address.  According to the divorce petition by William Holmes in 1887, he stated that in July 1883, Emma A. Holmes deserted him and utterly refused to live with him.  Of course, we only have William’s side of the story and one can only wonder why Emma would leave with three young children and never return for any reason.  As Emma did not appear in Court to defend herself, William received his divorce.  No mention of custody of the children. 

                Emma was living Bangor as late as 1893.  However on February 5, 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts, Emma “Badger” dressmaker, daughter of John and Adressa (Thurston) Badger married her 3^rd husband, Louis Schwartz, who had immigrated from Russia.  He was a canvasser by trade.  Emma and her husband were living in Boston in 1900, but by 1910, they were living in Salem, Massachusetts with her three children by Holmes as well her son Charles’s wife and son.  The sons also were listed as canvassers.   

Emma (Badger) Schwartz in 1918

By 1920, Emma and Louis and Emma’s eldest son, William were all living in Falmouth, Maine.  Her husband and son were working for the railroad. 

                Emma died on November 7, 1927 in Portland, Maine with her funeral being held at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Stella Wright in South Portland. 

Ebenezer Shaw, a father to many

In a time before sperm donors where able to father possibly hundreds of children, or to be as prolific as  Genghis Khan who fathered anywhere from a 1000 to 2000 children with multiple partners, one of my ancestors in my family was able to father 26 children between two wives. 

Ebenezer Shaw was born on January 3, 1749 in Hampton, New Hampshire to Ebenezer and Anna (Philbrick) Shaw.  His father moved the family from Hampton to Standish, Maine in 1760, where his father had been granted 200 acres of land and a mill right.  Ebenezer married his first wife, Sarah Wood of Gorham, Maine in 1771.  Together they had 10 known children starting when Sarah was 19 and dying at age 39 giving birth to her last daughter on 8 July 1792.  Sarah oldest daughter had been married for two years had given birth to the first grandchild of Ebenezer and Sarah by 1792.

During this marriage, Ebenezer also served in the Revolutionary War in 1779.  His wife wife had given birth to their fifth child in January 1779 and Ebenezer left to serve in  regiment in Cape Elizabeth, Maine from July 1779 to September 1779.  His wife left behind with 5 children who ages ranged from a 6 year old to an infant.

In 1792, Ebenezer was 43 years old and now saddled with children ages 20 to an infant.  With his oldest daughter married and raising her own family, he probably relied on his other oldest daughters to raise the younger children and maintain the chores that their mother performed.  Ebenezer like many men of the time needed a wife to raise his children and maintain the household chores.  Although, Ebenezer could have married a widow closer to his own age with her own children or none at all at home, he instead married an unmarried 22 year old, Salome Green in March of 1793.  Of course, at 22 and not married, Salome might even had been considered a spinster at that time.  So a marriage proposal with a prosperous widower in need of someone to help raise his youngest children may have appealed to Salome and maybe most of all, to her family.   From all accounts, Salome was able step up to the task of running the household and becoming a step-mother to Ebenezer's youngest children with little trouble.  So their marriage was a benefit both of them. 

Ebenezer then began his second family with Salome.  They had 14 known children, with Salome's last child born at age 42 in 1813.  Ebenezer was a mere 64 years old at that time.  He is credited to fathering 26 children, but only 24 are recorded, so he may had more children with either his first or second wife, that were stillborn or born premature and not recorded in town records.  If he had two more with his second wife, Salome would have been the mother of 16 children. 

Maybe fathering so many children kept Ebenezer young as he lived another 23 years after the birth of his last child at the age, dying at age 87 on August 11, 1836.  His death was carried by several newspapers due to number of his children and his 200 descendants and the longevity of his himself and his siblings.  The following is from the Portland Weekly Advertiser, issue of August 23, 1836.  Other papers published the same or part of this article.

His widow Salome died in August 1847 in Standish.  Only a gravestone for Ebenezer Shaw in the Standish Village Cemetery can be found, none for either of his wives.

Martha Ballard's Diary connection to my ancestor Rhoda (Manchester) Cottle

I remember many years ago watching A Midwife's tale on PBS's American Experience which was based on the Diary of Martha Ballard 1785-1812 from the Augusta, Maine area. The show was made after the book by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was published and how it told of women's lives in rural Maine in the early 1800s.

