Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Sixth Generation

JOSIAH6 MAXFIELD (Jacob5, Eliphalet4-3, Nathaniel2, John1) was born at Sandwich, Strafford County, New Hampshire, on 9 July 1812, a son of Jacob Maxfield and his wife Rachel Griffin.[1] He died at Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, on 10 October 1875.[2] He married first at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, on 15 January 1835 SARAH STONE, a child of James and Sarah Stone.[3] She was born at Maine on 20 August 1815 and died at Salem on 11 September 1855.[4] He married second at Salem on 11 January 1857 MARGARET J. (BURTON) JOHNSON,[5] who was born at Salem on 24 October 1828 and died at Guilford, Piscataquis County, on 6 December 1898.[6]

The evidence is sketchy and somewhat confusing. A Josiah Maxfield who lived in Salem and was married for the second time in 1857, gave his father's name as Jacob. According to the 1850 Census he was born in New Hampshire. Both census and second marriage record point to a birth about 1812. A Josiah Maxfield appeared in Parkman by 1863. The birth records of four children indicate that the father was born in Sandwich, about 1812. The 1870 Census listed this Josiah Maxfield family in Parkman. The evidence indicates that that the Josiah Maxfield of Salem and the Josiah Maxfield of Parkman were the same person. The only Jacob Maxfield in New Hampshire around 1812, for whom I have found any record, was the son of Eliphalet and Lydia, and that Jacob happened to have been born in Sandwich, New Hampshire. I am confident that Josiah was the child of Jacob and Rachel. However there is still confusion over the place of residence of this family. Census records place them in Salem from 1840 through 1860, and at Parkman beginning in 1870. However birth records of the children place them at Salem 1837-39, at Parkman 1842-49, at Salem again in 1851, and at Parkman 1854-72, although his second marriage occurred at Salem in 1857. Perhaps the children of the first marriage were all born at Salem, and entered at a later date into the records of Parkman(?)

Josiah Maxfield was called a shoemaker in Salem in the 1850 Census, an occupation later followed by his eldest son. In 1850 his occupation was listed as "Lead Fac[tory]." His 1857 marriage record called him an engineer. In 1860 he was a foreman in a factory at Salem. The 1870 Census called him a farmer in Parkman.

The 1840 Census reported a J. Maxfield at Salem, a navigator of the ocean, with a family consisting of a couple in their 20s and three boys under 5.[7] This could be this Josiah, whose family would have consisted of Josiah, 28, Sarah, 24, Charles, 4, Joseph, 3, and George, 1.

The Josiah Maxfield family of Salem was reported in the 1850 Census at Salem as follows:[8]

Name Age Sex Occupation R.E. Birthplace Other
Josiah Maxfield 38 M shoemaker NH
Sara L. Maxfield 36 F Me
Charles Otis Maxfield 15 M Mass school
Joseph L. Ballard Maxfield 13 M Mass school
George James Maxfield 11 M Mass school
Josiah L. Maxfield 8 M NH school
Sarah E. Maxfield 8 F NH school
William A. Maxfield 1 M NH school

If the places of birth given in this census were correct, this Maxfield family returned to New Hampshire some time between 1839 and 1842, and had returned to Massachusetts within a year of the Census. Son George Maxfield, 12, was also reported with his grandparents, James and Sally Stone, at Shapleigh, York County, Maine.[9]

The 1855 Massachusetts state census reported this family at Salem consisting of Josiah 43, Sarah 40, [Josiah] Spaulding and Sarah 13, William 7, and Franklin twelve months. According to this record Josiah and the first three children listed were born at New Hampshire, Sarah was born at Maine, and Franklin at Massachusetts.[10] Charles Maxfield, in his 20s, lived at South Danvers [now Peabody], Essex County, shoemaker, in the household of Oliver D. Ham, shoemaker.[11] Joseph Maxfield, 17, cordwainer, lived at Beverly, Essex County, in the household of Henry Wilburn, cordwainer.[12] I have no further record of George.

Josiah's first wife, Sarah Stone, died later in the year 1855 from cancer,[13] leaving Josiah with children at home aged 13, 13, 5, 3 and 1. Fourteen months later, in 1857, Josiah married Margaret. Josiah was 44, Margaret 28. Charles married in 1856, Joseph in 1858.

