Person:Francis Littlefield (1)

Francis³ Littlefield (Edmund², Francis¹) was baptized in Tichfield, co. Hants, on March 24, 1635/6. He came to New England on the Bevis with his mother in 1638 when he was a child of two. His oldest brother was also named Francis, it being not uncommon at that time to give two brothers the same baptismal name. Although he was only seventeen on July 5, 1653, when the Massachusetts commissioners established their authority in Wells, he signed the submission with his father and brothers. He could not have been more than eighteen or nineteen when he married Meribah Wardwell.

In 1658 Francis was living just across the Webhannet river from his father while his brother Francis the elder was his neighbor on the other side, and in that year the town granted him two hundred acres of land. He was a house-carpenter by trade. In 1661 he signed the petition in favor of Rev. Seth Fletcher, and, a Massachusetts rather than a Gorges adherent, he put his name to the petition to the General Court asking that force be used against the "pretended authority" of the Gorges commissioners in 1662. He served on York trial juries in 1664 and 1668 and on grand juries in 1673 and 1674. He was ensign of the Wells company of militia, of which his brother John was lieutenant and commanding officer, in 1668. In 1669/70 he was elected one of the town's lot-layers.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Littlefield, of Wells, in Davis, Walter Goodwin, Compiler, and Introduction by Gary Boyd Roberts. Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966): A Reprinting, in Alphabetical Order by Surname, of the Sixteen Multi-Ancestor Compendia (plus Thomas Haley of Winter Harbor and His Descendants). (Baltimore, Maryland, United States: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1996)
   2:484-86.

   Francis³ Littlefield (Edmund², Francis¹) was baptized in Tichfield, co. Hants, on March 24, 1635/6. He came to New England on the Bevis with his mother in 1638 when he was a child of two. His oldest brother was also named Francis, it being not uncommon at that time to give two brothers the same baptismal name. Although he was only seventeen on July 5, 1653, when the Massachusetts commissioners established their authority in Wells, he signed the submission with his father and brothers. He could not have been more than eighteen or nineteen when he married Meribah Wardwell. In 1658 Francis was living just across the Webhannet river from his father while his brother Francis the elder was his neighbor on the other side, and in that year the town granted him two hundred acres of land. He was a house-carpenter by trade. In 1661 he signed the petition in favor of Rev. Seth Fletcher, and, a Massachusetts rather than a Gorges adherent, he put his name to the petition to the General Court asking that force be used against the "pretended authority" of the Gorges commissioners in 1662. He served on York trial juries in 1664 and 1668 and on grand juries in 1673 and 1674. He was ensign of the Wells company of militia, of which his brother John was lieutenant and commanding officer, in 1668. In 1669/70 he was elected one of the town's lot-layers.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 12 Francis Littlefield jr. (8), in Noyes, Sybil; Charles Thornton Libby; and Walter Goodwin Davis. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. (Portland, Maine: Southworth Press, 1928-1939)
   439-40.

   12 Francis Littlefield jr. (8), ho. carp., Wells, had 200 a. gr. 1658. Ensign 1668. Tr. j. 1664, 1668. Gr. j. 1673, 1674. Lot-layer 1669-70. … Will 5 Feb. (d. 6 Feb.) 1674-5, names w. Meribah, dau. of Wm. Wardwell, and sons Jos. and Nathan execs. Inv. incl. saw and cornmill. In 1710 on ptn. of Jona. and David that their mo. Mrs. Meribah was liable to be chargeable to them beyond their propor., her ch. and gr. ch. were ordered to supp. her, altho only sons and sons-in-law named specif. in the order. … Ch: Joseph. Nathan. Jonathan, b. ± 1662, inherited with br. Nathan all the Maryland lands. … Often Gr. j. from 1693. M. Abigail Simpson (Henry); she liv. 1737. He was ± 68 in July 1730; d. bet. 4 Oct. 1734-25 Feb. 1734-5. Ch., 1st five bp. 15 Nov. 1702: Abigail, w. of Robt. Monson of Scarb. 1739; Tabitha; Jonathan, d. y.; Hepzibah, m. Francis Littlefield(4); Mabel, m. in Newington 15 May 1730 Richard Boothby of Wells; Pelatiah, b. 26 Sept. 1704, … m. Mehitable Black(2); Priscilla, bp. 23 Feb. 1706-7, m. Nathl. Hill; Huldah, bp. 27 Nov. 1709, m. 7 Nov. 1732 John Winn; Jonathan, bp. 7 Mar. 1713-4. Job, d. bef. 13 Nov. 1694. David (once -Daniel- in fa.'s will). Mary, m. Saml. Hatch(5). Joanna, m. Thos. Penney. Tabitha, m. Rev. Saml. Emery(5). Hannah, m. Capt. Jos. Hill(11).

3. ↑ Sargent, William M. (William Mitchell), and Maine) Maine Historical Society (Portland. Maine Wills, 1640-1760. (Portland, Me.: Brown Thurston, 1887)
   [p. 54].