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.]

TOBEY The opinion expressed by the Rev. Rufus Babcock Tobey, of Boston, that his surname, which is variously spelled in the early New England records as Tobe, Toby, Tobie and Tobye, was originally a contraction of the Scripture name Tobias, is probably correct. The Tobeys of New England are the posterity of two immigrants, Thomas, of Sandwich, Mass., and James, of Kittery, Maine, and the family constituting the special subject of consideration in this article is descended from the former. A Francis Tobey figures in the records of the general court of the Mass. Bay Colony in 1634-35, designated a ship-wright of the county of Surrey, England, and a Henry Tobey was residing at Exeter, N. H. in 1639, but, as far as known, neither of them left progeny. (I) Freeman's "History of Cape Cod" quotes the following entry in the early records of Sandwich: "Thomas Tobey Sr., subscribed 7 shillings for the meeting house the 6 mo. 7, 1644." He probably located there prior to that date, and it has been asserted, but with little or no authority, that upon his arrival from England he went to Long Island before settling in the Plymouth Colony. That he was considered to be a man of energy, ability and good judgment is attested by the fact that he held various public offices, such as constable, excise officer, juryman, grand juryman, assessor, highway surveyor and "punder" (ound-keeper); and served upon several committees, notably the one appointed to meet with a similar commission from Barnstable to establish the boundaries; another to receive, preserve and sell for the benefit of the town treasury all fish caught by the Indians within the limits of the town; and he served upon a special committee of three whose duty is was to procure recruits, ammunition and other supplies for King Philip's war. One item in the town records states that he was paid four shillings for "having the strangers to Plymouth," which probably means that as constable he escorted some wayfarers, believed to be Quakers, to the Plymouth jail. He took the oath of fidelity to the colony in 1657, and was one of the leading members of the church, not only constributing to the building-fund, as already stated, but subsequently paying his share toward its repairs and subscribing one pound annually for the support of the pastor. His will, which was made in 1710, was proved in 1714, and his death, probably, occurred in the latter year. For his first wife he married Martha, daughter of George and Martha Knott, of Sandwich, in the wooing of whom he was obliged to contend against a rival, but he succeeded in winning her, and the ceremony was performed Nov. 18, 1650. She died about 1689, and Thomas Tobey married for his second wife Mrs. Hannah Fish, widow of Ambrose Fish. She survived him, and died in 1720-21. His will mentions seven sons by his first union: Thomas, John, Nathan, Ephraim, Jonathan, Samuel and Gershom, who are not given in the order of their birth. The will also mentions three daughters, but their Christian names are not given, and it is possible that they were the children of his second wife by her first husband. (II) Jonathan, son of Thomas and Martha (Knott) Tobey, was born in Sandwich, but no record of his birth has been preserved. He was accepted as a townsman in 1694, subsequently served as a grand juryman and a fence-viewer, and was the owner of a homestead in Sandwich, where he died in 1741. The Christian name of his wife was Rembrance or Remember, and her death occurred Nov. 3, 1732. Children: Deborah, Elizabeth, Maria, Remember, Samuel, Mercy, Abigial, Mary, Jonathan and Nathaniel. (III) Samuel, fifth child and eldest son of Jonathan and Remembrance Tobey, was born in Sandwich, Sept. 11, 1707. His long and useful life was spent in his native town, and he died there in 1791, an octogenarian. April 3, 1735, he married Experience Ellis. Children: Remember, Matthias (died young), Ellis, Samuel, William, Nathaniel, Matthias, Stephen, Mary, Cynthia, Celia and "Cockie." (IV) Captain Matthias, sixth son and seventh child of Samuel and Experience (Ellis) Tobey, was born in Sandwich, Jan. 29, 1744-45. He enlisted for service in the revolutionary war, July 1, 1775, as lieutenant in Capt. Joshua Tobey's company, and the following record of his subsequent services in the continental army is taken from the Massachusetts revolutionary war rolls: "Appears as lieutenant in an account dated Boston, June 22, 1776, of provisions delivered Micah Hamblin's co of Colonel Marshall's regt., residence Sandwich; also 'Matthew Tobey,' first lieutenant on a return of officers of Michael Hamblin's (company) Col. Thomas Marshall's regiment; dated Council July 5, 1776; also, on a return of Captain Matthias Tobey's co., Col (late Col.) Hallett's regt., for services at Rhode Island on alarm, July 14, to November 2, 1780." Shortly after the close of the war, Captain Tobey went from Sandwich to Machiasport, Maine, and resided there for the remainder of his life, which terminated Nov. 7, 1818. He was married in Sandwich about the year 1769, to Hannah, born May 10, 1851, [trans note: has to be 1751] daughter of Stephen and Maria (Bourne) Nye. She died in Machias, Sept. 27, 1835. Children: 1. Zenas, born about 1771. 2. Elisha, see succeeding paragraph. 3. Matthias, born in 1775. 4. Rebecca, born in 1777, became the second wife of Jirah Phinney, by whom she had eight children. 5. Temperance, married Alvin Phinney ahd had one son, Alvin Phinney Jr. (V) Elisha, second child of Capt. Matthias and Hannah (Nye) Tobey, was born in Sandwich about the year 1773. He accompanied his parents to Machiasport during his boyhood, and learning the carpenter's trade, the active period of his life was devoted to that calling. His death occurred in Machiasport, Dec. 20, 1855, at the age of eighty-three years. His first wife, who was before marriage Hannah Phinney, died May 17, 1827, aged forty-seven years, and he married (second) Sarah Wilson, who died April 6, 1861, aged seventy-six. Children, all of 1st wife: 1. Samuel, see next paragraph. 