Benjamin Friend (abt. 1744 - 1807)

Born about 31 Jan 1744 in Wenham, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Dodge) Friend — married 27 Jan 1769 in Rowley, Essex, Province of Massachusetts, Bay

Descendants

Died 31 Oct 1807 at about age 63 in Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine, USA

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Biography

Benjamin Friend was a pioneer settler of Blue Hill.

Benjamin Friend

Benjamin Friend was born and baptized in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony (MBC) in 1744, seventh of ten children of John Friend Junior, a deacon of the Congregational Church in Wenham, Essex, MBC. At age 25 (1769), Benjamin married Martha Dodge of Rowley, Essex, MBC and she bore their son, Phineas in Wenham on the twenty third of March 1770.

Within the year (1770), Martha, Phineas and Benjamin moved to Naskeag, Lincoln County, MBC (which is now Sedgwick, Hancock County, Maine). Naskeag (meaning in Abenaki meaning "the end or extremity") was founded by Andrew Black in 1759. The saltwater inlet called "Benjamin's River" is named after Benjamin Friend.

Early on, Benjamin was intrigued with constructing saltwater mills at the outlet of various rivers in the area. Abenaki was highly esteemed as a granite quarry. In 1789, Abenaki was incorporated as a town called Sedgwick, Maine District, Massachusetts, USA and in 1793, became Sedgwick, Hancock County, Maine, USA. In 1797, Benjamin donated to the town of Blue Hill, the "land embraced in the burial place on the Neck". In return, he received a vote of "Thanks".

Martha's bore 8 more children in Sedgwick. Sarah Dodge (Friend) Candage (b. 1792 m. 1808 ) & Naomi Friend (1797) were born in Blue Hill.

Benjamin died on Halloween, 1807 but his burial place and his wife Martha's burial place are unknown.

Benjamin Friend; b. 31 Jan 1743/44 at Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts bapt. 05 Feb 1744^[1]Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts; m. Martha Dodge, daughter of John Dodge and Bethiah Conant, 27 Jan 1769^[2] at Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts; d. 31 Oct 1807 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine, at age 63.

Known children of Benjamin Friend and Martha Dodge were as follows:

• i. PHINEAS; b. 23 Mar 1770 at Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts; b. 23 Mar 1770 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; m. Hannah Carter, daughter of James Carter and Lydia Day, 19 Nov 1795 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; d. 5 Nov 1849 at age 79; Æ 79yrs 7mos 13days.
• ii. SAMUEL; b. 18 Oct 1771 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Sarah Lord 10 Nov 1796 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; d. 5 May 1856 at age 84.
• iii. JOHN; b. 5 Dec 1773 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Abigail W. Carter, daughter of James Carter and Lydia Day, 9 Oct 1798 at Hancock, Maine; d. 12 Nov 1851 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine, at age 77.
• iv. MARTHA; b. 7 Dec 1778^[3] at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Jeremiah Eaton, son of Jeremiah Eaton and Lucy Emerton, 14 Nov 1805; d. 27 Apr 1859 at age 80; Æ 80y 4m 20d.
• v. PHEBE; b. 15 Jan 1781^[4] at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. John Carter, son of Thomas B. Carter and Susanna Candage, 1 Sep 1800.
• vi. BETHIA; b. 25 Jan 1783^[5] at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. George Dunham, son of James Dunham and Elizabeth Robbins, 27 Dec 1811 at Carmel, Penobscot, Maine; d. before 1850.
• vii. BENJAMIN; b. 27 Aug 1785 at Verona, Hancock, Maine; b. 27 Aug 1786; (Calculated date); m. Ruth Bartlett, daughter of Christopher Bartlett and Mary E. Carter, 16 May 1809 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; d. 3 Oct 1862 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine, at age 77; d. 1 Oct 1863 at age 78; Æ 77y 1m 5d; he was buried at Bartlett Island Cemetery (1), Mount Desert, Hancock, Maine. He appeared on the census 10 Aug 1850 at Seaville, Hancock, Maine.
• viii. MARY; b. 4 Nov 1787 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Eliphalet Lowell Grindle, son of Joshua Grindle and Anna Lowell, 18 May 1824; d. 24 Jan 1845 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine, at age 57.
• ix. SARAH DODGE; b. 21 Mar 1792^[6] at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; b. 21 Mar 1792 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Joseph Candage, son of Joseph Candage and Abigail Carter, 10 Sep 1808 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; d. 28 Sep 1855 at age 63.
• x. DANIEL; b. 6 Jun 1795 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; m. Hannah Barks, daughter of Joseph Barks and Deborah Shackford, 4 Jun 1822 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine; d. 1827 at Blue Hill, Hancock, Maine.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-PQ6N : 25 September 2017), Benjamin Friend, 1744.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC3P-68X : 9 February 2018), Benjamin Friend and Martha Dodge, 27 Jan 1769; citing reference 2:LQRZ0H; FHL microfilm 761,321.
3. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F448-6XD : 10 February 2018), Benjamin Friend in entry for Martha Friend, 07 Dec 1778; citing BLUE HILL,HANCOCK,MAINE; FHL microfilm 10,608.
4. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F448-1HD : 10 February 2018), Benjamin Friend in entry for Phebe Friend, 15 Jan 1781; citing BLUE HILL,HANCOCK,MAINE; FHL microfilm 10,608.
5. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F448-LJ6 : 10 February 2018), Benjamin Friend in entry for Bethiah Friend, 25 Jan 1783; citing BLUE HILL,HANCOCK,MAINE; FHL microfilm 10,608.
6. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F448-5Q3 : 10 February 2018), Benjamin Friend in entry for Sarah Friend, 21 Mar 1792; citing BLUE HILL,HANCOCK,MAINE; FHL microfilm 10,608.

• https://www.sedgwickmaine.org/sedgwick-brooklin-historical-society/