The 1860 Census, which spelled their surname "Mansfield," reported this family at Salem consisting of Josiah, 48, foreman in a factory, Margaret, 30, born at Nova Scotia, Josiah, 17, mariner, Sarah, 17, William, 9, in school, Franklin, 6, in school, and Laura, 2.[14] Charles E. Maxfield, 29, shoemaker, was reported at South Danvers with his wife Sarah.[15] Joseph Maxfield, 23, shoemaker, was also reported at South Danvers with his wife and daughter.[16]

The eldest sons, Charles and Joseph, both fought in the Civil War. Charles survived, but Joseph died in 1862. Sarah married in 1864 and Mary married in 1868. The 1870 Census reported this family at Parkman:[17]

Name Age Sex Race Occupation R.E. P.E. Birthplace
Josiah Maxfield 58 M W farmer $1400 $ 300 Me
Margaret Maxfield 42 F W keeping house Me
William Maxfield 21 M W at home Me school
Frank Maxfield 16 M W Me school
Sarra Maxfield 12 F W Me school
Henry A. Maxfield 9 M W Me school
Ida Maxfield 7 F W Me school
Walter Maxfield 5 M W Me school
Cora Maxfield 2 F W Me

Son Chsrles lived at Lynn, Essex County, with his wife and children.[18]

Josiah died at Parkman in 1875, leaving his widow Margaret, 46, with children at home aged 17, 14, 11, 9, 7 and 3. The 1880 Census reported Margaret J. Maxfield, 50, servant, at Parkman, working as a housekeeper in the household of Sewell T. Mann. With her was her youngest child, Ernest, 8.[19] Of the other children: Charles was at Saugus, Essex County, working in a shoe factory,[20] William, 32, had moved to Lake County, Colorado, where he worked as a miner,[21] Laura, 22, worked as a domestic servant in the household of John and Lucy Larabee in Parkman,[22] Walter, 14, was working on the farm of John and Myra Richardson at Parkman.[23]

Margaret died in 1898 from "acute mania."[24]

Son Ernest never married. He was reported in the 1920 Census, 47, a hired man in the household of Lester and Stella Brown of Litchfield, Kennebec County, Maine.[25] In 1930 he was farming with his brother Walter at Durham, Androscoggin County, Maine.[26] In 1940 he was reported at Webster, Androscoggin County, and had lived there at least five years.[27]

Josiah Maxfield and his first wife Sarah had the following children:

  1. CHARLES OTIS7 MAXFIELD b. at Salem on 15 September 1835
  2. JOSEPH L. BALLARD7 MAXFIELD b. at Salem about 1837
  3. GEORGE JAMES7 MAXFIELD b. at Massachusetts abt 1838-9, living in 1850 (census).[28]
  4. JOSIAH SPAULDING7 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on September 1842,[29] living in 1860 (census)
  5. SARAH E.7 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on September 1842;[30] m. at Salem on 10 March 1864 JOHN ELIAS HUNTRESS[31] b. at Salem on 8 September 1839, child of Darling Huntress and Ellen Staples, d. at Salem on 3 April 1920.[32]
  6. WILLIAM A.7 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on January 1847,[33] d. before 1849 (birth of another child given same name).
  7. WILLIAM A.7 MAXFIELD b. at New Hampshire on October 1849
  8. MARY E.7 MAXFIELD b. at Salem on 31 May 1851;[34] m. at Salem on 27 August 1868 WILLIAM P. PEARSON b. at Georgetown, Essex County, abt 1847-8, child of Daniel and Mary Pearson.[35]
  9. FRANKLIN H.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 9 July 1854,[36] living in 1870 (census)
Josiah Maxfield and his second wife, Margaret, had the following children:
  1. LAURA J.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 15 April 1858,[37] d. there on 30 May 1893;[38] m. there on 2 June 1885 GEORGE PACKARD[39] b. on 1858, d. on 1923.[40]
  2. HENRY A.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 28 May 1861, living in 1870 (census)[41]
  3. IDA MAY7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 11 October 1863;[42] m. there on 20 May 1881 CHARLES HERBERT IRELAND.[43]
  4. WALTER B.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 28 October 1865
  5. CORA B.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 28 March 1868,[44] d. on 1928;[45] m. at Guilford on 3 October 1885 FRANK W. CONNER[46] b. on 1861, d. on 1935.[47] Child of Cora and Frank:
    1. Frank R. Conner b. on 1898, d. on 1918.[48]
  6. ERNEST P.7 MAXFIELD b. at Parkman on 29 June 1872,[49] living 1940 (census)

