John COLEMAN (1744 – 1823) was Alex’s 6th Great Grandfather, one of 128 in this generation in the Shaw line.

John Coleman was born 12 May 1744 in Newbury, Mass.  His parents were Benjamin COLEMAN and Ann BROWN.  He married Lois DANFORTH 16 Jul 1765 in Newbury MA.  John died 22 Sep 1823 in Vassalboro Maine.

Lois Danforth was born  19 JUN 1743 in Newbury,, MA. Her parents were Samuel DANFORTH and Mehitable BROWN.  Lois died a few days after her husband  3 Oct 1823 in  Vassalboro, Maine.

Children of John and Lois:

John Coleman lived nearby during Battle of Bunker Hill – Boston.  John’s son Joseph, 9 yrs old, was awakened the night before  by the sound of his father and other men “running bullets and making cartridges for use in the anticipated battle.”

John was a Private in Captain John Walter’s Company, Colonel David Green’s Regiment (2d Middlesex Co) which marched on the alarm of 19 Apr 1776 (Now celebrated as Patriots Day) (Service 5 days – Page 534 Mass Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

On the night of April 18, 1775, General Gage sent 700 men to seize munitions stored by the colonial militia at Concord, Massachusetts. Riders including Paul Revere alerted the countryside, and when British troops entered Lexington on the morning of April 19, they found 77 minutemen formed up on the village green. Shots were exchanged, killing several minutemen. The British moved on to Concord, where a detachment of three companies was engaged and routed at the North Bridge by a force of 500 minutemen. As the British retreated back to Boston, thousands of militiamen attacked them along the roads, inflicting great damage before timely British reinforcements prevented a total disaster. With the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the war had begun.

Birth of Liberty

John made several journeys to Vassalboro before settling there with his son Joseph. John emigrated with his family from Byfield Massachusetts to Vassalboro, Maine behind a yoke of oxen. Today, you can make the 144 mile trip by car, cruising up I95 in two and a half hours. I wonder how long it took at oxen pace.  They were among the earliest settlers of Vassalboro, Maine in the later part of the 1700′s.   They settled in the vicinity of Webber Pond where Joseph reared a large family.

From John’s nephew’s wife’s “Reminiscenses of a Nonagenarian” Newburyport William H Huse & Co. Printers 42 State Street 1879

Mrs. Colman gave me a cordial, and Mr. Colman a rapturous greeting. ” Had he not always promised that I should be David’s little wife ? ” I was introduced to Mr. and Mrs. John Colman. John, the oldest son of Deacon Colman, had married a lady by the name of Danforth. This couple signalized themselves by their migratory life, during which they made thirty-two removals. Some half dozen of these were between Byfield and Maine. Mrs. Colman used to boast that she had crossed the ocean between Newburyport and the District of Maine fourteen times, and she would add, “the happiest time in my life was when I was midway in these removals ; at that point I was rejoicing at having left the old place and looking forward with hope to the new.”

As was natural, these rolling stones gathered little moss, but always sanguine and cheerful, they passed as happy and contented a life as either of the family. At this time the}* were paying a farewell visit to their brother prior to one of their Sittings eastward.

John not only led the church choir, but composed many hymns and anthems.  At the same time he was eminently practical and is said to have made the first pair of cart-wheels in Vassalboro.  He was a devout Christian and read the Bible through in course scores of times in his family reading.

Children

1. Eunice Coleman

Eunice’s husband Israel Turner was born 13 Jun 1763 – Newbury, Essex, Mass. His parents were William Turner and Abigail Burrell. He first married 9 Nov 1782 Newbury, Mass age 19 to Sarah Peters (b. 30 Jul 1760 in Hopkinton, Merrimac, NH – d. before 1814 in Newbury, Mass.) and had four children. When they married in 1814, Israel was 51 years old and Eunice was 47. Israel died 8 Dec 1846 – Essex, Mass.

