Elisha Grant (abt. 1755 - abt. 1788)

Born about 1755 in Montsweag, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Died about 14 May 1788 at about age 33 in Wheelersborough, Lincoln County, Massachusetts, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

This is the profile for Elisha Grant, the son of Andrew Grant.

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

Elisha, Sarah, Gooden and Anna, all children of Andrew Grant and his wife Patience (Gooden) Grant, were baptized at Rev. Josiah Winship's church in Woolwich, Maine on 7 July 1765.^[1]

Based on the fact that Elisha was one of the inhabitants of Wheelersborough who signed a petition on March 12, 1777 asking for Wheelersborough to be incorporated as a town,^[2] Elisha was probably born before 1756 (or at least before 1759). Based on the probability that, as discussed in Andrew Grant's profile, Elisha's father Andrew was born in 1733-4, Elisha was probably born after 1754. It is therefore likely that Elisha was born sometime in 1754-9, with about 1755 being a reasonable round-number estimate. Since Andrew Grant was living at Montsweag, Maine from at least 1752 to 1770, Elisha was no doubt born there.

Not the Elisha Grant of Woolwich Who Married Lydia Goold

Since Elisha's father moved from Woolwich on the Kennebec River to Wheelersborough on the Penobscot River by 1772^[3] and records show that an Elisha Grant moved to Wheelersborough at the same time and was living there into the late 1780s,^[4] this profile's Elisha Grant was not the Elisha Grant who, as a "a young man", owned the covenant at Rev. Josiah Winship's church in Woolwich on 14 August 1774,^[5] married Lydia Goold in Woolwich on 16 July 1776,^[6] and was a sergeant of Capt. John Balyey's company in Col. Jackson's regiment of the Continental Army who was reported killed on August 24, 1777.^[7] That Elisha Grant was probably the Elisha Grant who was the son of Elijah Grant who was born on 28 November 1754.^[8]

Residency in Wheelersborough and Swan Island, Pownalborough

Based on a December 1786 report by Jonathan Stone regarding the town of Hampden that stated that Goodwin Grant, Andrew Grant and Elisha Grant had lived there for 14 years,^[3] Elisha appears to have moved from Woolwich to Wheelersborough with his father and brother about 1772. All subsequent records that have been found for Elisha are consistent with his continued residence in Wheelersborough/Hampden. As discussed in Andrew Grant's profile, however, it appears that Andrew Grant lived on Swan Island, Pownalborough in 1779-1783 when the British controlled the Penobscot, and it is likely that Elisha did as well.

Revolutionary War Service

Elisha was very probably the Elisha Grant who enlisted on October 25, 1776, was a private in Lieut. Andrew Gilman's company stationed at the Penobscot River, and discharged on May 4, 1777.^[7] For an article about Lieut. Gilman's company, see Lagerbom, Charles H. "Gone Bad?: American Patriot Andrew Gilman." Journal of the American Revolution. February 26, 2018.

Marriage and Children

Elisha married a woman named Hannah. Her first name is established by the birth records of Elisha's children and Elisha's estate records. Many online trees say that she was Hannah Crosby, the daughter of Joel Crosby of Winslow, Maine. While no direct evidence has been found that confirms that assertion, it seems supported by substantial circumstantial evidence, including the fact that (1) Joel Crosby of Winslow died there in 1775, leaving a will naming daughter Hannah,^[9] (2) the middle name of Elisha and Hannah's first-born child was Crosby, and (3) Hannah appears to have returned to Crosby after Elisha's death to give birth to their last child, Ruth. Based on the date of birth of their eldest known child, Elisha and Hannah were probably married about 1784. Based on Hannah's family's residency in Winslow, it is likely that Elisha and Hannah were married in or near that town.

Elisha and Hannah had the following children:

1. Elisha Crosby Grant, b. April 10, 1785^[10] at Wheelersborough, Maine^[11]
2. Andrew Gray Grant, b. December 24, 1786^[10] at Wheelersborough, Maine^[11]
3. Ruth Stephens Grant, b. November 17, 1788 at Winslow, Maine^[10]

The births of all three children were recorded together in the Winslow town book. The records for the first two, however, stated that they were born "at Penobscot." Daughter Ruth was probably born in Winslow after Hannah held gone to live with relatives there after Elisha's death earlier in 1788.

Death; Estate

A number of online family trees say that Elisha died on May 14, 1788 by drowning in the Penobscot River. No reliable evidence supporting that specific date or manner of death has been found; however, a 1788 date of death is consistent with the fact that (1) there are no known records for Elisha as a living person subsequent to about 1786,^[4] (2) there are probate records from 1791-1795 for Elisha Grant of Hampden, (3) the Winslow birth records of Elisha's children indicate that Elisha's wife, Hannah, had moved to Winslow by November 1788 and (4) records show that Elisha's widow, Hannah, married Thomas Gilpatrick in Winslow in August 1792.^[12]

On September 22, 1791, Benjamine Wheeler of Bangor, William Richson of Winslow and Rebens Wheeler of Bangor were appointed as a committe to appraise the estate of Elisha Grant, late of Bangor.^[13]

The inventory of the estate of Elisha Grant late of Frankfort (town that Wheelersborough was part of from 1789-1794) was taken by William Richardson and Benjamin Wheeler and sworn to on September 19, 1793 by Hannah Gilpatrick, administrator. The inventory totaled £27:14:4 and included land and a house (£10), one cow (£3), furniture, household items, clothing, and books.^[13]

