Stephen Lowell in the Revolution

My 5th great-grandfather, Stephen Lowell was born in 1728 in Amesbury, Massachusetts, to Stephen and Miriam (Collins) Lowell. He married Agnes Bolton in 1753 in Falmouth, Cumberland County, Maine, and ultimately settled in Buckfield, Maine (formerly in Cumberland County, now in Oxford County).

There are a couple of Cumberland County deeds in 1758 and 1759, showing that he purchased different pieces of land in Falmouth, Maine, and at least one from his father-in-law, Thomas Bolton. One of the deeds identifies Agnes Lowell as the daughter of Thomas Bolton. (It looks like there were at least two men by the name of Stephen Lowell in this area of Maine at this time.) When Stephen is mentioned in these deeds, he is identified as a cordwainer (a shoe maker), probably to distinguish him from a man of the same name (and about the same age) who was a mariner.

He was presumably living a quiet life in Maine as the conflict with Great Britain came to a head in the 1770s when he was in his 40s.  

The DAR Genealogical Research Database indicates that Stephen (DAR Ancestor# A072118) served as a private under Captain Benjamin Hooper. 

Service:  Massachusetts  Rank(s):  Private 
Birth:  10-6-1728 Amesbury Essex Co Massachusetts
Death:  6-15-1801 Buckfield Cumberland Co Maine Dist Massachusetts
Service Source:  MA Sols & Sails, Vol 9, p 1042  
Service Description:  1) Capt Benjamin Hooper

 

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War is a multi-volume compiled service record published by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1896 and 1908. It was created to document the military participation of Massachusetts men who served in the American Revolutionary War, drawing primarily from original muster rolls, pay rolls, enlistment papers, and other contemporaneous military records held by the state.

For genealogists, the series serves as a foundational reference rather than definitive proof. It confirms Revolutionary War–era service attributed to Massachusetts and often points researchers toward original records or additional pension and land records. However, because spellings vary and abstracts may omit context, entries should be corroborated with original documents whenever possible.

Remember that at this time, Maine was part of Massachusetts, so this is now known as Falmouth, Cumberland County, Maine. The Wikipedia page for Falmouth, Maine provides some history of the town, noting that the majority of the first permanent European inhabitants to the town came after 1740, quickly growing to "62 families." They formed their own parish in 1753 (currently the Falmouth Congregational Church), the year that Stephen Lowell married Agnes Bolton. The population of Falmouth would hover between 1,000 and 2,000 residents for the next two centuries. These residents engaged in farming, fishing, and harvesting masts. 

Benjamin Adsit in the Revolution

I have decided to write one post for each of the remaining months this year on a Revolutionary War Ancestor. (Thank you to Heather at Nutfield Genealogy for the idea.)

Benjamin Adsit, my 5th great-grandfather, was born 26 October 1728 in Lyme, Connecticut, and was in Dutchess County, New York, by about 1768 according to The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York by Frank J. Doherty. He was initially working as a "path master, " someone responsible for overseeing and maintaining roads and pathways in Crum Elbow, Dutchess County, New York. (It appears that Crum Elbow was in what is now Hyde Park, New York.)

Benjamin Adsit was living in Washington, Dutchess County, New York, at the time of the 1790 federal census. 

Between 1768 (at the age of 40) and 1790, he observed a significant turning point in his life, as well as in his country, as the British Colonies became the United States of America. 

The DAR Genealogical Research Database indicates that Benjamin (DAR Ancestor# A000824) served as a private under Captain Chamberlain and Colonel Lewis DuBois. 

Service: 
New York; Rank(s): Private
Service Source: 
Fernow, Docs Rel to the Col Hist of State of NY, "NY in the Rev," Vol 15, p. 312; Roberts, NY in the Rev, p. 77.
Service Description:
1) Capt Chamberlain, Col Lewis Du Bois
2) The Levies 

Berthold Fernow's Documents relative to the colonial history of the state of New York (vol. 15, p. 312) is at Archive.org and includes an alphabetical roster of state troops. 

There appears to be a corporal Benjn. Adsill as well as a private Benjn. Adsits. The New York State Archives Index to the Revolutionary War accounts and claims suggests that there was only one Benjamin Adsit (and no Adsill), so I would guess that these are the same man, and he received a promotion at some point. (The NY Archives is only an online index; in-person research is needed to local the original muster and pay rolls.) 

Ancestry has a U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, but Benjamin Adsit's name must be dramatically misindexed and I haven't been able to locate him in this database.

Favorite Photo: Joseph May

One of my favorite photos in my collection is a photo of a painting.

A Record that Adds Color: Great Aunt Adelia in 1921

I have plenty of genealogy to share, but don't want to be constrained by having to blog weekly, so my goal in 2026 is to share one story each month, using one of the themes from Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. This week's theme is A Record That Adds Color.

I have previously written about my grandfather's older sister at Great Aunt Adelia and More on Great Aunt Adelia. Her 1918 passport application reported that she wished to be able to visit Spain, France and Italy.

Census records are one of the cornerstones of genealogy research. Imagine my surprise when a hint popped up last year for a 1921 England census record for Adelia Pyle living at 12 Oakley Crescent in Chelsea, London, England.

“1921 England Census,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/63150/ : 29 January 2025), entry for Adelia Pyle, Chelsea, London, Middlesex, England; citing The National Archives, RG 15/434, ED 10, Sch 203; Book: 00434.

Resolution: Susan Rood (Again) ~ 52 Ancestors #52

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Resolutions, but I do have a goal for 2025. I have signed up for the Research Like a Pro e-course in which I will spend a year working on a genealogical research question using the Research Like a Pro process. (The year-long e-course will be more manageable for me than their usual 9-week study group.)

Of course, my longstanding brick wall ancestor is going to be my research question: Who are the parents of Susan (Rood) Chapin, born 26 January 1799, who married Orramel Chapin on 17 September 1816, in Ludlow, Massachusetts?

I wrote about Susan in 2012 (Susan Rood's Parents), and again in 2015 (Susan Rood Chapin - A Challenging to Research Ancestor).

The key sources I have include an embroidered sampler, created by her daughter, Susan Arville Chapin, which I wrote about in 2011 (Chapin Family Sampler).