TRACING MY LEAR ROOTS By Alex Alan Lear Introduction to History 12 May 1999 I remember becoming interested in my family's genealogy when I was seven. As I sat on my grandfather's knee, he told me some interesting stories about his life, including many of the trials that he went through growing up. Even at that young age, I wanted to learn more about his background, and about what the Lear family was like before my Papa was alive, what they did during the American Revolution, and where they came from before living here. Because he never knew his father, Papa could not be very helpful. As I grew older, and my interest in history increased, I still searched for information on my family's past, finding nothing. In June 1997, I did find a marriage record for Papa's father (my great-grandfather), Norman Lear, which stated that he was from the Belfast area. At the Belfast Free Library, I did extensive research, where I found many Lears from Belfast and Northport, but no Norman Lear. Finally, a 1910 census record for Belfast showed that Norman was a son of Erving Lear. From there, I could trace back to my fifth great-grandfather, Richard Lear, who was the first Lear in the area. A census record stated that Richard was from New Hampshire; I found many Lears in the Portsmouth and Ossipee areas, but no Richard. I contacted Richard Steele, a knowledgeable genealogist who has quite a bit of material on the Lears of New Hampshire. After looking through his records, he did come upon a Richard. The New Hampshire Genealogical Record and the Church of Latter Day Saint's International Genealogical Index (I.G.I.) confirmed this and, with Mr. Steele's further assistance, helped me to trace back even further, to my ninth great-grandfather. The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire states that the Lears of New Hampshire were from the county of Devon, England, and using the I.G.I. again I traced back one more generation, to Hugh Leare, who was born about four hundred years ago. I have not been able to go any farther back, although because many Lears are listed from the 1500s in the I.G.I., I believe that it may be possible to trace back a few more generations. I am happy to at least be able to know where my Lear ancestors came from before entering the New World. The below information is as accurate as is possible from the materials I have used. Tracing the genealogy of the Lears has allowed me to learn about the lives of everyday common people, which to me can be just as important as learning about more prestigious topics, like kings and wars. It also has given me a sense of heritage, knowing where my name and my roots originated. For the first number of generations, before Richard Langdon Lear, very little information is known about my ancestors, and usually only dates of birth, marriage, and death are available. It is not until the past two centuries of history that I have been able to piece together a more complete picture of who these people really were. PROLOGUE0 Eighth Century-Seventeenth Century The Lear surname originated among Scandinavian people who migrated southwestward through Europe during the many Norman attacks on Europe from 787 and Rollo's conquest of Normandy in 911. Those who would become Lears remained in Normandy until William the Conqueror's takeover of England in 1066, after which time a steady influx of Normans challenged the English population. It is believed by those who have researched the name that the people who lived along the Leire River in France, or those who lived in Leicester in England, adopted the surname Lear for identification purposes. The earliest known Lear was William de Leyre, of London, who lived in the thirteenth century. The surname Lear, though it has never been common, spread through England, with a concentration in the county of Devon. As far back as the sixteenth century, many Lears can be found there. HUGH LEAR II 1641-1686 (Ninth Great-Grandfather) In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Lear surname was found particularly in Devon, a small county in England. Johnis Leare, of Bovey Tracey, Devon, is the earliest family member who I have traced in the county; he was probably born in the 1520s, since his first child was born in 1547. The occupations of him and his fellow Devonian Lears are not known. They were not prominent people, for their names are not listed elsewhere. The earliest member of my Lear lineage known so far is Hugh Leare, of Staverton, Devon. Very little is known about him, and that is just statistical information alone. The christening records of his children still survive in Staverton, as noted