The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-30
DR.. STEPHEN SWEET.
The First Physician of Gorham-L;neoln's
Friend, Leonard SWEET, Was His Great
Grandson.

Friend, Leonard SWEET, Was His Great
Grandson.
DR.. Stephen SWEET was the first physi-
clan who settled in Gorham and about
whom little has been preserved in that
town. He came from Exeter, N. FL and
went to Gorham about ITO, with wife
and seven children, and had Eseven more
children born there. If he was any con
nection of Capt. Joshua SWEET of Cor
ham, who served in the Revolutionary
army, it is not known. There was prob
ably no family connection between John
SWEET, who lived across the river in
Windham, and DR.. Stephen SWEET.
John SWEET came from Newbury port,
Mass, abodt 1868, and died at Wind
ham April "a, 1900, aged about rs years.
Capt. Joshua SWEET died at Gorham
April 20, 1851, aged 80 years. and he was
said to have been the son of Stephen
SWEET of Westbrook. Capt. Swett's wife
was Mary Bailey of Westbrook, and they
had thirteen children. John SWEET of
Windham, wife Sarah, had seven chill
dren. These three distinct SWEET fami-
lies are often confused, but probably all
are descended from the same emigrant
ancestor, and we hope that with what
has been published before, no descendant
in tracing his ancestry.
The emigrant ancestor of DR.. SWEET
was no doubt John SWEET, who came from
Devonshire, England, and was one of
the grantees of Newbury, Mass, Dec. z.
1912. His son Benjamin was born in
England, about 1926, and married. in
November, l647, Hester Weare. Of her
parentage authorities differ. One says
Peter, and another Nathaniel Senior,
but who is correct I am not able to say.
Benjamin SWEET moved to Hampton,
N. B.. in 1868, where he was a selecfman
and captain In the militia. In the King
Philip war he was sent to Maine in COM
mand of a force against the Indians.
They landed at Black Point, now Scar
boro, and attacked the savages. He and
his company were led into an ambush
and sixty men, beside himself. were
either killed or wounded and left on the
field. The date of his being killed was
June 29, 1877. He left eleven children.
Williamson says of him, "Seldom is the
merit of military officer more genuine;
seldom is death of one more deeply Ia
mented." A very good sketch of Capt
Benjamin SWEET is to be found in the
Soldiers of the King Philip War; (page
342), by Rev. George NJ. Dodge Ga Wind
ham boy).
1t is not now known through which
son of Capt Benjamin SWEET, that DIR.
Stephen descended but perhaps his father
was Moses SWEET, of Exeter, N. Fl. Ste
phen SWEET married May s, 1866, Sarah
Adams, probably daughter of DR.. Sam
uel Adams of Durham, N. Fl. Her broth
er, Lieut.. Col. Winborn Adams, was
killed IN the battle of Saltwater Sept
10, 1777. She was probably descen liant
of Governor Winthrop and Dudley, and
perhaps she was cousin to President
John Adams.
DR.. SWEET had lived in Gorham about
five years when the Revolutionary wa
broke out, and conscious of the re spnsi-
bility of the times, he enlisted as surgeon
May Z, ITS, in Col. Edmund Phinney's
31st Regiment of Foot, and went to Cam
bridge with the regiment in July, where
he probably served until their discharge,
Dec. 81, ITS. The officers were not at
first commissioned. and Oct. 6, ITS, he,
among others, was recommended by Gen.
Washington for q commission of his rank.
There is no further official record, al
though tradition says that he had other
service.
DR.. Stephen SWEET lived near Fort
Hill, in German, afterwards in Windham
and died in Otisfield. Jan. 6, 1907 His
wife died in the same town May 8, 1908.
He no doubt was over seyenty-fiye years
of age They had fourteen children, as
follows:
L. Samuel, born Oct. 90, 1857; died
young.
q Hannah, born June 20, 1859; died
young.
3. Josiah, born May 6, 176l; married
April 81, 1888, Hannah Hanscom, daugh-
ter of George and Abigail Hansoom,
Gorham July &c. 1898, aged 90 years.
His son James, born Aug. 81, 1854,
married in 1906 Sophia Lincoln, daugh-
ter of Royal, and they had Hannah,
.Josiah Parsons, and perhaps others.
James SWEET, died Feb. 8, 1862 aged "a
years. His mother, Hannah, married
~ Nov. 8, 1894, kJohn Martin.
A. John, born June rs, 1853; married
March 81, 1888, Betsey Warren of Fol