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Saturday, October 19, 2013

War of 1812 Parsonsfield, Maine Gideon Bickford

A Share from Juanita Daile and her blog Genealogy Chases Tales
Also AnceStory Archives added Fold 3 Images Any more to share info please post Thanks
I was searching for information on a Gideon Bickford and here is what I found: Birth: Jul. 12, 1796 Parsonsfield Maine Death: Feb. 3, 1873 Parsonsfield Maine Son of George & Sally (Gilman) Bickford. Married Polly Piper (1800-1882) on February 19, 1818 at Parsonsfield, Maine. Children: Hannah P., Mary Ann, Harriett Newell, George Irving, Albion K., Cyrus, Roscoe Greene, Laurinda Elvira, Rufus McIntire, Sarah Moore, Adaline Hannah.
Burial: North Parsonsfield Cemetery, North Parsonsfield, York County, Maine Find-A-Grave



From Ancestry.com I found the index card where he served in the War of 1812.  So I then went to another great site I belong to called Fold3 (link is to right). There are copies of images, photos, city directories, newspapers and much more.  Many of these are not on other sites, such as the War of 1812 Pension Files for Gideon Bickford.  I  found over 30 pages of information, letters written to receive the pension for his service, and actual copies of all of these.










Below is Page 25 a copy of a hand written letter from the daughter, Mary Chapman, regarding her parents marriage and children:
It reads (I hope there are no typos, LOL)
State of Maine, County of York
In the claim of Polly Bickford widow of Gideon Bickford deceased who was a soldier in Captain James Ayer's Company under Maj. S. Nowell's Regiment of Mass. (Maine) Militia personally came before the undersigned a Justice of the Peace within and for the County of York Mary A Chapman aged fifty-eight years of Parsonsfield in the County of York and State of Maine, respectable and entitled to credit, who being duly sworn, declared that the following statement is made from personal knowledge of the facts that I have known the claimant~Polly Bickford and her husband Gideon Bickford from my earliest recollection that I have always called them father and mother~that I lived with them during my childhood and until the date of my own marriage ~ that they called me their child~that I have now living four brother and three sisters younger than myself namely Harriet N March ~ George J Bickford ~ Albion H T Bickford ~ Roscoe G Bickford ~ Laurinda E Littlefield ~ Rufus M Bickford and Sarah Rankins who also called them father and mother and who were addressed by them the said Polly Bickford and Gideon Bickford as their Children that said Polly Bickford and Gideon Bickford were received in society and regarded by their acquaintances as husband and wife and that I never heard the fact of their marriage disputed that I am satisfied that claimant has made diligent efforts to procure record evidence of her marriage and has been unable to do so for the stated by her in her affidavit.
Signed: Mary A Chapman
Witnesses: Carrie E Kilborn, Andrew M Chapman



Here is a larger view of the above letter so you can see the quality of the image, and even better the wonderful hand writing of Mary Chapman.



There are many sites out there that offer information and documents, some are not that good and others, like Fold3 are good, click the link to the right to check it out.

  • A History of the First Century of the Town of Parsonsfield, Maine  Jeremiah Wadleigh Dearborn 
  • Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts: Containing Historical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families
  • History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes
  • Three hundred fifty years of Bickfords in New Hampshire Catherine Bickford Fahnestock

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