Person:Amos Ames (3)

He served in the Revolutionary War, I believe mostly IN RI. ca. 1777 Married Mary Odiorne of NH (place unknown) before 1784. She is recorded as dieing in Groton (NH, NOT MA) in 1792 (?)

He had daughters Sally and Polly in 1784 and 1786 in Groton, MA. Bugged out of Groton, MA soon after he was charged with being father of child by a woman not his wife (D. Laurence, Oct 1788)

Was recorded by LDS records to be married to Polly Bragdon in Sullivan, ME in Dec 1790. Died there (?) sometime before 1820.

The filiation connecting Joseph and Amos is an intelligent guess. It is NOT proven. It is reasonable for the following reasons:

(1) Records from Groton, MA indicate that Amos Ames (b 1758 in Groton) went to Sullivan, Hancock, Maine. He is in the 1800 and 1810 census for Sullivan. This is the exact localization of Joseph Ames in this time frame.

(2) It is known that Moses, son of Joseph was born in 1812 in Sullivan, Maine.

(3) A Joseph Ames was in the 1810 census in Twp 8 (bordering Sullivan). He also is on a deed dated 1814 making him "of Trenton" and a signer of a document in this locale in 1807.

(4) This Joseph Ames in 1810 was living with Bragdons and Dyers in Twp 8 -- these would be relatives of his (proposed) stepmother Polly Bragdon.

(5) Amos Ames is of the line of Robert of Boxford, as required by DNA tests (a male descendant recently had a Y37 test that shows that Joseph is of the line of Robt. of Boxford)

(6) Groton town records reports two daughters by Polly (Bragdon?) b. in Groton in the 1780s. These are not children of Polly Bragdon, but possibly of Mary Odiorne.

(7) Joseph named a son "Moses", a fairly uncommon name. Amos had a brother Moses who was in the Rev War. In fact its not hard to imagine that Joseph is an unknown son of Moses who came with his uncle to Sullivan Maine. There were other brothers of Amos and Joseph too, thought to be dsp, though of an age which would make children possible.

(8) A family scribble implying that the Ames originated in Concord, MA. This is where Amos' mother's family (Bulkeleys) came from, though not the Ames themselves.

(9) I find that Amos has a demonstrated proficiency for creating children outside of marriage -- Groton town recs document his liaison with Deborah Lawrence, and a daughter "A Ames" born in 1788 "so she saieth". This after Moses and Polly had two daughters of their own. Right after this, they move to Sullivan, Hancock, Maine. Since there is no birth record for Joseph, one wonders if he was not produced in a similar way, or is he s. of Amos' brothers Moses or Simeon.

(10) A recent autosomal dna test shows a strong match to Bethia Ames, who is a descendant of Samuel Ames (son of Robert, son of Robert) as is Amos. Another hypothesis involving the line of Daniel (s of R. of B.) fits this far less well.

A Revolutionary soldier-private, Capt Nathaniel Lakin's Co., Col John Robinson's reg. With his brothers Moses and Simeon, was captured and held prisoner in as prison ship at Halfax. Two of them escaped and the third was later exchanged. Was one of the signers of a petition in Groton regarding the post-war conditions.

BREAKING NEWS. Claim that Mary Odiorne is first wife of Amos in Genealogy of the Odiorne family, p 46. This could explain some things. Checking needed. On LDS

Sally /Ames/ gender: Female birth: ABT 1777 death: OCT 1804 Portland, Cumberland, Me [1] burial: 1804 Dyer Cemetery, East Sullivan, Me

An additional point. the NH connection. Both wives of Amos (Odiorne and Bragdon are from quite near eachother, Odiorne just over the border from ME in NH and Bragdon from York, ME.) James K Ames remembers that his father was born NH. Amos has strong NH links. Did he live there in the 1770's?

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 United States. 1800 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M32)
   Year: 1800; Census Place: Sullivan, Hancock, Maine; Roll: ; Page: ; Image: .

   Residence date: 1800 Residence place: Sullivan, Hancock, Maine

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 United States. 1810 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M252)
   Year: 1810; Census Place: Sullivan, Hancock, Maine; Roll: 11; Page: 535; Family History Number: 0218682; Image: 00528.

   Residence date: 1810 Residence place: Sullivan, Hancock, Maine, United States

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Groton, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1926-1927)
   13.

   AMES, Amos, s. Amos and Abigail, [born] Apr. 15, 1758.