We’ve followed Daniel Adams from his birth in 1810, likely on Adams Island, where he grew up to become a fisherman like his father and grandfather. However, as a young married man, he turned to boat building, which was a far more lucrative occupation and boat building was coming into its heyday by the 1850s.
Daniel married Sarah Ann Parker on Deer Island in 1836, but they settled into their married life on Adams Island, where most of their children were born.
Daniel and Sarah were the parents of nine children, with the first seven believed to have been born on Adams Island:
- Benjamin William, born November 1837; died 2 June 1914, Lubec, Washington, Maine; married Mary Ellen Thayer, 21 January 1861, Lubec, Washington, Maine. They were the parents of four children.
- Emeline M., born 6 May 1840; died 11 July 1917, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married Loring Benoni Bill, 22 November 1866, Calais, Washington, Maine. They were the parents of five children, four surviving childhood.
- Calvin Segee, born 15 March 1843; died 15 January 1921, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada; married (1) Martha Maria Tillinghast, 12 December 1869, Bristol, Bristol, Rhode Island (2) Nellie F. Tarbox, 1 February 1875, Calais, Washington, Maine. Calvin had one daughter with Martha and two children with Nellie.
- Charles Edward, born 1845; reportedly died 1865
- Nelson James, born 2 June 1850; died 2 December 1918, Calais, Washington, Maine in the Influenza Pandemic; married (1) Annie M. Stickney, c1879 (2) Hannah Elizabeth (nee Graham?) Olive, 21 September 1904, Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. Nelson had two children with Annie and one daughter with Hannah.
6. Frances Caroline, born 27 August 1851; died 1933, Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married James George Cragen, 13 February 1889, Calais, Washington, Maine. She had no children.
7. Angeline Jane, born 1852; died after the 1930 census, possibly Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; married (1) Sturges A. Thomas, 23 August 1866, Calais, Washington, Maine. He was her first cousin once removed. (2) Samuel Henry Conroy, 22 April 1906, Somerville, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Annie had no children.
8. Bertha M., born 1857, Calais, Washington, Maine; died after the 1870 census when she was at home with her parents in Calais, Washington, Maine; no further record. She likely died young as Nelson named his first daughter Bertha.
9. Lowell Robert, born September 1861, Calais, Washington, Maine; died 23 March 1954, Everett, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married (1) Charlotte May Ward, 5 April 1887, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada (2) Grace Lillian Barnes, 29 June 1908, Concord, Merrimack, New Hampshire. Lowell had two children with Lottie.
Daniel seems to have led a quiet social life, as there is no record of him serving in any town positions in Maine, nor is he mentioned in newspaper items aside from a short death notice in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada.
Daniel died on 8 February 1893 in Calais:
Sarah died on 7 February 1900, also in Calais:
Daniel passed away from a stroke and Sarah seemingly died of a heart attack.
Is there any indication why the family left New Brunswick for Maine? Interesting that their son, Nelson, returned there to marry for the second time – it seems they maintained at least some connections there.
Teresa, Calais was a “happening” place in terms of boat building. Maine had the lumber and the manpower to build schooners and other sailing ships. I think Daniel was expanding his business and it wasn’t going to happen on Deer Island. They had many cousins still in Canada. Back then, it was just a matter of walking over a short bridge or taking a short boat ride back and forth.