Joshua Linscott Sr. (abt. 1737 - 1832)

Born about 1737 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (Knowlton) Linscott — married 1763 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine

Descendants

Died 4 Jan 1832 at about age 95 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Scott Carles [send private message]

Biography

Birth

Joshua Linscott was born in 1737 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine to Ichabod Linscott (1707-1763) and Sarah Bowden (1715-1763) as the fourth of ten children.

His father Ichabod had settled at Damariscotta Mills, and built the first dam and mill there. He was a millwright. He was one of the six people that Tappan prosecuted in July 1741 for ejectment. ^[1]

Marriage and Family

He married Abigail Knowlton (1740-1834) in 1763 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine. In 1765 Joshua and Abigail settled on a farm which was in the southern portion of Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. It was near Newcastle. They had 11 children. ^[2]

Children of the Linscott-Knowlton Marriage

1. Joseph Linscott was born in 1758 in Maine. ^[3] Joseph died in 1764 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine.
2. Jane Linscott was born c. 1764 probably in Damariscotta, Maine (Her father didn't move the family to Jefferson until 1765.). She married Samuel Knowlton on 3 January 1788 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. Jane died on 22 May 1857 in Farmington, Franklin, Maine, United States.
3. Elizabeth Linscott was born in 1765 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. She married Jonathan Hatch (1769-1857). Elizabeth died on 12 August 1828 in Maine, United States.
4. John Linscott was born in 1767 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. He died on 1 March 1790.
5. Joshua Linscott Jr. was born in 1774 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. He married Mary Hitchcock (1778- ) in 1802 in Nobleboro, Lincoln, Maine. Joshua died on 25 December 1837 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine, United States.
6. Jeremiah Linscott was born in 1776 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. He died on 27 March 1821 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States.
7. Martha Linscott was born in 1779 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States. She married Joseph Kenniston (1770-1859) c. 1800. Martha died on 14 December 1848 in Liberty, Waldo, Maine, United States.
8. Patience Linscott was born on 13 July 1780 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States. She married William Ross (1780-1869) on 13 December 1810.
9. Jonathan Linscott was born on 29 December 1781 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States. He died on 21 July 1856 in Newcastle, Lincoln, Maine, United States.
10. Ephraim Linscott was born on 13 June 1785 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States. He married Jane Thomas on 5 October 1811 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. Ephraim died on 6 March 1863 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States.
11. Thomas Linscott was born in 1788 in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. He married Mary Pinkham (c. 1795-1832) on 29 September 1810 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. Thomas died after 31 July 1850 when he was seen on the United States Federal Census in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine, United States.

Property

On 4 August 1764, Joshua deeded to his sons Ephraim and Jonathan property which had been surveyed on that date in Balltown (now Jefferson), Lincoln, Maine.

Residence

In 1790 and 1800 he is shown to be in Balltown, Lincoln, Maine, United States. He had built a log house there for his family in about 1765. Balltown is now called Jefferson.

He and his brother John were first settlers in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine and his is the second name on the bronze tablet which is inscribed with the first twelve settlers in their arrival order. His brother is always shown to be living on the adjoining farm in the census records.

There is on record at Wiscasset a deed given by Joshua Linscott to his son Ephraim and another to his son, Jonathan, in which he states that the land conveyed to each son, is a part of the premises surveyed for him by Elijah Partridge, surveyor, August 4, 1764. ^[4] This attests to his being a settler in 1765.

Death

Joshua died on 4 January 1832 in Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, United States at the age of 95. He was buried in the Linscott Cemetery, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine. Find A Grave: Memorial #113870849

Headstone Inscription says aet 94 yrs.

Notes

Evidence that Jonathan Linscott (1781-1856) is Joshua Linscott's (1737–1832) son and that Joshua is Ichabod Linscott's (1707–1763) son.

There is scant evidence that Jonathan Linscott (1781-1856) is the son of Joshua Linscott (1737–1832) and that Joshua Linscott is the son of Ichabod Linscott (1707–1763) other than the fact that multiple censuses have these fathers/sons in the same location as each other. The following information helps make those connections because of the families involved.