Although I thought the show was fascinating, I never thought about actually looking at the diary as I just assumed it had nothing to with my family.  However in 2005, while working on my Dad's Cottle's ancestral family, I had come across a reference to Martha Ballard's diary.  I was quite surprised  to see that Martha Ballard had mentioned my ancestors more than once and she had attended the births of at least 3 of my family member's births.  It revealed the birth of an unknown child in which the diary is the only record of this birth.  This connection was not the only interesting part of my ancestor's life, but as I dug deeper in the family history, the final years of my ancestor's life was also mired in legal paperwork and fighting among the children over their mother's care and estate.

Rhoda Manchester, my 5th great-grandmother, was born about 1758 in Tisbury,  Massachusetts as the first child of Thomas Manchester and Eunice Norton,  When she was 18, she married Isaac Cottle, on 25 August 1776 in Tisbury,  Massachusetts. They resided in Tisbury until 1785, when the family moved to Hallowell, Maine. They would have 16 children together. Martha Ballard, the area midwife recorded her trips the Cottle household for the births of three children. Despite the fact that it was Rhoda Cottle having the babies, Martha still recorded them as the children of Mr. Cottle.

The first mention was for the birth Rhoda’s 5^th daughter and 9^th child on April 27, 1791 [named Jane].  The diary recorded that Martha was called at 10am in the morning and arrived there at 1pm and Mrs. Cottle was unwell, and remained “poorly” on the 26^th and then on the 27th she left Mrs. Cottle after the birth  “of a fine daughter.”  Ten years later Martha Ballard was called for the birth of Mr. Cottle's 15^th child and 6^th son on June 4 1801 [named Charles]. 

The last child of Isaac and Rhoda Cottle had never been recorded except in Martha Ballard’s diary. On October 31, 1803, Martha recorded the birth of Mr. Cottle’s 10^th daughter and 16^th child.  Martha “tarrid” all night and received a “9/” for a reward.  At the time, Rhoda Cottle was 45 years old and it was her last known child.   Sadly her diary recorded the fate of this last child.  She was informed “Mr. Cottle’s youngest child was interred this day, 17 November 1804." No cause of death was recorded.

In 1814, Rhoda's husband died on  January 31st,  The probate of his estate named his widow, Rhoda and their 15 children which almost all family histories list as their only children. 

In 1838, when  Rhoda was about 80 years old, she began to suffer both physically and mentally and so began a legal process of finding guardianship for her and her estate.  This would also begin a dispute between her children with accusations of mismanagement by guardians including two of her sons.  The following are excerpts from Kennebec County Probate, docket C-15:

            On September 10,  1838, Charles Cottle, John Shed Jr., Sewall Longfellow, Wm R. Sanford, Samuel Cottle, Seguin Lyon and Josiah Shed, petitioned the Probate judge that "Rhoda Cottle of Augusta is a very aged person and by reason of her infirmities of mind and body incapable of taking care of her herself" and that a guardian be appointed to take of herself and estate.  Rhoda Cottle requested that Eliab Lyon be her guardian, this was signed by herself and witnessed by Abner Cottle and Ananias Cottle.

            September 13,  1838, Rhoda Cottle requested that Eliab Lyon be her appointed her guardian. On September 14, 1838, a decree was issued that Rhoda was a person non-compos mentis and a guardian be appointed for her which was Eliab Lyon.

            On the 17^th of September 1838, Isaac Cottle of Augusta, yeoman petitioned that Eliab Lyon of Readfield who has been appointed guardian for Rhoda Cottle, widow, and without knowledge of even suspicion of the undersigned as one of her sons, who is under contract in relation to her support as appears by the entry itself, that said Lyon is not satisfactory to the undersigned and wholly unsuitable for the trust and ought not to be continued in the office of guardian.  Your petitioner therefore prays that the said Eliab Lyon Jr, may be dismissed from said office and trust and that other suitable person may be appointed.

            Almost 2 years later on April 7, 1840, the undersigned request that John Cottle of Windsor be her guardian as she had made choice for him for that purpose, signed by Rhoda Cottle herself.  On April 8, 1840, John Cottle was appointed guardian of Rhoda Cottle. Charles Cottle and Francis Davis were sureties.

            Within a month on May 30,1840 at Mount Vernon, "Roddy Cottle" had asked that John Cottle be removed as guardian.  The petition was signed by Isaiah Cottle, Annanias Cottle, Thomas Cottle, Isaac Cottle, Charles Cottle, Abner Cottle, John Rollins, Joshua Bartlett, and Bela Gilman.  None of the daughters of Rhoda signed this document.

