I have mentioned the Scripture and Bucknam families in passing, but with the exception of my 3x great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Scripture, who married George Rogers Tarbox, I haven’t written much about these old New England families.

Oliver Scripture was born 10 October 1796 in Mason, Hillsboro, New Hampshire, the son of James Scripture and Sibbel Shepley. Oliver married Mary Goddard Bucknam on 1 December 1819 in Washington, Sullivan, New Hampshire. She was born on 11 February 1801, also in Mason, the daughter of Joses Bucknam and Abigail Hay. Both James Scripture and Joses Bucknam fought in the Revolutionary War.

About 1835, Oliver and Mary migrated from Mason, New Hampshire to their new home in Glenburn, Penobscot, Maine.

Why the family decided on Glenburn, Maine is not known. Located over 260 miles away, it was not an insignificant journey back in the 1830’s. However, three farms away was the family of William H. Bucknam, brother of Mary Bucknam Scripture. They likely felt the farming opportunities were better in Maine.

Little is known about their day to day life, except for the fact that Oliver and Mary remained in Glenburn for the rest of their lives. Most of their children remained in the area, too.

Their first seven children were born in Mason, the last four in Glenburn.

Children:

1. William, born 24 September 1820; died 25 February 1866, Hudson, Penobscot, ME. He married Julia Ann Cowan. She was born about 1820 in Maine and predeceased William by about five weeks, dying on 16 January 1866. It appears that Maine had a cholera epidemic that year, so it is possible that William and Julia both died from that disease. I have to wonder if my 3x great grandmother, William’s sister, also died of cholera. She passed away only two weeks after William on 11 March 1866. Although she lived in Calais, she could have gone to Glenburn to help the family or cholera could easily have reached Calais about the same time as Glenburn.
2. Oliver Shepley, born 19 April 1823; died 28 June 1893 in Glenburn, ME. He married Mary A., c1856, probably in Glenburn, ME.
3. Ward, born 15 July 1825; died 21 December 1896, Kenduskeag, Penobscot, ME. He married (1) Frances A. Hasey, c1855. She died 3 days after giving birth to her only child. (2) Hannah W. Mercer, 11 October 1857, Glenburn, ME.
4. Mary Elizabeth, born 2 December 1827; died 11 March 1866, Calais, ME. She married George Rogers Tarbox.
5. Alfred J., born 24 May 1830; died 30 September 1904, Glenburn, ME. He married Mary, c1862.
6. George, born 5 November 1832; died young.
7. Nancy Bucknam, born 24 August 1834; died 23 January 1921, Georgetown, El Dorado, CA. She married (1) William Henry Grover, c1850, probably in Glenburn, ME (2) DeWitt Clinton Benjamin, between 1870-1880, probably in El Dorado County, CA.
8. Lucretia, born 25 April 1837; died 15 September 1892, Calais, Washington, ME. She married Benjamin Shattuck, 18 November 1858, Robbinston, Washington, ME.
9. Lavina L., born 11 January 1840; died 12 November 1882, Glenburn, ME. She married William H. Davis, c1863, probably in Glenburn, ME.
10. Joses George, born 10 August 1842; died 10 September 1918, Hudson, Penobscot, ME. He later was known as George Joseph Scripture. He married Helen M. Whitney, c1870.
11. Abigail, born 4 March 1845; likely died between the 1850-1860 censuses, as she was not at home in 1860 and no further record has been found of her.

I have no photos of Oliver or Mary Scripture.

However, back in the early 1980’s, I was able to visit their graves in Glenburn.

Gravestones of Oliver and Mary G. Bucknam Scripture
Glenburn Cemetery, Maine