HUTCHINSON, Theophilus ~ 1790 Census 1- 0 -1

Theophilus Hutchinson (1739-1827) was born in Kingston, NH eldest s/o Ebenezer & Elizabeth (Marsh) Hutchinson. He acquired and settled on the 200 acre lot #25* in Winthrop. I have not found who he married, although there is a female living in his household in 1790 and on some old deeds he is identified as "husbandman". His younger brother Joseph (1750-1828) moved here before 1790 and eventually owned Theophilus' homestead. Their brothers, John and Henry, also spent a few years living in Readfield before moving on to Mt. Vernon and New Sharon. 

Theophilus was granted his 200 acre lot in Aug, 1772, indicating he had set up stakes there several years earlier, because of conditions set by Kennebec Proprietors that settlers had to clear 5 acres, build a log cabin and live on the lot  for seven consecutive years in order to receive title to the land. 

In 1791 the northern part of Winthrop became Readfield so with that Theophilus then lived in Readfield, in the section of town known as East Readfield. The SE corner of his lot bordered part of Carlton Pond's western shore - in those days called Whittier Pond. Hutchinson's N line bordered on "the Hallowell Trail", known today as Main St./ Route 17. Twenty-one years after he was granted his land construction of the Methodist Meeting House started across the road from his property and was dedicated by Rev. Jesse Lee in 1795 which people attended from miles around. It is today New England's oldest Methodist church in ongoing use.

Theophilus and Joseph's (1750-1828) closest neighbors to the east were the Whittier brothers. Joseph Hutchinson m.1785 Nancy Anna Whittier (1766-1819) d/o Benjamin & Mary (Joy) Whittier. Benjamin came with his brothers Nathaniel Jr., Thomas and William in 1765 to help settle East Readfield. Benjamin & Mary Whittier soon moved on to live on the Sandy River (Farmington area) where he and his wife both d.1822. Benjamin's brothers remained neighbors to the Hutchinsons in East Readfield for several years before William moved to Mt. Vernon and Thomas to the Belfast area. 

Back to Theophilus and Joseph Hutchinson. Theophilus sold his homestead to brother Joseph for $2,500 in 1808 (deed bk 15 pg 411). Joseph and Theophilus were living there alone in 1820, Joseph's wife had died the previous year. In Nov. 1822 Joseph borrowed $1,500 against the homestead from Dudley Fogg of Readfield and one month later another $500 from his brother Theophilus. Given this and in 1818 he'd borrowed $680 from Joshua Gage, Esq. of Augusta, it becomes apparent that Hutchinson  ran into financial difficulty. In 1823 Fogg sold 165 acres of the farm for $2,000 to Joseph's son-in-law Harvey Porter of Mt. Vernon - his wife being Polly (Hutchinson). Perhaps the young couple was rescuing the family homestead from foreclosure, and they may well have moved there from Mt. Vernon to care for the aging brothers. Theophilus d.1827 and Joseph d.1828. That same summer the Porters sold the homestead and returned to live in Mt. Vernon.  

Hutchinson is a name that endured in Readfield well into the 20^th century but has since died out. 

Eventually p/o the Hutchinson farm was sold into the family of Andron (Andrew) Mace, the first generation of that family to move to Readfield about 1792. See Andron Mace profile FMI. 

* In part of town that became Readfield in 1791. Reference to this conveyance in Kennebec Registry of Deeds bk 15 pg 411 and date of Aug 28 1772.