Lieut. Thomas McFadden

Thomas McFadden was born on Arrowsick Island on Oct 17 1740, at age 9 his family moved to Parker's Island,(both Islands later were included in what came to be known as Georgetown) At the age of 27 on Jan 1 1767, he married Hannah Savageb.10 28 1746, The daughter of James and Mary Savage. Their children were Rebecca, Mary, Abigail, Hannah, Jane, Lydia, Lucy & Grace(twins), Martha, James, John, Thomas and Andrew.

military service

Revolutionary War Soldier

"born in Arrowsick, Maine.. Was first lieutenant in Capt. John Hinkley's (th co.) Col. McCobb's (Lincoln Co.) regiment. Commissioned July 1, 1776. Was first lieutenant on Muster Roll of Field and Staff officers of the Lincoln county regiment. Roll dated Georgetown, November 19, 1779. Lived at Georgetown, Maine and Embden, Maine. A monument marks his grave."

Ref: Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Vol 36 January-June, 1910 

biography

(According to the book, "Embden Town or Yore".)

One Monday morning, presumably in late February, 1790. Thomas McFadden at the time spelled McFaden and his wife. Hannah stood at the front door in Georgetown all bundled up for an eighty- mile journey. Around them were eleven young McFaddens, ranging from Mary, a buxom young maiden of 18, to Andrew, a babe in arms. Seven of the brood were girls, of whom the youngest, Lucy and Grace, were twins and less than 4 years old. All were out for a bright and early start on another venture into a new part of the new country.

The autumn before. Thomas had traded his Georgetown farm with one of the earliest of Embden settlers,for one the most desirable farm properties in that Embden community, close by the Kennebec.
The picture of the departing McFadden family was entirely typical of the pioneers of that day, bound for the upper reaches of the river. Their conveyance was a long ox-seld which stood in the front yard, fully packed with their wordly goods. There were household utensils of many sorts, a little furniture, some bedding, a few bags of seed corn, and other grain forage for a horse, cow, a yoke or two oxen and whatever livestock had to be taken on the migration journey.

It was on the river ice, from settlement to settlement, with passageways swamped through the forest at waterfalls and rapids. By February the road was well trodden. One vexing problem, however was to hit upon wide places in the road for ox teams that had to pass. Stopping places for the noonday meals and for family lodging at night were made at cabins where there were friends or relatives. That was not difficult as long as all along the river were settlers who had proceeded the McFaddens from the lower valley.

There was splended hospitality all along, and on their sled, they also carried many little articles that traders down river had been requested to transport by the earliest convenient transport, to save nothing of keepsakes sent along by kin as evidences of affectionate remembrances. So the family, with their bevy of attractive maidens and James ,John and Thomas, lads 12 7 and 5 respectively were welcome at every stopping place along the winter road.

Their weeks eventful journey done, the family passed to their new domain at Embden and settled down. Their twelve children became thirteen of whom 9 daughters, and Thomas became a Prosperous farmer of the pioneer days.

There were Indians living on lot 18 when Thomas and Hannah went there to reside. Chief of these was Nicholas, who became very friendly with Andrew, their son. Andrew used to relate many antidotes about these Indians and insisted that the spirit of Nicholas was with him after the old chief passed on, and gave him power in relieving pain, which Andrew was credited with having to a wonderful degree.

The oldest McFadden daughter, Rebecca, had gone up the river two years before her parents as the bride of George Gray, a free will Baptized preacher at the Seven Mile Brook region. Their daughter, Lydia(1780-1848) married Benjamin Thompson, who had a farm nearby for a few years, then moved to Madison. She died childless, Grace(1786-1854) married Jacob Lowell(1743-1843) in 1806 and had 9 children, Lucy,Jacob,Lydia, Lotham ,Aalbert, Jane ,John and Martha, of their son Jacob Lowell Jr. married Climenia Thompson in Embden. Lucy McFadden 1786-1864, who survived her twin sister, Grace by 10 years, was the wife of Benjamin Young, one of the first of several brothers and sisters to come from Madison to Embden.

It was little wonder that Thomas McFadden at age 64 dominated the new Embden when its first town meeting was held on August 16 1804. With brothers, uncles, cousins and in laws, Hiltons,Savages, Clevelands, Pierces, Thompsons, Youngs, grays McKenneys and Flings, he held a voting majority in the hollow of his hand. He had also been a public spirited settler, and his election as the first town clerk & chairman of the board of selectman apparently gave general satisfaction. Dr. Edward Savage, his brother in law, then of west Embden, and Captain Benjamin Thompson, his son in law, were the other two members of the board.

In 1807 his wife,Hannah died and Thomas married again to Ruth Pinney or Spinney of Georgetown in 1808. He outlived her by more then a quarter of a century . He died on his Embden farm on Nov 18 1840 at 100 years & 20 days at which the time he had over 200 decendents. Until he was 55 years old, He was Calvinist, then became Universalist. He spent much of his last twenty years studying the bible and became a great controversalist. He could quote chapter, verse page column and posistion on the page in the column.

Although men and women in the McFadden blood were numerous in early Embden, and are even to the present day, it is noteworthy that the name has entirely dissapeared from that place. The sons all went on to other communities except Andrew. He and his son Oziaz headed in honorable succession of the Embden homestead until Ozias health failed and he went to North Anson to reside with his daughter abd only child. Many of the others of the early Embden pioneers, shared in the conquest of the western states. Few Embden families have had as large a part as the McFaddens in the history of this country town or contributed more to the long,hard task of its transformation from unbroken wilderness. Their men and women among all the hardy Embden people who were their first Comtemperaries

Thomas' birth and death information are available at https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/thomas-mcfadden_16369641