Person:Stephen Wardwell (4)

Stephen was said to have lived at Orland, Hancock Co, ME soon after his marriage. He was an ordained minister of the Methodist Church. Three of his sons also followed this calling. Stephen and his wife, Mercy Hutchings, were double first cousins, both sharing descent from Charles Hutchings, Mary Perkins, Daniel Wardwell and Mercy _ . He was performing marriages and was the town clerk of Penobscot during the period from 1831-1850. The last marriage he performed was on 2 November 1850. Stephen was buried at Hillside Cemetery in North Penobscot, Hancock Co, ME on the corner of routes 15 and 199, across from the church. Stephen was listed in the 1820 census at Penobscot, Hancock Co, ME with two males under age 10, one male age 16-26 and one female age 16-26. There was one member engaged in agriculture and one in commerce. Stephen was listed in the 1830 census at Penobscot with one male under age 5, one male age 10-15, one male age 10-15, one male age 30-40, one female under age 5, two females age 5-10 and one female age 30-40. He was listed in the 1840 census at Penobscot with three males age 5-10, one male age 10-15, one male age 15-20, one male age 40-50, two females under age 5, one female age 10-15, two females age 15-20 and one female age 40-50. Stephen was listed as age 54 in the 1850 census for Penobscot as a farmer with $600 of real estate. --William Colehour www.colehour.com

"Rev. STEPHEN WARDWELL died in Penobscot, March 25, in his 56th year. He experienced the saving grace of God about thirty-one years since, and was received into the M. E. Church under the faithful labors of Rev. John S. Ayer, and having put his hand to the plough he never looked back, but continued "steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." In 1822 he was licensed to preach, and his brethren counting him worthy he was subsequently ordained Deacon and Elder. He was sound in all the great doctrines of salvation through Christ, and was well able to explain and enforce them, and few men ever lived and labored so long and acceptably in one place as he did. In 1842 one of our young men went up from his work, and by the urgent request of his Presiding Elder, (though hardly recovered from a fever which brought him near death's door) he went to the circuit, but he had a year of hard labor, weariness and pain. At the end of the year he returned to his family entirely broken down, and has preached but few times since. But the hallowed fire still burned in his heart; for nine years he seemed to stand almost on the very threshold of heaven, the outer man wasting away, but the inner man growing stronger and stronger. His death struggle, to use his own words, was awful beyond conception; for about twenty-four hours it was one continued struggle for breath. He could speak but little, but said to his wife, "I have no fears;" and at another time ho said to her, "I have a hope of eternal life." About fifteen minutes before he ceased to breathe he became easy, laid his finger on his pulse and said, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." These were his last words. From an intimate acquaintance during his whole Christian course I will say of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile."

-Zion's Herald and Wesleyan Journal 14 May 1851

1. ↑ Penobscot, Maine Vital Records.
2. ↑ Zion's Herald and Wesleyan Journal 14 May 1851.

   Zion's Herald and Wesleyan Journal 14 May 1851