Family of SAMUEL M. and ANNA (WHITTEN) McDONALD

of Chatham, NH.

SAMUEL M. McDONALD;

son of Robert and Mary (Kendrick) McDonald of Gorham, ME;

born 28 January 1771;

died prob. in the 1830's, near Milan, NH; buried on homestead at

Chatham;

married, 25 December 1794:

ANNA WHITTEN of Gorham, ME;

born about 1769;

died probably in the 1860's in Hiram, ME.

Anna was probably the female, age 70 to 80, in Chatham in the

household of her son, Frederick, in 1840. She was living with her son

John in Hiram, ME, in 1850; and with her grand-daughter, Esther

(McDonald) Haywood, in Hiram in 1860. (Note: G. T. Ridlon, cited above,

gives her maiden name as Whitney; however, marriage intentions and

marriage in Gorham are both recorded as Whitten.)

Samuel McDonald was a mill-wright and first settled in the Bonny

Eagle section of Standish, ME, where he was a resident at the time of his

marriage in 1794. He and his brother Robert built a saw and grist mill

there, but Samuel later sold his interest in the mills to Robert. Samuel

was a resident of Fryeburg, ME, on July 3, 1809, when he sold land in

Bridgton, ME. Soon thereafter he settled in Chatham, where he was listed

in the censuses from 1810 through 1830.

G. T. Ridlon ("Saco Valley Settlements and Families," 1895; p. 900)

relates the following story of Samuel McDonald's demise: "...While

employed in Milan, NH, near the Umbagog lakes, he was taken ill and laid

down before the open fire and apparently died. Word was sent to his

sons, and they made a journey of one hundred miles (only twenty-seven of

which they could ride) in a day. A box was made and he was interred

--body, soul, and spirit-- in the forest. The following spring, when his

body was exhumed for removal to the homestead, it was found that he had

turned over and during his struggles for liberty he had gnawed the boards

of his narrow prison-house. The most creative imagination is incapable

of realizing the horrors experienced by a conscious existence, even for a

few moments, under such conditions."

(1) MARY C. McDONALD, dau. of Samuel & Anna, b. about 1797, in Standish,

ME; d. 11 Nov. 1874; m. int. Chatham, 17 Jan. 1822, JOHN S. BRYANT (b. 12

Feb. 1797, in Newmarket, NH; d. 15 May 1879, in Brownfield, ME), son of

Walter & Hannah (Goodwin) Bryant of Newmarket, NH, and Lovell, ME. They

were in Lovell in 1830, and in Chatham in 1840, 1850, and 1860. John S.

Bryant was owner and operator of a mill at Chatham Center. According to

"The Town Register" (Mitchell, 1907), "...in [Bryant's] possession the

mill ran down and the old up and down saw ceased...." According to G. T.

Ridlon (cited previously; p. 542), "He [John S. Bryant] was a man well

endowed by nature, but of irregular habits and speculative

propensities..." Seven children, as follows:

(1.1) WALTER L. BRYANT, son of John S. & Mary, b. 29 June 1824, probably

in Chatham; d. 20 Oct. 1885; m. (1st) MARY A. JOHNSON; resided at North

Conway, NH; two children. Walter m. (2nd), 30 May 1870, in Chatham (both

of Conway, NH), LIZZIE F. BOWLES (b. about 1852), dau. of Charles &

Elizabeth Bowles.

(1.2) JOHN S. BRYANT, JR., son of John S. & Mary, b. 3 July 1826,

probably in Chatham; d. 15 Jan. 1892, in Stow, ME; buried at Chatham Ctr.

