Anthony Besse was born at England in 1609 and came to America in 1635 on board the ship named James. Anthony was listed as 26 years old and was certified "for conformity in religion and that he was no subsity man." Most of our information on the Besse family is taken from Descendants of Anthony Besse 1609-1656 compiled by Mrs. Florence Besse Ballantine, 1965. We are grateful for this information as we have spent hours trying to find further facts to fill out the information she found, to no avail.

Anthony lived briefly in Lynn, MA, then moved to Sandwich, MA where he remained until he died at the age of 47 or 48. (His will is dated 10 Feb. 1656, proved 3 June 1657.) This will, which in all probability he wrote himself, and a letter which remains, show him to have been educated. Sandwich records show he participated in public affairs, helped the projects of building a mill and a meeting house and of securing a minister. He was before the Court only once and that for "disorderly keeping house alone" in 1638. He received ".01 acre" (?) in the 1641 division of meadow lands and in 1643 was declared liable to bear arms. Anthony seemed to be very concerned for the welfare of the Indians and worked with the minister as a lay preacher for their benefit.

Anthony Besse's mother was still alive in 1656 when Anthony wrote his will as he mentions "in case my mother send any thinge over to me as formerly she had Don that it be Disposed of among my family in general." His will lists his six children, plus the one with which his wife was then pregnant. His widow, Jane Besse married (2) George Barlow. In 1661, Jane's daughters, Dorcas and Ann Besse, were brought before the Court on charges of ill treating their stepfather. Ann confessed that she had. Both girls were unmarried at the time and living "at home." George Barlow was a marshal and gained the reputation of being a "bad fellow" because of his unfair activities under the protection of his office. In her will in 1693, Jane Besse Barlow mentions only Ann Hallett, Elizabeth Bodfish, Nehemiah Besse, Rebecca Hunter, John Barlow and Nathan Barlow as her children. This indicates she had at least two sons by George Barlow.

Anthony and his wife Jane Besse had seven children, all born at Sandwich, MA:

• Dorcas, date of birth unknown, d. probably before 1693; m. ca. 1664 John Presbury of Saco, ME.
• Ann, date of birth unknown, m. Andrew Hallett.
• Nehemiah, b. ca. 1641; m. Mary Ransom.
• David, b. 23 May 1649; d. 1676 in the Battle of Rehoboth.
• Mary, date of birth unknown, died probably before 1693.
• Elizabeth, date of birth unknown; m. 1674 Joseph Bodfish.
• Rebecca, date of birth unknown; m. 1671 William Hunter.

The following is quoted from Descendants of Anthony Besse 1609-1656 compiled by Mrs. Florence Besse Ballantine, 1965:

"Nehemiah, the only remaining son of Anthony and Jane, must have been born as early as 1641 as he was on the list of owners of land in 1658. Other Sandwich entries are:

1662 'of full age to enter upon the possession of such lands as his father left him.'

1675 On the town list.

1681 Took oath of allegiance.

1702 List of Freemen.

"According to Massachusetts records, a Nehemiah Besse was awarded a grant of land in Hatfield (1737) for services in the Indian wars. It was claimed by Robert Besse as the eldest son, Nehemiah having died.

"Two other items from Sandwich should be mentioned. In 1663 Nehemiah Besse 'for drinking tobacco at the meeting house in Sandwich on the Lords Day was fined 5 shilings.' (drinking tobacco might have meant inhaling or chewing?) and in 1677 the Town of Sandwich voted 'to pay Nehemiah Besse 4 shillings 6 pence for several things.'"

Nehemiah and his wife Mary (Ransom) Besse had eight children, all born at Sandwich, MA:

• Mary, b. ca. 1681; m. Benjamin Curtis.
• Nehemiah, b. 1682; d. before 1737.
• Hannah, b. 1684; m. 1 Oct. 1708 Thomas Jones of Sandwich.
• Robert, b. 1690; m. Ruth Pray, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Hayden) Pray of Braintree, MA.
• Joshua, b. 1692; no information.
• David, b. 1693; m. Mary Pray.
• Benjamin, b. 1696; m. Martha -----.
• Ebenezer, b. 1699; m. Deborah ----- who married (2) ----- Burgess as his second wife.