in the International Genealogical Index, and they are listed below. Toby [Tobias] Leare, 18 January 1628 Edward Leare, 15 August 1630 Joan Leare, 11 November 1632 William Leare, 2 March 1633 Hugh Leare [II], 2 April 1637 John Leare, 24 March 1638 Hugh Leare [II], 20 June 1641 Thomas Leare, 16 July 1643 In the former Hugh II's christening record, his mother is named Joanna, so most likely child #3 was named for her mother. Two Hughs are mentioned in the list, and the best possible explanation is that the first Hugh died in early childhood, and that a son born later was named for him. Such homage was a common tradition during this time. Because the elder Hugh's first child was born about 1628, he probably married Joanna about 1627. Therefore, he would have been born circa 1600. I have not yet been able to locate a birth or christening record for him, though, so no parentage is known. However, I am sure that he descends from Johnis Leare, for Johnis is the earliest mentioned, and all lines seem to trace back to him. The Lear family in America spread almost entirely through brothers Tobias and Hugh. Because they were thirteen years apart, Tobias probably served as a surrogate father to Hugh as they sailed westward across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1650s. Because they apparently did not undergo indentured servitude, the brothers were probably able to afford their trip and were thus of at least middle class level. Why they sailed is not specifically known, but they were probably just following the wave of Europeans who flocked to the New World in search of a more prosperous life throughout the seventeenth century. They may have also made the journey for religious reasons, but this is not certain. Once they had immigrated, they dropped the e off from Leare. Tobias and Hugh settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by 1659. Becoming a mariner, Tobias married Elizabeth Sherburne, member of a rather respectable family in that colony, on 11 April 1667. Hugh's profession is unknown, although he must have been in fairly good financial standing to marry Mary Savage circa 1671. Mary was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Walford) Savage, a sawmill worker, and the granddaughter of Thomas Walford, the earliest and sole inhabitant of Charlestown, Virginia. Walford was banished from the vicinity for his unruly conduct to newcomers, and he migrated to Portsmouth. Hugh and Mary Lear had two known children. John, the first, will be discussed later. Susannah, the second, married three times: first to Philip Lambeth, second to James Abbott, and third to Samuel Adams. Hugh and Tobias kept in close contact. Tobias granted twenty acres of Sagamore Creek land to his brother in 1674, so it seems that Hugh depended on Tobias to a certain extent. Hugh witnessed the making of Tobias's will in January 1677 and saw to its extension upon Tobias's death four years later. On 28 August 1685, Hugh took an oath of allegiance. His last public act was witnessing Henry Savage's deed, for Hugh died soon afterward on 27 December 1686. Mary was taxed as "Widow Lear" in 1688 and married Peter Wells in 1694. She probably lived on into the next century, but nothing is known of her after this marriage. JOHN LEAR 1672-1746 (Eighth Great-Grandfather) John Lear was born circa 1672 in Portsmouth. He became a cordwainer and was given an amount of land from his grandmother, Elizabeth Savage, in 1702. The elderly woman also gave land to James and Elizabeth Abbott, children of Susannah Lear's, and to Elizabeth and Mary Wells, children from Mary Lear's second marriage. John deeded this land to Hugh Banfield and to his cousin, Tobias Lear II. John married a woman named Hannah sometime before 1706, for it was in that year that his first known child, Samuel, was born. Samuel will be discussed later. Four other children followed. Hannah and Benjamin were baptized on 28 January 1728. Benjamin, who was eight years old at the time, became the local legend known as "the hermit of Sagamore Creek." He lived until 17 December 1802, at the age of 82, by himself. One visitor that he often received was Tobias Lear V (1762-1816), who became George Washington's private secretary. Elizabeth was received into the covenant at South Church in Portsmouth on 26 June 1726. She moved to Durham, where she remained single and kept the house for Abraham from 1728 to 1730. She sued him three years later for not paying her. Lastly, John II was born, but nothing is known of him. Hannah was received into the covenant at South Church in January 1728, and John followed in August. In 1742, John and Hannah