 
Phineas Ames, or "Phinehas Eames", as it was spelled in
that era, was one of the founding fathers of Bucksport, Maine. Phineas
came from Haverhill, Mass. with Jonathan Buck, and was living in "Plantation
1", as it was known in 1775. In the midst of the Revolutionary War, the
British blockaded the Penobscot River, shutting off the settlers from food
and supplies. Massachusetts sent a fleet of 19 armed ships, twenty transports,
and a force of over 1000 men to dislodge the British from Fort George in
nearby Castine. The 21-day battle that followed in the summer of 1779 was
one of the greatest fiascos in US military history. Until Pearl Harbor,
it was the largest naval defeat. A small British force defeated the American
force, that vastly outnumbered it. The patriots of Plantation 1 took to
the woods to escape, with whatever possessions they could carry, and walked
over 200 miles back to Haverhill. The British came ashore and pillaged
and burnt the properties of the departed patriots.
After a
treaty was signed with the British in 1783, most of the former townspeople
returned from Haverhill and rebuilt the town. In 1789, the townsfolk petitioned
the Court to incorporate Plantation 1 as the town of Buckstown, honoring
Colonel Jonathan Buck. On 6 September 1792, the first town meeting was
held, and Phineas Ames was elected Moderator, and was elected one of two
"Surveyor of Highways".
Phineas'
earliest known Eames ancestor, and immigrant to America, was Robert Eames,
his great grandfather, who came from Boxford England to marry Rebecca Blake
and settle in Boxford, Mass. Rebecca Blake Eames later gained some notoriety
as a convicted witch at the Salem witch trials, but was eventually pardoned.
Descendants from Robert Eames and Rebecca Blake to Phineas Ames are:
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Robert1 Eames was born
about 1639 in Bristol or Boxford, England, and died July 22, 1693 in West
Boxford, Mass. He married Rebecca Blake in 1661 in Andover, Mass.
Children of Robert Eames and
Rebecca Blake are:
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i. Hannah 2 Eames, b.
December 18, 1661, Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. July 08, 1731, Andover,
Mass.
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ii. Daniel Eames, b. April 07, 1663,
Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. after 1695.
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iii. Robert Eames, b. February 28,
1667/68, Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. aft. 1695.
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iv. John Eames, b. October 11, 1670,
Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. July 24, 1726, Groton, Mass.
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v. Dorothy Eames, b. December 20,
1674, Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. (unknown); m. Samuel Swan, March 08,
1693/94, Haverhill, Mass.
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vi. Jacob Eames, b. July 20, 1677,
Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. aft. 1700; m. Mary Vaughn, June 04, 1700,
Boston, Mass.
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vii. Joseph Eames, b. October 09,
1681, Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. December 27, 1753, Boxford, Mass.
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viii. Nathaniel Eames, b. November
19, 1685, Boxford (or Andover), Mass.; d. January 11, 1765, Boxford, Mass.
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Nathaniel2 Eames (Robert1)
was born November 19, 1685 in Boxford (or Andover), Mass., and died January
11, 1765 in Boxford, Mass. He married Mary Spoffard Kimball before 1710,
daughter of Richard Kimball and Sarah Spofford.
Children of Nathaniel Eames and
Mary Kimball are:
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i. Jeremiah3 Eames, b.
Oct. 1707, Boxford, Mass.; d. July 05, 1744, Boxford, Mass.
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ii. Mehitable Eames, b. abt. 1713;
d. (unknown); m. Joseph Robinson, July 25, 1733, Boxford, Mass.
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Jeremiah3 Eames (Nathaniel2,
Robert1) was born 1707 in Boxford, Mass., and died July 05,
1744 in Boxford, Mass. He married Sarah Kimball April 02, 1734.
Children of Jeremiah Eames and
Sarah Kimball are:
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i. Jeremiah4 Eames, b.
May 06, 1735, Boxford, Mass.; d. April 22, 1817.
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ii. Thomas Eames, b. November 22,
1736, Boxford, Mass.; d. (unknown).
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iii. Nathan Eames, b. September 16,
1738, Boxford, Mass.; d. aft. 1782.
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iv. Phinehas Eames, b. May 21, 1740,
Boxford, Mass.; d. April 20, 1820, Bucksport, Maine.
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v. Sarah Eames, b. January 30, 1741/42,
Boxford, Mass.; d. October 03, 1767.
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vi. Betty Eames, b. February 10,
1743/44, Boxford, Mass.; d. (unknown).
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Phinehas4
Eames (Jeremiah3, Nathaniel2, Robert1)
was born May 21, 1740 in Boxford, Mass., and died April 20, 1820 in Bucksport,
Maine. He married first Mary Cotton, November 06, 1761 in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, daughter of John Cotton and Mary Toogood. He married second Hannah
Bickford, June 15, 1788 in Orrington, Maine. Hannah was the daughter of Jeremiah Bickford
and Abigail Holbrooks.
Children of Phinehas Ames and
Mary Cotton are:
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i. John5 Eames, b. December
13, 1762, Haverhill, Mass.; d. September 04, 1800, Bucksport, Maine; m.
Mary Harvey, (unknown).
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ii. Mary Eames, b. February 17, 1765,
Haverhill, Mass.; d. (unknown); m. Abel Curtis, November 28, 1785.
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iii. Sarah Eames, b. September 18,
1766, Haverhill, Mass.; d. July 9, 1844; m. Daniel Partridge, April 13, 1794,
Orland, Maine.
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iv. Martha Eames, b. November 29,
1768, Haverhill, Mass.; d. 1832; m. Ephraim
Emerson, July 09, 1799, Bucksport or Orland, Maine.
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v. Hannah Ames, b. July 17, 1771;
d. November 06, 1846, Bucksport, Maine; m. first Seth Higgins, December 01,
1790, Bucksport, Maine; m. second Jeremiah Higgins, May 27, 1802, Bucksport,
Maine.
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vi. Phineas Eames, Jr., b. abt. September
24, 1773, Orrington, Maine; d. aft. June 1, 1850; m. first Mary Rogers, November 26, 1795, Orrington, Maine;
m. second Margaret Hoxie, abt. May 12, 1823, Bucksport, Maine.
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vii. Abigail Eames, b. September
08, 1777; d. June 03, 1822.
See the Misc. 'n' Links page
for complete genealogy descendant reports for Robert
Eames and Phinehas Eames.
Bucksport history is from 200
Years and Counting, the Story of Bucksport 1792 - 1992 from the Bucksport
Bicentennial Committee.
Thanks
to the many people who have graciously shared information, suggestions
and critiques for many years: Beryle Snowman Ames, Cathy Atwood Ames,
Doug Ames, James E. Ames, John Ames, Lois Conner Ames, Kip and Carol Ames,
Steven P. Ames, Susan E. Ames, Judy Van
Schuyver Auer, Sandy Cadwallader, Erin Chowning, Virginia Soper Davis, Jerry Eby, Paul Emerson,
Russell Farnham, Fred Fellows, Paul Fulsher, Cindy Gray Hinton,
Elizabeth Jones, Sherry Ames Jones, Alan Lundstedt, Pat McElroy, Julie
Moes, Stafford-Ames Morse, Michael Boyer O'Leary, Orson Rathburn, Richard
Morey Sherman, Regina Snowman Smith, David Swett, and the friendly, helpful
librarians and town clerks of Bucksport, Orland, and Orrington, Maine. |
Misc. 'n' Links Page: Pierre Commeaux Genealogy Report, updated 11/15/2024
