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Subject: [MAINE] WESSON (or, WESTON) FAMILY, Groton, MA, to VT and Maine
Date: Sat, 5 May 2001 17:15:08 EDT

Subject: The WESSON or Weston Family, MA & ME
Source: Groton Historical Series by Dr. Samuel A. Green, Vol II, 1890
Groton, Massachusetts

p.153

The following letter from General A. Harleigh Hill is printed in the "Daily
Eastern Argus"
Portland, Maine, May 16, 1888, and give some interesting facts concerning a
Groton, Mass.
family. The mother of the Honorable Melville Weston Fuller, recently
appointed Chief Just-
ice of the Supreme Court of the United States, but not yet confirmed, was a
grandson of
Nathan Weston, a native of Groton, Mass.

"Mother Bancroft," who is mentioned in Weston's letter, was his
mother-in-law, as Weston
had married a daughter of Samuel Bancroft of Reading, Mass., and a sister of
the Reverend
Aaron Bancroft, D.D., of Worcester, Mass. "Brother Shattuck" was Samuel
Shattuck of Pepp-
erell, Mass, the first white child born at Groton, Mass, on the west side of
the Nashua
River, and who married Elizabeth Weston. He died at Pepperell on September
16, 1805, aged
78 years, 11 months and 21 days; and his widow died November 10, 1806, aged
78 years.
"Sister Hobart" was Keziah (Wesson) the wife of David Hubbard, who was killed
in the
Revolution at the Battle of White Plains, according to James W. North's
History of Augusta,
Maine, (p.953).

In the year 1822 she is said to have been living in Ashley, Massachusetts, at
the age of 74
years. Without doubt the name of the town was intended to be Ashby, Mass.
"Brother Nathan-
iel" owned a large tract of land near the Onondaga Lake, New York, where he
lived. He
perished at the age of 84 years, on March 11, 1822, in the burning of his
son's house
(Dr. Hezekiah Weston) at Pompey, Onondaga County, New York.

Nathan Weston, Jr. who graduated at Dartmouth College in the Class of 1803,
became the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Maine, besides filling other judicial
positions.
Dartmouth, Bowdoin and Waterville Colleges conferred upon him the degree of
LL.D.

p.154

Letter to the Editor of the Argus from A. Harleigh Hill

Kennebunk, Maine
May 15, 1888
To the Editor of the Argus

"In looking over the war papers of Captain Ephraim Wesson (Army Rolls,
Reports of Battles,
Orders of the Day, Quartermasters' Accounts, Dispatches, etc.) belonging to
said Ephraim
Wesson, who was captain of a company in the French and Indian War, in Colonel
Nichols
Regiment in 1766 and 1768, and who was also my great-grandfather, I though
perhaps the
following letter from his brother, Nathan Wesson who was also a private in
Capt. Ephraim
Wesson's company, and was enlisted by him in 1725, at Wilmington, where he
then lived with
their father, Stephen Wesson, might be interesting to the descendants who
settled in
Augusta, Maine, the then "Province of Maine."

"Captain Ephraim Wesson was born at Groton, Mass., in 1721 and died in
Vermont in March,
1814 aged ninety-three years. His brother Nathan Wesson was born at Groton,
Mass., in the
year 1740. Captain Ephraim Wesson, at the close of the French & Indian war,
moved to
Haverhill, New Hampshire, then a frontier town, being one of the first
settlers and was
a member of the Committee of Safety, etc., and delegate to "ye Provincial
Congress" from
New Hampshire to Exeter and figured conspicuously in the Revolution in 1776.
At the close
of the Revolution he removed to Groton, Vermont, with his associates, the
first settlers,
and gave the name of his native town, Groton, to the settlement. He settled
in the adjoin-
ing town of Peacham, where he died as aforesaid."

"His brother, Nathan Wesson, at Augusta, Maine, wrote his name "WESTON". All
the descend-
ants and members of the family of Ephraim Wesson continue to write it Wesson.
I make this
inquiry of Nathan Wesson's posterity. How near was this young man "Nathan
Weston," (who had
just graduated as mentioned in this letter) (see below) to Captain Ephraim
Wesson in 1804,
related to "Judge Weston of Augusta, Maine," and whose daughter, Catharine,
was the mother
of "Melville Weston Fuller," now nominated as Chief Justice of the United
States. An
answer would be gratefully received." [signed] A. Harleigh Hill
Kennebunk, Maine.

p.155

Letter from Nathan Wesson, Augusta, Maine - to his brother Ephraim Wesson -
Vermont

Augusta, March 31, 1804
To Captain Ephraim Weston, Peacham, Vermont

"Dear brother and sister,

I was very happy to hear from you and your family, by your neighbor, Hosmer.
It is not
likely that we shall ever see each other with our natural eyes, but I hope
that we shall
meet in a better world. Time has advanced upon us both. I have my health as
well as I can
expect for a man of my years. My wife is a very weakly woman. I have but
three children
living. My oldest son, Nathan, graduated at Dartmouth College last August,
and is now
studying law. My second son is now in my store but he wants to go to sea.
If he should go
to sea I shall quit business. I have a comfortable living. My third son
that is living,
James, was born since you was here. He is now a learning Latin almost
through."

"My children are not old enough to know how they will conduct in the world
fully as yet. I
am glad that you have your children settled around you in so comfortable a
manner, and that
you are so well provided, for the things of this world. I hope that we shall
be prepared
for our departure when we are called for to exchange worlds. I know that I
am so much taken
up with things of this life that I am apt to put far away the evil day, but I
hope that I
shall be brought more to the sense of my duty, and be better prepared than I
am at this time. I hope that sister enjoys good health and that you and she
have a good hopee and a
happy mind. I feel a love for your children and grandchildren, though I
never see them.
I shall always be glad to hear from you and yours at every opportunity. A
letter would be
gratifying from you, or from any of your children."

"Brother Caleb Weston and his family was well when I heard from them last.
They live where
they did when you was here. They have lost all their sons, all but two! The
son Caleb was
struck overboard coming from Liverpool four years since, and they had two
sons drowned in
Kennebec River, seven or eight years ago. Their son Nathan went to sea and
died in Balti-
more. Sister Temple was well in September when I was at Reading. Mother
Bancroft was well
the last that I heard from her. Brother Shattuck and his family was in a
usual measure of
health, about the same time, and sister Hobart. Brother Nathaniel is gone
out of my hear-
ing, up to Onandago Lake. Our father's posterity is much scattered.
Remember me to your
daughter, Elizabeth, I hear you have her with you."

"Political matters have taken up the attention of people through the United
States. I think
our nation affairs appear in a very prosperous way. These matters will not
much affect us,
but it will our posterity. I have sent you a pamphlet that was wrote by
Thomas Arskins, an
address to the inhabitants of England. That will show you the origin of the
war in Europe.
And to the affairs of the United States, I send you a pamphlet, taken from
the official accounts at headquarters, another address to the electors of
Massachusetts. These will give
you some ideas of the public measures of the present administration. I
remain your loving
brother till death, [signed] Nathan Weston"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

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