When I am on vacation in Maine, I often do a little
research. I love to find an old cemetery and seek out the Tufts who might be
buried there. In 2019, in Damariscotta, I discovered the graves of three Tufts
children in a beautifully preserved old farm setting.
Franklin Tufts (1809-1821)
Alden Tufts (1811-1816)
Sarah Jane Tufts (1817-1821)
The website findagrave lists four Tufts family members in the Flint-Tufts Cemetery, right along Route 1 in Damariscotta. The fourth is listed as the father,
Francis Tufts (unknown -1835).(Even though the epitaph refers to an "infant form".) The source comes from the information on the
stones and the fourth stone is not clear enough to draw that conclusion, so
research is being done to see if there is another source for the burials. The Town of Damariscotta lists the cemetery on
their website and has a map. They are progressing on documenting the stones and
persons buried there. Any information on these families is appreciated.
Tufts Kinsmen listed four young children of this
family. The book does not list a source and only lists the fourth child as the
initials S and H (1806-1843). These children were the progeny of Francis
(Frank) Tufts and Esther (Stover) Tufts of Damariscotta, Maine. Frank was the
son of Moses Tufts from Lynn, Massachusetts who was an officer in the
Revolutionary war, a schoolteacher and settled across the river from
Damariscotta in Newcastle, Maine after the war. The story of Moses leaving
Lynn, Massachusetts and
settling in Newcastle is remarkable, as it was an early settlement before 1790
(when he was in census there).
Moses Tufts (1744-1805) married Phebe Thompson (1743-1805)
and had: Phebe, Rhoda, Moses, Rhoda, Katherine, Francis. (Both Rhodas died as
infants.) Phebe married David Dodge in Newcastle and had a large family. Moses
married Thankful Marks in Connecticut (possibly), Katherine married Abraham Dodge,
then Samuel Little, and had 7 children in Maine. (from Tufts Kinsmen)
Francis (Frank), the father of the children buried in this
little cemetery, was born in 1778 in Lynn, Massachusetts. It appears
Frank married Esther Stover. (Kinsmen
has the notation “w?” for widow, but I have not seen any record indicating so.)
No other record of this family has been found. Kinsmen also states Frank
died in 1849 in Richmond County, Staten Island, NY with no reference to the
record. Frank is listed as Captain. No record of military service has been
found and it is likely he was a ship’s Captain as Damariscotta is an ocean
community. (The death record in New York may be Sailor’s Snug Harbor, a
retirement home for sailors there.) His birth record appears to be 1778
not 1779. Lynn vital records online show it as 1778. His family number in Kinsmen
is 94-6. It is possible there is more information in the archives of Kinsmen
author Herbert Adams at Tufts University Digital Collections Archives, Tufts Kinsmen Association collection.
A beautiful barn sits near the
site of the cemetery today. The cemetery is quite close to the road, but the
farm sits back and has trails and events at the barn. The farm is part of the
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust.
I especially like the epitaphs on these old stones despite
the sadness. Photo credit Damariscotta Cemetery Trustees.
Dear God let all my hours be thine / Whilst I enjoy the light. / Then shall my sun in
smiles decline / And
bring a pleasant night.
Unveiling thy bosom faithful Tomb /Take this new treasure to
thy trust /And give
this lovely Infant room / To slumber in the silent dust.
Receive O earth, this infant form/ In thy cold bosom let
it lie/ safe let it rest from every storm/Soon must it rise, no more to die.
It would be nice to put at least a name to this poor soul.
Research continues.
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