deeded land to Samuel and Benjamin. John died on 9 November 1746 in Portsmouth, age 74. His wife survived him many years, not dying until the age of 105, in 1775. She is reported to have said, at her 102nd birthday, when hearing a funeral procession pass, "O when will the bell toll for me! It seems to me that the bell will never toll for me. I am afraid that I shall never die." SAMUEL LEAR 1706-1750s (Seventh Great-Grandfather) Samuel Lear was born circa 1706 in Portsmouth. While his brother Benjamin exiled himself from civilization, Samuel remained close to the family. A farmer, he received an additional deed of land from his father in 1746, just before the man died. On 22 January 1730, Samuel married Mary Lucy. Mary, the daughter of Benjamin Lucy and Mary Savage, was a cousin of Samuel's. Her great-grandfather, Henry Savage, was also Samuel's great-grandfather. Samuel and Mary had the following children: Three unknown children, baptized on 19 September 1736 Samuel Lear II, 7 October 1739 Alexander Lear, 4 October 1741 Mary Lear, 9 October 1743 Deborah Lear, 11 August 1745 Not a great deal is known about Samuel Lear. He died sometime during the 1750s, for Mary was married to a man named Atkins by 1761. Her life after this point is unknown. SAMUEL LEAR II 1739-1819 (Sixth Great-Grandfather) Samuel Lear II, probably the first son in his family, was baptized on 7 October 1739 in Portsmouth. He married Elizabeth Cowe on 14 January 1765. Elizabeth may have been the daughter of Peter and Mary Cowe, who were living in Portsmouth at the time of her approximated birth. Samuel II and Elizabeth had the following children: Katherine Lear, baptized on 15 November 1767 Samuel Lear III, 15 November 1767 William (1) Lear, 15 November 1767 (probably died in infancy) William (2) Lear, 15 October 1769 Alexander Lear, 5 May 1771 Paul Lear, 9 May 1773 Eleanor Mitchell Lear, 27 October 1776 Richard Langdon Lear, 19 April 1778 Samuel II's whereabouts can be traced through census records, which came into being during his lifetime. The following shows all of the heads of family with the Lear surname living in New Hampshire in 1776: Benjamin Lear [(1720-1802), son of Samuel] - Portsmouth, Rockingham County - age 56 George Walker Lear [(1719-?), son of Tobias II] - Sunapee, Sullivan County - age 57 Joseph Lear [(1749-?), son of George Walker] - Sunapee - age 27 Nathaniel Lear [(1712-?), son of Tobias II] - Portsmouth - age 64 Samuel Lear II [(1739-1819), son of Samuel] - Portsmouth - age 37 Tobias Lear IV [(1736-1781), son of Tobias III] - Portsmouth - age 40 Somewhere between 1778 (the baptism of his final child) and 1790, Samuel II moved from Portsmouth to Ossipee, New Hampshire. Three Samuel Lears appear in the next New Hampshire census, taken in 1790; one is in Portsmouth and the other two in Ossipee. The two in Ossipee are listed as "Samuel" and "Samuel, Jr." Because it is known that Samuel II's oldest son was also named Samuel and would probably be living on his own by 1790 (being more than 23 years old), I believe that the two Ossipee Samuels are the ones directly connected to my lineage. The Portsmouth Samuel was probably the one who was born in 1762 and married Sally Salter (see Appendix for more detail). That census, the first official one taken after the United States had been established as a country independent of England, is listed as follows: Benjamin Lear - Portsmouth, Rockingham County - living by himself - age 70 George Walker Lear - Wendell, Chesire County - one son under 16, a wife [Mary Cowell], and two daughters - age 67 Joseph Lear - Wendell - one son under 16, a wife, and three daughters - age 37 [Nathaniel Lear had died by 1790.] Samuel Lear [(1762-?), son of Alexander and grandson of Samuel)]- Portsmouth - two sons under 16, a wife [Sally Salter], and four daughters - age 28 Samuel Lear [II] - Ossipee, Strafford - two sons under 16, a wife [Elizabeth Cowe], and two daughters - age 51 Samuel Lear, Jr. [III, (1767-?), son of Samuel II] - Ossipee - two sons under 16, a wife, and one daughter - age 23 Tobias Lear IV - Portsmouth - one son over 16 [Tobias V], a wife [Mary Stilson], and three daughters - age 54????? Samuel II fought in the American Revolution, according to the Daughters of the American Revolution society. Elizabeth (Cowe) Lear died in Ossipee on 10 October 1803. Samuel II followed her on 3 April 1819, at the age of eighty years. They were the last members of my lineage to die in New Hampshire. RICHARD LANGDON LEAR 1778-1851 (Fifth Great-Grandfather) The last of a family of eight children, Richard Langdon Lear was named for John Langdon, a close family friend and