Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

Touching of the DRINKWATER line during the BUXTON family section, we have traced out their lineage as follows: Hugh Drinkwater was granted a coat-of-arms in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1615. All direct trace of him is lost, but the Drinkwaters appeared in Plymouth, Mass. in 1666, or before. (I) Thomas Drinkwater married, in 1666, Elizabeth, daughter of John and Patience (Soule) Haskell, a granddaughter of George Soule, a "Mayflower" passenger. Children: Walter, William, Warren (who moved to Yarmouth and was surveyor of the king's forest, appointed by David Dunbar, surveyor-general), John, Elizabeth, Joseph, Samuel, Patience, Phebe and George. (II) Joseph, fifth son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Haskell) Drinkwater, was born in Taunton, Mass. in 1710, and died April 17, 1784. He removed to North Yarmouth, Maine, to the east end of Cousin's Island, and married, in 1735, Jane Latham. Children: Joseph, John, Thomas, Micijah, Samuel, Philas, Sarah, Sylvanus, Daniel, David and Hannah. (III) John, second son of Joseph and Jane (Latham) Drinkwater, was born in North Yarmouth, May 6, 1738, and died Dec. 27, 1827. He was a ship-master, engaged in the coasting trade between Boston and Casco Bay. It is related of him that during the revolutionary war, in going on one of his cruises, he was chased by a smaller armed British vessel which they had captured and kept for her superior sailing qualities to intercept coasters. Capt. Drinkwater was in command of a fair-sized schooner for those days, and had his son with him. The Briton fired a gun for him to heave to; but he paid no attention to it, and taking the helm, told his boys to keep out of sight, and notwithstanding he was repeatedly the target of the English sailor, he resolutely held to his course. The enemy, being much the more rapid sailor, soon gained a postion on his weather quarter, and when just in the act of boarding, he suddenly put his helm hard up and jibed over his mainsail, and as the heavy main boom, impelled by the strong breeze, struck the enemy's mast, they were carried by the board and the English vessel left a wreck, the crew the dupes of a shrewd Yankee trick of a brave and skilful navigator. He married Susannah Brown. The date was fixed for March 3, 1761, and the guests assembled on that eventul evening; but no bridegroom appeared. Some of the guests proposed going after him. "No," said the bride, "if he can't come of his own free will, he need not come at all." The next day he appeared and explained the reason of his non-appearance. He was loading his vessel at Jebeag, and was fearful if he did not stay by her and gt her off he might lose the run to Boston, and he thought some other time would do just as well to get married. Children: Perez, John, Elbridge, Daniel (who settled on the Rappahannock river in Virginia), Rotherus, Joanna, Sarah, Marian, Jane (who married Jeremiah Buxton and was the grandmother of the Mayor Buxton), Susannah, Saba and Dorcas. Colonel A. C. Drinkwater, who developed around Topsham, Maine, was on General Butler's staff when he was governor, and a very prominent Democratic politician in Massachusetts, is of this line.