Category Archives: Hicks

Hicks, Stewart/Stuart Family

1861 Deed by Elida Stuart: Help Needed!

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UPDATED TRANSCRIPTION – Scroll down to the bottom!

Sometimes, we win the handwriting lottery in old documents and, other times, we don’t. I definitely didn’t win with this deed, created in Calais, Washington, Maine, but filed in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada.

All I can say is the county clerk shouldn’t have been fired, he should never have gotten the job!

This deed is mercifully short, but there are still a handful of words I haven’t been able to figure out, even though I’ve worked on this for three days!

If you are challenged by hieroglyphics, this is your chance to test your skills!

Here is my transcription, but see below for a crop of the above deed:

Know all men by these presents that I Elida Stuart of the Town of Meddybemps in the County of Washington in the State of Maine for and inconsideration of the sum of twenty pounds lawful money of New Brunswick to me paid by Mariner Hicks of the Parish of Wellington in the County of Kent and Province of New Brunswick the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge have granted bargained and sold and by these presents do grant bargain and sell unto the said Mariner Hicks his heirs and assigns one certain piece or parcel of Land situate lying and being on the West side of the Little Buctouche River in the County of Kent aforesaid being all my right title share and interest of in and to all that certain (?) and (?) Land owned by my late father Israel Hicks and bounded on the Westerly Lands occupied by Andrew (Jenet?) and on the East by Lands occupied by the heirs of the late Ira Hicks and containing in the whole ninety acres more or less. To have and to hold the same Lands and premises with the appurtenances to the said Mariner Hicks his heirs and assigns and (?) every (?) who of forever and I do for(?) and (?) with the said Mariner Hicks his heirs and assigns that he is seized of the premises as a (?????) estate of inheritance in fee simple free of and from all manner of encumbrances whatsoever and that I have a good right (?) power and (?) (?) to (?) bargain and sell the same in manner and form as (?) within.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty one.

Elida Stuart (seal)
Signed sealed and
delivered in presence of
ER Chase

State of Maine – Calais June 3rd 1861

Personally appeared Elida Stuart the person who signed (?) and of her own free will acknowledged that she understood the meaning of the above written instrument and that it was her own (free will?) and deed.

Before me ER Chase Mayor of the City of Calais

Here is an enlarged crop of the second half of the deed, where I am missing the most words:

The text (updated after K made several suggestions with which I agree). Note that I have looked for this Andrew in the 1851, 1861 and 1871 censuses of Kent County, New Brunswick. I can’t find him OR any surname that looks anything like what is written in this deed. I also figured out a couple more words.:

occupied by Andrew (Jenet? Gand?) and on the East by Lands occupied by the heirs of the late Ira Hicks and containing in the whole ninety acres more or less. To have and to hold the same Lands and premises with the appurtenances to the said Mariner Hicks his heirs and assigns and with every (?) (who of?) forever and I assign my heirs executors and administrators (???) with the said Mariner Hicks his heirs and assigns that he is seized of the premises as a good indispensible estate of inheritance in fee simple free of and from all manner of encumbrances whatsoever and that I have a good right with power and lawful (?) to (?) bargain and sell the same in manner and form as (?) within.

I would appreciate any help you can provide – even if it is only a word or two. It takes a village and the indecipherable words are being decoded bit by bit. Thank you! 🙂

Carlisle, Hicks

Israel Hicks & Abigail Carlisle, Family of Pre-Loyalists and Loyalists

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Israel Hicks was born about 1785 in New Brunswick, Canada. Looking at his year of birth, you might assume that he was the child of Loyalists who fled the newly formed United States in 1783 at the close of the Revolutionary War, but, in this case, you would be mistaken.

Israel was actually the son of Ira Hicks, born in 1761 in Warren, Bristol County, Rhode Island and grandson of Samuel Hicks and Thankful Bowen. The Hicks were Pre-Loyalists with Samuel and Thankful moving their young family from Rhode Island to New Brunswick, Canada not long after baby Ira’s 1761 birth.

