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.]

PRESSEY The name of Pressie, as it was formerly spelled, has been common in America since the middle of the seventeenth century, being first found in Massachusetts, part of the family later removing to New Hampshire, and followed the enlarged area of settlement, some of them settling in Maine. It is recorded in Hosmer's "History of Deer Isle" that "the name of Pressey was originally Percy, as appeared from what was known as a coat-of-arms which was kept in the family many years at Deer Isle." The first war in which they took part was King Philip's war, and they bore themselves with credit in the revolution, also in the war of 1812, and the war between the states. One of the name fell in the battle of Antietam, and is buried in the National cemetery there. (I) John Pressey was born in 1638, in England, and emigrated to this country in 1650, when twelve or thirteen years of age, which journey was made in the company of Major Robert Pike, in whose house he lived many years in Salisbury, Mass. In 1664 he bought land in Salisbury, and he there took the oath of allegiance Dec. 20, 1677. He and his son John took part in King Philip's war, serving under Capt. Turner, and May 18, 1676, took part in the "Falls Fight," for which service the general court granted each one a township of land, as near as possible to the scene of the conflict. When Susanna Martin, of Amesbury, was tried for witchcraft, John Pressey testified against her. Nov. 4, 1663, he married Mary Gage. Children: John, born Oct. 1, 1664. Mary, born Nov. 30, 1665. William, see forward. (II) William, second son of John and Mary (Gage) Pressey, was born Jan. 12, 1671, and died Oct. 19, 1737; in the records he is called "snow-shoe man." He married Susanna, daughter of John and Esther (Martin) Jameson, and they had John and probably others. (III) John (2), son of William and Susanna (Jameson) Pressey, was born Dec. 2, 1691, and died Dec. 13, 1737. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Colby) Weed. Children: John, born 1714. Moses, born 1715. Aaron, born 1718. Joseph, born 1720. Benjamin. Paul. Jonathan. (IV) John (3), son of John (2) and Elizabeth (Weed) Pressey, was born in 1714 in Amesbury, Mass., and by 1735 had removed to Sandown, N. H., and married Mary Chase. He and his son Charles were in the revolutionary war, serving in "Rogers Rangers." Deer Island, Maine, was first settled about 1762, and in 1766 John Pressey deeded his land in Sandown, N. H., to his son Charles, whose descendants still own the homestead and have for nearly two hundred years. He removed to Deer Isle, Maine, with three other sons and two daughters. Children: Charles, Elijah, John, Paul, Chase, and two daughters. One daughter married Ambrose Colby, of Deer Island, and the other married Nathan Johnson, of the same town. (V) Elijah, son of John (3) and Mary (Chase) Pressey, settled in Ware, N. H., and married a lady by the name of Blaisdell, by whom he had four sons, and possibly daughters, although there is no record of them. His sons were: Moses, Benjamin, Jacob and John. His sons all moved to Maine, settling finally: Jacob in Mercer, where he died. Benjamin, who was born in 1764, settled in Waterville, where he died. Moses and John in Stark, where some of their descendants now live. Moses died in Stark. Benjamin married and has one son, George W., and several daughters, one of whom married a Lewis, of Waterville, and one a Mr. Connor; lived in Farmington; had families. George W. married Phebe Woodcock, and had three sons and three daughters; the sons were: George W. Jr., Henry and J. Manley; George W. Jr. married, moved to Hammondton, New Jersey, later to Newport News, Virginia; his daughters are not married; the sons, B. J. and brother are dentists, one at Newport News, the other at Hampton, Virginia; children of both are girls. Henry married and has several children; lives now in Nebraska; one son, Alfred, a lieutenant in navy. J. Manley inherited old homestead in Waterville; married; died young. (VI) Jacob, third son of Elijah Pressey, was born at Ware, New Hampshire, and "was a private in muster and pay roll of Lieut. Nathaniel Tibbetts' company, Major William Lithgow's command, detached with guards on seacoast." He moved first to Wiscasset, Maine, and lived there some years. In 1806 he moved to Mercer. Children: Isaac, Thomas, Alfred and David. One dauthter, who married Asaph Works, of New Sharon. Her descendants now reside there. His sons, Isaac, Thomas and Alfred were in the war of 1812. Thomas and Alfred lived to receive pensions for their services. Isaac married, and was in trade in Mercer; he died while yet a young man, leaving a widow and one daughter. Alfred married and had two sons, Isaac and Cyrus, and five daughters. Isaac moved to Stamford, Connecticut. Cyrus married Ann Hussey of Rome, lvied and died in Mercer, had a fmily of children. The daughters of Alfred married in different states, and their descendants are scattered. David married Lovina Landers. His son Sumner lives on old homestead in Mercer. Has two sons, one living with him, the other, Charles, married and lives on a farm adjoining on Pressey road in Mercer. (VII) Thomas, son of Jacob Pressey, was born in 1790, at Wiscasset, Maine. He was a farmer, and soldier in the war of 1812, serving in the Fourth Regiment Infantry, U. S. Regulars. He married Elvira Lindsey. Children: 1. Warren Ethelbert, born Jan. 14, 1827, mentioned below. 2. Francis G., deceased; lived in Waterville; was conductor on the M.C.R.R.; had one daughter, Leora, who married Herbert Holland, of Mass., and who now lives in Waterville. 3. Elizabeth B., deceased; she married Sanford Crowell, of Smithfield, who died on Ship Island, Mississippi; was a soldier in the Thirteenth Maine; married (second) Daniel Stevens; had one son, Fred Stevens, who married and has a family of sons and daughters. 4. Keziah H., married Edgar J. Riker, who resides in Lewiston; had one son, Warren E., married, no children, druggist. One daughter, Emma J., married Fred Merrill and lives in Brockton. 