important member in New Hampshirian political affairs. Richard was baptized on 19 April 1778 at the North Church in Portsmouth. With the official close of the American Revolution in 1783, central North America was, for many Americans, a new frontier with great potential to be explored. Once Richard became an adult, he most likely wished to attempt to make a better living by cultivating an unsettled land, or at least it appears this way from Richard's migration to Maine after 1800. Maine, still a large wilderness that was part of Massachusetts, was probably just the place for which a farmer like Richard was seeking. Sometime between 1800 and 1807, Richard crossed the border and worked his way up to Northport, a small township that had only existed since 1796. On 26 November 1807 he married Judith Pinkham. Judith, who was born circa 1784 in Townsend, Maine, was the daughter of James Pinkham, one of the founders of Northport. From late census records that totaled the real estate of families, it appears that Richard struggled to make ends meet. For example, in 1850 his total was $250, while more prosperous neighbors had around $1500. It would therefore make sense for Richard to take other jobs, such as being a surveyor of roads in 1826. Tracing the children of Richard and Judith has been a tedious but interesting process, and I will attempt to explain it here. Richard first appeared in the 1810 Northport census. Very little information was given on such an old document (as would be the case until 1850), but it is written that Richard was between 26 and 45 years of age (placing his birth between 1765 and 1784). A woman was living there of the same age, presumably his wife Judith, and a boy and girl under ten years of age (Son A and Daughter A) were listed. Because a Benjamin Oakes Lear was born in Northport on 24 March 1810, I assume that he was Son A. According to the 1820 Northport Census, Richard and Judith had eight children. Richard and Judith were still between 26 and 45 (revising his birth year to between 1775 and 1794). Son A and Daughter A were between ten and sixteen, while Sons B through D and Daughters B through D are all under age ten. A Richard Lear II was born circa 1815 and living in Belfast years later. I believe that since no other Lear was old enough to father him, and because he would have to have a father named Richard, Richard II is either Son B, C, or D. Ten children lived along with Richard and Judith by the 1830 Census. Son A was between twenty and thirty, Sons B and C were between ten and fifteen, Son D was missing (he most likely died in youth), and Son E was between five and ten. I believe that since Aaron was born circa 1820, he was probably Son E. Daughters A and B were gone, most likely married, while Daughter C (who could also be either A or B) was between fifteen and twenty and Daughter D was between ten and fifteen. Daughters E and F were between five and ten, and Daughters G and H are under age five. The story becomes even more complicated by the 1840 Census, for two Lear families neighbored each other in Northport. Richard and Judith were left with six children. Only one son remained, Son E. Daughters E and F were between fifteen and twenty, Daughter G and H were between ten and fifteen, and Daughter I was under age five. The latter girls could possibly have been granddaughters, for Richard and Judith would have been relatively old to be having children (both were probably above 55 at the time of this census). The 1850 Northport Census ties together a few loose ends. Richard is said to be 78 (which places his birth at 1772, but since his age varies from year to year, I will stick to the proven 1778 birth year), and Judith is 66. Two children are living there, Elizabeth (who I assume is Daughter H) and Margarett [sic] (probably Daughter I). A Ms. Betsey Lear died in Northport in 1838 at the age of 27. She could not have been the same person as the Elizabeth mentioned in the 1850 Census, for Elizabeth lived until 1896 and was much younger. Perhaps Richard had two daughters, Betsey and Elizabeth? I have come across families with sons John and Jonathan, two variations of the same name, so it is possible. If this is the case, perhaps Betsey is Daughter A. Richard and Judith's known children are as follows: Benjamin Oakes Lear (Son A), born on 24 March 1810 Betsey Lear (Daughter A), circa 1811 Richard Lear II (Son B?), circa 1815 Aaron Lear (Son E), circa 1820 Elizabeth Lear (Daughter H), circa 1828 Margaret Lear (Daughter I), circa 1836 The new Lear heading a household in 1840 was Benjamin, Son A. Because he neighbored Richard, he was most definitely Richard's son (neighboring relatives were traditional). Benjamin married Lucy Waterman on 30 November 1834, which would explain the absence of Son A in the 1840 Census. Lucy was probably born in Northport circa 1807. Financially, he seemed to do much better than the rest of his family, as can be seen from his real estate value on the 1850 census. He and Lucy had the following children: Benjamin Obediah Lear, born circa 1834 Joanna Augusta Lear, 18 September 1835 Joseph F., circa 1839 Bethiah, circa 1840 Mary, 14 October 1842 Abbie Harriet, 10 October 1845 William G., circa 1848 Benjamin II and Joseph fought in the American Civil War. Benjamin married Mary Ann Durfor (?