Abigail Carlisle was the daughter of Robert and Catherine (MNU) Carlisle, born about 1793, also in New Brunswick, Canada. Robert IS considered to be a Loyalist, although I would not call him that in the technical sense of the word. His military service during the Revolution was to help guard Nova Scotia from attack. I have found no evidence that he ever lived in the former colonies before or during the war. He was a loyal subject of the king, but not one who lived in America.

Israel Hicks and Abigail Carlisle married on 9 March 1819 in Shediac, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada. The Carlisle family lived in Sussex Vale,  Kings County, New Brunswick so I am not sure what she was doing in Shediac.

The two towns are 65-70 miles apart, which was quite a trip in 1819. After they married, they settled down in Buctouche, Kent County, New Brunswick, which is a further 20+ north of Shediac.

Israel and Abigail Hicks had eight children, but I know little about most of them. I am hoping some Canadian cousins might see this post and get in touch with me.

(Israel’s and Abigail’s children are left aligned; their grandchildren are bulleted.)

Children, probably all born in Buctouche:

Ira, born 3 September 1821; died 11 September 1908, McKees Mills, Kent County, New Brunswick; married Matilda Abrams, 25 November 1844, Kent County, New Brunswick. Ira and Matilda have descendants, who I believe mostly live in Canada.

Ira and Matilda had eight children:

  • Abigail, born 12 August 1845; died 27 November 1908; married Duncan McKay, 30 June 1880
  • Deborah, born 1847; married Peleg S. Jones, 21 June 1877
  • Abram, born 1852; died 1928; married Mary E. MacFarlane
  • Jane, born 1855; married Charles Geddes
  • Ephraim H., born 1857; died 1921; married Margaret Hyslop
  • James Ira, born 1859; died 1938; married Harriet Jane Sherwood
  • Elida Felicia, born 1863; died 1946; married Robert McConnell
  • Emma Elizabeth, born 1 April 1866; married Willard Jones

Polly, born about 1823

Ephraim, born about 1825

William, born about 1827

David Harris, born December 1829; died 27 September 1853, Meddybemps, Washington County, Maine; unmarried. He was likely visiting or living with sister Elida, her husband and their family when he died.

Charles, born about 1831

Elida Ann, born 1833; died 20 February 1914, Calais, Washington, Maine; married Charles Augustus Stewart, 6 July 1850, Calais, Washington, Maine. Charles and Elida have descendants, all living in the U.S., as far as I know.

Elida and Charles Stewart/Stuart had eight children:

  • Wallace Newmarch, born May 1851; died 20 April 1882; married Annie M. Seymour
  • Permelia M., born December 1852; died 22 June 1854
  • Felicia, born September 1854; died 22 August 1861
  • Harry Weston, born June 1857; died 20 July 1911; married Nancy Gilman Aldrich
  • Melissa E., born 4 August 1859; died 11 May 1921; married Frederick Austin Findley; had no children
  • Carey M., born November 1866; died 18 February 1869
  • William C., born March 1868; died after 1940; married Josephine M. Sadler
  • Annie Maude, born 24 June 1874; died 10 September 1940; married Charles Edwin Adams, 21 September 1898

Valentine, born December 1834; died 20 March 1912, Bangor, Penobscot, Maine, but he is buried in Robbinston; married Mary Ellen Noddin, about 1862, probably in New Brunswick, Canada.

In 1850, Valentine was a 15 year old laborer living in the home of Phillip Boyden in Robbinston. Valentine and Mary were living in Robbinston, Washington County, Maine in 1900. She reported having given birth to nine children, five living. Robbinston was close to Meddybemps, where sister Elida lived.

