ISRAEL HUNNEWELL (My Great, Great, Great Grandfather)

My great, great, great grandfather, Israel Hunnewell, Sr. was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1703, long before Pleasant Ridge existed. Israel and his twin, Richard, Jr., were born out of wedlock to Richard Honeywell and Johanna Nason. Richard Hunnewell, a noted Indian fighter, built this house in 1684. It is Scarborough's oldest house and made of hand hewn, wooden pegged timbers. A trap door in the house leads to a shallow dugout said to have been used as a hiding place during the Indian raids.

This is the story told to me many years ago about Richard Hunnewell and his twin boys, Israel and Richard,

The year is 1645 and a man by the name of Richard Honeywell was born in probably Devonshire, England. I am not sure what year he migrated to the United States, but I do know he was married and had four children; however, in 1703 being a military hero who set feminine hearts aflutter, met Johanna Nason in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Richard Honeywell and Joanna Nason became the parents of a set of twins. The twins were Israel and Richard, Jr. and in September 1703, one month after the twins were born, the Selectmen bound both twins, Israel and Richard, Jr. to George Vaughn, Esq., for 24 years, by advise and consent of Johanna Nason as she alone was haled to Court. The twin's father, Richard, Sr. died one month later in October of 1703.

Over the years, Israel moved from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Berwick, Maine and settled in Pownalborough (now Wiscasset, Maine).

Israel Sr. had nine children, Benjamin, Richard, John, Lydia, Sarah and William, Israel, Thomas and Daniel. These children were born between 1737 and 1758.

Richard (Israel's second born) married Sarah Rowell in 1759. He was a High Sheriff in Hancock County in 1790.

William (the sixth child) was born in Pownalborough. He married Rebecca Snell in 1779. William and Rebecca moved to Solon in the spring of 1783 and became the second white settler in this settlement. The only other white settler living there was William Hilton who had moved to this settlement in 1782. Of interest, William Hilton had also lived in Pownalborough.

When William and Rebecca Hunnewell settled in Solon they lived on a hundred acre lot that later became the property of Zina Norton.

In March of 1777, before William married Rebecca, he enlisted in the Revolutionary War and was on board the Continental Ship Hancock Commodore John Manley when the enemy took it. In 1818 William filed the following Declaration.

I, William Hunnewell, aged sixty-four years, a citizen of the United States, born in Wiscasset, Massachusetts, now a resident in Solon, Maine, upon oath testify and declare that in March 1777 at Boston, I entered on board the Continental ship Hancock Commodore John Manley of thirty two guns, as a marine for the term of twelve months. I served till June 1777 and then was put on board the British ship Fox, which had been taken by the Hancock, and which was ordered for Boston, afterwards, before our arrival at Boston, I was retaken by the enemy's ship Flora and sent to Halifax where I remained about seven months, was then put on board the enemy's ship Royal Bounty and ordered for Newport. After two attempts we succeeded in taking the ship and came into Marblehead, where we arrived in February 1778 and went to Boston where we rec'd our wages. I took no formal discharge but was paid for the twelve months. From my reduced circumstances I need the assistance of my country for support. And I do hereby relinquish all my claims to any pension heretofore allowed me by the laws of the United States, if any, but I am not to my knowledge borne on any pension list whatever. I request that I may be placed upon the pension list for the District of Maine.

his
William X Hunnewell
mark

The following is a Schedule of my whole Estate and income, necessary clothing and bedding excepted, viz:

No real estate 0.00
1 old horse 18 years old worth 25.00
10 sheep @ $2 20.00
1 case of draws $5 5.00
4 chairs 50 cents each 2.00
2 pigs worth $4 each 8.00

Before me Nathan Weston, Jr. Chief Just C Court C Pleas Second Eastern Circuit

In those days it was necessary to have someone witness that you were the person applying for the pension and in William's case, Jacob Savage was William's witness and attested to the following.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

I, Jacob Savage of Anson, District of Maine, of lawful age, upon oath testify and declare that I was a marine on board the Continental Ship Hancock in the cruise above mentioned with the above named William Hunnewell, with whom I am well acquainted. I know that he served, was taken prisoner, and returned and was paid off at Boston, as is by him above stated. From his reduced circumstances he needs the assistance of his country for support; he sustains the character of a man of truth.

Finally on June 27, 1820 William appeared before the Circuit Court for hearing on his pension.

STATE OF MAINE

Somerset County, ss.

On this twenty-seventh day of June 1820, personally appeared before Ebenezer Thatcher, a Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Counties of Lincoln, Kennebec and Somerset, being a Court of Record for said Counties, proceeding according to the course of the common...