Capt. John Phinney(4) was the eldest son of Deacon John Phinney of Mass., and Sarah P. (Lombard) PHINNEY, and born at Barnstable, MA.
He was the founder of Gorham, ME and known as "Capt. John". At this time Maine was part of Mass. and the soldiers of the Indian wars felt that they should lay claim to the territory.
In 1727, after many delays, Massachusetts granted to the officers and soldiers, to each of one hundred acres.
His eldest son was later the distinguished COL Edmund PHINNEY, of Revolutionary War fame.
Capt. John married Sept. 25, 1718, Martha, daugh of John and Patience Coleman of Barnstable. About 1732, he removed with his family from Barnstable, MA to Falmouth, ME and settled in Gorham in 1736.
At beginning of French and Indian War, Capt. Phinney's and eight other families moved into the fort. Here those brave settlers, together with a handful of soldiers furnished by Mass. defended the fort for fourteen years against repeated attacks of the Indians.
Capt. Phinney was a brave, energetic, sagacious man, who "looked after the interests of the little colony that grew up around him, with the affection and discretion of a father. He died Dec. 29, 1780, aged 87 yrs. His widow died same age, Dec. 16, 1784, and both were bur. in Old Cem. in Gorham village. They had ten children: Elizabeth, b. 1721, m. Eliphlet Watson; 2) Edward, b. 1723; 3) stephen, b. 1725; 4)Martha, 1727; 5) Patience, 1730, m. Thom. Watson; 6)John, Jr., b. 1732; 7) Sarah, 1734, m. Sam Leavett; 8) Mary Gorham, 13 Aug. 1736, m. Jas. Irish. She was first white child born in Gorham; 9) Coleman, 1738, d. young; and 10) James, b. 1741.
A monument was erected in the middle of Gorham to his honor.
(more complete info can be found in "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, Vol. 2, by Harry S. Burrage, Albert Roscoe Stubbs.
He was the founder of Gorham, ME and known as "Capt. John". At this time Maine was part of Mass. and the soldiers of the Indian wars felt that they should lay claim to the territory.
In 1727, after many delays, Massachusetts granted to the officers and soldiers, to each of one hundred acres.
His eldest son was later the distinguished COL Edmund PHINNEY, of Revolutionary War fame.
Capt. John married Sept. 25, 1718, Martha, daugh of John and Patience Coleman of Barnstable. About 1732, he removed with his family from Barnstable, MA to Falmouth, ME and settled in Gorham in 1736.
At beginning of French and Indian War, Capt. Phinney's and eight other families moved into the fort. Here those brave settlers, together with a handful of soldiers furnished by Mass. defended the fort for fourteen years against repeated attacks of the Indians.
Capt. Phinney was a brave, energetic, sagacious man, who "looked after the interests of the little colony that grew up around him, with the affection and discretion of a father. He died Dec. 29, 1780, aged 87 yrs. His widow died same age, Dec. 16, 1784, and both were bur. in Old Cem. in Gorham village. They had ten children: Elizabeth, b. 1721, m. Eliphlet Watson; 2) Edward, b. 1723; 3) stephen, b. 1725; 4)Martha, 1727; 5) Patience, 1730, m. Thom. Watson; 6)John, Jr., b. 1732; 7) Sarah, 1734, m. Sam Leavett; 8) Mary Gorham, 13 Aug. 1736, m. Jas. Irish. She was first white child born in Gorham; 9) Coleman, 1738, d. young; and 10) James, b. 1741.
A monument was erected in the middle of Gorham to his honor.
(more complete info can be found in "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, Vol. 2, by Harry S. Burrage, Albert Roscoe Stubbs.
Capt. John Phinney(4) was the eldest son of Deacon John Phinney of Mass., and Sarah P. (Lombard) PHINNEY, and born at Barnstable, MA.
He was the founder of Gorham, ME and known as "Capt. John". At this time Maine was part of Mass. and the soldiers of the Indian wars felt that they should lay claim to the territory.
In 1727, after many delays, Massachusetts granted to the officers and soldiers, to each of one hundred acres.
His eldest son was later the distinguished COL Edmund PHINNEY, of Revolutionary War fame.
Capt. John married Sept. 25, 1718, Martha, daugh of John and Patience Coleman of Barnstable. About 1732, he removed with his family from Barnstable, MA to Falmouth, ME and settled in Gorham in 1736.
At beginning of French and Indian War, Capt. Phinney's and eight other families moved into the fort. Here those brave settlers, together with a handful of soldiers furnished by Mass. defended the fort for fourteen years against repeated attacks of the Indians.
Capt. Phinney was a brave, energetic, sagacious man, who "looked after the interests of the little colony that grew up around him, with the affection and discretion of a father. He died Dec. 29, 1780, aged 87 yrs. His widow died same age, Dec. 16, 1784, and both were bur. in Old Cem. in Gorham village. They had ten children: Elizabeth, b. 1721, m. Eliphlet Watson; 2) Edward, b. 1723; 3) stephen, b. 1725; 4)Martha, 1727; 5) Patience, 1730, m. Thom. Watson; 6)John, Jr., b. 1732; 7) Sarah, 1734, m. Sam Leavett; 8) Mary Gorham, 13 Aug. 1736, m. Jas. Irish. She was first white child born in Gorham; 9) Coleman, 1738, d. young; and 10) James, b. 1741.
A monument was erected in the middle of Gorham to his honor.
(more complete info can be found in "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, Vol. 2, by Harry S. Burrage, Albert Roscoe Stubbs.
He was the founder of Gorham, ME and known as "Capt. John". At this time Maine was part of Mass. and the soldiers of the Indian wars felt that they should lay claim to the territory.
In 1727, after many delays, Massachusetts granted to the officers and soldiers, to each of one hundred acres.
His eldest son was later the distinguished COL Edmund PHINNEY, of Revolutionary War fame.
Capt. John married Sept. 25, 1718, Martha, daugh of John and Patience Coleman of Barnstable. About 1732, he removed with his family from Barnstable, MA to Falmouth, ME and settled in Gorham in 1736.
At beginning of French and Indian War, Capt. Phinney's and eight other families moved into the fort. Here those brave settlers, together with a handful of soldiers furnished by Mass. defended the fort for fourteen years against repeated attacks of the Indians.
Capt. Phinney was a brave, energetic, sagacious man, who "looked after the interests of the little colony that grew up around him, with the affection and discretion of a father. He died Dec. 29, 1780, aged 87 yrs. His widow died same age, Dec. 16, 1784, and both were bur. in Old Cem. in Gorham village. They had ten children: Elizabeth, b. 1721, m. Eliphlet Watson; 2) Edward, b. 1723; 3) stephen, b. 1725; 4)Martha, 1727; 5) Patience, 1730, m. Thom. Watson; 6)John, Jr., b. 1732; 7) Sarah, 1734, m. Sam Leavett; 8) Mary Gorham, 13 Aug. 1736, m. Jas. Irish. She was first white child born in Gorham; 9) Coleman, 1738, d. young; and 10) James, b. 1741.
A monument was erected in the middle of Gorham to his honor.
(more complete info can be found in "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, Vol. 2, by Harry S. Burrage, Albert Roscoe Stubbs.
Inscription
IN MEMORY OF CAPT. JOHN PHINNEY SON OF DEACON JOHN PHINNEY OF BARNSTABLE, MASSACHUSETTS, WHO DIED DECEMBER 29,1780 IN HIS 87TH YEAR OF HIS AGE. HE WAS THE FIRST SETTLER IN THE TOWN OF GORHAM, CUMBERLAND CO. MAINE
