Joseph Weston
- Born: 7 Mar 1732, Concord, Massachusettes 95
- Marriage: Eunice Farnsworth in 1756 in Massachusetts 144,629
- Died: 16 Oct 1775, Skowhegan, Somerset, Maine at age 43 95
 Noted events in his life were:
• Information. 118
Joseph Weston was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1732. He emigrated in 1772 with his family, consisting of his wife, seven sons and two daughters, to the District of Maine, and located on the Kennecbec River at what is now Skowhegan. His wife was the daughter of Aaron Farnsworth, of Groton, Massachusetts.
• Background Information. 559
Joseph, son of Stephen Weston, was born in Concord, 7 Mar 1732. About 1769 he removed to Lancaster and shortly after went to Maine. Peter Heywood, Joseph Weston and Isaac Smith were the pioneer settlers of that part of old Canaan, now Skowhegan, Maine. Peter Heywood and Joseph Weston came first in the early fall of 1771 with some of the boys and bringing some young cattle. They cut hay on some of the adjacent islands that had been cleared by the Indians, built a camp and left two boys, Eli Weston and Isaac Smith to spend the winter and care for the cattle. The location was eighteen miles above Winslow, the nearest most settlement, to which place the boys made on visit during the long winter.
Weston was so late in starting from Massachusetts with his family that he could not get up the river, so they stopped in Dresden until January, then moved on to Fort Halifax, and the of April, 1772, "we got to my own house." They located about two miles and a half below Skowhegan Falls near the islands, so that by cultivating the land on the islands and cutting, burning and clearing small tracts on the shore, they were able to raise sufficient crops for their needs.
Heywood probably came with his family in the summer of 1772. His farm included the Leighton and Abram Wyman farms on the south river road, Skowhegan, and the Weston's was below.
Joseph Weston traded in a small way, carried on his farm, and worked at his trade as a tailor when occasion offered. In 1775, when Arnold's forces went up the river on their way to Quebec, Weston and two of his sons, Eli and William, assisted in getting the boats from their settlement up the river, over Skowhegan and Norridgewock Falls. From this hardship and exposure he took a severe cold, and died 16 Oct 1775.
He married, in 1756, Eunice, daughter of Aaron and Hannah (Barron) Farnsworth. Their children were:
• Joseph, born 17 Jan 1757 (twin), died 22 Mar 1838, and married Sarah Emery.
• Samuel, 17 Jan 1757 (twin) and died 7 Jun 1802. He married Mary White.
• John, 19 Jul 1758, died 12 Nov 1842, and married first Azubah Piper, second Sarah Emery.
• Eli, 4 July 1760, died 4 Oct 1847, and married Sarah Kemp.
• William, 11 Nov 1763, died 29 Dec 1840 and married first, Betsy Clark, second Mary Pinkham.
• Benjamin, 3 February 1765, died 7 Apr 1851, and married Annie Powers.
• Eunice, 25 Aug 1766, died 12 Aug 1779
• Hannah, 23 Feb 1768, died 11 Feb 1800, married Noah Parkman
• Stephen, 15 Sep 1770, died 31 May 1847, and married Martha Gray.
~Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, pp. 1141-1142
• Background Information. 629
Joseph Weston was the [great] great-grandson of John Weston who came from Buckinghamshire, England, to Salem, Massachusetts in 1644, at the age of 13. Joseph's father, Stephen, moved to Concord, where Joseph's children were born.
Joseph, born in Concord 7 Mar 1732, was a tailor by trade. He was married, 1756, to Eunice, daughter of Aaron & Hannah (Barron) Farnsworth of Groton. Eunice was born 26 Nov 1735.
Joseph's pioneer spirit lead him to join with Peter Heywood in their settlement in Maine. Joseph took his wife, seven sons and two daughter, the oldest being his twin sons at the age of 15 and the youngest only 14 months old. Joseph wrote the following about his journey to Canaan in an account book:
"Lancaster, 15 Nov 1771 sat our with my family for Maine on Kennebeck River; got as far as Concord that night and tarried there til ye 22 day and went to Charlestown and tarried over night, 23 day I cot a boat and went aboard Capt. Callahan Sloop, 26 day Saled and harbored at night at Marblehead and tarried till ye 28 day than Sailed and ankered at night against Seegoin 29 day Saled up Kennebeck River as far as Lovejoy's Narrows, 30 day we got to Captain Lovejoy's, Sunday ye 1 of December went a Shoar at Captain Lovejoy's, 2 day we moved into Capt. Fletcher's house. Ye 18 day I went up to our Camps and reoen ye 31 day. January ye 16 day 1772 then we moved upon the ice and got as far as Doct Baker's that night, ye 20 day we moved from Doct Baker's to Fort Halfax and tarried till ye 27 of April, than sat out of Canen got as far as Mr. Zemri Heywood's, 28 we got over ye Landen, 29 we got about a mile above ye 15 mile stream, 30 of April we got to my one House."
~Skowhegan on the Kennebec, pp. 141-145
• Grave.
IN memory of
Mr. JOSEPH WESTON
who died
Oct. 16, 1775, aged 43
Bloomfield Weston Cemetery, Skowhegan, Maine - Photo by Tim Cooper
Joseph married Eunice Farnsworth, daughter of Aaron Farnsworth and Hannah Barron, in 1756 in Massachusetts 144.,629 (Eunice Farnsworth was born on 26 Nov 1735 in Groton. Middlesex, Massachusetts 95,144,629 and died on 8 Nov 1822 in Skowhegan, Somerset, Maine 144.)
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