-1928) and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joanna married James Wood on 16 July 1854. They had at least one child, Annie Martha Wood. Annie would later marry William Augustus Lear, a nephew of Benjamin. Joanna passed away on 4 July 1883, followed by her husband exactly thirty-one years later. See the paragraph on Mary in the section on Aaron Lear. Abbie married Jesse Priest (who also fought in the Civil War), and they both died within days of each other in March 1931. William married a woman named Catherine and initially worked as a mason. When he died in Belfast on 18 January 1894, he was a carriage painter. Sons B and C of Richard Lear were born between 1815 and 1820. Because a Richard Lear II appears in 1850 in Belfast, Maine, who fits this description, I am assuming that he is either one of these sons. Richard II was born in Maine, probably in Northport, about 1815. He took a separate path from his father and brothers, moved to Belfast, and became a sailor. On 12 February 1840 he married Susan Dunbar, who was born about 1820. They had two children; Mary was born about 1844 and Susan on 9 September 1845. I heard a claim that one of the Lears died at sea. Because Richard II disappears after 1850 I am assuming that he was the one. A Susan Lear, age 26, was living with William Robbins according to the 1860 Belfast Census. She would be too young to be Richard II's former wife. However, another Susan, of the exact age as Richard II's daughter, was living with the elder Susan. The younger Susan married "Fitz" W. Patterson and died on 3 July 1922. Perhaps there is more to Richard II's family than meets the eye, but one thing is for sure: Richard II was out of the picture. An Elizabeth Lear married James Dodge around 1860. She died on 16 May 1896 at the age of sixty-six. This would make her about the same age as Richard's daughter Elizabeth, so I am assuming that the two women were one and the same. James and Elizabeth had at least one son, Herbert R. Dodge, who was born on 4 July 1861 and died on 12 May 1926. Richard and Judith Lear's whereabouts after 1850 are undetermined. A Judith B. Lear married James H. Dodge on 28 April 1852. Either this Judith was a daughter of Richard, or it could have been his wife. If Richard died circa 1850 or 1851, Judith would likely have remarried for financial support, so it is very possible that this is what happened. What happened to Judith after marrying James Dodge, though, is not known at this time. AARON LEAR 1820-1886 (Fourth Great-Grandfather) Another Lear shows up in the 1850 Northport Census. Aaron Lear was born in Maine about 1820. Because there is no other Lear around who was old enough to father him but Richard, Aaron was probably Richard's son and thus was born in Northport. Aaron married Mary Thompson about 1839. I have heard that Mary might have been a member of an American Indian encampment along the Belfast coast, and that may then be the origin of the rumors of Indian blood in all Lears. At any rate, Aaron and Mary Lear had three children: Adelia F. in 1840, Lucy Jane in 1846, and William Augustus (I heard from one source that the "A" always initialing his middle name stood for Augustus, and I have found nothing to prove otherwise) on 23 February 1850. Because Mary disappears after the 1850 census, she probably died in the 1850s. This death seems to have been a severe blow to the family. While Adelia may have become married and gone to live elsewhere, the other two children left Aaron's custody while still underage. Lucy became a pauper and lived with Elsie Dickey and Jane Morey. William was sent to live with David Knowles. Aaron, most likely penniless, became a pauper in the household of Reuben and Abigail Brainard. He became involved with Margaret A. Levenseler and turned a marriage intention in to the City of Belfast on 30 July 1862. Aaron received the following disappointing response, as recorded in The Vital Records of Belfast: "As Aaron