Note: information that is [bracketed] was added by the transcriber.

Standish July 29th 1863

Mr Philbrick

Dear Sir

I read your letter of 24th inst and was much interested in its contents. It was just the information I whished to obtain and I now take the first leisure opportunity to give you some account of that branch of the "Philbrick family" which settled in Standish.

My Grandfather Jonathan Philbrick was one of the first settlers of this town. I have no means of ascertaining the date of his coming here but I find his name among those who took part in the doings of the first town meeting after the act of incorporation which was in 1785. He settled upon a farm in the south east part of the town 1 mile from the village. His farm was large and well cultivated and he is spoken of by those who remember him as one of the best farmers in town. He was also a Chair and Spinning Wheel maker and I have now in my possession several chairs of his make. He was for many years a prominent man in the business affairs of the town. Was a Deacon and a liberal supporter of the Congregational Church and Society until his death [1821] and is yet remembered as an honest and upright man. His children were

Judith married Benjamin Pike of Saco and has one daughter still living in that town. Polley married Ephraim Jones. They had a large family and their descendants are very much scattered. Caleb P. settled upon a farm given to him by his father about two miles from the homestead. He died in 1855 aged in his 85th year. One of his children only remains in town. Sarah died in 1776 aged 4 years. Betsey married Christopher Howe lived in South Berwick and died without issue. John [18 June 1791 - 4 July 1816] the youngest was my father. He lived upon the homestead with the "Old Folks" but died [4 July 1816] at the early age of 25 five years before the death of his father [Jonathan (2 Oct 1739 - 1821)].

I was born in 1815 [26 Oct] and was nine months old when my father died and six years old when my grandfather died. At this time the family as left consisted of my grandmother [ Sarah Mussey (~1749 - 8 Oct 1841)] my mother [ Miriam Hasty (1795 - 8 Oct 1841)] and myself. The only child. We remained upon the farm and of course I grew up a farmer. My grandmother or mother were not married again. The former dying in 1841 at the age of 92 and the latter the same year at the age of 46. A few years previous to this I had engaged in trade at the village in our town and we were at this time living there. Since then I have continued in trade Most of the time carrying on some farming have had the settling of several large estates. I have been Clerk + Treasurer of the town eight years. One of the selectmen in 1861 and this year have the honor of being one of the Senators in the State Legislature. In religion a Congregationalist and in politics a Republican. I have endeavored to serve my God and my country and am firm in the belief that as a nation we are now suffering the just rebuke of an offended Sovereign and that ere long we shall come forth as from the furnace of affliction purified and refined. My family consists of myself, wife and three children.

I have thus given you some facts that will enable you to form some idea of your new relatives and hope to have a still better acquaintance. I should be very happy to see you or any of your family at this place and would do all in my power to make your visit pleasant. We are sixteen miles north west of Portland [ten] miles by R.R. to Gorham and six miles by stage from there.

In answer to your inquiry if I am an Antiquarian I would say that am just beginning to have a fondness for that pursuit and it was this which led me to make the investigation by which I have made your acquaintance. I intend to follow up the matter and obtain in addition to what I now have a full history of the families consisted of birth or marriage on the side of my father and mother.

If you should write me again - which I hope you will do - can you give me any information in regard to the first wife of my grandfather. The time of their marriage. Also the time of his removal to Maine.

I should be glad to make the acquaintance of our namesake of whom you speak who lives in Wisconsin. I find in one of our town books the following record[s] - William Philbrick born in Hampton N. H. Dec 10, 1759 Olive Philbrick born in H[ampton NH] Jan 6, 1762 Gideon Philbrick born in Pearsontown [ME] Apr 21, 1764 Michael J Philbrook born in P[earsontown ME] June 19, 1766 Eunice Philbrook born in Pearsontown [ME] March 18, 1768 Stephen Philbrick born in P[earsontown ME] Feb. 27, 1770 Rhoda Philbrick born in P[earsontown ME] Apr 22 1772 Samuel Philbrick born in P[earsontown ME] Mar 15, 1777 Sons and Daughters of Michael [10 Nov 1734 - 1813] and Marcy Philbrick

also made the acquaintance a few years since of a family of Philbricks in Thorndike Maine having the names of Thomas and Samuel who are undoubtedly descended from the same stock.

We are in the midst of the haying season but are making [?] slow progress on account of wet weather. We have had an unusual amount of rain and cloudy weather this season. Our hay crop will be full an average one as to quantity but the quality will be inferior on account [of] this bad weather.

[Transcribed by Frank L. Rose]

NOTE #1 (FLR): Pearsontown is now know as Standish. The following is an excerpt from the book "The Names of Maine by Brian McCauley" page 147:

Standish: This area was granted to Captains Humphrey Hobbs and Moses Pearson and their men for their service during the siege of Louisburg. Originally named Pearsontown after Captain Pearson, the name changed to Standish when it was incorporated in 1786 [30 Nov 1785] to honor Miles Standish, one of the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation.

NOTE #2 (FLR): The siege of Louisburg [Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada] took place during King George's War 1740-1748.
 

NOTE from Robert W. Philbrook:

The 1863 documents (or rather letters) is correspondence between John Hasty Philbrick (1815-1872) and John Philbrick (1791-1884) of Seabrook, New Hampshire which contributed information to Jacob Chapman's book on the Family that was published in 1886. It is very interesting that some of the same verbiage that John Philbrick (of Seabrook) uses later shows up in Chapman's book. John of Seabrook states in his letter that he has been collecting genealogy materials for 20 years. Also of interest is that he mentions that Elisha Philbrook (1802-1883) is interested in publishing a book on the Philbrick/Philbrook family but apparently later shares the information with Chapman who ultimately gives us our first large gathering of genealogical data.