Sawyer-Currier-Simmons Family History (GEN.16C)

Moving along to other ancestors

Edward Brown and Pamela Billings, the parents of Martha Marks Brown (Abel Sawyer’s wife)

Martha Sawyer’s mother, Pamela Billings, married Edward Brown, a mariner said to have been born in Ipswich, MA., though I have not yet found a record  of him being there.

There is a narrative transcript in the Sargentville Library describing a time when Edward took a sailing trip to buy supplies and on the way back was thought to have been lost at sea. His wife Pamela was distraught at the possibility and her sister Patience could not console her.  Edward was, in fact, safe but the description of the emotion felt by all concerned speaks to the depth of their relationship (Appendix 4)

Pamela and Edward lived in the Brown homestead which was across the road from the Cooper Farm Road, in about the middle of Caterpillar Hill Road, Sargentville. The house has had significant structural changes over the years

Edward was the “pirate” in the family. Actually he was a privateer who, like other privateers in the War of 1812, fought with, raided and captured when they could, English ships during the “forgotten” second war with England. (Appendix 5) The family referred to him as a pirate and was quite proud of him.  At one point Edward was captured by the English and was held prisoner in Dartmoor Prison, supposedly at the time of an infamous prison riot.  When freed, he returned to Sargentville where he died in 1865. He and his wife Pamela are buried in the Settler’s Rest Cemetery.

Notes about Pamela Billings Brown:

• As was common in her day, Pamela Billings Brown was often called by her nickname “Mela”.
• Pamela’s name is spelled Pamelia on her gravestone but it is spelled Pamela in the Family Bible.
• Martha Brown’s mother Pamela Billings Brown had a sister, Patience Billings, who married Samuel Billings. Samuel was her first cousin and the son of Benjamin Billings’ Brother Abel.  Sylvia Wardwell of Sargentville, Maine is a direct descendent of Samuel and Patience (and is, therefore, my fifth cousin).
• Pamela and Patience Billings were the daughters of Benjamin and Abigail Billings.

Family Tree written by Martha (Pat) Simmons Garroway

Family Tree written by Martha (Pat) Simmons Garroway

Family lines to early settlers
Our family line goes back to early settlers of Sedgwick, Brooksville, Penobscot and Deer Isle, which include David Sawyer, John Grindle, Richard Currier and John Billings. Most of these lines go even further back to the early settlers of New England which include, William Sawyer, Daniel Grindle, Richard Currier and Nathaniel Billings.  I will give some detail of the Billings line since it goes back through each of our grandparents (Martha and William Simmons), but will summarize the others.  Extensive details of these families can be found in the cited references.

The Billings Connection
Our family line goes back to Nathaniel Billings, who came here from England sometime before 1640, through both Martha Maria Currier Simmons and William Herbert Simmons.   Their first common Billings ancestor is Benjamin Billings. The following chart traces these two family lines from Nathaniel down to Pamela, David, Sharon and Warren, the children of David A. Simmons.

Nathanial Billings tombstone 

For those interested in our possible connections to famous people, Phillip Howard Gray, in Penobscot Pioneers, Billings Gray Herrick, states that John Billings “had a royal connection, that of Mary Launce leading to the noble Darcy family.  This line leads to King Edward III and to nearly all the other ancient houses that can be desired for a descent. There at least 4 armigerous (having or entitled to have a coat of arms) families behind John Billings the Penobscot Pioneer, namely, Browne, Launce, Paine and Sherman.
John Billings is a cousin of 4 American Presidents (John Calvin Coolidge, James Garfield, Richard Nixon and William Taft) and Declaration of Independence Signer Robert Treat Paine.  No significant legal problems are seen: the ancestors of John Billings were models, it would seem, of Puritan virtue.”¹⁶

NOTE: I have not researched any of this so I would encourage you to “take it all with a grain of salt” or to do some serious research.

Other family links to early settlers:
Grindle
Daniel Grindle, born 1655 in England, came to America prior to 1701¹⁷, died after 1722 in Isle of Shoals, N.H.
John Grindle, born 1690 died 1739 in Portsmouth, N.H. was a mariner
John Grindle, born 1714 Portsmouth N.H. died 1794 in Penobscot (now Brooksville) ME. Pioneer settler of Brooksville, was a soldier, chair maker and English loyalist called “Old Tory Grindle” by the locals. His sons were patriots.
William B. Grindle, born 1749, died in Brooksville in 1820, buried in unmarked grave.  With wife Eunice Howard had 16 or 17 children.
Lydia Grindle born about 1800, birth not recorded but a niece identified her as a child of Eunice and William. She died abt. 1870-80. Married Patrick Fitzsimmons Aug. 11, 1822 in Penobscot, ME.
William Grindel Simmons-1824-1882 Buried in the Sedgwick Rural Cemetery
Herbert Simmons, born 6 Mar 1849, died 13 Jan 1927 in Sailor’s Snug Harbor, Richmond, New York-buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Sargentville, ME.
William Herbert Simmons born 02 Feb 1887, died 1976, Manchester, Ct. buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Sargentville, ME.
David Arnold Simmons born 24 Jul 1920, died 30 Oct 2002. Buried in Coventry, CT.

