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.]

KINSMAN The Kinsmans are a very ancient family in England, and the particular branch here under consideration traces its ancestry to one... (I) John Kynesman, 1337, of Northamptonshire, who married a daughter of Wetherall, of Lincolnshire, and had a son: (II) Richard Kynesman, 1378, who married Joane, daughter of Sir John Dalderby, and had a son: (III) Thomas Kinnesman, who by wife Cedon had: (IV) Simon Kynesman (armiger entitled to coat armor. The arms of the family are a shield - per pale azure and gules, three saltires argent. Crest, a buck proper, lodged in fern vert), of Loddington, Northamptonshire, his son and heir: member of parliament, 1420, in which year he obtained a license from the bishop to celebrate mass in his own mansion; was sheriff of Northamtonshire, 1422; married Margaret, daughter of Lord Zouch, of Harringworth, Northamptonshire, and had a son: (V) John Kingesman, of South Newton, Wiltshire, died 1522; married Johanna, and had a son: (VI) Robert Kingesman, of Overton, Wilshire, who died 1692; married Agnes, and had sons. (VII) Robert Kingsman, second son, of Overton, Wiltshire, who died before July 26, 1647; married and had sons Richard, Robert, Philip and Thomas, and four daughters. (I) Robert Kingsman (or Kinsman), immigrant, son of Robert Kingsman, of Overton, Wiltshire, was one of the passengers in the "Mary and John," from Southampton, England, for Boston, New England, in March, 1634, and arrived in port in May of the same year. He was of Ipswich in 1635, had a grant of land in 1637, and lived in that plantation until his death, Jan. 28, 1664. The name of his wife does not appear. Children: 1. Robert, born 1629. 2. Mary, married (first) Daniel Rindge; (second) Ursuel Wardwell. 3. Sarah, married Samuel Younglove. 4. Hannah, married William Danford, and died in 1678. 5. Martha, married Jacob Foster. 6. Tabitha, unmarried in 1674. (II) Quartermaster Robert (2), son of Robert (1), the immigrant, was born in England in 1629, and died in Ipswich, Mass. Feb. 19, 1712. He was admitted to full church communion in Ipswich Feb. 22, 1673; was made freeman March 11, 1673-4; tithingman, 1677; took the oath of allegiance, 1678; was made quartermaster Jan. 1, 1684. He was a soldier in King Philip's war, and took part in the Narragansett expedition, receiving three pounds for his services in that campaign. With several other of the leading men of Ipswich he opposed the oppressive measures sought to be enforced by Governor Andros. and with them was made to smart under the punishment inflicted by the magistrates under Andros' influence. The penalty visited on him was that he should not bear office, and "fined twenty pounds money, pay cost, five hundred pound bond for the good behavior one year." Although condemned "not to bear office," he was confirmed as quartermaster in Captain Thomas Wade's company in 1691, was elected deputy to the general court in 1692, and had a seat appointed to him "at the table" in the meeting house in 1700. He married Mary Boreman, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Boreman, of Ipswich. Thomas Boreman was deputy to the general court in 1636. Children: 1. Mary, born Dec. 21, 1657. 2. Sarah, born March 19, 1659. 3. Thomas, born April 15, 1662. 4. Joanna, born April 25, 1665. 5. Margaret, born July 24, 1668. 6. Eunice, born Jan. 24, 1670. 7. Joseph, born Dec. 20, 1673. 8. Robert, born May 21, 1677. 9. Pelatiah, born Nov. 10, 1680. (III) Thomas, son of Quartermaster Robert and Mary (Boreman) Kinsman, was born in Ipswich, Mass., April 15, 1662, and died there July 15, 1696. He took the oath of allegiance in 1678, and at his death left an estate inventoried at one hundred and forty two pounds fourteen shillings. He married, in Ipswich, July 12, 1677, Elizabeth, daughter of Deacon John Burnham, of Ipswich. She survived him and married (second) July 27, 1700, Isaac Rindge, of Ipswich. Children, all b. in Ipswich: 1. Stephen, born about 1688. 2. Elizabeth, born about 1690. 3. Thomas, born April 3, 1693. 4. Mary, born Oct. 14, 1694. (IV) Sergeant Stephen, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Burnham) Kinsman, was born in Ipswich, Mass. about 1688, and was a weaver. In 1714 he bought a house and land of his brother Thomas Mariner, which had been given to him by his grandfather Robert, and a part of which his father, Thomas, bought of the town of Ipswich, and of which he was in possession at the time of his death. In the records Stephen is called sergeant, although the character of his military career does not appear. He died in Ipswich Dec. 8, 1756. He married (first) Nov. 24, 1711, Lucy Kimball, born in Ipswich Sept. 9, 1693, died Feb. 22, 1715-16, daughter of Caleb and Lucy (Edwards) Kimball; married (second) Nov. 19, 1716, Lydia Kimball, born Sept. 14, 1694, probably in Ipswich, daughter of Richard and Lydia (Wells) Kimball. Children of 1st wife: 1. Stephen, born March 15, 1713; died young. 