ADLE, Cornelius 1790 US Census Pownalbourough 1-1-4-0-0

Cornelius Adle grave, East Readfield Cemetery

It is not known exactly where Cornelius Adle was born in 1750[i]. Family oral tradition tells us that Cornelius Adle was a Hessian Soldier who came to America from Germany during the Revolutionary War, to fight alongside the British, then chose to stay in America after the Revolution. His daughter Susannah stated on the 1880 US Census that her father was born in Prussia. We have not found additional documentation to validate this heritage. His wife Catherine was born in 1762[ii] and Susannah reported, on the 1880 US Census, that her mother was born in Maine. Her maiden name and more about her origin is not known. Cornelius found his way to Pownalbourough, where several other German families had also settled before 1790. By 1800 he had moved on to Readfield, and settled in East Readfield near the Luce Road. The foundation of his homestead was located in 1985, by the owner of the land at the time, and shown to me. Since then a housing development has been built in that area and the location is no longer evident. When Cornelius and his family were living in Pownalbourough in 1790 the family included: Cornelius, 39yrs; Christopher, 7yrs; wife Catherine 28yrs; Betsey infant; Catherine 5yrs; and Susannah 2 yrs. Cornelius and Catherine’s youngest child Sally was born in Readfield in 1800. Cornelius died soon after they moved to Readfield in 1803. Catherine m2. John Shepard and there were no children from this union. John had 7 children born 1771-1786, with his first wife Sarah. He died in 1817 and is buried with his first Sarah, and their son John and his wife, in Dudley Plains Cemetery. Catherine continued to live in Readfield where in 1850 she was residing with her son Cornelius and his wife Huldah. She lived until 1853 and was buried in East Readfield Cemetery with her first husband Cornelius and several other Adle family members. Descendents of Cornelius and Catherine’s daughter Sally still reside in Readfield and the surrounding area (I am one). The spelling of Adle was changed to Adell around 1900. Adle descendants married into several old New England and Readfield families including Fifield, Dudley, Sherburne, Gordon and Savage.

Children of Cornelius and Catherine Adle:

1.       Christopher b.1783 d. 23 Jan 1862 Readfield m. 04 Jan 1811 Readfield to Huldah Staneles.  She b.1787 New Hampshire d/o unk d. 08 Feb 1872 Readfield. He purchased land from Joseph Carleton, in East Readfield 27 Apr 1810.(iii) Christopher and Huldah are bur. East Readfield Cemetery.(iv) He served as Sgt. in 4^th Regiment (Sweet’s), War of 1812 (v). Christopher and wife raised Cornelius and Huldah Turner, children of his sister Sally Adle Turner, and later their last names were changed from Turner to Adle. Christopher and Huldah were childless.

2.       Catherine b.1785 d. 22 Jul 1870 in Readfield m. 01 Jan 1808 in Readfield to Captain Richard Judkins.  He b. 09 Jun 1785 New Hampshire s/o Samuel and Mittey Carle Judkins (Junkins) d. 15 Jan 1855 Readfield. Both bur. East Readfield Cemetery. Children of Catherine and Richard b. Readfield 1) Mary Ann b.1808 2) Charles b.1812 3) Joanna b.1818

3.       Betsey b. Sep 1790 d. 14 Apr 1869 m. 10 May 1830 in Readfield to David Brown.  He b. 11 Aug 1779 Hampton, NH s/o Job and Huldah Page Brown d. 20 Aug 1867 in Readfield. Both bur. East Readfield Cemetery. No children found

4.       Mary Ann b.1795 d.1834 m. 01 Sep 1818 in Hallowell to Thomas White He b.1787 in Vermont s/o?? d.after 1860 Readfield. Children of Thomas and Mary Ann b. Readfield (vi): 1) Thomas Hartley b.1819 2) Mary Elizabeth b. 1821 3) Emily b.1825 4) Sylvenia b.1831 5) Huldah Page Brown b.1833 He m2. bet. 1835-1841 Rachel __?__  Children of Thomas and Rachel White: 6) Melvina b.1841 7) Phebe b.1846

5.       Susannah (Susan) b.6/1798 d. 03 Mar 1887 probably Augusta m. Isaac Cunningham s/o Isaac and Lydia Dodge Cunningham. He b.1793 Balltown (Whitefield) ME d. 20 Jul 1871 Readfield. Both bur. East Readfield Cemetery.  Susannah was living in Augusta 1876-1886 (vii) with Mrs. E.A. Hunt first, then with grandson Charles Hunt and family on 1880 US Census. Also living in the same household in 1880 was her daughter E.A. Hunt. Both mother and daughter were widowed. Susannah stated on 1880 US Census that her father was born in Prussia.  Children of Susannah and Isaac: 1) Elizabeth Adle b.1818 m. Seward Hunt 2) Charles J. b.1820 3) Christopher Adle b.1825 4) Isaac b.1832

6.       Sally b.1800 Readfield d. 27 Feb 1878 Readfield bur. East Readfield Cemetery. m1. 30 Oct 1820 in Whitefield to John Turner s/o John and Rachel Goud Turner. He b. 24 Nov 1788 Whitefield d. after Oct 1839. Sally and John Turner divorced. Kennebec County Court records first reflect filing for divorce in May 1826. Divorce was recorded 13 years later October 1839 (viii).  After this the children of Sally Adle and John Turner were adopted (ix) by Sally's childless brother Christopher Adle and his wife. Sally m2. James S. Clough in Readfield. He b. 03 Sep 1779 Winthrop s/o Jabez and Sarah Young Clough. d. 10 Apr 1865 Readfield. bur. Dudley Plains Cemetery with his first wife Susannah Palmer (see Clough family for children of this couple). All of Sally’s children were born and died in Readfield except Huldah Jane. After her husband, James, died in 1865 she lived on the Clough farm with her son Christopher Clough and his wife Sarah.

Children of Sally and John Turner:

1. Cornelius Turner b.1821 d.1888 m.1845 Mary Elizabeth Dudley 7ch: i. Charles b.1846 ii. George K. b.1848 m.1869 Mary E. Gordon iii. Lorinda b.1852 iv. Thomas b.1854 v. Emery b.1859 vi. Viola b.1861 vii. Christopher b.1862

 

2. Huldah Jane b.1829 d.c1900 Fayette m.1849 George Keith 4ch: i. Mary J. b.1850 ii. Charles b.1856 iii. Sally b.1857 iv. Alonzo b.1867 iv.

Children of Sally and James S. Clough:

3. Christopher b.1840 d.1902 m.1863 Sarah Nancy Moulton 5ch: i. Florena b.1865 ii. Charles b.1866 iii. Mary Belle b.1868 iv.Hattie b.1870 v.Sarah Lena b.1885

---

[i] Calculated from dates on his gravestone

[ii] ibid

[iii] Kennebec County Registry of Deeds Book 19 Page 523

[iv] Cemetery Records Readfield, Maine

[v]  Records of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, Rosters by Regiment, page 282

[vi] Readfield Kennebec County Maine VR’s 1768-1913, pg. 47-48, Potter-Clark, Dale, self published 2009

[vii] US City Directories 1821-1989 www.ancestry.com

[viii] Maine Court Records; Kennebec County Supreme Judicial Court; Oct 1839; Volume and page 10-70-7824

[ix] Probate Court records, Kennebec County, Maine