TRASK, Betsy

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• Death: Bef 1830

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Notes:

Appears to be the earliest “Samuel Trask” born in Massachusetts who moves to Maine.
lists birthdate as Aug. 14, 1671.
“Samuel Trask was kidnapped by the Indians as a child and taken to the Penobscot region where his skill as a huntsman brought him to the notice of Joseph Debadis de Castine. During a season of great scarcity, while Trask and the Indians were gathering cranberries, a flock of wild geese alighted nearby. Trasks success in capturing some of the birds so commended him to Castin's favor that he purchased him from the Indians. Castine held Trask captive until he [Castine] was captured by English "freebooters" on 9 July 1725. It has be stated, that the "freebooters" in turn transferred him to a vessel commanded by the celebrated Captain William Kidd. But, Captain Kidd [b: about 1645, Greenock, Renfrew Scotland] was hanged in London, England sometime after his trial on May 23, 1701. Utimately, Samuel Trask was set free, built a home and raised a family with his wife, Hannah Steward, in Edgecomb, Maine. Edgecomb, Maine is on the east bank of the Sheepscot, east and south east from Wiscasset (Pownalborough until 1802), which was incorporated in 1774. In the early days it was called Freetown. He later died there in 1789 at an advanced age.”
“Samuel(4) Elias(3) John(2) William Traske(1)
On 31 May 1784 Samuel Trask made this deposition before a Judge; "I, Samuel Trask, aged more than 80 years, have lived in Sheepscot River more than 48 years and in my first settlement there I was well acquainted with the Indians and well understood their language, as in my younger days I was captivated by them and lived among them and frequently went up and down said river in canoes, rafts, and vessels. The Indians at that time used frequently to be and lodge at my house in numbers."
He was captured by the Indians sometime in 1711 and taken to the Penobscot region. Joseph Debadis de Castine purchased him from the Indians early in 1725 and held Samuel until at least July of 1725. Samuel retured to Salem and married Hannah Steward [sometimes recorded as Stewart] on December 28th 1730. Hannah was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Steward from Rowley, MA. They lived in Salem, MA during their first year, moved to Rowley by 1732 and finally settled in what was Freeetown now Edgecomb by 1744. He was an early settler on the Sheepscot "Where in years gone by, he had ofted visited and made a clearing on the east side of the river, near Folly Island. Trask, having lived a long time among the Indians of the Penobscot tribe, became quiet skilled as a physician, and when he came among the early settlers of Freetown he was known as Dr. Trask." He is also said to have initiated the story that Captain Kidd buried a pot of gold on Folly Island (F. Chase, Wiscasset in Pownalborough, p. 438 (note V. Chase's article indicates Capt. Kidd died before Samuel Trask was born!). Samuel died in Edgecomb on August of 1789. Hannah died there nine months later.”, , [1, 2]

Samuel married STEWART, Hannah on 1 Nov 1730 in Salem, MA. Hannah (daughter of STEWART, James and JOHNSON, Elizabeth) was born on 22 Apr 1705 in Rowley, MA; died on 20 May 1790 in Edgecomb, ME. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Elias married MARSTON, Hannah. Hannah (daughter of MARSTON, John and CHICHESTER, Mary) was born in 1677 in Salem, MA; died in 1712 in Salem, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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James married JOHNSON, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born about 1668 in Rowley, MA; died on 28 Oct 1732 in Bradford, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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John married PARKMAN, Abigail. Abigail (daughter of PARKMAN, Elias and TRASK, Bridget) was born in 1644 in Windsor, CT; died on 29 Aug 1677 in Salem, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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John married CHICHESTER, Mary. Mary was born on 21 Apr 1650 in MA; died on 25 May 1686 in Salem, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Notes:

Duncan Stewart who came to the Colonies of Massachusetts as a prisoner of war after the Battle of Dunbar in Scotchman. He was indentured to a George Hadley. Hadley Point in Bar Harbor is named after this family line. The Stewart line descends down from the Stewart’s of Appin and Stalker Castle was owned by the Stewart’s and it was also used in the Monty Python movie

Duncan married WINCHURCH, Anne. Anne was born about 1633 in England; died on 9 Jul 1729 in Newbury, MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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