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| Robert Cornforth house c1797 |
HIS FAMILY
Robert Cornforth was born March 18, 1765 in Gersby, Yorkshire, England s/o Robert Lasenby and Sarah (Seddom) Cornforth. There were four children in this family: Ann, Martha, Thomas and Robert. On August 4, 1789 Robert Cornforth married Mary Linton in Northallerton, Yorkshire, England. She was born April 28, 1765 in Danby Wiske, Yorkshire, England d/o Francis and Eleanor (Dobson) Linton. Robert and Mary had four sons 1790-1796 then soon after their son John was born they emigrated from England to Readfield in 1797.[i] After they settled here they had six more children together 1799-1809 – all born in Readfield. Mary died October 16, 1812. After Mary’s death Robert wed Sally Morrison Keith of Farmington in 1813.[ii] She was the widow of Adam Keith and brought with her two Keith children from that marriage – Joseph b.1796 and Harriet b.1799. Robert and Sally Cornforth had two children together then, sadly, Sally died in 1818 when their youngest child was only 3 years old. Robert married a third time to Lydia Williams of Chesterville in 1818.[iii] They were divorced three years later[iv] and there is no record of children from this marriage.
Children of Robert
Cornforth:[v]
1.
Leonard b. 10/26/1790
England d.11/25/1857 m1. Polly Morrison 1793-1865 m2.Lovisa Smith 1802-1855 bur.
Oakland, ME[vi] (read
on for more about him).
2.
Richard b. 1/22/1792 England d. 5/4/1876 bur. Farwell Cemetery Unity,
ME[vii] m1.
Priscilla Nickerson 1795-1831 m2.Melinda Nickerson 1805-1894[viii]
– both daughters of Capt. Thomas Nickerson of Unity and cousins of the Readfield Nickersons.
3.
William
b.1794 England d.8/13/1881 New Portland, ME[ix] m.
Lydia Cates 1794-1877 She of Industry, ME
4.
John b. 11/15/1796 England d. 1/1866 m. Harriet Keith 1799-1875 (his
stepsister) bur. Oakland, ME[x]
5.
Robinson
b.5/13/1799 Readfield d.3/27/1877 m1. Lozetta Young 803-1834 m2.Malinda Hussey
1804-1904 bur. Springfield, Penobscot, ME[xi]
6.
Charles
b.4/4/1801 drowned on a cattle drive
7.
Betsey
b.10/11/1802 d.1872[xii] m.
1820 Joseph Keith, Sr. 1796-1869 (her step-brother) of Farmington[xiii] bur.
Webster Cemetery, Franklin County, ME
8.
Robert b.6/20/1805
d.2/8/1885 m1. Mary Hesketh 1806-1841 m2.Elizabeth Witherspoon 1801-1855 m3.
Harriet Eustis 1828-1863 m4. Delphina C. 1822-1880 bur. Lakeview Cemetery
Oakland.[xiv]
9.
Birks b.2/23/1807
d.unknown. Perhaps w as father of Birks
Conforth b.1825 who m. Harriet Manter of Industry, ME and went west to KS, MN
and CO?
