Rachel Philbrook Norton is the daughter of Barnabas Norton & Deborah Brown. She was b 27 Aug 1820, Vinalhaven & died 4 Mar 1909, Rockland from old age.

She married Capt Ephraim Mills on 10 Sept 1843, Vinalhaven. He was b 25 June 1819, Vinalhaven, the s/o Moses Mills & Sabra Calderwood. He d 11 Oct 1886, Rockland.

Ephraim & Rachel had 4 children, born Vinalhaven:
1) Sabra M Mills: 14 Apr 1846 - 7 Apr 1874, Vinalhaven
2) DeFloris Mills: 16 May 1852 -
3) Ambrose Mills: 2 Aug 1855 - 1933
4) Fred Seth Mills: 29 Mar 1860 -

10 March 1859: Bill of Sale of Goods, Jesse Mills to Ephraim Mills: Know all men by these presents that Jesse Mills of North Haven in the County of Waldo and State of Maine, Merchant. For and in consideration of the sum of four hundred dollars to me in hand paid by Ephraim Mills of Vinalhaven in the County and State aforesaid, at and before the ensealing and delivery of these presents (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) have bargained and sold and by these presents to bargain, sell and deliver unto the said Ephraim Mills the entire stock of goods now in my store in the town of North Haven. Consisting of vests, coats, pants, drawers, bags, hats, shoes, fancy merchandise, stockings, mittens, pieces or parts of prints, yarn, thread, lawn handkerchiefs, shawls, bridge delain, dust pans, milk pans, lanterns, 3/4 barrels flour, images tea, pots, scooper, house paper, water pails, bags of salt, jugs, brooms, baskets, johns, water jar, basin, and even plates, kettles, deep dishes, bowls of several sizes, mugs, cartons, glass, sugars, candlesticks, fluid lamps, cassia, pepper, cream of tarter, pimento, salt and a small lot of medicines, one large platform slate, one small scale, six pressure dishes, bowls, shoes, small lot of hardware, show case and its contents, one globe, a small lot of paper blank, fishing, journals, two pogy nets, ladies gloves, five earthen pots, five boxes of hooks and flyes, six hammers, twines, nets up stairs. To have and to hold said goods unto the said Ephraim Mills, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns to his and their use and benefit forever... In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty nine. Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Perez Babbidge. Jesse Mills [his seal]. Attest, John Woster, Town Clerk.

In 1860, Ephraim is a packet master on Vinalhaven with real estate valued at $1000 and personal property of $700. Ephraim was a master mariner and later a carpenter.

Accident / Obituary Report from the Bangor Daily Whig & Courier (Bangor, Me), Monday June 22, 1863, Issue 303, Col B: Fatal Accident: A sad and fatal accident occurred at Atlantic Wharf, at about 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon, on the arrival of the North Haven mail packet Silver Moon. Capt Jesse Mills, a brother of the master of the Silver Moon, was a passenger on board, and was assisting in bringing the packet to the wharf, when, in putting out his food to fend off, he slipped and fell between the vessel and the wharf, catching by the rail, and was crushed against one of the piles of the wharf, inflicting internal injuries which caused his death in a few hours. He was taken to the house of a brother, in this city, where he died at about eight o'clock the same evening. Capt Mills was an experienced shipmaster of North Haven, where he was much beloved. His age was about thirty seven years, and he leaves a wife and ten children.

Ephraim died in Rockland at the age of 67 years 3 months 20 days.

Obituary Abstract: Ephraim Mills d 11 Oct 1886 at Rockland, aged 67 yrs 3 mos 20 days. Published 12 Oct 1886.

Death Record: Rachel P Mills died 4 March 1909, Rockland, aged 88 years 6 months 5 days. Born on Vinalhaven, she was the daughter of Barnabas Norton (b Vinalhaven) & Anne ----- (b Vinalhaven). She was a widowed housewife. Cause of death: Old Age. Burial to be in a Tomb in Sea View Cemetery.