            Then on May 31,1840 at Augusta, The undersigned children of Rhoda Cottle represent that John Cottle, her son was appointed guardian of Rhoda Cottle, non compos mentis, without knowledge of and against the wishes of all her children except himself and Charles Cottle with whom she lives and who exercises over her complete and absolute control, that said John Cottle since taking upon him that trust has misspent and wasted her estate and has been improvident and careless of the same having leased to himself the farm for a small sum of ten dollars when more than five times that sum could have been obtained.  That said, John Cottle is intemperate and wholly unsuitable to discharge the trust upon him, that therefore pray that John Cottle be dismissed from said office and trust and Cyrus Gould of Augusta or Adam Wing of Sidney or Deacon Shadrach Rollins of Belgrade or some other suitable person may be appointed in his stead.  Signed by Abner Cottle, Isaac Cottle, Annanias Cottle, Nancy Bowman, David Bowman, Isaiah Cottle and Sarah Richardson.

            On June 9. 1840, John Cottle was summoned to appear in court in regards to the petition for his removal as guardian of Rhoda Cottle.

            On the 31^st of May 1841, The undersigned state that an application by Abner Cottle and others for the removal of John Cottle as guardian of Rhoda Cottle was signed May 31, 1840 and presented to the Probate Court on the 2nd Tuesday in June 1840, that same specific the reason upon which the removal was requested - that a full hearing not having been had, the undersigned requests the subject may be furthered considered and a final disportion made thereof as soon as may be.  Signed by Abner Cottle and Isaac Cottle.  The Judge ordered a special court be held in Augusta on the 17th of June 1841.

            In December 1842. James McCobb was appointed guardian of Rhoda Cottle.  Then after four years in April 1846, another petition appears as James McCobb, guardian of Rhoda Cottle had moved from the county and he requested he be discharged and that Ephraim Ballard be appointed in his stead.  James McCobb submitted his account of debts he incurred while guardian of the estate of Rhoda Cottle totaling $32.50.

            April 25, 1846, Rhoda Cottle requested that the selectman of Augusta be made her guardians, witnessed by Charles Cottle.  On April 27, 1846, Ephraim Ballard was appointed guardian of Rhoda Cottle.  Ephraim was the grandson of Martha Ballard, the midwife who had attended the births of 3 of Rhoda’s children.  Ephraim being of the same  name of his grandfather, husband of Martha Ballard.

In 1850, Rhoda Cottle, age 94 was living in Augusta, Maine in the household of Charles and Louisa Cottle, her son and daughter-in-law.

An account of expenses of Ephraim Ballard as guardian of Rhoda Cottle was submitted covering the dates between 27 April 1846 to July 1850.  Charles Cottle was paid for support of his mother for two years 1848 and 1849 as per agreement with the selectman of Augusta.  A final account of Ephraim Ballard, guardian of Rhoda Cottle, late of Augusta, deceased covered the rent for the farm from May 1, 1850 to Sept. 19, 1851 and expenses paid.

Her death was recorded in the Kennebec Journal on 2 October 1851 “In Kennebec, Mrs. Rhoda Cottle, aged 95.”  Kennebec being the area now part of Manchester, Maine.  However it appears that Rhoda had passed before the newspaper account of her death. 

Lois Devereux, War of 1812 heroine

Stories of females in my family history are more recent and very rare in from the 1700 and early 1800s.  I feel lucky when I find the surnames of my female ancestors.  Often I only have the male ancestor's name and apparently recorded history would have me  believe he had children and raised his family without a wife as there is no mention of even her first name.

In researching my great-great-grandmother's family, I did find interesting story of a female ancestor's bravery in during the War of 1812.  Her name was Lois Ingerson Hibbert.  Lois was born  in Manchester, Massachusetts on January 23, 1747, the daughter of Joseph and Lois (Ingersoll) Hibbert.  She was obviously named after her mother, but the name of Ingersoll being corrupted  to Ingerson.  She married Ralph Devereux on September 12, 1765 in Manchester.  In 1775 she came to district of Maine and settled in what is now Penobscot, Maine.  Her husband as well as her father served in the American Revolution. Her husband serving in the Penobscot Militia.   Lois had ten children with her husband between 1767 and 1785.

During the War of 1812, the British attempted to conquer Maine and remake it into the colony of New Ireland.

