142. MARY (MERROW) DODGE, 1765-1848, (Joseph, Joseph, Dr.
Samuel, Henry), was born in Edgecomb, Me., probably, in 1765. Her identity
as a daughter of this Joseph is hypothetical and is not supported by
documentary evidence. No direct proof has been found to establish her
relationship to any other member of the family. She married Benjamin Dodge in
Edgecomb 5 Dec. 1784, both of them being from Edgecomb. He was born in 1764.
Benjamin
Dodge was a yeoman in Edgecomb in 1787 when on March 19 of that year he was a
grantor of a deed together with Joseph Merrow and Samuel Merrow. Benjamin and
Mary Dodge moved to Middletown Plantation, later known as Strong, Me., before
1790, because in that year they were listed as one of the fourteen families there.
In Strong she was known as Polly Dodge. In 1790 there were, besides themselves,
in their family one male under sixteen and two females. Benjamin Dodge was a
purchaser in 1791 for £6 from the Massachusetts Committee for Sale of Eastern
Lands of 100 acres in Strong. He was a farmer and, like all early settlers,
cleared the wild land for fields and pastures. He also had a small mill on a
stream where he sawed lumber during a few weeks in the year. He was at an early
date a class leader of the Methodist group, formed in 1794, before they erected
a church in Strong in 1917. Benjamin Dodge preached before this group. He died
in Carthage, Me. She died there 6 May 1848, age 83y, and both are buried there.
Later, they together with their gravestones were removed to the cemetery on the
farm of their son, Samuel Dodge, in Freeman, Me., though this farm is partly in
Freeman and partly in Phillips.
Children:
i. Abigail Dodge; m. Jacob Sweat, Jr., 7 Oct. 1801[i].
ii. Joseph Dodge.
iii. Rachel Dodge, b. 12 June 1790 in Strong; m. James
Hunter who was b. in Bristol, Me., 2 Apr 1782, son of Capt. Henry and Sarah
(Wyer) Hunter. James Hunter d. 19 Sep 1854 and Rachel d. 28 Jun. 1871[ii].
Children:
I. Thomas Hunter, b. 30 April
1807; Lived in Farmington, Me.; d. 6 Feb., 1873; m. Sarah Croswell Soule, who
was b. 9 Sept., 1808, dau. of Zachariah and Abigail (Croswell) Soule; d. 7
Dec., 1891. Children:
(1)
James Thomas Hunter, b. 17 Apr., 1832; d. 14 Sept., 1836
(2) Marcie Soule Hunter, b. 22
Dec., 1835; d. 13 Feb., 1865; m. William F. Gay of Farmington 16 Oct 1861. Two
Children: Sarah Aurelia Gay, b. 12 Sept., 1862 and Marcie Hunter Gay, b. 4 Jan
1865., d. 4 Aug., 1865.
(3) Julia Stubbs Hunter, b. 7
Sept., 1837; m. 1st, Charles Fairbanks of Winthrop, Me., 25 Dec.,
1864. He d. 9 Jan., 1869 and she m., 2nd, William Tarbox of
Farmington 10 Jan., 1872.
(4) Susan Church Hunter, b. 25
Sep., 1843; d. 23 Oct., 1870; m. Samuel B. Luce of Strong 16 Oct., 1866. Only
child was Henry Thatcher Luce, b. 15 Sept., 1867; d. 22 Feb., 1868.
(5)
John M. S. Hunter, b. 14 Dec., 1845.
(6) James Thomas Hunter, b. 14
May 1849; m. Nettie Dodge. Children: Henry Hunter, George Hunter, Edith Hunter,
Eldora Hunter.
II. Benjamin Hunter, b. 4 July
1810; d. 25 Oct., 1889; m. Jane Hunter, dau. of William Hunter of Bristol, Me.,
(pub. 20 Dec., 1834). She was b. 3 July 1809; d. 21 Mar., 1897.
Children:
(1) Caroline Hunter, b. 16 Dec.,
1835; d. 11 Aug., 1871; m. Charles Vining of Strong. Children:
Alfred
Vining, m. Stella Mansfield and had six children.
Jenny
Vining, m. F. Edwin Howard and had two children.
Nellie
Vining, m. a Mr. Clark and had five children.
Bert
Vining, never married, killed in a saw mill.
