I do not know that John Megquier was our immigrant ancestor. I do know that he was of New Gloucester, ME at least by 1748. I have not been able to find any reference to his parents or ancestry. The one reference to a Megquier I have is of a General Megquier who was of the Massachusetts and the Maine Militia but I do not have his location or dates and so am unable to connect him to our John. I am sure more research would be rewarding in this area.

John Megquier was one of the original proprietors of New Gloucester, ME. This town suffered a long "filled with hardship" fate as they struggled to exist. The General Court of the Province, in 1774, incorporated the town which had over 60 families by that time. For thirty-five years the settlers of this township had tried to carve out new homes. Once, the whole town had been driven away by the Indians and five years of work had been lost. Another time, they had been confined to a garrison and its immediate surroundings for six years. Yet, the men and women of this settlement had persevered and finally had built roads, a block house to be used as a garrison, a school, a meeting house, a saw-mill, a grist-mill and homes with barns. What courage they had! I visited the Town of New Gloucester which is so pretty and peaceful and thought of our John Megquier and his bravery which is recorded in the following article from the State of Maine. (I was unable to find further reference to this article. ):

"A tombstone in the old churchyard in New Gloucester bears the following inscription 'Sacred to the memory of John Megquier. Died December 27, 1825, aged 92. He was one of the proprietors and first settlers of New Gloucester, and was one of those who felled trees on the spot where his remains are now deposited. A patriotic citizen and an honest man.'

"In the summer of 1748 the John Megquier referred to in this epitaph, then fifteen years old, went with a number of men from North Yarmouth to New Gloucester, for the purpose of cutting grass in the Great Meadow, but finding it was still submerged, they went home to wait for the water to drain off, leaving young Megquier to care for the oxen which they had brought with them, and await their return. With rifle in hand for instant use, the youthful pioneer kept his lonely vigil for seven days, ready to defend himself and the oxen against a sudden attack by hostile Indians, who were known to be lurking in the vicinity. The courage and determination displayed by John Megquier when a mere lad always proved to be the predominating features in his character and were transmitted to his descendants. Settling in New Gloucester as one of the original proprietors he cleared a tract of wild land which he improved into a good farm, and, as already stated, he lived to an advanced age."

During our visit to New Gloucester, I was greatly helped by one of the town clerks who allowed me to see some of the papers of the Historical Society and found the following bits of information written on various pieces of paper not yet arranged or preserved in permanent form. John Megquier early purchased right No. 35 of the town, from Joseph Sargent, which land he had previously worked for Mr. Sargent. He was a valuable man in the town who was on hand when there was work to be done. He not only performed labor on his own farm but did a good deal of work for the other Proprietors and for the minister, the Rev. Samuel Foxcroft. John's tax for the minister's salary was 10 pounds per year which was usually worked out rather than in cash as was his 10 pound tax for the erection of the meeting house.

His grave was stated to be in the burial yard at the lower corner. Also, his homestead was said to be still in existence. We were disappointed not to find either one but will plan a longer visit the next time in the hopes of locating each of them.

John's son, William, kept a Day Book which was owned by Mr. Donald C. Chandler of New Gloucester, ME in 1971. There were 200 copies printed at the Yellow Kid Press and I found the reading of a copy interesting and am including it with the original spelling and lack of punctuation so that you, the descendants, can place yourselves there with him. It is a complete entry from the Day Book and is the earliest account of New Gloucester Indians known at this time.

"My father was born 1739 when he was fifteen years old in his sixteenth year he and a number of others come up from north yearmouth to cut the Medowes and it came on wet weather and thay all weant back and left him to cear of the oxen the secont day after they left him he was to the Medow with the oxen and the Eindins come and robed his camp took a gun and all his aminishon and all his provision thair was no hous in this town then this was in the year 1749 in what year tha began the block hous I never heard him say but thay Finished it in apral 1755 I hard him speak of several things that took place it hapened at one Time after thay had got in to the Block hous he said that all the men was gorn from home excpt Old GransirStinchfield one of the women was Looking out and Sau Sum Eindins round the garson She rundown and told the old man what She Saw and the gate was onbared he run and bared the gate and told the women to pitch everthing tha could Gite hoult of from the eand of the hous to the other he then Stept in to the watchbox and raised his voice and said Captin Sutch a one and lutenent take your post for thair is eindins round the garson mind and take Goodame and not lose one Shot the indins fled in hast Father said when he got home the weman said that anybody would have thought that this had ben a edgment of men at hand While thay was bulding the block hous a coupel of thair hands by the name of Cross and Beverage wanted to go to the lower eand of the town to so some tunnep seed whear the Dutch had Claned a littel place and promised to come back that night but did not come the next morning thay all set out and weant down and when thay got thair Beverage lay dead at the doar and Cross thay never found from that day to this thair was a coupel of hunters by the name of Fairwell and Taylor thay yus to often stop with tham one day as thay was coming in with furs And traps thay come by the littel pond this side of Sabaday pond and see wheair thair was some bevers and seat thair traps and the Indins fund tham and way laid tham and When thay weant out to thair trapts the indins Took both of tham and caraied Tham to quebeck and after peace thay bouth came home taylor said when thay went to thair Trapts thair was fifteen Indians a waiting For tham the Indians wanted to no how many Strong thay was that was making the Block house he said he told tham that thay was thirty strong and very carful then we no tak tham said the Indians we quick work when in truble thair was only the ten of tham & veary Carles indeed and it was seldom that thay was all at home the first Famelis moved in to New Gloucester two years before the french peace."

The above account reminds us that the fighting with the Indians went on and on as each new settlement pushed the Indians further away from their native grounds. We can weep for our native Americans while, at the same time, we can weep for our ancestors over their lost loved ones as they carved out their homes in the wilderness.

John and his wife Sarah (Lewis) Megquier had at least eleven children, order of birth not known, all born at New Gloucester, ME:

• Sarah, m. 25 June 1780 William -----.
• Edmond Clark, bpt. 20 Sept. 1767.
• Anna, bpt. 6 Aug. 1769; m. 4 April or 14 May 1789 Mark Emery.
• William, m. Thankful Haskell.
• Jeannie, bpt. 27 Jan 1771.
• Jane, b. 14 June 1771; m. 1805 William Haskell.
• Hannah, bpt. 27 June 1773; m. 27 Dec. 1792 William Maxwell of Pejepscot (?).
• Samuel, bpt. 28 July 1776.
• Betty, bpt. 20 Sept. 1778.
• John, m. ----- Emery.
• James.