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Elihu Gunnison was born 12 FEB 1650 in Boston, Ma. He died in Kittery, ME. He was the son of Hugh Gunnison (c1610->1658) and Sarah Lynn.
Elihu Gunnison's wife was Martha Trickee. They were married 10 NOV 1674 in Dover, NH. They had six known children named Elihu Gunnison (c1675-?), unknown Gunnison (c1677-?), Priscilla Gunnison (c1679-?), Mary Gunnison (c1681-?), Joseph Gunnison (1690-1748), and Elizabeth Gunnison (1694-1715).
Elihu, the son of Hugh, was born in Boston, probably at King's ArmsTavern, N. W. corner of State and Exchange Streets. After the sale of theirBoston property in 1651, he probably accompanied his parents toKittery, Me. The gap from 1658 to 1674 I cannot Jill. In the latter year,Elihu finds his wife at Dover, where, tradition says, he continued to resideuntil the settlement was destroyed by the Indians, and the inhabitantswere driven down the river. The onslaught was so impetuous andunexpected, that the settlers barely escaped with their lives, and aninfant of our name was inadvertently left behind, and the agonizedparents saw their child siezed by an Indian, by the feet, and its brainsdashed out against a rock. This tradition comes in a shape to imply oneor more other children in the family. The settlers fled to Kittery, the oldestand most populous of all the settlements, which at no time wasabandoned.
His wife died before Nov. 23, 1685, for on that day he made a Deed toJohn Hubbard of Boston, and no wife is mentioned in it. His second wife'sname was Elizabeth, and by her he had the two youngest children.
In 1680, Elihu Gunnison joined with other residents of York, Kittery andWells in an address to Charles II., to relieve them from the Puritangovernment of Boston.
December 28, 1680, he was an acting Magistrate with Walter Barefoot,William Haskins and Thomas Thurton in the seizure of a vessel atPortsmouth for violating the Revenue Laws. (See Affidavits printed in NewHampshire Hist. Soc. Collections, Vol. VIII., pp. 62, 69, 70, 119, 120.)
Aug. 19, 1682. "At the house of Robert Gibbers, at Fort Hill in Boston,John Alyen and others of ye former inhabitance of Shippscutt River didjoyntly bind themselves to stand to several Articles of agreement for yesettling of a Township on a neck of land surveyed, and a town laid outthereon, lying and being in Shippscutt River." This was a re-settlement ofwhat was called New Dartmouth, and was perfected Sept. 16, 1684.
A petition from the inhabitants of Pemaquid probably in 1683, wassigned by Elihu Gunnison and others. (See Maine Hist. Col., V. 81.)
" Gunnison (Elihu) lived at New Dartmouth in Dukedom of York," (saysSewall, p. 187.)
April 21, 1684. Petition of Inhabitants of New Dartmouth, signed by ElihuGunnison, as Justice of the Peace, with others.
Nov. 23, 1685. Elihu Gunnison of Sheepscot River in the Government ofNew York, and formerly of Kittery within ye Province of Maine in NewEngland, Shipwright, deeds to John Hubbard of Boston, Merchant, TennAcres of Upland on Spruce Creek, in Town of Kittery, also, GranthomIsland in Spruce Creek, adjoining. (See Appendix,) This land was on theWest bank of Spruce Creek, while his father's old place was on the Eastbank. In 1717, this land was re-conveyed to Elihu Gunnis )n by Anne,widow of John Hubbard, and the original Deed was surrendered to him.No wife of'Elihu is mentioned. He was probably a widower then.
Sept. 8, 1686. Commission of Elihu Gunnison, and of seven others, asJustices of the Peace for County of Cornwall, from James II. of England,the former Duke of York, may be found in full in Maine Hist. Col., V. 113.The Commission under which he acted as Justice of the Peace on April21, 1684, was from Charles II., of England, probably.
There was a Fort on the banks of the Sheepscot River, which with all itsbuildings was destroyed about this time (1688), and the settlement wasentirely broken up. (Me. Hist. Col., IV., 227.)
" Sept. 5, 1689. New Dartmouth destroyed by the Indians." (Sewall, p.187.)