III. Mary Hunter, b. 16 Aug.,
1815; m. Cyrus Hamlin Brett in Strong 17 Oct., 1832. They moved to Mankato,
Minn., where he d. 22 Nov., 1898 and she d. 13 Oct., 1896. Children, b. in
Strong:
(1)
Cyrus Benjamin Brett, b. 23 Aug., 1833; m. Lucy Wilson Eastman.
(2)
Mary Jane Brett, b. 17 July ;
d. 1 Sept., 1858, never married.
(3) Sarah Chamberlain Brett, b.
20 Mar., 1838; d. 31 Oct., 1867; m. Willis T. Jordan 21 Aug., 1861; no
children.
(4)
Lucy Ann Brett, b. 29 April 1840; m. Barney Crosby Baker.
(5)
Rachel Alice Brett, b. 24 April 1842; m. Ezekiel P. Baker.
(6)
George Everett Brett, b. 23 Nov., 1845; m. Lizzie Maxfield.
(7)
Rufus Franklin Brett, b. 26 Nov., 1852; m. Martha A. Carpenter.
(8)
Grace Porter Brett, b. 30 Aug., 1858; m. George F. Piper.
(9)
Maud Mary Hunter, b. 1860; d. 28 Oct., 1867.
IV. Joseph
Hunter, b. 5 Dec., 1819; m. Nancy Richardson. Children:
(1) Frances Hunter; m. George
Dyer. Their only child, Herbert Dyer, married and had no children.
(2)
Clara Hunter; never married.
(3)
Herbert Hunter; d. In infancy.
V. Adam Hunter, b. 4 Sept.,
1824; d. 30 Oct 1894; m. Mary E. Hitchcock, who was b. 19 Apr., 1826 and d. 30
July 1897. Children:
(1) Alice Hunter, b. 11 Mar.,
1856; m. Jacob Hayes. Children: Jacob Hayes; Fred Hayes, who had no children;
Robert Hayes; and Marguerite Hayes, who married and had several children.
(2) Lorin T. Hunter, b. 20 Nov.,
1859; m. Rosa P. Dodge, b. 7 Oct., 1860. She was a [great] granddau. of
Benjamin and Mary (Merrow) Dodge. Children: Bessie Hunter, b. 7 Oct., 1886, m.
Frank Goldsmith and had no children; Alice Hunter, who married and had no
children; and Hazelene Hunter, b. 20 Mar., 1899, who m. Floyd Mitchell and had
several children.
VI. Rachel Hunter, b. 9 Jan., 1827; m. Jerry Porter.
Children:
(1)
James Porter; killed in Custer fight.
(2)
Arthur Porter, whose wife’s name was Nellie. They had four children.
(3)
Charles Porter, a twin.
(4)
George Porter, a twin.
v. William Dodge[v],
b. Nov 1795; m. Cynthia Pratt, who was b. 28 May 1798 and d. 11 Dec 1859.
William Dodge d. 25 Sep., 1873, age 77y 10 mo. Children:
I. Jane
Pratt Dodge, b. July 1817.
II. James
Hunter Dodge, b. 24 Nov., 1825.
III.
Charles M. Dodge, b. 1835; d. 6 Aug., 1860, age 26y.
IV. Vesta
A. Dodge; d. 17 Sept., 1862. And other children.
vi. Benjamin Dodge, b. 11 Sept., 1798; m. Methitable
Coolbroth Milliken[vi] 6
Apr., 1823, dau of Joseph and Mary B. (Tarbox) Milliken. He d. 21 Nov 1872 and
she d. 25 Oct 1883; both buried in Farmington. They had five children, one of
whom was Andrew J. Dodge, b. 11 July 1828 and d. 17 Oct., 1901.
vii. James Dodge; m. Rachel Curtis[vii], who
was b. in Damariscotta, Me., 22 Nov., 1827 Children:
I. Wilson
Dodge, b. 3 Feb 1829 in Salem, Me
II. Albert
Dodge
III. Asa
Dodge
IV. Curtis
Dodge
V.
Nathaniel Dodge
VI. James Harvey Dodge, b. 11
Feb 1831 in Salem, Me.; m. Mary Ann Clark. He d. 19 June 1908, age 77y 4mo 8da.
Children: Addie Dodge, who d. in infancy; Adam C. Dodge, b. 5 Mar., 1859, d. 15
Aug., 1861; Rosa P. Dodge, b. 7 Oct 1860, and m. Lorin T. Hunter above.
