Pembroke quarterly prints diaries of 19th century fix-it man

Delpha Boyden was a 19th century man of varied talents. He could put shoes under a barn, level and move it, repair a clock, fix a cowbell, repair a wagon wheel, repair a sled, make steps, and serve as a hand on the Senator Grimes.

The Pembroke Historical Society, as owner of 21 volumes of Boyden’s diaries, is printing excerpts in its fine quarterly, The Pemmaquon Call. The entry for April 18, 1867, reads: “Snowing, blowing & raining. Set sail at the mouth of Little River about 11 o’clock. Anchored in West Quoddy Bay at 1 o’clock the wind blowing from the North, a gale.”

Also featured this issue are John Craig’s “Private William Farley: Company B, Thirty-first Maine Regiment Infantry” and “As I Remember” by Marjory S. Chase.

For information on The Pemmaquon Call, write 275 Leighton Point Road, Pembroke, ME 04666; or e-mail editor Gail Menzel at menzel@midmaine.com.

Bangor Public Library will hold a rededication of the Bangor Book of Honor at noon today in the foyer. Also dedicated will be new flags, donated by Galen Cole and the Cole Land Transportation Museum.

The Book of Honor comprises individual pages for Bangor residents who were killed during World War II.

The public is invited to the event, which will feature World War II veterans, a color guard by the Maine Air National Guard, the Bangor High ROTC, and Hal Wheeler as the bugler.

The Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society honored Madelyn C. Betts during its annual meeting recently. A Legislative Sentiment was one of the well-deserved gifts she received in appreciation of her 41 years of service as secretary of the society.

We received a most interesting query from Tom Roderick, a geneticist and former president of the Maine Genealogical Society. Tom has spoken regionally and nationally on mitochondrial DNA, the genetic information that is passed down only through the female line.

For example, mitochondrial DNA in my family is held by six grandchildren. But it can only be passed on by my niece, because the other five grandchildren are boys.

The Benson family Tom is interested in is buried in Carmel, so he’s hoping there are some M-line descendants out there.

3269. BENSON-HUNT-FIELDS-KNIGHT-PHILBRICK-SEWELL-CYR-KELLEY. An umbilical or M-line or strictly maternal line is a daughter’s daughter’s daughter’s daughter’s, etc. ending in a daughter or son. Seeking M-line descents from Samuel Benson, b. 1762, Mass., and his wife, Rebecca (Hunt) Benson, b. 1767, who are buried in Carmel, Maine. The purpose is to obtain an inner-cheek swab for an mtDNA test to prove an M-line that goes back through Gloucester, Mass., then Cambridge, Mass., to “Goody” Elizabeth Kendall, b. about 1600, who md. 1) Samuel Holley and 2) John Kendall. (See The Essex Genealogist, May 2004, vol. 24, p. 70.) Any M-line descendants of the following would qualify:

. Rebecca Hunt Benson, b. June 7, 1791.

. Susannah Benson, b. Jan. 4, 1795, Carmel.

. Pamela Benson, b. Aug. 1, 1798, Carmel, married Robert Fields.

. Sally Benson, b. Oct. 10, 1803.

. Betsy Benson, b. June 28, 1807, Carmel.

. Elizabeth Jane Fields, b. about 1834, “of Winterport,” married Andrew Savage Knight.

. Edna A. Knight, b. about 1865, “up Bangor way,” married Horace W. Philbrick in Newburgh.

. Joanne S. Knight, b. Jan. 17, 1869, of Winterport, married Oz Cyr of Bangor.

. Carrie Philbrick, b. about 1882, probably the one who married Melvin J. Sewall of Newburgh, March 16, 1904.

. Maude Philbrick, b. about 1884.

. Elizabeth E. Philbrick, b. about 1889, m. June 1, 1910, Claud Kelly of Unity who had at least one child, Donald Kelly.

Write Thomas Roderick, 19 Seely Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609; or roderick@acadia.net.

3270. INMAN-GOWEN. Searching for information on the Inman family. My great-grandfather was Uriah Inman, b. 1800s, Charleston. Married Euphemia, probably b. 1832, Buckfield. Have been looking for the children. My grandmother was one of them, Annie Maude Inman, married Ora S. Gowen from Bradford. I never knew my grandparents, would appreciate any information. Sherrill DeLaite, 1267 Main Road, Bradford, ME 04410; ShellRoy84@aol.com.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.