A bill of expenses settling the estate of Elisha Grant, late of Hampden (the town that Wheelersborough became part of in 1794), deceased, was presented by Hannah Gilpatrick, administrator, on September 17, 1795, covering expenses of the estate from September 1791 up through that date.^[13]

On September 18, 1795, a Court of Probate held at Pendobscot in Hancock County ordered that listed personal property of the estate of Elisha Grant her late husband of Hampden deceased be delivered to the widow Hannah Gilpatrick, administratrix to the estate, as dower in such personal estate. The listed items appear to include all of the remaining personal property in the estate inventory.^[13]

Chronology of Records

• 1776. Elisha Grant, private in a company commanded by Lieut. Andrew Gilman; enlisted October 25, 1776; discharged May 4, 1777; service, 6 mos. 9 days; company stationed at Penobscot River.^[7]
• 1777. In March 13, 1777, Ephraim Grant, Andrew Grant, James Grant and Elisha Grant were among the inhabitants of Wheelersborough who signed a petition asking to be incorporated as a town.^[2]
• 1777. Elisha Grant, Captain Andrew Grant, Ephraim Grant, Henry Grant, Goodwin Grant and Adam Grant were among the inhabitants of Penobscot River in Col. Josiah Brewer's regiment to signed a petition dated November 1777 requesting that the regiment be merged back into Col. Jonathan Buck's regiment, from which it had been split off without prior consultation.^[14]
• 1784. A list of inhabitants of Wheelersborough who were assessed £0:3:6 each on 27 May 1784 to pay for the town's purchase of Jeremiah Colburn's lot included Ephraim Grant, James Grant, Adam Grant, William Grant, Andrew Grant, Elisha Grant and Gooden Grant.^[15]
• 1785. Andrew Grant, Robert McCordey and Elihu Hewes, all of Penobscot River, took the inventory of the estate of Benjamin Wheeler of Penobscot River on 1 July 1785, while Elisha Grant served as a surety for Benjamin's widow, the administratrix.^[16]
• 1786. December 1786 report by Jonathan Stone regarding the town of Hampden that stated that Goodwin Grant, Andrew Grant and Elisha Grant had lived there for 14 years.^[3]
• 1786. Elisha Grant was one of the persons who Major Treat of Bangor's Day Book indicated that he had dealings with sometime in 1786-1790.^[17]

^{[9] [13] [12] [11] [10] [8] [4] [17] [3] [16] [15] [14] [2] [7] [6] [1] [5]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Records of the Rev. Josiah WInship's Church, Woolwich, Maine. Copied and typed by Mrs. Nellie Lord and Mrs. Lena C. Ring of the Colonel Dummer Sewall Capter of the DAR, Bath, Maine, 1944. p. 14. FHL Film #008133037, image 865 of 902. Link to image of page at familysearch.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "Town of Hampden. No. I, First Range North of Waldo Patent." Bangor Historical Magazine. Vol. II No. II (August 1886). p. 26. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} "Town of Hampden. No. I, First Range North of Waldo Patent." Bangor Historical Magazine. Vol. II No. II (August 1886). p. 27. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} See "Chronology of Records" in this profile.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Records of the Rev. Josiah WInship's Church, Woolwich, Maine. Copied and typed by Mrs. Nellie Lord and Mrs. Lena C. Ring of the Colonel Dummer Sewall Capter of the DAR, Bath, Maine, 1944. p. 10. FHL Film #008133037, image 860 of 902. Link to image of page at familysearch.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Records of the Rev. Josiah WInship's Church, Woolwich, Maine. Copied and typed by Mrs. Nellie Lord and Mrs. Lena C. Ring of the Colonel Dummer Sewall Capter of the DAR, Bath, Maine, 1944. p. 29. FHL Film #008133037, image 880 of 902. Link to image of page at familysearch.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. Volume. VI. 1891. p. 727. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWBQ-XMQ : 14 January 2020), Elisha Grant, 1754.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Patterson, William D. The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine. 1760 to 1800. Maine Genealogical Society, 1895. p. 67. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} Winslow Town and Vital Records, 1771-1892. FHL Film #007596932, image 245 of 489. Link to image at familysearch.org. See image attached to this profile.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Winslow town records state that Elisha and Andrew were born "at Penobscot." Based on Elisha's residency at the time of their births, they were born at Wheelersborough on the Penobscot, which became the town of Hampden in 1790.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4NQ-MZG : 14 January 2020), Thomas Killpatrick, 1792.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} Hancock County Probate Records, Estate File #158. FHL Film #004138544, images 317-324. Link to images at familysearch.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} "Petition from Penobscot River to the General Court, 1777." Bangor Historical Magazine. Vol. IV Nos. 1 & 2 (August 1888). p. 13. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} History of Penobscot County, Maine, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Williams, Chase & Co. 1882. p. 536. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Patterson, William D. The Probate Records of Lincoln County, Maine. 1760 to 1800. Maine Genealogical Society, 1895. p. 126. Link to page at hathitrust.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} "Names from Major Robert Treat's Day Book, Bangor, 1786-1790." Bangor Historical Magazine. Vol. V Nos. 4&5 (November 1889). p. 93. Link to page at hathitrust.org.