VII. Mary
Ann Dodge
VIII. Emily
Dodge
IX. Sarah
Dodge
viii. Polly Dodge, b. 1801; m. Jeremiah Ellsworth, Jr., d.
1827, age 27y; no children[viii].
ix. Samuel Dodge, b. 1805; m. Three times and had twenty-one
children[ix].
His first wife was Mary Ann T. Rilmer of Thomaston, Me. (pub. 15 Jan., 1832 in
Strong.) His second wife was Eunice Butler of Thomaston. (pub. In Strong 19
June 1841.) His married, third, Dorcas Mayo[x]. A
grandson was Warren Dodge of Strong.
[i]
From Salem, Maine Vital Records: Birth and Death Record of Family of Jacob and
Abigail Sweat – FHL Film #253240 (spelling unchanged from original record):
Asa
Sweat; July 26, 1802
Eliphalet
Sweat; March 29, 1805; deceased March 26, 1808
Eben
Sweat; May 9, 1807
Melinda
Sweat; May 4, 1809
Jacob
Sweat; July 29, 1811
John
Dodge Sweat; September 4, 1814
Hulda
Sweat; October 19, 1816
Benjamin
D. Sweat; February 15, 1820
Abigail Switt, wife of Jacob Switt, deceased March
26, 1846
[ii] From Biographical Review: Biographical Sketches
of Leading Citizens of Oxford & Franklin Counties, Maine ©1897: ‘The
Hunter family is of Scotch descent, and settled in Sandy River Valley in 1767.
James Hunter…was born in Bristol, Me. Later he removed to the town of Strong,
where he finally settled, taking up a large tract of new land, clearing it and
building upon it. Mr. Hunter was of a very strong constitution and lived to a
ripe old age. His wife, Rachel Dodge, was equally vigorous. Her death at the
age of eighty-three years was caused by an accident. She was about to step from
her carriage at the door of her church, when the horse, startled by the ringing
of the church bell, ran away, and she was thrown out and fatally injured.
[iii] From A History of Farmington, Franklin County,
Maine 1776-1885 ©1885: v. Sarah [Chandler], b. July 10, 1792; md., Dec. 28,
1815, John Dodge, who d. Aug. 7, 1872. Resided at Quincy, Ill.; d. Nov. 6,
1872. 9 children.
[iv] From The Chandler Family: The Descendants of
William & Annis Chandler ©1883: ‘Sarah Chandler (Moses, Moses, William, William, Thomas, William) and John Dodge,
Farmington, Me. He was b. at Strong, 15 June 1794, son of Benjamin Dodge by his
wife Mary Merry. They lived about two and a half miles north of Farmington
Hill. Blacksmith. They removed to Quincy, Ill. Their children were:
i. WILLIAM DODGE, b. 1 Sept
1817. He was engaged in running a steam mill at Callao, Peru, S.A.; m. Mary Ann
Parker, of Milford, N.H. Two children.
ii. MOSES CHANDLER DODGE, b.
25 Nov 1819; he went to California. Married twice.
iii. MARY DODGE, b. at East
Wilton, 19 July 1821; d. 7 mos. after marrying Albert Locke, a pianoforte maker
at Boston.
iv. OLIVER DODGE, b. 11 April
182--; d. Nov 1824.
v. JOHN DODGE, b. 14 Jan
1824; blacksmith, South America.
vi. JOEL DODGE, b. at
Farmington, 15 July 1825; d. 14 Sept 1851, in Aroostook Co.; blacksmith.
vii. ANDREW JACKSON DODGE, b.
11 July 1828; blacksmith at Farmington, Me.; removed to Quincy, Ill.; m. 7 Oct
1856, Jerusha H. Haines of Rangeley, Me., who was b. 18 Oct., dau. Of Peter and
Lydia (Hill) Haines. Four children.
viii. SARAH C. DODGE, b. 7
June 1830; m. John Elliot, of Rangeley. Two children.
ix. HANNAH WHEELER DODGE, b.
8 Feb 1833; m. Samuel Ross; blacksmith, Rangeley, Me. Two children.
x. LOONA CHANDLER DODGE, b.
