614
REDLONS OF HOLLIS, MAINE.
to enlarge it before he could be interred. Two years after his burial his
body was exhumed for removal to another cemetery, and on opening the
coffin it was found to look as fresh and natural as when he died.
A beautifully embroidered silk banner, now in the possession of his
granddaughter, was made and presented to Mr. Redlon by the ladies of
St. Mary on his one hundred and sixth birthday. This banner was about
four feet square, corded and tasseled with blue and gold, suspended on a
highly-finished rosewood staff, and bore the following inscription wrought
in large letters with silk:-
JOHN REDLON,
A SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION.
AGED 106 YEARS.
This banner was carried in the funeral procession when Mr. Redlon was
buried, and is now kept with the greatest care by his descendants. An ac-
count of his life and adventures was published in the local newspapers at
the time of his death, and a condensed biographical sketch was published
by the author in the New England Historical-Genealogical Register in 1876.
His name on the monument at his grave is spelled "Redlon" according
to his original usage, but his descendants now universally spell theirs
Redley and Ridley.*
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Abraham Redlon³ (2), fifth son of Matthias (1), was born in Saco,
Me.,-then Pepperellborough, Sept. 21, 1763; married Aug. 23, 1786,
to Patience, daughter of Samuel Tibbetts † (sometime of Rochester, N.
H.), and was then styled, by Rev. John Fairfield, who performed the
wedding ceremony, "of Deerwander," a locality now in the south-west
part of Hollis, York County, Me. From this I presume Abraham Red-
lon first settled in that section, somewhere near the "Warren Neighbor-
hood," so called, and as his brother Thomas used to go frequently to
"Deerwander" to hunt, I think he may have been joined by Abraham in
his forest adventures. He subsequently removed to "Little Falls Plan-
tation," where his father and brothers had previously settled, and cleared
a small farm on a part of the Thomas Lewis' division of the "Dalton
Right" land and now belonging to the "Uncle Joe Ridlon's place." Mr. Red-
lon's house is said to have been in the pasture, in front of the Yates Rod-
*The author visited Waynesfield, O., in 1876, and spent several days with the
grandchildren of the old soldier, John Redlon. He outlived all his children, and
none of the surname now live in the town; but there are several daughters of his
son John living near their mother in Waynesfield; these had never seen a person of
the name until the author of this book visited them. The family resembles in
features and habits our New England Redlons, and expressed the deepest interest
in hearing from their kindred in the East. I had the pleasure of preaching in the
neighborhood.
The family of Tibbetts is descended from Henry and his wife Eliza, who came
from London, Eng., in the ship "James" in 1635, accompanied by a sister Remem-
brance, and his two sons, Jeremy and Samuel; the former aged four and the latter two
years. In the ship's clearance Henry Tibbetts is called "Shoe-maker." He settled
at Dover Neck, in New Hampshire, and had other issue. The families were re-
markably prolific, and descendants are now scattered into every state of the Union.
They are noted for their scholarship, mechanical capabilities, precision, order, and
great will-force. They are compact of build, large of bone, muscular, and of strong
constitution. Many have reached a great age. Nearly all have gray hair when
young. Patience Tibbetts, who became the wife of Abraham Redlon, was aunt to
Gideon Tibbetts, whose daughter Hannah was married to Samuel Ridlon, and her
son is author of this book. (See note on the Bunker and Walker families in fol-
lowing pages.)