The town of Jefferson, Maine was incorporated 24 February 1807 from the town Ballstown (known earlier as Damariscotta). For its centennial, the town had a celebration, and a book was published, "Centennial Celebration of the Town of Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, U.S.A., August 21, 1907." Lewiston, Me., Journal Printing Company, 1908, from which the following information comes. https://archive.org/details/centennialcelebr00jeff_0

https://archive.org/details/centennialcelebr00jeff/page/24

Joshua Linscott Info (p. 4)

[As part of the centennial celebration, the town created a stone monument with a plaque.].

This bronze tablet was cast and inscribed by the Bay State Brass Foundry of South Boston, Mass., twenty-four by thirty-two inches. The following twelve names were inscribed, which were the first settlers, as near as the committee were able to ascertain, in the order in which they came into the town.

Johnathan Ames.

Joshua Linscott.

John Weeks.

Samuel Jackson.

Joseph Jackson.

Thomas Kennedy.

John Boynton.

Robert Clary.

Moses Noyes.

Thomas Trask.

John Murphy.

John Johnson.

Joshua Linscott and sons Ephraim Linscott and Jonathan Linscott (p. 24)

Who built the first log house and settled there with his family, we do not know. We find it frequently stated that the town was settled in 1770, also that it gained its plantation name of Ballstown from John Ball, the first settler.

When and where Ball settled, I have not been able to ascertain. It is very probable that the first settler located near Newcastle, which was very early settled and was incorporated June 19, 1753. At this time there was quite a settlement at Damariscotta Mills.

There is on record at Wiscasset a deed given by Joshua Linscott to his son Ephraim and another to his son, Jonathan, in which he states that the land conveyed to each son, is a part of the premises surveyed for him by Elijah Partridge, surveyor, August 4, 1764.

Daniel C. Linscott, Esq., of Boston, a grandson of Joshua, is authority for the statement that his grandfather, Joshua, the next year after his land was surveyed, cleared a portion which for many years was termed the "house lot," and built a log house and located his family there.

This would make him a settler in 1765 and antedates any other of which we have a record. This is the farm which was occupied by the late Hiram Linscott.

Ichabod Linscott and sons Joshua and John (p. 32)

Joshua, as previously mentioned, settled on the farm in the south part of Jefferson, near Newcastle, now occupied by Roswell Linscott [FSID KHC7-8HR] and Abiel N. Linscott [FSID KK72-7SB​], and reared a family of eleven children. He died there about 1830, aged 95 years.

About the same time John Linscott [brother to Joshua settled on the adjoining farm, now occupied by Ernest Weeks, and raised a large family. From these two have descended all the Linscotts who have ever lived in Jefferson.

Ichabod Linscott, father of Joshua and John, lived at Damariscotta Mills, and as a millwright built the first dam and mill at that place. He held the title to his land under the Vaughn claim, and was one of the six whom Tappan prosecuted in July, 1741, for ejectment. [see "Causes of Difficulties"].

Sources

• 1790 United States Federal Census. In Balltown, Lincoln, Maine. ^[5]
• 1800 United States Federal Census. In Balltown, Lincoln, Maine. Tally only for Joshua Linscott as head of household of 18. 1 male 45 and over (Joshua); 1 female 22-44, this is probably in error and should have been 45+; 1 male 26-44; 3 males 16-25 (Joshua Jr. 25, Jeremiah 24, Jonathan 19); 2 males 10-15 (Ephraim 15, Thomas 12); 3 males under 10; 1 female 16-25 (Martha 21); 4 females 10-15; 2 females under 10 (Patience 8)^[6]
• 1810 United States Federal Census. In Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine.^[7]
• Town of Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, USA. Centennial Celebration of the town of Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, USA. Lewiston, Maine: Journal Printing Co., 1908. Page 32.
• Find A Grave Index.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Town of Jefferson, ME: page 32.
2. ↑ Town of Jefferson, ME: page 32.
3. ↑ Their first children were probably born in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine because his father did not move the family to Jefferson until 1765. He purchased the land in 1764 and finished the log cabin for his family in 1765.
4. ↑ Town of Jefferson, ME: page 24.
5. ↑ 1790:Tally only for Joshua Linscott who is head of a family of 3. This is largely illegible where the numbers are recorded.
6. ↑ 1800 US Fed Census: It is obvious that there are grandchildren or others present here because all sources say they had 11 children. At least 2 died before 1800 (Joseph and John) and the total of household members here is 18.
7. ↑ 1810: Tally only for Joshua Linscott for a household of 3. 1 male 45 and over (Joshua); 1 female 45 and over (Abigail); 1 male 16-25 (Thomas).