602
REDLONS OF BUXTON, MAINE.
clusions are that he died at home, unmarried, soon after attaining to his
majority; that, as so long a time had passed since Thomas Ridlon knew
him, and having forgotten his death, he styled him "old."
Mary Redlon (1), youngest daughter of Ebenezer (1), was born in
Buxton, Me., June 2, 1770, and was married March 17, 1793, to Jacob
Stevens, of Buxton.
Robert Redlon³ (1), eldest son of John² (1), was born in Narra-
ganset No. 1 (now Buxton, York County, Me.), May 2, 1751; married
Mary Rollins, of Newcastle, or Damariscotta, in 1771, and had issue by that
lady seven children, of whom hereafter. He married, secondly, Betsey
Knowlton, who also predeceased him, childless. These women were both
sisters of the husbands of Mr. Redlon's sisters, as will hereafter appear.
Robert was named for his grandfather Brooks, and after his father's death
in 1761, he went to Saco and lived a few years with his grandfather, the
ancestor of the family. When quite young he made a journey to Dama-
riscotta, or Nobleborough, Lincoln County, and learned the blacksmith's
trade there of Ichabod Austin, who was a half-brother of Robert's father.
(See note on the Austin family.) After acquiring proficiency in his chosen
occupation, he purchased land in the town of Newcastle, on the west side
of the Damariscotta River, cleared a nice farm, built a blacksmith-shop,
and established a permanent home there. His house was situated on a
hill, the highest elevation in the neighborhood, -overlooking the river
upon which his land bordered, and about a mile above the "Scotta Bridge."
"The house, standing in 1873, was large on the ground, wide, low-
posted, and high-gabled. The interior was plain, the rooms large and low,
and were warmed by huge fire-places built in a capacious chimney, which
had a very short neck above the ridge-pole of the house. There was a
door in the front, and another in the back side of this dwelling; from the
latter, which was protected by a picturesque little porch, he reached his shop,
which was a little way in the rear, and near the present carriage-road.
His land reached from the road to the river, and his intervales were beau-
tiful and productive. Mr. Redlon's second wife having died, and being
advanced in life, he conveyed his farm to Enoch Perkins, who provided
for him the remainder of his days; his death occurred in August, 1824,
at the age of 73. He was buried by the side of his two wives, near his
home, in a field owned in 1873 by a Mr. Elliot, who, notwithstanding the
reservations specified in his deed, has encroached upon this burial-place
with his plough until the last furrow reached one of the headstones of a
grave; he was warned against another violation of his purchase-contract,
and promised to trespass upon the reserved land no more. The graves
are only a few feet from the track of the Knox and Lincoln Railroad,
once a quiet and secluded spot, chosen by Mr. Redlon when he laid his
Mary down to rest; he little thought at that day the "iron-horse"
would course across his farm, and go screaming past his place of earthly
rest; but, alas! such are the mutations of time. In company with two of
Robert's grandchildren, Nathan Redlon, of South China, and Hannah
Chapman, of Newcastle, I visited the old homestead in 1873, and
stood by his grave. We crossed his broad fields and beautiful intervales;
climbed the hill by the same path from which this family-patriarch _once
reached his river-fields; drank water from the old well by the road-side
near the house, still drawn by "sweep and bucket," and dug from the
ground in a corn-field where Mr. Redlon's smithy once stood, a large
- -