20 Sept 1836; d. 8 mos.
[v]
From Ancestors and Descendants of Paul Pratt of New Vineyard, Maine
©1988: ‘Cynthia Pratt; b. 8 June 1798, New Vineyard; d. 11 Dec 1859, Salem, age
61 yrs 6 mos 3 days; buried Mt. Abram Cemetery, Salem. [Married] (published) 21
Aug 1817 [she of New Vineyard, he of Strong] William W. Dodge; b. 25 Nov 1796,
d. 25 Sep 1873, age 77 yrs 10 mos; Mt. Abram Cemetery, Salem; son of Benjamin 3rd
and Mary [“Polly”] (Merry) Dodge. William W. Dodge was a blacksmith; his
original home, with a later addition, is still standing by the west branch of
the Carrabasset River in Salem. He married secondly, Joanna Day (Turner) Pratt,
b. 10 July 1803. She was the daughter of Reuben and Lucy (Everett) Turner and
widow of James R. Pratt. William & Cynthia may have had other children. The
birth of their first child, Jane, is clearly noted in the Salem vital records;
the publication of their marriage intentions was shown in the Leland Peary
collections and no other source has been found. There is a possibility that the
town records or the Peary material is in error. Children all born in Salem:
1. Jane
Pratt DODGE, b. July 1817
2. James
Hunter DODGE, b. 14 Nov 1825
3. Jacob
W. DODGE (Twin), b. 25 Sep 1830
4. Joseph
O. DODGE (Twin), b. 25 Sep 1830
5. Charles
M. DODGE, b. ca. 1835; d. 6 Aug 1860; buried Mt. Abram Cemetery
6. Vesta
A. DODGE, b. ca. 1842; d. 17 Sep 1862
[vi] From A History of Farmington, Franklin County,
Maine 1776-1885 ©1885: ‘Mehitable Coolbroth [Milliken], b. July 29, 1803;
md. April 6, 1823, Benjamin Dodge; d. Oct. 25, 1883. He d. Nov. 21, 1872. 5
children.’
[vii] From
paper on Curtis Family in possession of N. Brandon Dodge (author and date
unknown): Rachel Curtis (William, Daniel, Capt. John, John, Henry), b. May
5, 1806 at Bristol, Me, d. Aug. 6, 1877 at Turner, Me., about one hour after
the death of her husband; m. Nov. 24, 1827 James Dodge, son of Benjamin &
Mary (Merry) Dodge of Edgecomb, Me., b. Feb. 11, 1807; d. Aug. 6, 1877 at
Turner, Me. They settled in Strong, Me., soon moved to Rangeley, Me., later to
Perkins Plantation; then to Livermore and finally to Turner, Maine where she
died. Children:
I.
James Harvey Dodge
II.
Albert Dodge
III.
Asa Dodge
IV.
Emily Dodge, b. Mar. 9, 1832; d. May 22, 1912
V.
Wilson Dodge
VI.
Mary Ann Dodge
VII.
Curtis Dodge
VIII.
Sarah Jane Dodge
IX.
Nathaniel Dodge
[viii] From http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Village Cemetery, Strong, Maine: Jeremiah Ellsworth d. Feb. 10, 1871, age 76
years; Mary D., his wife, d. Aug. 16, 1827, age 25 years, 7 months.
[ix]
Children born to Samuel Dodge. Information taken from the 1850 Census:
Plantation No. 4, Maine; 1860 & 1870 Census: Phillips, Maine.
1.
Rachel Dodge; b. 1833
2.
Almira Dodge; b. 1837
3.
Ambrose Dodge; b. 1839
4.
Martha Dodge; b. 1842
5.
Asbury Dodge; b. 1844
6.
Emily Dodge; b. 1846
7.
George W. Dodge; b. 1854
8.
Sarah Arzilla Dodge; b. 1856
9.
Arvilla L. Dodge; b. 1856
10.
Benjamin Dodge; b. 1858
11.
Myrinda Dodge; b. 1858
12.
Lucy E. Dodge; b. 1861
13.
Charles P. Dodge; b. 1864
14.
Winfield S. Dodge; b. 1866
15.
Warren Dodge; b. 1867
[x] From http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Brackley Cemetery, Freeman, Maine: Samuel Dodge d. Aug. 28, 1875, age 70 years,
5 months; Mary Ann T. his 1st wife, d. Feb. 16, 1841, age 52 years;
Eunice G. his 2nd wife, d. July 21, 1850, age 33 years; Dorcas A.
his 3rd wife, d. July 28, 1901, age 75 years, 5 months.