Major John Sherbrooke, Governor
of Nova Scotia led the British expedition in Maine

In August 1814 a British squadron sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia down the coast of Maine capturing settlements and towns along the coast.  On September 1, 1814, the British fleet entered Castine Harbor.  The local militia melted away at the sight of the British force, blew up their magazine and moved to North.  The British now had control of Maine, east of the Penobscot River which became the new International Boundary.

The British started invading the private homes, to search for American soldiers, their weapons and ammunition.  Inside the Devereux home there was a closet in which four kegs of powder had been stored by the American soldiers.  Mrs. Devereux put her ironing board against the closet door and ironed during the time while the British searched their house.  She was about 65 years old at the time, and the enemy soldiers thought it was be disrespectful to make the old woman move so they could look in the closet behind her.  Thus she saved ammunition for American soldiers.  

From the Fall of 1814 to the Spring of 1815, the British occupied the area of Castine.  On April 25, 1815, the British evacuated Castine and with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, the British gave up their claims on Maine.

Sadly, Lois again is lost to history as there is no record of her death or grave marker for her burial.  Only her husband has a gravestone in the Devereux Family Cemetery.  But to the quick thinking of Lois Devereux, she saved valuable ammunition for the American soldiers and became a local legend in the area and family history lore.

Mom's famous 7th cousin, once removed

Do we see any resemblance between these two women taken when they were both about 18 years old?   One of them is a famous red-headed comedian of the 20th century and the other is my Mom.  While tracing my Mom's new family ancestry, I came across the surname Ball.  At first I was focused on trying to just trace the family line and not who else has the surname Ball?  Then watching a television show with Lucie Arnaz, I wondered could we be related to Lucille Ball?  There is a website called Famous Kin which has the ancestry of famous people from actors to athletes and it contains sources for documenting each generation.

I was able to trace Lucille Ball's ancestry back to our common ancestor, John Ball of Watertown, Massachusetts.   She is my Mom's 7th cousin, once removed.  I grew up watching the old reruns of I Love Lucy to Here's Lucy.  She really was a great actress and comedian.

My mother and Lucille Balls' ancestor John Ball was born in 1585 in England and arrived in New England between 1630-1635 and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts with two of his sons.  He was made a freeman of the colony in 1650.  He later removed to Concord, Massachusetts where he died in 1655.  It appears he did not bring a wife and probably was a widower when he left England.

The 2nd generation was also named John Ball, who came with his father when he was a teenager, having been born about 1620 in England.   He also settled in Watertown, Massachusetts where he was a tailor and married 1) Elizabeth Pierce and they had 5 children together.   About 1655-6, his wife was said to have become "violently insane" and their children were apprenticed out to family and neighbors.  Elizabeth (Pierce) Ball died before 1665, when John remarried to 2) Elizabeth Fox of Concord, Massachusetts.  That same year, he sold his land in Watertown and moved to Lancaster, Massachusetts and had one son, Joseph with his second wife.  Sadly, when King Philip's War broke out, the Indians attacked the town of Lancaster on February 20, 1676 and John, his second wife, Elizabeth and his youngest son, Joseph were all killed.  His two youngest daughters, Esther and Abigail were taken into captivity and never heard from again.

Lancaster Attack 1676

Our next common generation is also a John Ball, born in 1644 in Watertown, Massachusetts.  He was sent to live with his grandfather, John Pierce in 1655 in Watertown and may have been what saved him the same fate as his father and siblings in 1676 in Lancaster, Massachusetts.  John married Sarah Bullard in 1665 and died in Watertown in 1722. This is where our family lines diverge.

4th generation
Benjamin Ball (1676-?)                            siblings              James Ball (1670-1729)

5th Generation
Isaac Ball (1700-1789)                          1st Cousins           James Ball (1694-1756)

6th Generation
Isaac Ball (1747-1790)                          2nd Cousins          John Ball (1738-1756)

7th Generation
Isaac Ball (1787-1865)                          3rd Cousins           Eunice Ball (1778-1840)

8th Generation
Clinton M. Ball (1817-1893)                4th Cousins            Levinia Carter (1804-1864)

9th Generation
Jasper C. Ball (1852-1933)                   5th Cousins            Frances Hatch (1845-1924)

10th Generation
Henry D. Ball (1887-1915)                  6th Cousins             Florence Bickmore (1870-1941)

11th Generation
Lucille Desire Ball (1911-1989)           7th Cousins             Harold Strout (1903-1985)

12th Generation
                                                               once removed         Shirley A. Buzzell