Sawyer
William Sayer (later spelled Sawyer) born in England abt. 1613. Living in Salem by 1640, having come to America in 1636 with his brothers Edward and Thomas.  Died abt.1703 in Newbury, MA. Probably buried in the Old Sawyer Hill burial ground in the Western part of what is now Newburyport, MA. off Ferry Road.¹⁸
John Sawyer , born 24 Aug 1645 Newbury, MA., died 18 Mar 1689 Newbury, MA
Jonathan Sawyer, born 13 Jan 1685 Newbury, MA.
Abel Sawyer, born 15 Aug 1718, Newbury, MA. died 15 Apr 1794 Hampstead, N.H.
Abel Sawyer, born 9 Jan 1744, Newbury, MA. died 12 Feb 1821 Alfred, ME.
David Sawyer, born 4 Jul 1775 Newburyport, MA. died 27 May 1862 Deer Isle, ME.
Abel Sawyer, born 17 Jan 1823 Deer Isle, ME. died 18 Feb 1853 (tuberculosis) married Martha Marks Brown 25 Nov 1847 Sedgwick, ME.
Isadora Amelia Sawyer born 13 Nov 1850 died 21 Jan 1942
Martha Maria Currier born 19 Feb 1884, died 20 Sep 1961
David Arnold Simmons

Currier
Richard Currier, born 3 may 1616 probably in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.  He died 22 Feb 1687 in Amesbury, Essex County, Mass. His daughter Hannah was born in Salisbury in 1643 so he came to America sometime before that.
(Deacon) Thomas Currier, born 8 Mar 1646 Salisbury, MA. Died 27 Sep 1712 in Amesbury, MA.
Captain Richard Currier, born 12 Apr 1673 died 8 Feb 1748 in Amesbury
Captain Jonathan Currier born 7 Feb 1698 in Amesbury, MA. and died there 30 Oct 1762
Thomas Currier, born 14 Mar 1745 in South Hampton, N.H.
Richard Currier, born 7 Dec 1773 in South Hampton, N.H. Died 15 Feb 1837 in Sedgwick, ME. and is buried in the Rural Cemetery. (Hansen p. 8)
Thomas Currier born 21 Sep 1799 and died 12 Feb 1873 in Sedgwick, ME.
Captain Gilbert Richard Currier (called Richard) born24 Dec 1835 and died 27 Jan 1885 in Sedgwick, ME.
Martha Maria Currier born 19 Feb 1884 in Sedgwick and died 21 Sep 1961 in Blue Hill, ME.
David Arnold Simmons born July 24, 1920 in Sedgwick and died 30 Oct 2002

The People of the House: A summary of significant dates
Abel Sawyer born 17 Jan 1823, died 18 Feb 1853
Married 25 Nov 1847 to Martha Marks Brown born 7 Dec 1819, died 15 Sep 1904
Their daughter was:
Isadora (“Dora”) Amelia Sawyer born 13 Nov 1850 died 21 Jan 1942
Married 25 Nov 1880 to Gilbert Richard Currier born 25 Dec 1836, died 27 Jan 1885
Their daughter was:
Martha Maria Currier born 19 Feb 1884 died 21 Sep 1961
Married 3 Dec 1913 to William Herbert Simmons born 2 Feb 1887, died 9 Feb 1976
Their children, all of whom were born in the home built by Abel Sawyer, in Sargentville, ME. were:
Martha (“Patty”) born 28 Sep 1914, died 22 Dec 2010
Richard Currier born 29 Aug 1917, died 5 Jun 1967
Margaret born 1 April 1916, died 9 Apr 1916
Herbert Nathan born 14 Nov 1918, died 25 May 1994
David Arnold born 24 July 1920, died 30 Oct 2002
Rebecca born 30 Apr 1922, died 6 May 1922 (“acute enterocolitis”)
John Warren born 14 Sep 1923 died 1 Jan 1965
Edward Roger born 16 Mar 1925, died 11 Oct 2004
Mary born 16 Aug 1926, died 12 Nov 2014

______________________________

¹⁶ Gray, Philip Howard, Penobscot Pioneers, Billings Gray Herrick, Penobscot Press, Camden, ME. 1993, page 145.

¹⁷Snow, op cit., pages 2, 135,136.

¹⁸Sawyer, op cit., page 12.

APPENDICES

Appendix 4–Edward Brown thought lost at sea

Edward Brown thought lost at sea

Edward Brown thought lost at sea – page 2

Appendix 5-Edward Brown’s memoir of his trip on the Frolic

Edward Brown’s memoir of his trip on the Frolic

Edward Brown’s memoir of his trip on the Frolic – page 2

Edward Brown’s memoir of his trip on the Frolic – page 3