2. Thomas, born Feb. 13, 1715. Children of 2d wife: 3. Stephen, born March 30, 1718. 4. Samuel, baptized Oct. 23, 1720. 5. Jeremiah, baptized May 3, 1725. 6. Lydia, baptized Aug. 10, 1729. (V) Stephen (2), son of Stephen (1) and Lydia (Kimball) Kinsman, was born in Ipswich, Mass., March 30, 1718, and was still living there as late as Oct., 1767. He married April 10, 1739, Elizabeth Russell. Children: 1. Stephen, born March 17, 1739-40. 2. Nathan, baptized Oct. 4, 1741. 3. Aaron, baptized Aug. 21, 1743. 4. Isaac, baptized Dec. 15, 1745. 5. Elizabeth, baptized April 10, 1748. 6. Lydia, baptized June 24, 1750. 7. Ebenezer, baptized May 24, 1752, died young. 8. Eunice, born Dec. 24, 1754. 9. Ebenezer, baptized Jan. 11, 1761. 11. Sarah, baptized Jan. 16, 1763. 12. Abigail, baptized Jan. 16, 1763. (VI) Nathan, son of Stephen (2) and Elizabeth (Russell) Kinsman, was born in Ipswich, Mass., and was baptized there Oct. 4, 1741. He removed to Concord, New Hampshire, and was a hatter by trade, a farmer by principal occupation, and also practiced medicine among the families of the town. His home was at the base of Mount Kinsman, which was so named in allusion to him. He is known to have been a soldier in the French and Indian war in 1756, was made prisoner, and is believed to have been the Nathan Kinsman who served in the colonial army at Annapolis, Nova Scotia, from Nov. 2, 1759 to Jan. 7, 1760. He was a private in Captain Daniel Fletcher's company, Colonel Frye's regiment. He died Feb. 28, 1822. He married (first) Mercy Wheeler; (second) Sept. 6, 1772, in Littleton, N. H., Elizabeth Shattuck, died June 15, 1798, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth (Robbins) Shattuck; married (third) widow Chapin. Children: 1. Nathan, born April 22, 1762, died young. 2. Mercy, born April 10, 1769, died young. 3. Stephen, born Aug. 14, 1773. 4. Peter, born Aug. 3, 1775, died young. 5. Nathan, born Nov. 14, 1777. 6. Peter, born Nov. 23, 1779. 7. Martha, born Oct. 9, 1781. 8. Timothy, born Aug. 17, 1783. (VII) Nathan (2), son of Nathan (1) and Elizabeth (Shattuck) Kinsman, was born in Concord, New Hampshire Nov. 14, 1777, and died in Portland, Maine, Feb. 26, 1829. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1799, studied law under the instruction of Chief Justice Parker, and was admitted to the Cumberland county bar in 1803. He at once began his professional career in Portland, and from that time until his death he was recognized as one of the foremost lawyers of the state. His practice was very extensive, and especially so in 1807 and afterward, for he was the leading counsel in the so-called embargo cases, and was more employed in them than all the other lawyers in the state. In 1819 he represented the city of Portland in the lower house of the state legislature. Mr. Kinsman married, in Portland, Sept. 26, 1802, Eliza Dafforne, born Boston Feb. 14, 1781, died Portland June 28, 1841, daughter of John and Betsey (Ingersoll) Dafforne. Of nine children born of this marriage only four grew to maturity: 1. John Dafforne, born Aug. 13, 1805. 2. Elizabeth Dafforne, born Jan. 28, 1807, died unmarried June 8, 1831. 3. Martha, born May 18, 1809; died unmarried June 28, 1841. 4. Elinor, born June 12, 1812; died March 15, 1879. (VIII) John Dafforne, son of Nathan and Eliza (Dafforne) Kinsman, was born in Portland, Maine, Oct. 13, 1805, and died in Belfast, Maine May 27, 1850. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, and was a distinguished and brilliant scholar and orator, a lawyer of remarkable ability, and a thorough gentleman. He was U. S. marshal for the district of Maine under the administration of the elder President Harrison, and afterward removed to Wisconsin and practiced his profession in that state. He was commonly called colonel, which perhaps arose from the fact that he served in command of a company of militia from Portland, possibly the Portland Light Infantry, in what was known as the "Aroostook war." The state militia was called out by the governor in consequence of the bounday dispute between Maine and Canada and marched for some distance beyond Augusta, but no enemy was ever encountered and report has it that all concerned had a very merry time. However, the general government had plenty of land in those days, and a warrant for one hundred and sixty acres was given to his widow for said service. He married, March 9, 1830, Angela Cutter, born Portland, Maine, Feb. 16, 1803, daugther of Levi and Lucretia (Mitchell) Cutter. Children: 1. John Dafforne, born Dec. 4, 1830, died March 16, 1842. 