Parents of Mary McKenney:
Henry McKenney (born abt 1699 in Scarborough, Maine)
Sarah Hanscom (born 1699 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Mary married Major John Small on October 12, 1752 in Falmouth, Maine. It was the second marriage for John Small. John Small was born on January 10, 1722 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine and died in 1762 at Fort Western in Quebec, Canada. He was an officer in the English Army as well as a land surveyor.
Mary and John had 7 children:
John Small
Zacheus Small (born January 20, 1754 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died abt 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Francis Small (born November 26, 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died in 1799 in England)
Henry Small (born October 29, 1757 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died November 9, 1826 in Limington, York County, Maine)
Daniel Small (born on November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died March 22, 1844 in Limington, York County, Maine. He is buried in the Daniel Small Family Cemetery which is located in an apple orchard on Shaving Hill Road, Limington, Maine.)
Rachel Small (born November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Dorcas Small (born March 27, 1762 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.
The following was written by Lauriston Ward Small in "The Small Family in America" on pages 10-13.
Major John Small's second wife, Mary McKenney deserves more attention than I can here give her, but her story in brief runs in this wise.
In those primitive days the leaders of society were those who could dance the longest and with most vigor, and drink the most rum and molasses without giddiness. My great-great-grandmother (Sarah Hanscom McKenney) was a big, elephantine woman who could dance but little, and as she was as poor a drinker as dancer she was not highly regarded in the polite society of the time. One evening after her return from a party whereat she had been a wall-flower because of her inability to drink or dance very much, she breathed an audible earnest wish that she might have a daughter who could outdance the whole world. Instantly, she heard tiny shouts and merry peals of laughter, and straightway myriads of fairies in gala dresses, with beautiful Queen Mab at their head, came trooping into the room, singing, dancing, laughing and playing leap-frog over each other like the jolly little elves they were. The queen seated herself upon a thimble, and looked on for awhile with the eyes of delight, after which she raised her magic wand and all was still. Then turning to my great-great-grandmother Queen Mab sang a little song to the effect that her spoken wish would be gratified; at the conclusion of which, the merry little fairies went their happy way. Sarah Hanscom McKenney's next child was my great-grandmother Mary McKenney, who in after years became the wife of Major John Small. In those good old days witches and fairies were as plentiful as pea-blossoms in summer, but as Queen Mab was not often seen by mortals, the story of her visit created a profound sensation in the colony, for aside from her magic power she was the most beautiful creature ever seen on earth.
Now whether Mary McKenney was a "changeling," or was simply endowed with fairy gifts, was a matter of doubt; but all the old women of the town who were of course the best judges of such matters favored the changeling theory, partly because of her matchless beauty, but mainly because she was erratic and eccentric, and always did the unexpected and incomprehensible…a trait of character, God wot, which died not with her.
When the fairy-born Mary had grown to womanhood and was
Standing with reluctant feet,
Where the brook and river meet,
She was the most beautiful girl ever seen by her townspeople, and her dancing was so light, graceful and bewitching withal the good folks never tired with seeing her dance, nor did dancing tire her. So faithfully had Queen Mab kept her promise, that after a hard day's work at spindle or loom she could and did dance all night without a moment's rest and leap a gate higher than her head without touching hand or foot on her way home after daylight in the morning. The fame of her fairy-given beauty, grace and tirelessness in dancing spread from old Fort Popham to Plymouth, and on one occasion a party went all the way from Salem to see her, which was no light journey in those days.
The fairies had placed their mark of a mole on her right cheek where the edge of the beard would have been had she been a man, and that mark reappeared upon her son Henry Small, as also upon me her great grandson Lauriston Ward Small.
In those good old days witches were troublesome, and when neither the parson with his open Bible and leaf turned down at the verse "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," nor the blacksmith with his leather apron could relieve a witch-burdened family, Mary was sent for, and when she entered the house every witch took to her heels or broomsticks, for they were in mortal fear of fairies.
After Major John Small's death, Mary McKenney married a Haskins and had a daughter Sally, but her last years were spent with her son Henry Small in Limington. When nearing the grave she was flighty at times, whereupon all the old ladies said she was communing with her own people, the fairies. On one never to be forgotten occasion while three nice old ladies said were sipping molasses with a little hot rum in it, they saw thousands of fairies around her, and were so frightened by the sight that they fell to the floor in an insensible condition and for an hour or more were unable to speak distinctly.
Such in brief is the story of Mary McKenney, wife of Major John Small, and if any hardened infidel doubts it, I can show him her skull in the family tomb at Limington. Doubtless this story was believed by a majority of the people with whom she associated, and she herself always believed that there was something supernatural about her birth.