5. Melzar L., resides in Lewiston; marired and has three daughters, one of whom, Nettie, married Charles Potter, resides in Brunswick, and has a daughter and son. The daughter married, has children, and resides in Brunswick. The son is still young and unmarried. 6. Charles D., married Ruby Hutchins, moved to Bangor, and is a manufacturer; had two son, Wilmer and Frank; Wilmer was a physician, died young; Frank married, lives in Bangor, is a civil engineer, and a graudate of the Univ. of Maine; he has two children, a son and daughter. 7. Maria, deceased; she married Gorham Carr, no children. 8. Laura A., married Eli Wells; they live on the old homestead; had one daughter, Georgia A., married Rev. Herbert Mank, a Congreagationalist minister in Lawrence, Mass; has two daughters, Helen and Edith, now at Holyoke College, Mass. (VIII) Warren Ethelbert, eldest son of Thomas and Elvira (Lindsey) Pressey, was born Jan. 14, 1827, at Mercer, Maine, and attended the public schools, after which he spent three summers fishing at Grand Banks, Maine, in the winter teaching school. He then spent some time at Lowell, Mass., learning the trade of machinist, and in 1851 removed to California, where he spent eight or nine years teaching school, and became interested in mining. While there he was a captain in the Fifth California Infantry Regiment. In 1865 he returned to Maine, where he settled in Lewiston and engaged in the boot and shoe business. In 1872 he was a representative in the Maine legislature from the city of Lewiston, and held several offices in the city government of Lewiston. In 1881 he removed to Washington, where he spent two years in the forty-seventh congress, as doorkeeper in the house of representatives. In 1883 he was a messenger of the U. S. senate, and in 1898 was made assistant postmaster of the senate, which position he ably filled and now (1908) holds. He married, Jan. 4, 1863, in California, Annie Rhoda, daughter of Albert H. and Mary Jane (Johnson) Iris, of Biddeford, Maine. [trans note: below the name is given as "Irish"]. Children: 1. Ethelbert Lindsey, born July 24, 1864, was with the Union Pacific Railroad in Boston, and died in 1893. He married Minnie H. Bosworth, of N. H. 2. Charles Francis, born Sept. 9, 1866, is a hotel manager and resides at Washington, unmarried. 3. Henry Albert. (IX) Henry Albert, third and youngest son of Warren Ethelbert and Annie Rhoda (Irish) Pressey, was born Sept. 24, 1873, graduated from Columbian University at Washington, with degree of B.S., and after an examinaton for the revenus cutter service of the U. S., entered same for one year, after which he attended the Mass. Institute of Technology at Boston, graduating from same in 1896. He took a post-graduate course at the George Washington Univ. (the name of which has been changed from Columbian), of Washington, and received the degree of PhD. in 1903. He spent five years as professor of civil engineering in the George Washington Univ., and is now established as a civil engineer, with an office in Washington. He married Perley Fitch, of New York. Children: Henry Albert Jr., born July 19, 1905. Warren Fitch, born July 17, 1907. Perley (Fitch) Pressey is the daugher of Colonel Butler and Anna (Moffat) Fitch. PRESSEY This name came to this country soon after the landing of the Pilgrims, and has been identified with the growth and development of New England and of the state of Maine. The name in the old records is found spelled Pressie, but the usual spelling has been that used in this article. (I) John Pressie, the emigrant ancestor, was born in England in 1638, and came to America about 1650-51. He was called a planter in the records of Salisbury and Amesbury, Mass. He was taxed in the fomer place in 1659 and five years later purchased land in the latter town, where a meeting-house seat was assigned to him in 1667. He served in King Philip's War under Captain Turner, and participated in the "Falls Fight," May 18, 1676. The next year he subscribed to the oath of allegiance at Amesbury, and was a member of the training band there in 1680. He was a witness before the courts in 1692, concerning matters which occurred about 1668, and died Nov. 18, 1707, in Amesbury. He was married Dec. 4, 1663, to Mary Gage (for Gauge, sometimes spelled Gough), probably a daughter of William. She was born about 1645 and was probably the "Mariah Presse" who was dismissed from the Salisbury to the Amesbury church in March, 1700. Children: John, Mary, Hannah and William. (II) John (2), elder son of John (1) and Mary (Gage) Pressey, was born Oct. 1, 1664, as recorded in Salisbury, and was still living in 1736. (III) John (3), son of John (2) Pressey, resided in Amesbury. (IV) John (4), son of John (3) Pressey, removed to Sandown, New Hampshire before 1735, and married Mary Chase previously to that. Children: Charles, Eliza, John, Polly, Chase, and two daughters whose names are unknown. On March 11, 1766, he deeded the property in Sandown to his son, Charles, and subsequently removed to Deer Isle, Maine. He must have been among the pioneers of that town, as the earliest settler there arrived in 1762. One of his daughters was the wife of Ambrose Colby and the other of Nathan Johnson, both of Deer Isle. (V) Elijah, second son of John (4) and Mary (Chase) Pressey, settled in Weare, New Hampshire. The maiden name of his wife was Blaisdell. Children: Moses, Benjamin, Jacob and John. The eldest died in Stark, Maine; and the second, who was born in 1784, died in Waterville, same state. (VI) John (5), son of Elijah Pressey, settled in Stark, where he has descendants now living. (VII) Thomas, son of John (5) Pressey, married Elvira Lindsay, of Norridgewock, Maine, about 1824, and they were the parents of four sons and four daughters. Children: Warren, Francis, Melzar, Charles, Elizabeth, Keziah, Maria and Laura. (VIII) Keziah, daughter of Thomas and Elvira (Lindsay) Pressey, became the wife of Edgar Jefferson Riker, of Waterville.