10. Bateman (Baitmon) b.3/22/1809 Readfield d. 8/9/1840 bur. Farwell Cemetery Unity, ME[xv]
11. Mary Ann b.5/12/1814 d.11/14/1885 m. Collins Lovejoy,
Jr. b.1812 Wayne. Residence Chesterville,
ME[xvi]
12. Sally b.7/18/1815 d.aft.1880 m. George Wood b.1815
England. Residence Pawtucket, R I.[xvii] He a
Civil War Vet d.1886 at Togus VA Old Soldiers Home, Augusta, ME.[xviii]
HIS PASSAGE FROM ENGLAND
There is a story that has been passed down through the generations [xix] about
when and why Robert and Mary Cornforth left England.[xx]
Apparently Robert had a brother (Thomas?) whom he had backed by signing notes but
the brother forfeited and suddenly Robert found himself in tremendous debt. It
is said that when Robert and Mary Cornforth sailed from England they salvaged
as much of their wealth as possible – including some lovely furniture. Mary
took her chances by sewing so many gold pieces into the hem of her dress it
took two sailors to help her onto the deck and she immediately went below after
stepping on board – more than likely to remove all that weight from her dress.[xxi]
HIS HOME
Upon arrival in Readfield in 1797 Robert Cornforth built his home on lot
#211. This date is identified because he was granted property by Kennebec
Proprietors Robert and Benjamin Hallowell in 1804.[xxii] One
of the conditions a man had to meet in order to gain ownership of Readfield lots
was to build a home and live on the land for seven years. So, we must assume it
was at this point he had done so thus pinpointing his date of arrival and
construction of an abode as 1797. According
to family history, Cornforth built his house of bricks he brought from England
and it was the first brick house north of Portland, ME. Those bricks are now
painted white. Robert Cornforth was the
founder of the woolen mill, which no longer exists, at Factory Square in
Readfield. His home however, which was nearby on the current Old Kents Hill
Road, still stands sentry on a nearby hill – a large white
brick Georgian style farmhouse. HIS HOME
HIS BUSINESS
Readfield Cotton & Woolen Factory Company
Local history tells us of an Englishman named John Canwell who carried on a business as drover with Robert Cornforth. In March 1810 Canwell left home (North Wayne) with a drive of cattle destination Portland, ME and never returned. His horse, overcoat and spurs were brought back by a man who stated that Canwell would return in 10 days but he never did.[xxv] Perhaps this occurrence had a bearing on Robert Cornforth’s next business decision to devote full time to cattle.
After the death of his first wife, Mary, in 1812 Robert Cornforth married
Mrs. Sally Morrison Keith of Farmington.[xxvi] A year later he turned the woolen mill over to
his son Leonard (Readfield
Cotton & Woolen Factory Company)[xxvii]
and became a full time cattle breeder and drover. Leonard also had mills in Oakland, ME as you will see as you read on.
Robert Cornforth and Thomas Pierce, another Readfield man, were farmers and became the foremost cattle breeders in western Kennebec County. Both contributed significantly to the improvement of the herds. Each of them introduced high quality Shorthorns to Readfield in 1829-1830. Cornforth’s bull was named “Turk” and the high quality of his herd and his reputation as a cattle breeder was known far and wide.[xxviii] One must wonder if he also dealt in and drove sheep knowing that he started a woolen mill in Readfield. Perhaps he was both? At any rate – one family history story about his years as a drover is interesting. His son Charles often worked for him and on one such occasion, when Charles was on a drive, Robert Cornforth woke from a sound sleep one night crying “Charles has drooned, Charles has drooned!” His daughter Mary quieted him and assured Robert that he’d simply had a bad dream. The next morning, however, a messenger came to tell him that Charles had indeed drowned that very morning.[xxix] I have not found a reliable source for the date of this occurrence but one I found, that stands unproven, says Charles died in 1814. If that is true then Charles was only 13 years old at the time of his death. If Robert's daughter Mary Ann was the one to console him as told in the story, it could not have happened in 1814 because she was born that year. Whenever it occurred, from this account and that of Canwell above, one must assume this was a dangerous business to be involved in. Not only were they vulnerable to accidents on the trail but they would also carry large amounts of money which made them tempting targets. With further digging there would be more tales to tell about the Cornforth’s without a doubt.
About 1832 Robert Cornforth turned his property over to his sons. I have read that the elder Cornforth returned to England at that time[xxx] though several family histories relate that he died in Johnstown, Rhode Island in 1842.[xxxi] Rhode Island is most likely because his daughter Sally married a man of English origin in Providence, Rhode Island about 1840. Interestingly Johnston’s first textile mill, named The Union Mill, began operations in Johnston (Olneyville) in 1808. Perhaps it was that industry that drew Robert Cornforth to Rhode Island? More research would undoubtedly uncover additional pieces of the Robert Cornforth mystery regarding why he left our area when all his other children, except his youngest Sally who was 17yrs at the time, remained in Maine. He must have been in Johnston, RI on April 13, 1840 when that town suffered a terrible accident. The mill dam collapsed in Upper Simmonsville during a heavy rainstorm and caused a flood that wiped out a mill, three or four stores, and several houses, and resulted in the deaths of eighteen people, the worst disaster of its kind in Rhode Island history.[xxxii] Tragedies seemed to follow and find Robert Cornforth in one way or another!