Henry McKenney (born abt 1699 in Scarborough, Maine)
Sarah Hanscom (born 1699 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Mary married Major John Small on October 12, 1752 in Falmouth, Maine. It was the second marriage for John Small. John Small was born on January 10, 1722 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine and died in 1762 at Fort Western in Quebec, Canada. He was an officer in the English Army as well as a land surveyor.
Mary and John had 7 children:
John Small
Zacheus Small (born January 20, 1754 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died abt 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Francis Small (born November 26, 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died in 1799 in England)
Henry Small (born October 29, 1757 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died November 9, 1826 in Limington, York County, Maine)
Daniel Small (born on November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died March 22, 1844 in Limington, York County, Maine. He is buried in the Daniel Small Family Cemetery which is located in an apple orchard on Shaving Hill Road, Limington, Maine.)
Rachel Small (born November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Dorcas Small (born March 27, 1762 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.
The following was written by Lauriston Ward Small in "The Small Family in America" on pages 10-13.
Major John Small's second wife, Mary McKenney deserves more attention than I can here give her, but her story in brief runs in this wise.
In those primitive days the leaders of society were those who could dance the longest and with most vigor, and drink the most rum and molasses without giddiness. My great-great-grandmother (Sarah Hanscom McKenney) was a big, elephantine woman who could dance but little, and as she was as poor a drinker as dancer she was not highly regarded in the polite society of the time. One evening after her return from a party whereat she had been a wall-flower because of her inability to drink or dance very much, she breathed an audible earnest wish that she might have a daughter who could outdance the whole world. Instantly, she heard tiny shouts and merry peals of laughter, and straightway myriads of fairies in gala dresses, with beautiful Queen Mab at their head, came trooping into the room, singing, dancing, laughing and playing leap-frog over each other like the jolly little elves they were. The queen seated herself upon a thimble, and looked on for awhile with the eyes of delight, after which she raised her magic wand and all was still. Then turning to my great-great-grandmother Queen Mab sang a little song to the effect that her spoken wish would be gratified; at the conclusion of which, the merry little fairies went their happy way. Sarah Hanscom McKenney's next child was my great-grandmother Mary McKenney, who in after years became the wife of Major John Small. In those good old days witches and fairies were as plentiful as pea-blossoms in summer, but as Queen Mab was not often seen by mortals, the story of her visit created a profound sensation in the colony, for aside from her magic power she was the most beautiful creature ever seen on earth.
Now whether Mary McKenney was a "changeling," or was simply endowed with fairy gifts, was a matter of doubt; but all the old women of the town who were of course the best judges of such matters favored the changeling theory, partly because of her matchless beauty, but mainly because she was erratic and eccentric, and always did the unexpected and incomprehensible…a trait of character, God wot, which died not with her.
When the fairy-born Mary had grown to womanhood and was
Standing with reluctant feet,
Where the brook and river meet,
She was the most beautiful girl ever seen by her townspeople, and her dancing was so light, graceful and bewitching withal the good folks never tired with seeing her dance, nor did dancing tire her. So faithfully had Queen Mab kept her promise, that after a hard day's work at spindle or loom she could and did dance all night without a moment's rest and leap a gate higher than her head without touching hand or foot on her way home after daylight in the morning. The fame of her fairy-given beauty, grace and tirelessness in dancing spread from old Fort Popham to Plymouth, and on one occasion a party went all the way from Salem to see her, which was no light journey in those days.
The fairies had placed their mark of a mole on her right cheek where the edge of the beard would have been had she been a man, and that mark reappeared upon her son Henry Small, as also upon me her great grandson Lauriston Ward Small.
In those good old days witches were troublesome, and when neither the parson with his open Bible and leaf turned down at the verse "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," nor the blacksmith with his leather apron could relieve a witch-burdened family, Mary was sent for, and when she entered the house every witch took to her heels or broomsticks, for they were in mortal fear of fairies.
After Major John Small's death, Mary McKenney married a Haskins and had a daughter Sally, but her last years were spent with her son Henry Small in Limington. When nearing the grave she was flighty at times, whereupon all the old ladies said she was communing with her own people, the fairies. On one never to be forgotten occasion while three nice old ladies said were sipping molasses with a little hot rum in it, they saw thousands of fairies around her, and were so frightened by the sight that they fell to the floor in an insensible condition and for an hour or more were unable to speak distinctly.
Such in brief is the story of Mary McKenney, wife of Major John Small, and if any hardened infidel doubts it, I can show him her skull in the family tomb at Limington. Doubtless this story was believed by a majority of the people with whom she associated, and she herself always believed that there was something supernatural about her birth.