Cem. (no grave marker for either wife); m. (1st) CAROLINE A. McINTIRE (b.

about 1839, in Fryeburg, ME; d. about 1874, in Chatham), dau. of Stephen

& Jane (Sanborn) McIntire of Fryeburg and Chatham; three children:

Walter C. Bryant (b. about 1857); Fannie L. Bryant (1860-1870; Chatham

Ctr. Cem.); and Mattie Bryant (b. about 1872. John m. (2nd), 27 July

1877, OCTAVIA M. GIBSON of Brownfield, ME (b. about 1846), dau. of

Timothy & Martha Gibson; two children: Lottie Bryant (b. about 1878);

and Caroline Bryant (1879-1965; m. a Newall). John was a veteran of the

Civil War (Pvt., Co. G, 29th Infantry Regiment, ME Volunteers); resided

in Chatham, and finally in Stow, ME.

(1.3) ROBERT G. BRYANT, son of John S. & Mary, b. 6 May 1828, probably

in Chatham; d. 20 Dec. 1892; m. MARTHA GOODWIN; resided at Cape

Elizabeth, ME.

(1.4) MARTHA H. BRYANT, dau. of John S. & Mary, b. 1 May 1830, probably

in Chatham; never married.

(1.5) BENJAMIN W. BRYANT, son of John S. & Mary, b. 20 March 1833,

probably in Chatham; d. 20 July 1865; m. MARY H. GODDARD; a lawyer by

profession; resided at Paris Hill, ME; one surviving child.

(1.6) HANNAH E. BRYANT, dau. of John S. & Mary, b. 13 Nov. 1836,

probably in Chatham; d. 1921; buried with husband at Pine Grove Cem.,

Brownfield, ME; m. PHENDEUS HILL (1824-1892); resided in Brownfield, ME.

(1.7) MARY R. BRYANT, dau. of John S. & Mary, b. 29 April 1840, probably

in Chatham; living in 1893; unmarried.

(2) FREDERICK S. McDONALD, son of Samuel & Anna, b. 1794, in Standish,

ME; d. 12 August 1846, in Chatham; buried with wife at Chatham Ctr. Cem.;

m., 25 Dec. 1822, in Fryeburg, ME, SUSAN ABBOTT (b. 7 Dec. 1795; d. 2

Oct. 1862), dau. of Simeon & Mary (Day) Abbott of Stow, ME. (See family

of Simeon Abbott at www.oocities.org/Heartland/Grove/9111/). [Note: G.

T. Ridlon, cited above, indicates that Frederick married Lucinda Usher;

however, the compiler of this work has found no evidence to support it.

If so, Lucinda probably died before 1822.] They lived in Chatham,

probably on the homestead of his parents. Four children, as follows:

(2.1) ABIGAIL ABBOTT McDONALD, dau. of Frederick & Susan, b. 2 Oct.

1824, in Chatham; d. 12 May 1892; buried with husband and son at Chatham

Ctr. Cem.; m., before 1849, REUBEN COLE (b. 1813; d. 23 Feb. 1885).

Reuben was a farmer, listed in the 1850 census of Hiram, ME; and the

1860-1880 censuses of Chatham. One child: Frank B. Cole (b. 1849; d. 4

Aug. 1872).

(2.2) ESTHER ANN McDONALD, dau. of Frederick & Susan, b. 11 April 1827,

in Chatham; d. 14 August 1885, in Hiram, ME; buried with husband at Hiram

Village Cem.; m. SAMUEL HAYWOOD (b. 1829 in VT; d. 1908). In 1850,

Esther was unmarried, living with her uncle John McDonald in Hiram.

Information of Hubert Clemons, Hiram historian, from the diary of Monroe

Boynton for Aug. 15, 1885, indicates: "Mrs. S. Haywood started out

yesterday about 12:30 to go berrying, did not return. We turned out and

hunted till about 2 o'clock this morning. Early this morning Mr. Haywood

found her dead in the orchard just above the Red Mill." At least two

children: Alice Haywood (1855-1897; m. Minot S. Brazier of Hiram); and

Fred Haywood (1857-1875).

(2.3) LUCINDA PHIPPS McDONALD, dau. of Frederick & Susan, b. 13 January

1829, in Chatham. No further information.

