Henry Mellus (abt. 1795 - 1881)

Born about 1795 in Maine, USA

Husband of Sarah (Bailey) Mellus — married about 3 Sep 1818 in Pittston, Livingston, ME

Descendants

Died 18 Jul 1881 at about age 86 in Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine, USA

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Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Name

Name: Henry /Mellus/^[1]

Birth

Birth:

Date: ABT 1795

Place: Maine, USA^[2]

Note

Note: #H1641

Sources

• WikiTree profile Mellus-3 created through the import of Moody-Howell_2011-06-05.ged on Jun 11, 2011 by Robert Moody. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.

• Source: S49 Title: 1850 ME census: Damariscotta 434 Lincoln - Henry Mellus Publication: Name: NARA Film # M432_260; Ancestry.com; Online; NOTESource Medium: Census CONT

Notes

Note H16411850 ME census: Damariscotta 434 Lincoln; shows Henry, Deborah, Louisa Brown, Rufus N. Brown, Gustavus Mellus, Pamela D., Eudora A. Brown, Andrew Kersten (rigger). Henry is a rigger, Rufus teaches penmanship. Gustavus is a rigger. All b. ME.

Census Place Damariscotta, Lincoln, Maine

Family History Library Film 1254483

NA Film Number T9-0483

Page Number 458A

Henry MELLUS Self M Male W 87 ME Rigger MA ME

Dorcas MELLUS Wife M Female W 64 ME House Keeping ME ME

Henry COOK GSon S Male W 22 NY Tin Smith ME ME

Louisa BROWN Dau D Female W 60 ME At Home ME ME

Prepared by Glenda Mattoon (2005):

A respected history of the area says that Henry Mellus was born in Boston, but I found birth records for Henry and his siblings in Hallowell, Lincoln, Maine. It is my understanding that often they simply recorded the births in the town records wherever they happened to be when they got around to doing so. In any event, I am sure that he spent most of his life in the area of Lincoln County, Maine. Deed records show a Henry Mellus (his father) purchasing land near Long Pond in Lincoln County in 1796. Henry (Jr.) would have been 3 years old at that time. Henry became a mariner, a fisherman, a merchant and an investor in real estate. He was quite a well-to-do man for his time. The deed records of Lincoln County reflect many land transactions, including those where he bought and sold a half interest in Damariscove Island. More about this later.

Henry was married three times, but had children only with his first wife, Sarah B. Bailey. Their intent to marry was published 3 Sep 1818 in Pittston, Lincoln, Maine. Subsequently, they had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Sarah died in 1828 and Henry married Deborah Small. Deborah died in 1856 and Henry married Dorcas Merrill. Henry's first 2 wives are buried with him in the family plot in Hillside Cemetery, Damariscotta, Maine. Dorcas Merrill Mellus, who outlived Henry, is buried with the Merrills, another well known and well established family of the area.

The Census records 1840-1880 show Henry and family living in Damariscotta, Maine. His occupation is listed variously as "rigger", "mariner" and "merchant". I found one reference to him as "Capt." Henry Mellus, but no indication that he was ever in command of a vessel. In 1835, Henry Mellus, Waterman Stetson and others agree to lease waterfront "flats" in Newcastle "for the purpose of fishing, from the high to low water mark". I would suppose this was for something like clam digging. The lease was for 7 years and each participant was to pay .00 per year.

Henry was involved with Waterman and other Stetsons in various business dealings. The Stetsons were ship builders and Waterman's uncle, Abner Stetson built a ship named the Damariscove after the island of which Henry was part owner for a short time. On the maiden fishing voyage of this ship, Henry's brother, Daniel C. Mellus, was the captain. On 18 December 1849, this ship sailed for the gold fields of California, via the Straights of Magellan. Aboard were Daniel C. Mellus, age 37 "seaman and rigger of Damariscotta" and Joseph Mellus age 27, also a seaman and rigger of Searsport, both Henry's brothers. Henry's sons, Henry J. and Gustavus B. were apparently already in California by this time, but no knowledge of how they got there. Rufus N. Brown, Henry's ex-son-in-law followed by 1870.

I do not know that Henry was directly involved with the Damariscove, but circumstantial evidence suggests that he was. In 1851 Daniel C. Mellus "of Volcano Diggings, California" appointed Henry to be his "true and lawful attorney" and to act in his behalf in a certain land transaction involving land in Lincoln County. Joseph Mellus, brother of Henry & Daniel, similarly appoints Asa Hutchings, a relative of his wife, as his attorney. Daniel is a witness to that appointment.

Henry Mellus died in 18 July 1881, in Damariscotta, Maine. The Mellus family plot is located near the center of Hillside Cemetery in Damariscotta. The tall stone marks the graves of Henry and his wives and the smaller ones surrounding it are the graves of children, grandchildren and other relatives of the family.

Henry's sons, Henry J. and Gustavus Bailey Mellus apparently never struck it rich in the gold fields, though not for want of trying. In 1850 they are in Eldorado Co., CA "at the middle fork of the American River". In 1860, they are in Michigan Bluffs, Placer County. They are always together, listed as miners, among numerous other men with no families. By 1870, it appears they have given up the hunt for gold.

Henry J. left his family behind in when he went to California. He was married to Harriet Keene and lived in Rockland, Lincoln, Maine. At some point, at least his daughter joined him, because in 1870, Henry J. and his daughter, Mary G., are in Mendocino, Sonoma Co., CA. Henry J. is a saloon keeper and she keeps house. No sign of Harriet or the other children. In 1880, Henry is living with his daughter, who has married and other people (possibly related ???) several born in Maine. They are now in San Francisco and Henry's occupation is "policeman". In 1887 Henry signed deeds to sell the property in Lincoln County, Maine, which he inherited from his father. No wife signed away her dower rights on the deed, so that indicates he was a widower.

By 1870, Gustavus Bailey Mellus had also acquired a wife, Eliza L., born in England. They had already settled in San Francisco, and Gustavus lists his occupation as "merchant clerk". The information is the same in 1880 except he is then a "bookkeeper". In 1887 he too deeds away his inheritance and Eliza L. signs to release her dower rights. In the 1890 Great Voter List of San Francisco, Gustavus Baily Mellus lives at 915 Powell Street, San Francisco. He is 68, born in Maine and his occupation is "janitor". Living with him is his son Crosby who is a painter. These are the only 2 Mellus men in San Francisco in 1890, indicating that Henry J. is deceased.

Henry Mellus was the oldest child of Henry Mellus and Mary Stevens or Stephens.

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1. ↑ Source: #S49
2. ↑ Source: #S49