3. Joseph COLEMAN (See his page)

4. Thomas Coleman

Thomas’ wife Abigail Pulsifer was born 8 Dec 1770 in Gloucester, Mass. Her parents were Nathanial Pulsifer and Abigail Proctor. Abigail died before 1850 in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

In the 1850 census, Thomas was 78 years old and living with his son Thomas W. Coleman in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

Thomas was a man of gigantic proportions being over six feet in height and weighing two hundred and fifty pounds.  He lived to be nearly eighty-five years of age and died at the home of his son Thomas W. Coleman

Children of Thomas and Abigail:

i. Polly Colman b. 28 Jul 1796 in Georgetown, Essex, Mass.; d. 11 Apr 1845.

ii. Nathaniel Colman b. New Chester, NH; d. 8 Mar 1799.

iii. Benjamin Colman b. 11 Apr 1800 in Sanbornton, NH; d. 11 Nov 1889 Campton, New Hampshire; m. Relief R S Smith (b. abt 1806 Sanbornton, New Hampshire – d. 17 Oct 1888 Campton, New Hampshire)

In the 1850 census, Benjamin was a carpenter in Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire with three children at home ages 13 to 25.

iv. Lucy Colman b. 9 Mar 1802 Sanbornton, Belknap, New Hampshire; d. bef. 1830; m. Calvin Page (b. 1 Jan 1806 in Sanbornton, Belknap, New Hampshire) His parents were John Page Sr (1773 – 1852) and Hannah Batchelder (1772 – 1863). After Lucy died, Calvin married 16 Sep 1830 to Lucy’s sister Abigail.

Calvin Page’s parents and siblings

v. Dorothy “Dolly” Dummer Colman b. 10 Jan 1804; d. 3 May 1875 – Manchester, Hillsborough, New Hampshire; m. 1 Nov 1825 – Holderness, NH to Enoch Wood Bachelder (b. 6 Jul 1798 – Loudon, Hillsborough, New Hampshire – 3 Aug 1870 – Buffalo, Erie, New York) His parents were Abraham Bachelder and Betsy Smith

Though they had seven children between 1827 and 1840, Dorothy and Enoch seem to have lived apart. In the 1850 census, Dorothy was living with her seven children (and three clerks) in Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts. In the 1860 census, Dorothy was Manchester Ward 4, Hillsborough, New Hampshire with 5 young boarders. Dorothy’s death notice states she was married.

Enoch Wood Bachiller -Batchelder, Batcheller genealogy : descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiler of England … who settled the town of New Hampton, N.H

In the 1860 census, Enoch was living in Buffalo Ward 8, Erie, New York with Jane, Alfred and Charles Bachelder. In the 1870 census, Enoch was living in Buffalo Ward 1, Erie, New York with Jane Bachelder (b. 1829 Maine) and two children Alfred E Bachelder (b. 1850 Michigan) and Charles Bachelder (b. 1858 New York)

vi. Thomas W Colman b. 14 Oct 1805 Sanbornton, Belknap, New Hampshire; d. 28 Feb 1890 in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire; m.23 Aug 1830 West Newbury, Mass to Emily Chase (b. 1 August 1810 in Newbury, Mass. – d. 3 June 1867 in Chester, New Hampshire) Her parents were Jeremiah Chase (1762 – 1823) and Hannah Pillsbury (1763 – 1846).

In the 1860 census, Thomas was farming in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

vii. Abigail S. Colman b. 7 Sep 1807; d. 13 Jul 1878 Laconia, New Hampshire; m. 16 Sep 1830 to Calvin Page (b. 1 Jan 1806 in Sanbornton, Belknap, New Hampshire) Calvin first married Abigail’s sister Lucy.

In the 1850 census, Calvin was a cabinet maker in Sanbornton, Belknap, New Hampshire.

viii. Susannah K Colman b. 9 Aug 1809; d. 7 Jun 1883. In the 1850 census, Susannah (40) was unmarried and living with her brother Thomas.

ix. Sarah “Sally” P Colman b. 22 Nov 1811; d. 22 Apr 1890 – Auburn, New Hampshire; m. 16 Oct 1845 to Alfred Sanborn (b. 4 Jan 1812 in Sandown, Rockingham, New Hampshire – d. 10 Apr 1892 in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire) His parents were Jonathan Samborne and Betsey Fowler. Alfred first married 22 Aug 1838 to Nancy T Towle (b. 22 Aug 1813 – d. 16 Apr 1845 in Chester, Rockingham, New Hampshire)

In the 1870 census, Alfred and Sarah were farming in Auburn, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

Sources:

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/i/n/William-M-Kinney-sr/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1026.html

http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/b_c.htm

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=38526512&st=1

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4105122/person/-1651159291