Nmi. 13, 1689. Elihu Gunnison attended a Council of War at Falmouth(now Portland), where it was ordered among other things, " that there bea sufficient garrison erect about Mr. Gunnison's house for a mayne Courtof Guard," etc. As New Dartmouth had already been destroyed, this newhouse was probably erected at Falmouth.
In 1690, the Fort at Falmouth was captured by the French and Indians,the same year that Sir Wm. Phipps of Pemaquid, captured Port Royalfrom the French.
These successive disasters drove Elihu Gunnison back again to Kittery.
He was born the same year and month in Boston, with Sir Wm. Phipps inPemaquid, and had been associated with him, not only as hiscontemporary, but also in the same employment and in the same town.So afterwards, his son Elihu became an Associate and Kro.-in-law of SirWilliam Pepperrell, of Kittery.
If Hugh Gunnison died at Kittery much later than his name appears in anyrecords, I can account for several facts :
1. Why his son Elihu, on his escape from Dover to Kittery about 1677,with his wife and surviving child did not remain there, with his father atthe homestead. His father had been tabooed politically, and mostprobably from his calling had fallen into habits of dissipation, so as tomake it uncomfortable for the son to take or keep his family there.
2. How Elihu came to have land on the West bank of Spruce Creek, whichhe conveyed to John Hubbard in 1685. It was a separate home.
3. Why Elihu returned to Kittery in 1690. His father was now dead, andhe was the only son with a family. On his return, he went into possesssionof the old homestead.
4. How it came about that Hugh's grandson, Richard Tucker (then) ofBoston, as late as Nov. 4, 1718, administered on the Estate. RichardTucker's uncle, Joseph Gunnison, probably died in 1718. That waseleven years after his accidental killing of Grace Wentworth, and he hadreached the age of 68 years, and had no family. To pay the incidentalexpenses of his declining years, his nephew proposed to realizesomething from his grandfather's estate by legal proceedings.
In fixing the date of Hugh's death, I am inclined to say, not later than1680, for his name does not appear on the Petition addressed to CharlesII. by the inhabitants of Kittery, York and Wells, in that year.
Elihu Gunnison's name does not appear in the public records in Kitteryuntil 1693. He served as one of the Selectmen during the years16931710 inclusive. He was Moderator of the Selectmen during the years1699-1726 inclusive, showing a well established character.
On his return to Kittery, Elihu Gunnison resumed the Ship-buildingbusiness at the old homestead, and launched his vessels into SpruceCreek near his residence.
" May 9, 1693. Elihu Gunnison with others was appointed to giveinstructions to the Deputy of Representative to the General Court atBoston."
" May 16, 1694. Granted Elihu Gunnison Forty Acres land. Draft of Mr.Gunnison's Upper Lot." (Kittery Town Records.)
"Mar. 5, 6, 8, 1696-7. Laid out unto Mr. Elihu Gunnison a Tract of Landat Bryan's Point, containing Three Hundred Acres of Land, Brian's Pointincluded, it being a tract of Land granted unto Mr. Hugh Gunnison, Dec.26, (16 O.S.) 1652, by the Town of Kittery." (Kittery Town Records, Vol.I., p. 114. See Appendix.)
Query ? Why lay out this tract to Elihu, the younger son rather than toJoseph the older son, who was still living ? Did Elihu pay a balance ofpurchase money ? or, did he redeem it by paying back taxes, or did hisfather will it to him, and this proceeding was had to perfect title in him ?
March 21, 1699. He was appointed by the town to keep the Ferry acrossSpruce Creek.
" Dec. 30, 1700. Then laid out to Mr. Elihu Gunnison Thirty-five acres ofland, which land lyeth on the West end of the land formerly granted to hisfather, Mr. Hugh Gunnison, and is at that point of land between the saidformer grant and Spruce Creek, except what, etc., called Brint's Point."
"Feb. 26, 1702-3. Notice of Mr. Elihu Gunnison's Mill.
"May 10, 1703. Granted to Mr. Elihu Gunnison One hundred acres ofland. Also, all the town's right to Gunnison's Neck, so called." (KitteryTown Records.)
March 29, 1729. The last trace of Elihu Gunnison, which is his signatureto a document, as Justice of the Peace, which is now in my possession.How much later he lived I cannot tell.