NOTES

1Genealogical Society of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah, "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 22 October 2012), Josiah Maxfield, 1812
2Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, "Maine, Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910," Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 27 August 2013), Josiah Maxfield, 1875.
3Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts: to the Year 1849 (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1918), v. 4, p. 76.
4Massachusetts Archives, "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," digital images, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 12 September 2017), vol. 93, p. 173, e. 304, Salem Deaths 1855, Sarah Maxfield.
5"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," vol. 108, p. 286, e. 196; Salem Marriages, 1857; Maxfield-Johnson.
6Maine, Division of Vital Statistics. State Board of Health, Augusta, Maine, Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Death, Margerette Maxfield, 1898; digital images, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 28 February 2017).
7Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 182, p. 234, J. Maxfield; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 25 September 2012); NARA microfilm publication M704, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
8Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 312, p. 49A-B, household 724, Josiah Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2012); NARA microfilm record group M432, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
91850 Census, Shapleigh, York County, Maine, roll 276, p. 149B, household 68, James Stone family.
10Massachusetts, Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1855 Massachusetts State Census, population, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, v.12, p. 124, household 432, Josiah Maxfield family; digital images, American Ancestors (americanancestors.org : accessed 14 August 2022); Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts.
111855 Massachusetts State Census, South Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, v. 13, p. 84, household 221, Olive D. Ham family.
121855 Massachusetts State Census, Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts, v. 8, p. 134, household 495, Henry Wilburn family.
13"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," vol. 93, p. 173, e. 304, Salem Deaths 1855, Sarah Maxfield.
14Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 497, p. 1118, household 3774, Josiah Mansfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 2 November 2012); NARA microfilm record group M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
151860 Census, South Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 494, p. 46, household 370, Chas E. Maxfield family.
161860 Census, South Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 494, p. 178, household 1450, Jos. Maxfield family.
17Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, roll 556, p. 150A, household 19, Josiah Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2017); NARA microfilm record group M593; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
181870 Census, Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, roll 610, p. 590B, household 618, Charles O. Maxfield family.
19Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, enumeration district (ED) 59, roll 487, p. 12B, household 63, Sewell Mann family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 5 August 2017); NARA microfilm publication T9, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
201880 Census, Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, ED 146, roll 527, p. 278C, household 575, Chas. O. Maxfield family.
211880 Census, Lake County, Colorado, ED 90, p. 559B, household 78, Wm. H. Maxfield.
221880 Census, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, ED 59, roll 487, p. 11C, household 23, John Larabee family.
231880 Census, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, ED 59, roll 487, p. 11D, household 39, John Richardson family.
24Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Death, Margerette Maxfield, 1898.
25Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920, population, Litchfield, Kennebec County, Maine, enumeration district (ED) 63, p. 7B, household 199, Lester W. Brown family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 26 February 2014); NARA microfilm record group T625, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
26Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930, population, Durham, Androscoggin County, Maine, enumeration district (ED) 12, p. 5A, household 97, Walter B. Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 7 March 2014); NARA record Group T626.
27Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, population, Webster, Androscoggin County, Maine, enumeration district (ED) 1-78, p. 6B, household 134, Ernest Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 20 May 2013); microfilm record group T627.
281850 Census, Shapleigh, York County, Maine, roll 276, p. 149B, household 68, James Stone family.
29"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," Josiah Maxfield, 1842.
30"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," Sarah Maxfield, 1842.
31"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," vol. 171, p. 235, e. 54; Salem Marriages, 1864; Huntress-Maxfield.
32Massachusetts, Commonwealth of, Secretary of the Commonwealth, "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1916-1920," digital images, American Ancestors (american ancestors.org : accessed 22 January 2023), 1920 Deaths, v. 89, p. 467, John Elias Huntress.
33"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," William A. Maxfield, 1847.
34"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," vol. 51, p. 220 e. 420, Salem Births, 1851, Mary E. Maxfield.
35"Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910," vol. 208, p. 271, e. 168, Salem Marriages, 1868; Pearson-Maxfield.
36"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," Franklin H. Maxfield, 1854.
37"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," Laura J. Maxfield, 1858.
38Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Death, Mrs. Laura J. Packard, 1893.
39Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907," database, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 14 September 2012), Packard-Maxfield, 1885.
40Pingree Center Cemetery, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 14 August 2017), George Packard; created by Gail Kelly.
41"Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," Henry A. Maxfield, 1861.
42Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Birth, Ada M. Maxfield, 1863.
43"Maine Marriages, 1771-1907," Ireland-Maxfield, 1881.
44Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Birth, Cora B. Maxfield, 1873.
45Elmwood Cemetery, Guilford, Piscataquis County, Maine, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 14 August 2017), Frank-Cora Conner; created by Wayne, Photo added by 1_Debbie18.
46"Maine Marriages, 1771-1907," Conner-Maxfield, 1885.
47Elmwood Cemetery, Guilford, Frank-Cora Conner; created by Wayne, Photo added by 1_Debbie18.
48Elmwood Cemetery, Guilford, Frank-Cora Conner; created by Wayne, Photo added by 1_Debbie18.
49Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, index card, Birth, Ernest Maxfield, 1872.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Elmwood Cemetery, Guilford, Piscataquis County, Maine. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2017.

Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900." Database. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2012.

________. "Maine, Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910." Family Search. familysearch.org : 2013.

________. "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907." Database. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2012.

Maine, Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta, Maine. Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921. Digital images. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2017.

Massachusetts Archives. "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1841-1910." Digital images. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org : 2017.

Massachusetts, Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1855 Massachusetts State Census, population. Digital images. American Ancestors. americanancestors.org : 2022.

________. "Vital Records of Massachusetts, 1916-1920." Digital images. American Ancestors. american ancestors.org : 2023.

Pingree Center Cemetery, Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2017.

United States Department of the Census. Sixth Census of the United States: 1840, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2017.

_______. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2017.

________. Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2014.

________. Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2014.

________. Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.

Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts: to the Year 1849. Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1918.

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