John Bragdon (1757 - abt. 1842)

Born 29 Mar 1757 in Berwick, York, Maine

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Larrabee) Bragdon — married 29 Apr 1784 in Scarborough, Maine

Descendants

Died about 1842 at about age 84 in Kennebunk, York, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Christopher Childs [send private message]

Biography

John Bragdon was born in 1757 at Berwick -- the location of his early enlistment during the American Revolution -- which was then within Massachusetts Bay (later, Maine). He was a son of John Bragdon and Sarah (Abbot) Bragdon.

John married Dorothy Larrabee at Scarborough in the spring of 1784;^[1] the couple are shown as grandparents in the handwritten original record of their grandson Hanson's birth in 1811 (and of his siblings in other years -- the children of their son Daniel Bragdon and a younger Dorothy (Larrabee) Bragdon).^[2]

John's initial Revolutionary enlistment in 1776 was at Berwick, as a private in "Capt. Goodwin's Co., Col. Wigglesworth's Regt."^[3] He evidently reenlisted several times; possibly the latest apparent record (though this may be for a different John Bragdon) is of service as a resident of Pepperellborough (an early name for Saco), during a three-year enlistment with "Capt. Hastings' Co., Lt. Col. JBrooks 7th Regt.", a Scarborough regiment -- this was recorded in the summer of 1781. His gravestone records his eventual title as "Col.", though the date and circumstances under which he was awarded that rank have as yet (April 2021) not been ascertained. He appears, with his family (enumerated, not named) in the 1800 and 1810 U.S. Censuses for Wells, and the 1820 Census for newly-formed Kennebunk, created from parts of Wells and Arundel.

Having removed some thirty miles inland from the coastal towns of his early residence, John Bragdon is found at Poland, Maine, in a pensioners' list of 1840, residing with Nathaniel Bragdon -- likely a son.^[4] John died in 1842, presumably at Nathaniel's; he is buried at West Poland.

Research Notes

The above narrative fits the known data, despite a small difference in the birth year of 1757 and the 1759 shown on the gravestone of the Col. John Bragdon laid to rest at West Poland in 1842 (see Find A Grave memorial source citation below). This eliminates the possibility that the John Bragdon who died in 1842 and is buried at West Poland might conceivably be a cousin John Bragdon who was born at York in 1737, a son of Daniel & Mary (Banks) Bragdon. That cousin John had a younger brother Nathaniel, born at York in 1746,^[5] who might conceivably be the head of household with whom the John Bragdon of this profile evidently spent his last years.

NEHGR Vol. 65 (Jan. 1911), p. 79, in "Revolutionary Soldiers of York County, Me.", appears -- from a footnote -- to see a John Bragdon of Wells, born about 1754, as identical to the John of this profile; however, the Wells man is shown as of 1820 with a wife named Charity, age 60, and children Sally, 32, Polly, 22, and Enoch, 15. As Dorothy (Larrabee) Bragdon is not believed to have died until 1845, a second marriage to Charity does not appear to be a possibility at the time indicated, and these are presumably two separate John Bragdons.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder, vol. 3 (Portland, Me.: S.M. Watson, 1886): First Church of Scarborough Marriages, 1729-1799, p. 144; https://archives.mainegenealogy.net/2008/06/first-church-of-scarborough-marriages.html; "Apr. 29, [1784.] John Bragdon and Dorothy Larrabee." Noted above: "By Rev. Thomas Lancaster". Alt. view: https://archive.org/details/mainehistoricalg1886port/page/143/mode/2up
2. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F438-9XC : 14 January 2020), Dorothy Larrabee, 1786. Image of handwritten original record, #34 of 221: "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9N7-C1MR?cc=1803978 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; multiple sources, Maine.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQZ-H6H3-Y?cc=2548057&wc=QZZQ-M31%3A1589088547 : 20 September 2019), Boynton, Isaac - Bragdon, Josiah > image 2586 of 2645; Massachusetts State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-993F-B3TJ?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-RSB%3A1597372323 : 29 August 2019), Maine, Census of pensioners, 1840 > image 7 of 30; citing various published state rosters, United States.
5. ↑ Image of original handwritten record of all children of Daniel & Mary (Banks) Bragdon: image #49 of 731; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9N8-9ZM3?i=48
6. ↑ NEHGR Vol. 65, p. 79; The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.); https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11647/79/23528257 (by subscription)

• Birth (NEHGS; image of transcribed record): "1757... Mar. 29 At a private lecture at ye Widow Pages were baptized John Bragdon son to John & Sarah Bragden" -- NEHGR Vol. 82 (July, 1928), p. 327, "Records of the First Church of Berwick, Me."; The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.); https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11720/327/23526208 (by subscription)

• Birth (est. year) and Revolutionary military service (Scarborough regiment), 1 July 1781 (later transcription of original record): "Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGFD-RVZ8 : 19 February 2021), John Bragdon, 1 Jul 1781; citing Military Service, Scarborough, Cumberland, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm.

• Residence and family (enumerated, not named), 1800: "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RZ5-9S43?cc=1804228&wc=3V1X-SBB%3A1585148803%2C1585148802%2C1585148805 : 10 June 2015), Maine > York > Wells > image 24 of 35; citing NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Residence and family (enumerated, not named), York, 1810: "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYD-39MH?cc=1803765&wc=QZZC-14D%3A1588182202%2C1588180001%2C1588180314 : 1 December 2015), Maine > York > Wells > image 4 of 47; citing NARA microfilm publication M252, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Residence and family (enumerated, not named; however, son Samuel appears on the line immediately below as a single head of household), Kennebunk (town just formed from parts of Wells and Arundel), 1820: "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBM-4R8?cc=1803955&wc=3L7N-92H%3A1586988102%2C1586986909%2C1586988653 : 16 July 2015), Maine > York > Kennebunk > image 2 of 19; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Title, birth (year only), family, death (year only), and burial (with image of gravestone): Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 April 2021), memorial page for Col John Bragdon (1759–1842), Find a Grave Memorial no. 65484584, citing Highland Cemetery, West Poland, Androscoggin County, Maine, USA ; Maintained by James Butzke (contributor 47135605); https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65484584/john-bragdon