(2.4) WILLIAM NORRIS McDONALD, son of Frederick & Susan, b. 7 January

1834, in Chatham; residing in 1850 in the household of Elden and Caroline

(Little) Barker in Lovell, ME. No further information.

(3) BETSY McDONALD, dau. of Samuel & Anna, b. 1799, in Standish, ME; d.

26 June 1862, probably in Hiram, ME; buried with husband at Hiram Village

Cem.; m., 16 June 1822, in Chatham, JAMES OSGOOD (b. 3 March 1800; d. 29

Jan. 1879), son of Asa Osgood of Hiram. James Osgood was a day laborer,

and they resided in Hiram. Probably several children, including James

Osgood, Jr.

(4) NOAH McDONALD, son of Samuel & Anna, b. 1800, in Standish, ME; d. 2

July 1849; buried with wife at Porterfield Cem, Porter, ME; m. ABIGAIL

DURGIN (b. 17 July 1801; d. 21 April 1861); resided at Porter; probably

several children, including: Andrew J. McDonald (1829-1882; m. Eunice);

Susan McDonald (b. about 1827; m. Ebenezer Lowell); Caleb McDonald (b.

about 1834); Abigail McDonald (b. about 1837); Emiline McDonald (b. about

1840); and Phebe McDonald (b. about 1842).

(5) JOHN McDONALD, son of Samuel & Anna, b. 1802, in Standish, ME; d. 29

Sept. 1882, probably in Hiram, ME; buried with wife and children at Hiram

Village Cem.; m. PATIENCE GRAY (b. 24 June 1802; d. 12 Sept. 1853), dau.

of Isaac & Elizabeth (Sullivan) Gray of Cornish, ME. John was a farmer

and settled in Hiram, ME. In 1860 he was living with his niece, Esther

(McDonald) Haywood, in Hiram. Two children: John B. Franklin McDonald

(b. 24 Feb. 1826; d. 28 Oct. 1846); and Elizabeth A. McDonald (b. 18 June

1828; d. 28 June 1828).

(6) MARIA McDONALD, dau. of Samuel & Anna; unmarried. Probably the same

as ANN M. McDONALD; b. about 1806; d. 13 January 1861; buried at

Riverside Cem., Porter (Kezar Falls), ME.

(7) ABNER McDONALD, son of Samuel & Anna, b. 6 July 1808, in Standish,

ME; d. 29 Sept. 1898, in Porter, ME; buried with wife at Riverside Cem.,

Porter (Kezar Falls); m., 2 Nov. 1828, in Porter, NAOMI DURGIN (b. 18

June 1809, in Hiram, ME; d. 22 Feb. 1875). Abner was a farmer at Hiram

and Porter. G. T. Ridlon, cited previously, relates that in 1894, Abner,

"...now living at the age of 86, ...distinctly remembers riding from

Standish to Chatham on a horse behind his father when a boy. He is a man

of remarkable activity, who regularly works in the fields from day dawn

till evening." Ten children: Phebe McDonald (b. 20 Oct. 1832; m. Samuel

Stacy of Porter); Ann M. McDonald (b. 27 Sept. 1832; m. Oliver Stacy, Jr.

of Porter); Abigail McDonald (b. 7 Sept. 1834; d. 1934; unmarried);

Samuel McDonald (b. 25 Dec. 1836; m. Eliza Bradeen of Porter); Frederick

McDonald (b. 9 Feb. 1838; d. 1901; m. Amanda Walker of Biddeford, ME);

Abner McDonald (b. 15 April 1840; m. Clara Rogers); Luther Perry McDonald

(b. 15 Aug. 1842; m. Mary Perry); Jefferson McDonald (b. 22 Oct. 1844; m.

Abby Rogers); Winfield S. McDonald (b. 15 Feb. 1846; d. 1875; m. Ellen

Ridlon); and Mary E. B. McDonald (b. 6 Sept. 1850; m. John Lord).