Though I’m based in New York City, if you have been reading my blog you will have noticed many posts about ancestors in Maine. Late summer in Maine is lovely, with an average temperature around 72. I try to visit once a year during that time both to relax and recharge and to conduct some research on family who lived there.
Research this year took me to the Pemaquid peninsula, where several ancestors settled after the American Revolution, moving from Massachusetts to Maine before Maine was a separate state. I already knew that Hannah Simmons, of my Mayflower line, married William Richards in Duxbury, MA and both later moved to the town of Bristol on the Pemaquid peninsula. They died and were buried in the village of Round Pond at Maple Grove Cemetery.
Before leaving for Maine I contacted the Old Bristol Historical Society (OBHS) to see if they had anything in their collections that might be helpful. They had a handwritten genealogy from the Richards family and we made an appointment for me to come down and look at it. The OBHS did not have a public exhibit or archives, but invited me to meet them at the McKinley School, a former one-room schoolhouse that belongs to the society.
It was a beautiful sunny day when I drove from Damariscotta down to Bristol. The schoolhouse is small, but has been kept in pretty good shape.
The genealogy was written by Mary Helen (Morton) Richards. Her husband was also a descendent of William Richards and Hannah Simmons through their son William and grandson Joseph. I’m descended through their son William but their grandson Lemuel. The first page shows the Mayflower lineage of her husband from John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, the second page has a newspaper clipping of a coat of arms pasted on it and the third starts a history of the Richards family at their arrival in America.
After visiting the OBHS, I then went back to Damariscotta to visit the genealogist at the Skidompha library. She showed me several maps of the Pemaquid area and I was able to find Richards around the Round Pond area and a record of another ancestor, Joel Sibley, southwards close to the end of the point. One map hangs on the wall of the Genealogy/Local History section and is dated 1857.
Newtown Genealogy 
What great info to have found. I have a McKinley line – wonder who they schoolhouse was named for.
Funny, I have a McKinley line too, but they’re on my father’s side and they lived in North Carolina. I recommend contacting the Old Bristol Historical Society. They were very helpful to me.
My McKinley line goes back to Mecklenburg Co NC. Where was yours?
Mine is supposed to as well, though it’s not a line I have researched very much. My McKinleys ended up in east Texas by 1850.
Some of our Mckinleys in Meclenburg did go to Texas.
Sorry to inform you this is one of several Bristol schools named for U.S. presidents.
I just pulled this up my ancestry:
CHILDREN OF ROBERT AND PEGGY ARE, JAMES, WILLIAM L., MARGARET ANN, HANNAH
CORNELIA, ELIZABETH LOUISA, JOHN NEWTON AND ROBERT L. b.1820 MONROE CO., MS.
WHICH IS HER LINE. HE d. AFT.1872, BURIED IN CHEROKEE CO. TX.?
Descendants of Robert Mecklin Mckinley:
Robert Mecklin Mckinley b.25-Aug-1780 N.C. d.1840/45
mar: Margaret “Peggy” Neal 23-Aug-1802 Mecklenburg Co.,N.C.
b.1781 N.C.
d.Aft 1860 (Bur. in Smith Co.,Tx? Any names match?
Here’s my entire notes: WE BELIEVE ROBERT MECKLIN McKINLEY TO BE THE SON OF WILLIAM.
CHILDREN OF ROBERT AND PEGGY ARE, JAMES, WILLIAM L., MARGARET ANN, HANNAH
CORNELIA, ELIZABETH LOUISA, JOHN NEWTON AND ROBERT L. b.1820 MONROE CO., MS.
WHICH IS HER LINE. HE d. AFT.1872, BURIED IN CHEROKEE CO. TX.?
Descendants of Robert Mecklin Mckinley:
Robert Mecklin Mckinley b.25-Aug-1780 N.C. d.1840/45
mar: Margaret “Peggy” Neal 23-Aug-1802 Mecklenburg Co.,N.C.
b.1781 N.C.
d.Aft 1860 (Bur. in Smith Co.,Tx?
Children:
James,
William L.,
Hannah Cornelia,
Elizabeth Louisa,
John Newton,
Robert L. +
*Robert L. Mckinley b. 1820 Monroe Co., Ms. / d. after1872 and buried in Cherokee Co., Tx.?
Robert mar.1. Alice Shaw
2. Alice Shaw
3. Eunice Ann Alexander
b.1833 Al.
d.After 1910 Cherokee Co., Tx.
*Children of Robert L. and Eunice Ann Alexander
Magdalene “Mary” O.
George M.
*Joseph Larkin Mckinley b. 29-JLY-1860 Cherokee Co., Tx. d. 16-JLY-1933 ( Joan’s ggrndfther)
*Joseph Larkin Mckinley mar: Susan Josephine Gordon 06-JLY-1879
b.12-Dec-1862 d. 20-JLY-1920
Dora J.
*Children of Joseph Larkin Mckinley and Susan Josephine Gordon
Jennie b. 1882
Barnum Bruce b. 1884
Edith b. 1890
*Herbert Mckinley, Sr. b. 1897, mar. Nettie Darnell
Lincoln b. 1890
*Children of Herbert Mckinley, Sr. and Nettie Darnell
Nettie Lorene
Dixie
*Herbert Mckinley, Jr.
*Herbert Mckinley, Jr. mar:
*Children of Herbert Mckinley
This line of Joan Mckinley is presumed to be my Robert, son of William and Margaret Mckinley bur. at Steele Creek Cem., Mecklenburg Co., N.C.
I have also visited Bristol and the Round Pond cemetery where the Richards are buried. My roots through William and Diadima (Harriman). to the Mayflower
I was born and grew up in Round Pond with direct line to Williiam Richards the 4th and William the 5th. My grandmother was Mary Morton Richards who wrote the history referred to above.
Hi cousin! Mary Morton Richards had beautiful, clear, handwriting. I’m so glad the family was able to keep her papers and shared them with us.
Ron
Do you happen to know which William your roots branch off from? I branch from William 5th son Joseph. Of all the Williams (1 thru 6) I do not see a wife by name of Diadima in my grandmothers history, she did however not list the wife’s name for William 2nd.
My path to the Mayflower is
Emilie Ginn Richards & David Abbott – William Keyes Richards & Diadima Harriman – William Richards & Hannah Crocker – William Richards & Ruth Bryant Crocker – William Richards & Ruth Bryant Richards – Hannah Simmons & William Richards
Not sure how to respond?? Diadema was a Herriman and her father was Joshua Jewett Harriman.
she lived in the Prospect Maine area. I have only traced my direct line to the Mayflower and did not encounter any Joseph ??
Thanks Ron, now I understand from your information. William and Ruth had 8 children, one being Joseph (my line and apparently the younger born in 1782) and William Keyes the older ( born in 1764 that married Hannah Crooker, your line). And for some reason I have the spelling Crooker different which could be wrong and of course I seem to have no information on them after this branch off.
Hope all is well
Jim
Sorry, I put Keyes in the wrong generation, should have been the William with Diadima.