David and Mary lived in Sandwich as their first two children are recorded as being born there. By the time David wrote his will on 6 April 1738, he called himself as "of Rochester" and he had accumulated a lot of property in Agawam, Rochester, Plymouth, and Sandwich.

David and his wife Mary (Pray) Besse had nine children:

• David, b. at Sandwich, MA 1718; d. 1784; m. Dinah Muxom.
• Joshua, b. at Sandwich, MA 1719; m. Lydia Sanders.
• Lydia, b. ca. 1721; m. 7 July 1748 Samuel Leonard.
• John, b. ca. 1723.
• Mary, b. ca. 1724.
• Silas, b. ca. 1725.
• Samuel, b. at Plymouth County, 10 Dec. 1726; went with the forces to Canada and died 1745 in the siege of Louisburg.
• Thankful, b. at Plymouth County, 10 Nov. 1727; m. 1744 Nathan Leonard.
• Nehemiah, b. at Plymouth County, 7 Aug. 1729; m. 1748 Sarah Perry.

Joshua served in the French and Indian War. In 1744 he was associated with his brother, David, in a title adjustment with John Norris, and, in 1768, with his cousin, Benjamin, in a deed to Thomas Foster. In 1793, his wife, Lydia, must have been deceased because he moved with his sons, John and Joshua, Jr. and their families to Paris, ME. Joshua settled with his son, John, on lot 9 in the 9th Range. We do not know when he died.

Joshua and his wife Lydia (Sanders) Besse had four children (at least), all born in Wareham, MA:

• John, b. 29 Nov. 1744; m. 29 Nov. 1764 Hannah Cushman, b. 1745, d. 23 July 1825, daughter of Caleb Cushman.
• Joshua, bpt. 12 Oct. 1748; d. 18 Dec. 1754.
• Joshua, Jr., bpt. 12 Oct. 1755; m. (1) Mercy Morton; m. (2) Mrs. Silence (Churchill) Benson.
• Silas, b. 1758; d. 1846; m. Abigail Bates, daughter of Barnabas and Lydia Bates.

The Cushman, Besse, Maxim (Maxum?) and Benson families seem to have been involved together in a scandal in Wareham. Abigail, wife of Edmund Muxum was tried for adultery and dismissed from the church. She was accused of sinning with Joseph Benson and her accusers were Hannah Besse (wife of Joshua, Jr.'s brother, John) and Hannah's father, Caleb Cushman. Although Abigail was the one dismissed, she stayed on in Wareham while several members of the Benson, Besse, and Cushman families moved to Paris, ME. Joshua, Jr. bought lot 11, in the 7th Range, from Edmund Bowker on 12 March 1790. Joshua, Jr.'s log cabin stood at the south end of the lot and his cabin burned down later on. The first singing school in the town was in the King district, and Joshua, Jr. was a teacher there.

Joshua, Jr. and his wife Mary (Morton) Besse had eight children, the first four born at Wareham, MA and the last four born at Paris, ME:

• Patty, b. 1787; m. Lewis Monk.
• Betsy, b. 1789; m. Isaac Jackson.
• Anthony, b. 1791; m. Thankful Stearns of Bethel, ME.
• Seth, b. 1793; m. Susan Pratt.
• Lydia, b. 1795; m. Mark Emery, Jr.
• Mercy, b. 1795; d. Oct. 1816. (Twin of Lydia?)
• Polly, b. 1797; m. Theodore Sterns of Bethel, ME.
• Nancy, b. 1799; m. Jacob Jackson.

Joshua, Jr. and his second wife, Silence (Churchill) Benson Besse had three children, all born in Paris, ME:

• Joshua, III, b. May 1802.
• Charity, b. March 1804; m. John Thurlow.
• Mahala, b. May 1806; m. Sumner Sterns of Bethel, ME.