Valentine and Mary had nine children, eight of whom have been identified:

  • Harris M., born 1863; died 1884 in an accident in the woods; unmarried.
  • George L., born May 1864; died 24 June 1887; unmarried.
  • Howard, born 1866; no further record, but by process of elimination, he must be the fifth child living in 1900 and 1910. It is possible that Howard returned to Canada to live. He is not the Howard Hicks living inFalmouth, ME in 1900. Some Believe he is the Howard living in Kittitas, WA in 1900 and onwards. However, in 1900, he is next door to the family of a Manfred HIcks, age 60, which might be coincidence since Hicks is a common name, but he might be a son of that Manfred.
  • Carrie Maud – born August 1869; married Clifford S. Lovell, 20 November 1890, Robbinston, ME. He was from Middleboro, MA.
  • Eliza Evelyn, born 24 May 1872; died 14 August 1935; married Walter F. Anderson, 14 October 1893. He was from Stoneham, MA.
  • Israel Lindsey, born 19 August 1874; died 27 December 1894 of tuberculosis; unmarried.
  • Lucy M., born 8 September 1876; married Howard Cline, 26 February 1894, Robbinston, ME. He was from Middleboro, MA.
  • Mary Etta, born 19 November 1878; no further record.

Israel Hicks died before 9 December 1835, when his estate was administered. He was only about 50 when he died and left widow Abigail with children ranging in age from 14 to a few months old to raise on her own.

Abigail never remarried. She died 27 March 1871 in Meddybemps, where, like son David, she was either visiting or living with daughter Elida’s family and is buried in the Charlotte, Maine Cemetery near other Stuart family members.

AbigailHicksGravestoneCharlotteMECemetery
“Abigal Hicks”

Carlisle, Hicks

Israel Hicks, Ancestral Land Petition, 1816, Wellington, Kent, New Brunswick, Canada

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NOTE: My Jamboree Vendors post will be up tomorrow. There just wasn’t enough time left after driving home from Burbank to Tucson.

Sometimes, I forget about treasures that I’ve collected over the last 3 1/2 decades of family history research. I’ve been renaming and organizing scans of images and came across this one, which is a true treasure to me:

Israel Hicks Land Petition
Israel Hicks, et al., Land Petition in 1816

To His Honor George Stracey Smythe Esquire, President
of His Majesty’s Council and commander in chief in and over
the Province of New Brunswick* * *

The memorial of the Subscribers all Settled in the Parish of Wellington, on the River the buctoush most humbly sheweth

That the several marshes in the said Parish reserved for Public uses
have for more than ten years past have been occupied by Dominic Robishaw on which he cuts a large quantity of Hay annually, and frequently sell it at Four Pounds per Ten        That your memorialists have come into this Parish since that time, and have taken up or purchased lands without any marsh adjoining and have no way to procure Hay to keep a single cow without buying at a high price until they can cultivate their lands.

They therefore pray that your Honor will be pleased to take this case into consideration, and order that the said reserved marches may be leased in such a way that the applicants and others in similar Situations may each have the benefit of them, and that the monies arising from the leasing of the same may annually be applied in such way as you Honor may be pleased to direct.

And your memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray

Wellington, 7 March 1816

Why is this seemingly ordinary, actually bland, petition such a treasure to me? It’s because of these signatures, written in individual hands.

Wellington1816LandPetitionSignatures
Original Signatures

“Iseral” Hicks is my 3x great grandfather. John “Carlile” (aka Carlisle) was his brother-in-law, his wife Abigail’s brother. John and Abigail were children of Robert and Catherine Carlisle, my 4x great grandparents. Robert was a Loyalist; another child was another of my 3x great grandparents- Catherine Carlisle who married John Stewart.

The Hicks and Thornton families were pre-Loyalists who migrated from Rhode Island to New Brunswick in the 1760’s. I am related to the Thorntons, as the grandfather of this Titus “Thorton,” also named Titus, was my 4x great grandfather.

This tells me that all were literate. It also helps me place John Carlisle, as I don’t know as much about him as I do some of the other Carlisles.

This document was acquired from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Film F4255, page 912.