2. Hannah, born Nov. 14, 1801, married William Sanborn and went to California, where she died Oct. 22, 1846, leaving several children. 3. Elisha. 4. Betsey, became the wife of Samuel Small. 5. Jane, born May 6, 1809, married John F. Sanborn and reared a family. 6. Charles, born Sept. 17, 1812. 7. Mary, became the wife of Charles W. Gates. (VI) Samuel (2), eldest child of Elisha and Hannah (Phinney) Tobey, was born at Machiasport in Oct. 1799. He resided in his native town, and died there march 26, 1873. He married Nancy Burton Robinson, born Oct. 4, 1808, died in 1884. Children: 1. Hannah, born Sept. 17, 1825, married Capt. William Johnson, a shipmaster, whom she accompanied on several voyages to the West Indies and South America. She became the mother of three children: Mrs. Ernest R. Merrill, of Worcester, Mass.; Mrs. L. E. Dennis, of South Norwalk, Connecticut, and William D. N. Johnson, of Lake View. 2. Horatio Nelson, who will be again mentioned. 3. Benjamin Franklin, born Jan. 1, 1830, carpenter and builder in Machias, died there in 1893. He married Amanda C. Campbell, who died in 1901. They had three children: Howard, Alden and Mary. 4. James Prince Fuller, born Dec. 11, 1832, block and spar-maker in Machiasport; served as first lieutenant in the Thirty-first Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry during the civil war, and spent six months in Andersonville prison; died Oct. 8, 1896. He married Louise Phinney and left one son, Maurice M. 5. George Loring, M. D., born June 17, 1833, graduated from Bowdoin College Medical School in 1879 and is, or was recently, practicing medicine in Clinton, Mass. He married Abbie A., daughter of Capt. Aaron W. and Angeline Grant, of Machiasport; three children: George L. Jr. (M.D. Harvard, 1903), Guy Davis and Harold Grant. (VII) Horatio Nelson second child and eldest son of Samuel and Nancy B. (Robinson) Tobey, was born in Machiasport, Feb. 29, 1828. He was educated in the public schools of his native town, becoming an expert penman and accountant. Entering the employ of William Pennell, merchant, lumberman and ship-builder, as clerk and bookkeeper, he was subsequently admitted to partnership, but later withdrew in order to devote his energies exclusively to mercantile pursuits. He finally retired from trade, and for a number of years was local agent for the Portland, Bar Harbor & Machias Steamboat line. In politics he was a Republican, and for many years acted as one of the town trustees. He was frequently intrusted with the settlement of estates, and won the esteem and confidence of his fellow townsmen for his ability, integrity and upright character. He affiliated with Howard Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Machias. In his religious beliefs he was a Congregationalist. Horatio Nelson Tobey died March, 1906. Nov. 29, 1849, he married Sarah Elizabeth Foster, born Nov. 21, 1831. Children: 1. William Burton, see below. 2. Henry Herbert, born July 7, 1853, married Ada Higgins, of Portland, and has two children, Lester and Florence. 3. Frank Nelson, born in 1854, died in infancy. 4. Lizzie Ella, born Sept. 3, 1856, now the widow of Capt. William E. Dennison, late of Portland, having two children, William and Adelaide. 5. Samuel Nelson, born Dec. 6, 1858, married Eva Cates and is now a prominent resident of Machiasport, having one daughter, Madeline. 6. Eugene Cameron, born Aug. 1, 1870, married Malliville Curtis, of Portland, and is paymaster in U. S. navy; has one son, Nelson Shaw. 7. Clarence Nelson, born May 22, 1872, died April 2, 1877. 8. Nettie Marion, born May 11, 1874, married Samuel Gilbert, of Portland, and has one daughter, Elizabeth Marion. (VIII) William Burton, eldest child of Horatio N. and Sarah E. (Foster) Tobey, was born in Machiasport, Jan. 11, 1851. His studies in the public schools and at Washington Acacemy, Machias, were supplemented by a business course at the Bangor Commercial College, and his early business training was acquired as a clerk in the wholesale dry goods establishment of Messrs. Deering, Milliken and Company, Portland, with whom he remained for seven years. Accepting a position with the North Berwick Manufacturing Company as clerk and paymaster in 1877, he established his residence in that town, and in 1881 was appointed agent and treasurer of that corporation, in which capacity he has ever since continued to serve. The North Berwick Manufacturing Company operate extensive woolen mills and their products command a ready sale in the principle centers of trde. In addition to his textile interests, Mr. Tobey was at one time actively concerned in the management of the Monson Slate Company, being treasurer of that concern, and director of the North Berwick Bank. In politics he acts with the Republican party, and was many years chairman of the town committee; was formerly tax collector, town treasurer and auditor, and in 1888 attended as a delgate the National Republican convention at Chicago which nominated Benjamin Harrison for the presidency. In Oct., 1875, Mr. Tobey was united in marriage with Ariana A., daughter of Capt. Frank Small, of Machias. She died in 1887, and on Oct. 23, 1889, he married (second) Julia M. H., daughter of Charles Thomas and Fannie Parker (McQueston) Whittier, of Bangor. Children of 1st wife: 1. Thaddeus B., born Oct. 10, 1876, married Fannie E. Swett. 2. William Homer, born Jan. 20, 1880. Child of 2d wife: Dorothy Ingersoll, born Nov. 19, 1890.