On my mother's side of the family tree we find my 4th great grandmother Mary Arnold. Mary declared her intention to marry Benjamin Turner on October 1, 1780 in Pownalborough, Maine. This fact is printed in the Bangor Historical Magazine, Volume 7, Page 17.
Other than that, there is no indication where Mary came from. She and Benjamin did marry and had eleven children that I am aware of: David, Nehemiah, Mary, Daniel, Benjamin, Hollis, James, Lois, Fanny, Eunice and Joseph. I am desended from Daniel who married Sardine Jackson.
Back to Mary. I have tried to find her parentage. There are numerous postings on the various message boards for other cousins looking for this very same information.
I decided to try and locate Arnold families in the 1790 census. There are two listed in Lincoln County. Benjamin Arnold in Lincoln with 1-3-3 and William Arnold of Pownalborough with 2-1-2. The first number represents free white males under 16, then free white males over 16 and lastly free white females (got to love the 1790 census). Researching William Arnold led me to:
William Arnold b. 23 June 1728 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts who married Elizabeth Colby b. 04 November 1729, also in Newbury. They were married on 27 April 1750 in Newbury. According to Newbury records they had three children there, Thomas b. 1750, William b. 1752 and Elizabeth b. 1755. Then there is no longer any record of them in Newbury.
This William was the son of Capt. Thomas Arnold and Rachel. Elizabeth was the daughter of Ambrose Colby and Elizabeth Lawrence. Ambrose Colby was known to have been born in Amesbury, Massachusetts and have moved to Lincoln County, Maine. In Ambrose's will of 1778, he is of Pownalborough. This is where my Mary Arnold is living when her marriage intention was listed.
The records from Maine are notoriously weak. Other family trees listed on rootsweb and/or ancestry give William and Elizabeth (Colby) Arnold other children born in Maine, including Benjamin b. 1763, Rachel b. 1766 and Joseph b. 1771 in Pownalborough. This would leave room for Mary, who I believe to have been born about 1764. These children were wed in Pownalborough as was Mary. Could this be the Arnold family to which she belongs?
Female lines are the hardest to trace. I wish you lots of luck. Isn't there a huge Arnold family in RI, wouldn't it be funny if her family is from there. What about tombstones, find any? Sometimes the families were buried near each other, Poss. look for Arnolds in that area (looking for a William, Benjamin first), also Rev. War info. for a male Arnold in that area.
ReplyDeleteI've gone over and over so much information and I'm where you're at. I believe I have traced William Arnold to Benedict Arnold with half blood.
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