Parents of Mary McKenney:
Henry McKenney (born abt 1699 in Scarborough, Maine)
Sarah Hanscom (born 1699 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Mary married Major John Small on October 12, 1752 in Falmouth, Maine. It was the second marriage for John Small. John Small was born on January 10, 1722 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine and died in 1762 at Fort Western in Quebec, Canada. He was an officer in the English Army as well as a land surveyor.
Mary and John had 7 children:
John Small
Zacheus Small (born January 20, 1754 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died abt 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Francis Small (born November 26, 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died in 1799 in England)
Henry Small (born October 29, 1757 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died November 9, 1826 in Limington, York County, Maine)
Daniel Small (born on November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died March 22, 1844 in Limington, York County, Maine. He is buried in the Daniel Small Family Cemetery which is located in an apple orchard on Shaving Hill Road, Limington, Maine.)
Rachel Small (born November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Dorcas Small (born March 27, 1762 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.
The following was written by Lauriston Ward Small in "The Small Family in America" on pages 10-13.
Major John Small's second wife, Mary McKenney deserves more attention than I can here give her, but her story in brief runs in this wise.
In those primitive days the leaders of society were those who could dance the longest and with most vigor, and drink the most rum and molasses without giddiness. My great-great-grandmother (Sarah Hanscom McKenney) was a big, elephantine woman who could dance but little, and as she was as poor a drinker as dancer she was not highly regarded in the polite society of the time. One evening after her return from a party whereat she had been a wall-flower because of her inability to drink or dance very much, she breathed an audible earnest wish that she might have a daughter who could outdance the whole world. Instantly, she heard tiny shouts and merry peals of laughter, and straightway myriads of fairies in gala dresses, with beautiful Queen Mab at their head, came trooping into the room, singing, dancing, laughing and playing leap-frog over each other like the jolly little elves they were. The queen seated herself upon a thimble, and looked on for awhile with the eyes of delight, after which she raised her magic wand and all was still. Then turning to my great-great-grandmother Queen Mab sang a little song to the effect that her spoken wish would be gratified; at the conclusion of which, the merry little fairies went their happy way. Sarah Hanscom McKenney's next child was my great-grandmother Mary McKenney, who in after years became the wife of Major John Small. In those good old days witches and fairies were as plentiful as pea-blossoms in summer, but as Queen Mab was not often seen by mortals, the story of her visit created a profound sensation in the colony, for aside from her magic power she was the most beautiful creature ever seen on earth.
Now whether Mary McKenney was a "changeling," or was simply endowed with fairy gifts, was a matter of doubt; but all the old women of the town who were of course the best judges of such matters favored the changeling theory, partly because of her matchless beauty, but mainly because she was erratic and eccentric, and always did the unexpected and incomprehensible…a trait of character, God wot, which died not with her.
When the fairy-born Mary had grown to womanhood and was
Standing with reluctant feet,
Where the brook and river meet,
She was the most beautiful girl ever seen by her townspeople, and her dancing was so light, graceful and bewitching withal the good folks never tired with seeing her dance, nor did dancing tire her. So faithfully had Queen Mab kept her promise, that after a hard day's work at spindle or loom she could and did dance all night without a moment's rest and leap a gate higher than her head without touching hand or foot on her way home after daylight in the morning. The fame of her fairy-given beauty, grace and tirelessness in dancing spread from old Fort Popham to Plymouth, and on one occasion a party went all the way from Salem to see her, which was no light journey in those days.
The fairies had placed their mark of a mole on her right cheek where the edge of the beard would have been had she been a man, and that mark reappeared upon her son Henry Small, as also upon me her great grandson Lauriston Ward Small.
In those good old days witches were troublesome, and when neither the parson with his open Bible and leaf turned down at the verse "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," nor the blacksmith with his leather apron could relieve a witch-burdened family, Mary was sent for, and when she entered the house every witch took to her heels or broomsticks, for they were in mortal fear of fairies.
After Major John Small's death, Mary McKenney married a Haskins and had a daughter Sally, but her last years were spent with her son Henry Small in Limington. When nearing the grave she was flighty at times, whereupon all the old ladies said she was communing with her own people, the fairies. On one never to be forgotten occasion while three nice old ladies said were sipping molasses with a little hot rum in it, they saw thousands of fairies around her, and were so frightened by the sight that they fell to the floor in an insensible condition and for an hour or more were unable to speak distinctly.
Such in brief is the story of Mary McKenney, wife of Major John Small, and if any hardened infidel doubts it, I can show him her skull in the family tomb at Limington. Doubtless this story was believed by a majority of the people with whom she associated, and she herself always believed that there was something supernatural about her birth.
