The Somerset reporter., 1893-03-23
IOT thC Nep0fI"T
Early Settlers in Canaan. No. "a

contracting word in conversation II was
prounnnrei tuhuu hen some OF the
inmllv rmigratrd IA this land OF freedom
they Wisely decided Ia make the spelling
conform to The sound. The SAM thing
occurred IN Denver while ! Vas living
there -iN wears age. \ lady OF tnGllsii
birth be the name of CoCkhutn always
called Guburnl removed from New ork
city II Denver with her sons, and she
thought. when forming new associations,
il would be Il favorable time to make the
change which She did with the approval
of her friends. Tiny supposed II might
prevent many mistakes,
Elcazer oburn. senior, lived in ORA
cut. Mass. not far from Lowell, and be-
lirv, At HAT time il included what l. now
the cify Of Lowell. In 1910 lie removed
10 Lewiston, Maine. anl two year, later
10 canaan. llewas in luccd Ia make this
last removal by the gilt of 30 acres Of
land. donated to him by his son-in-laW.
john Emery. THIS fifty acres with one
hundred which Eleazer, Jun, obtained
without payment, it being his Wifc's
doWrv. comprised a large part OF the
Cohurn farm. 1t l. no secret that MT
Cohurn WAS very poor when h. came to
Canaan his descendants, some oil thrm
AT least, speak of it without reserve, a. 1t
bring, into stronger contrast the Wondcr-
full prosperity OF some OF the family III
after years. He was Il quiet man amt not
much i known concerning him. HIS
wife was Bridget forget her surname.
She was from the western part oil Mass
not far from the Connecticut river. lhey
lived with the oldest son, Eleazer Jr.'
and according to his gravestone in the
Coburn lot in the South side cemetery,
he died Dec. 9th, 1909; although but a
child, when lie died, have some peculiar
reasons for thinking this the wrong date
NV recollection is that it was warm
weather. in the summer OF that year
and shall so believe unless there is re-
cord made at the time. His age was
scventy-ihree Bridget died August,
1896 at the age of ninety-nine.
They had Two sons and seven daugh-
ties; have their marriage relations nut
no dates. Bridget married llildreth,
Sallie. Pierce These two were mar
ried before the removal to Lewiston and
do not think they ever came to Maine
or that much If any communication was
kept up with them. Deborah married
John Emery soon after the peace with
England in l7s3, and came directly to
Canaan. Prudence married l'ahuers
and lived in Fairfield; Esther married
Ephriam Bigelow; Rachel became the
second wife of Samson Parker in 1856.
This marriage is recorded III Norridge-
wock His first wife Was Sally Parsons,
married in 1894. The youngest daughter
Bctsey, married John Whittier OF Corn
willie.
Eleazer y was - years old wien the
family came to Canaan. In $500 he mar
ricd Mary Polly the eldest child OF
Samuel Weston my father, and lived ON
the home farm which was presumably
bargained to him for the support OF ms
parents. II vas appointed Justice of
the Peace when a young man and for
forty years was known as Esq. toburh.
My father had Blackstone's Commen-
tarics in four large volumes, when was
the regular text book for one who wish
ed to know the principles of law After
his death, it passed into Esq. Coburn,s
| hands il shows laudable desire IN both
of them to understand their oinciai uu-
J ties. NV father had Il high opinion or
him. He once said to Elder Robinson,
when Mr.. Coburn had been mt his house
and had just gone, There is "A man VINO
will make his mark in the world. had
his from the late Joseph Robisnon, son
of tn Elder.
Mr.. Coburn took up surveying by my
fathers persuasion, who let him have ms
compass and chains, and gave him M
-trucfiou In the art. And this WAS really