Person:Mercy Hutchins (1)

Mercy Hutchins
Facts and Events
Name Mercy Hutchins
Gender Female
Birth[1] 27 Feb 1800 Penobscot, Hancock, ME
Other 13 Aug 1817 Penobscot, Hancock, Maine, United StatesMarriage Intention
with Rev. Stephen Wardwell
Marriage 4 Dec 1817 Penobscot, Hancock, Maine, United Statesto Rev. Stephen Wardwell
Death[2] 1892 Penobscot, Hancock, ME
Burial? Hillside Cemetery, North Penobscot, ME

Living with daughter Sarah in Penobscot at 1860 Census. Living with daughter Julia and her husband in Penobscot at 1880 Census. Mercy stated under oath on 14 August 1873 that she was present at the birth of her grandchild, Irving Lee Wardwell at Somesville, Hancock Co, ME in 1860. She stated that she was a resident of Tilton, Belknap Co, NH. She was testifying on the pension application of her daughter-in-law, Miranda Lowell.

"A REVOLUTIONARY DAUGHTER.

She Sang A Patriotic Ditty to Two English Officers. Lewiston Journal: Mrs. Mercy Wardwell, who recently died in North Orland, Me., was the daughter of William Hutchins of the town of Penobscot, Me., the last survivor, but one, of the Revolutionary soldier. He died at Penobscot in May, 1866, aged nearly 108 years. Mrs. Wardwell was about 95 years old. One sister, Mrs. Charlotte Veazie of Belfast, Me., is the only surviving child of the once numerous William Hutchins family, and so far as the writer knows, the only surviving child of a Revolutionary soldier. Mrs. Wardwell married a Methodist clergyman and became the mother of a large family of sons and daughters. Four of the sons entered the Methodist ministry, one of whom subsequently enlisted as a private in our late civil war and was promoted to the chaplaincy of the regiment. He died in the service and was buried in the South. She was noted in her childhood for vivacity and a bubbling with music, and unflinching courage in times when her elders were timid. When the English army and navy took possession of the Town of Castine in 1814, Mrs. Wardwell was then a young girl at home. Her father's house was situated about six miles from Castine Village on the road to Bluehill. The English officers sometimes called at her father's house as they passed to and fro on their duties. On one occasion, two of them having learned that little Mercy could sing, importuned her for a song. She was very shy at first, but upon the promise of a silver dollar, which would be a fortune to her, she lightly sprang upon the dining table, and to the consternation of the family, began one of those almost unending patriotic ballads of the day, in which the English came in for some severe reflections and tongue castigations. The memories of the Revolution had not died out among the older people and little Mercy stood where she could see the spot where, thirty-fire years' before, her grandfather's home was burned by the English, while he with his wife and eight children fled under its glaring light to save his life, for his sturdy defense with his rifle. Little Mercy's mother and her elder sister attempted to stop her singing, for they saw the brow of the younger officer darken, and heard him mutter what sounded like angry expressions, but the elder officer laughed and said: "O, let her go on. I like her courage." She did go on till she had sung more than fifty verses: When the original lacked appropriateness to the then present circumstances she improvised with a skill and daring that brought out angry expressions from the younger officer, but a laugh and "Hear, hear!" from the elder. When she finished the elder officer tossed to her a silver dollar, at the same time remarking "You're a brave little girl. If you were a man we should feel, it our duty to ___" but the last part of this remark was not spoken. He was a gentleman, and called upon the family several times afterward, and always greeted little Mercy with a smile and courteous bow: Two of Mrs. W.'s brothers were then in the American army, and she took especial pains to let the English know it." -The Chicago Tribune 11 December 1892

References
  1. Penobscot, Maine Vital Records.
  2. Gravestone.