2. Oliver Dorrance, born Feb. 18, 1835. The third and fourth children, both sons, died in extreme infancy. (IX) Oliver Dorrance, son of John Dafforne and Angela (Cutter) Kinsman, was born in Portland, Maine, Feb. 18, 1835. He received his early education in the public grammar and high schools of his native city, in the academy at Southport, now Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the public schools of Boston, Mass., and North Yarmouth (Maine) Academy, a boarding school. He was about fifteen years old when his father died, and after that he was compelled to make his own way in life. He first found employment in dry goods stores in Portland, but soon afterward took up practical surveying and civil engineering, at first in a minor capacity, but with a determination to master the profession, and it was not long before he was in charge of extensive engineering operations in Maine, the Canadas, Massachusetts, Iowa and Florida. About the beginning of the civil war he was in charge of the construction work of the western division of the Florida railroad between Fernandina and Cedar Keys, having been in that region since 1858. Being a northern man and having nothing in common with the sympathies of the southern people, it was a very easy matter for a hot-headed Florida planter to create public indignation against Mr. Kinsman, basing accusations on entirely false charges, but sufficient for the purpose of accomplishing his arrest by an alleged vigilance committee and an ultimate sentence of death on the scaffold. All of this was in fact done, but through Masonic intervention the victim of southern resentments was rescued from his captors and put safely aboard the first northbound steamer. He reached Portland in Jan., 1861, remained there only a short time and then went to Iowa, where formerly he had business relations. There in September of the same year he enlisted as private in Company K, Eleventh Iowa Infantry, and was mustered into service. From the outset he made rapid advances in rank, from private to sergeant, to sergeant-major, second lieutenant, first lieutenant and adjutant of the regiment, captain and assistant adjutant general of volunteers, and was assigned to the Third Brigade ("Crocker's Iowa Brigade"), Fourth Divison, Seventeenth Army Corps, of which brigade he had for some time been acting assistant adjutant general. Later he was brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel of volunteers. During his military career Colonel Kinsman took part in the battles of Shiloh, Medon Station, Iuka, Corinth (Oct., 1862), Big Blac River, Vicksburg, Mechanicsville, Hillsboro, Big Shanty, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River, Nickajack Creek, Atlanta, Flint River, Snake Creek Gap, Lovejoy's Station, Jonesboro, Savannah, Pocotaligo, River's Bridge, Orangeburg, Bentonville and Raleigh, including Sherman's March to the Sea and through the Carolinas. At the general muster out he was the assistant adjutant general of the Seventeenth Corps. He also took part in the Grand Review in Washington. At the battle of Shiloh he was wounded and on the hospital and invalid list for two months, but otherwise he never was for a day absent from his post of duty during the almost four years of his army service. After the war and after a period of about thirty days spent at his old home he was assigned to duty in the bureau of refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands in South Carolina, where he served as assistant adjutant general, first to Brevet Major General Rufus Saxton, second to Brevet Major General Robert K. Scott, and in the early part of 1866 was transferred to that bureau in Alabama as assistant adjutant general to Brevet Major General Wager Swayne. He was finally mustere out of service Oct. 1, 1866, although he afterward remained as a civilian with the same duties as before until Jan., 1868, then resigned and went back to Iowa. In 1867 and for some time afterward he was closely associated with the work of reconstruction in Alabama. On the final muster out he was tempted with the offer of a commission in the regular army, but declined it. In 1869 he became connection with the departmental service in Washington, in the war department until 1874, and afterward from 1876 until 1886, and since that time in the pension office of the interior department, his present (1908) position being that of examiner. From 1874 until 1876 he lived in Brooklyn, New York. Colonel Kinsman is a Republican in all that the name implies, for he shot and fought that way. His first vote was cast for Fremont in 1856, He is a Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Mason, and feels that he owes much to the craft; a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, of the Association of "Croker's Iowa Brigage," and of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He amrried, in Washington, Oct. 19, 1871, Emma Matilda Louisa Richardson. Children: 1. Elinor Matilda, born 1872. 2. Angela Elizabeth, born 1874. 3. Lucretia Beatrice, born 1876, married B. Holly S. Woodford (now dead), and has one child, Beatrice Kinsman Woodford, born 1902. 4. Olive Dafforne, born 1893. Since 1886 Colonel Kinsman has lived on his farm, situate on the bank of the Northwest Branch of the Potomac in Montgomery county, Maryland, some nine miles from Washington.