Henry McKenney (born abt 1699 in Scarborough, Maine)
Sarah Hanscom (born 1699 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Mary married Major John Small on October 12, 1752 in Falmouth, Maine. It was the second marriage for John Small. John Small was born on January 10, 1722 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine and died in 1762 at Fort Western in Quebec, Canada. He was an officer in the English Army as well as a land surveyor.
Mary and John had 7 children:
John Small
Zacheus Small (born January 20, 1754 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died abt 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Francis Small (born November 26, 1755 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died in 1799 in England)
Henry Small (born October 29, 1757 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died November 9, 1826 in Limington, York County, Maine)
Daniel Small (born on November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine & died March 22, 1844 in Limington, York County, Maine. He is buried in the Daniel Small Family Cemetery which is located in an apple orchard on Shaving Hill Road, Limington, Maine.)
Rachel Small (born November 17, 1759 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine)
Dorcas Small (born March 27, 1762 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.
The following was written by Lauriston Ward Small in "The Small Family in America" on pages 10-13.
Major John Small's second wife, Mary McKenney deserves more attention than I can here give her, but her story in brief runs in this wise.
In those primitive days the leaders of society were those who could dance the longest and with most vigor, and drink the most rum and molasses without giddiness. My great-great-grandmother (Sarah Hanscom McKenney) was a big, elephantine woman who could dance but little, and as she was as poor a drinker as dancer she was not highly regarded in the polite society of the time. One evening after her return from a party whereat she had been a wall-flower because of her inability to drink or dance very much, she breathed an audible earnest wish that she might have a daughter who could outdance the whole world. Instantly, she heard tiny shouts and merry peals of laughter, and straightway myriads of fairies in gala dresses, with beautiful Queen Mab at their head, came trooping into the room, singing, dancing, laughing and playing leap-frog over each other like the jolly little elves they were. The queen seated herself upon a thimble, and looked on for awhile with the eyes of delight, after which she raised her magic wand and all was still. Then turning to my great-great-grandmother Queen Mab sang a little song to the effect that her spoken wish would be gratified; at the conclusion of which, the merry little fairies went their happy way. Sarah Hanscom McKenney's next child was my great-grandmother Mary McKenney, who in after years became the wife of Major John Small. In those good old days witches and fairies were as plentiful as pea-blossoms in summer, but as Queen Mab was not often seen by mortals, the story of her visit created a profound sensation in the colony, for aside from her magic power she was the most beautiful creature ever seen on earth.
Now whether Mary McKenney was a "changeling," or was simply endowed with fairy gifts, was a matter of doubt; but all the old women of the town who were of course the best judges of such matters favored the changeling theory, partly because of her matchless beauty, but mainly because she was erratic and eccentric, and always did the unexpected and incomprehensible…a trait of character, God wot, which died not with her.
When the fairy-born Mary had grown to womanhood and was
Standing with reluctant feet,
Where the brook and river meet,
She was the most beautiful girl ever seen by her townspeople, and her dancing was so light, graceful and bewitching withal the good folks never tired with seeing her dance, nor did dancing tire her. So faithfully had Queen Mab kept her promise, that after a hard day's work at spindle or loom she could and did dance all night without a moment's rest and leap a gate higher than her head without touching hand or foot on her way home after daylight in the morning. The fame of her fairy-given beauty, grace and tirelessness in dancing spread from old Fort Popham to Plymouth, and on one occasion a party went all the way from Salem to see her, which was no light journey in those days.
The fairies had placed their mark of a mole on her right cheek where the edge of the beard would have been had she been a man, and that mark reappeared upon her son Henry Small, as also upon me her great grandson Lauriston Ward Small.
In those good old days witches were troublesome, and when neither the parson with his open Bible and leaf turned down at the verse "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," nor the blacksmith with his leather apron could relieve a witch-burdened family, Mary was sent for, and when she entered the house every witch took to her heels or broomsticks, for they were in mortal fear of fairies.
After Major John Small's death, Mary McKenney married a Haskins and had a daughter Sally, but her last years were spent with her son Henry Small in Limington. When nearing the grave she was flighty at times, whereupon all the old ladies said she was communing with her own people, the fairies. On one never to be forgotten occasion while three nice old ladies said were sipping molasses with a little hot rum in it, they saw thousands of fairies around her, and were so frightened by the sight that they fell to the floor in an insensible condition and for an hour or more were unable to speak distinctly.
Such in brief is the story of Mary McKenney, wife of Major John Small, and if any hardened infidel doubts it, I can show him her skull in the family tomb at Limington. Doubtless this story was believed by a majority of the people with whom she associated, and she herself always believed that there was something supernatural about her birth.
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