TRASK, Samuel b. 1703 Salem, MA d. Aug 1789 Edgecomb, ME

Puffer Genealogy

1703 - 1789 (86 years)

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Name	TRASK, Samuel
Birth	1703	Salem, MA
Gender	Male
_COLOR	6
Death	Aug 1789	Edgecomb, ME
Person ID	I2312	Puffers
Last Modified	22 Feb 2020

Father	TRASKE, Elias, b. 13 Jul 1679, Salem, MA d. 16 Jul 1741 (Age 62 years)
Mother	MARSTON, Hannah, b. 1677, Salem, MA d. 1712, Salem, MA (Age 35 years)
Family ID	F1001	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family STEWART, Hannah, b. 22 Apr 1705, Rowley, MA d. 20 May 1790, Edgecomb, ME (Age 85 years)

Marriage 1 Nov 1730 Salem, MA

Children

	1. TRASK, Betsy, b. CA 1730, ME d. Bef 1830, ME (Age < 99 years)
	2. TRASK, Samuel, b. 24 Oct 1731, Freetown, ME d. 30 Jul 1732, Salem, MA (Age 0 years)
	3. TRASK, David S., b. 29 Dec 1734, Freetown, ME d. 26 May 1793, Edgecomb, ME (Age 58 years)
	4. TRASK, Thomas, b. 8 Nov 1737 d. 1 Jul 1823, Jefferson, ME (Age 85 years)
	5. TRASK, b. Abt 1740, Salem, MA d. 25 Jun 1740, Edgecomb, ME (Age 0 years)
	6. TRASK, Hannah Eastman, b. 1740, Salem, MA d. 23 Jun 1812, Edgecomb, ME (Age 72 years)
	7. TRASK, Solomon, b. 1741, Freetown, MA d. 22 May 1823 (Age 82 years)
	8. TRASK, Joseph, b. Abt 1741 d. 22 May 1823, Jefferson, ME (Age 82 years)
	9. TRASK, Jonathan, b. Aft 1741, Freetown, ME d. Yes, date unknown
	10. TRASK, Abigail, b. 26 Jul 1745, Freetown, ME d. Aft 1831, ME (Age > 87 years)
	11. TRASK, John, b. 24 Mar 1750, Freetown, ME d. 22 May 1823, Edgecomb, ME (Age 73 years)

Family ID F5579 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 21 Apr 2024

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]