THE LAST OF
THE CORNFORTHS IN READFIELD
Robert Cornforth's eldest child, Leonard and his brothers Richard,
William, John, Robinson, Robert and their wives sold their father’s
home to Squire William Vance[xxxiii] in 1832. The Cornforth children had moved to
Oakland, Unity New Portland and Springfield, Maine. None of the family with the
Cornforth name remained in Readfield. William Vance was a prominent figure in Maine history and politics and another story all unto himself. Among his accomplishments he was a Revolutionary War veteran who, at age 16, was among those that marched up the Kennebec River to Quebec with Benedict Arnold. He received a War Grant in Readfield following his service to country.[xxxiv]
Part of the Cornforth house was moved to the Giles Road and
incorporated into the Roy Giles house pictured here.
THE CORNFORTHS IN OAKLAND, ME
Robert Cornforth’s son Leonard had an impact on the early development of Oakland, ME (then West Waterville). He built the dam that bore his name for some time. There he built a stone grist mill, a saw mill and a carding and clothing mill. He was a large landowner, farmer and trader. Leonard also was the first storekeeper / trader in Oakland – which he built near his mills. Israel Washburn from Livermore, ME and later Maine’s Civil War Governor worked as a store clerk in Leonard Cornforth’s store for some time. Leonard’s son John helped him in his enterprises and carried them on after Leonard’s death.[xxxvii] Thus it can be said without hesitation the Cornforth family had a great influence on the early development of industry, farming and cattle breeding in Kennebec County, Maine!
[i] Reflections of Readfield (the Story of our Town) by Readfield Bicentennial Commission; pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co. Farmington, ME 1975; page 33
[ii]
To Those
Who Led the Way: Readfield VR’s 1768-1913; self published by Dale Potter Clark 2009; page 102
[iv] Maine,
Divorce Records, 1798-1891 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Maine, Divorce Records, 1798–1891.
Augusta, Maine: Maine State Archives.
[xiii]
To Those
Who Led the Way: Readfield VR’s 1768-1913; self published by Dale Potter Clark 2009; page 145
[xviii]
U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 [database
on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007 Original data: Historical Register of National Homes
for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers,
[xix] Reflections of
Readfield (the Story of our Town) by Readfield Bicentennial Commission;
pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co. Farmington, ME 1975; page 33-34
[xxi] Reflections of
Readfield (the Story of our Town) by Readfield Bicentennial Commission;
pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co. Farmington, ME 1975; page 33
[xxv]
Stackpole’s History of Winthrop Maine
with Genealogical Notes by Keene and Young; pub. 1925 and reprint by
Heritage Books Inc. Bowie, MD 1994; page 725
[xxvi] To Those Who Led
the Way: Readfield VR’s 1768-1913; self published by Dale Potter Clark
2009; page 103
[xxix]
Reflections
of Readfield (the Story of our Town)
by Readfield Bicentennial Commission; pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co.
Farmington, ME 1975; page 33-34
[xxx]
Reflections
of Readfield (the Story of our Town)
by Readfield Bicentennial Commission; pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co.
Farmington, ME 1975; page 34
accessed 7/8/2013
[xxxv] Reflections of Readfield (the Story of our Town) by Readfield Bicentennial Commission; pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co. Farmington, ME 1975; page 34
[xxxv] Reflections of Readfield (the Story of our Town) by Readfield Bicentennial Commission; pub. The Knowlton & McLeary Co. Farmington, ME 1975; page 34
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