Lear is about to enter the bonds of matrimony with one Margaret A. Levenseler and as they are not capable of providing for themselves we the undersigned do forbid you granting them a Certificate." By 1870, Aaron was living on his own as a farm laborer and Lucy worked as a domestic servant. Another love interest appeared in Aaron's life when he met Ruhama Patterson, and he applied for marriage on 10 September 1872. He was rejected yet again, this time on the grounds that Ruhama was already married to one Charles Brown. Aaron's third try for marriage, however, was successful. On 22 April 1876 he married Hannah J. Burgin, who was probably born in Maine about 1852. She was thus thirty-two years younger than Aaron, but she kept the house while he labored as a farm hand. Aaron Lear died in Northport on 2 October 1886. His life had been one of loss and hardship, and I hope that his married final years helped to ease his pain. A Lucy J. Lear is reported to have married Isaac Alonzo Wood on 1 July 1860, but for Aaron's daughter to do this she would have been only fourteen. According to the genealogist Priscilla Jones, this Lucy J. Lear was actually Mary Lear, the daughter of Benjamin Lear. Mary could have also gone by the name "Jennie." Mary would have been eighteen in 1860 and thus of marrying age. Assuming that she married Isaac, she may also have married Reuben Bird on 15 October 1882 (I found this last bit in Mrs. Jones's records). She died on 15 June 1919. On 12 January 1890 a Lucy Jane Lear married Eugene Black. Because the trail of Aaron's daughter ends after 1880, she must have either died, moved away, or become married. I am assuming the latter. Either way, it is written that she died on 10 July 1891, so any marriage was very short-lived. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS LEAR 1850-1922 (Third Great-Grandfather) The third child of Aaron, William Augustus Lear, fared much better than his older sister. He left the home of David Knowles, moved to Belfast in the 1860s, and, like his father and grandfather before him, took up farming. He also dabbled in masonry. On 11 September 1869, William married Alfreda C. Briggs. Alfreda was born in the area on 23 December 1847, the daughter of Bartlett and Deborah Jane (Wood) Briggs. William and Alfreda had at least three children: Erving Carrol on 18 September 1870, Mary E. in 1874, and Melvin R. in September 1876. The shroud of death covered William's life, for Melvin died in infancy on 30 August 1877 and Alfreda died on 6 February 1881. Mary would later die on 5 October 1898, but at the time of Alfreda's death, William and his two children were left on their own. Anne Martha Wight had become a widow when her husband of a few years, Willis Wight, died in the late 1870s. Anne became a housekeeper for William, and she was eventually promoted to his wife after she became impregnated by him. William and Anne became married four months later, on 24 September 1881. She was born on 7 October 1855, the daughter of James and Joanna (Lear) Wood. Joanna was the daughter of Benjamin Lear, and she was therefore William's third cousin. At least five children were born of this marriage: Charles Eldrick Lear, 22 January 1882 Elbert Harrison Lear, 19 December 1884 Fannie May Bell Lear, 5 May 1887 Sarah Francis Lear, 14 August 1890 Arletta Lancaster Lear, 28 September 1894. William and Anne may have had a daughter named Hattie, who was born on 26 August 1888 and died on 10 October 1898, but this is just speculation. Erving will be mentioned later. Charles moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Fannie, quite prolific when it came to marriage, married Walter Dyer on 6 June 1903, Grover C. Dunton on 10 June 1916, and James C. Kelley on 9 September 1922. Sarah married Philemon W. Pitcher on 19 December 1907 and S.E. Harvey on 7 October 1915. Arletta married Carl A. Merrithew on 12 February 1921 and died on 18 August 1976. Elbert joined Company A of the Third Maine Regiment on 12 March 1918, and he afterward fought in the First World War. He married Evelyn Dyer on 27 April 1920, and he was highly respected in the community. Elbert's death on 13 May 1921 was truly tragic, for Evelyn was seven months pregnant with the couple's only child. This child, Elbert II (1921-1973), fought in the Second World War. He married three times: first to Mildred F. Kinnet in 1942, second to Sylvia R. Moulton in 1946, and finally to Lisa Balinus sometime before 1973. On 7 July 1888, two men named James T. Wargent and James Richards were traveling from Belfast to Islesboro in a sloop, when the boat capsized. Wargent, unable to swim, drowned immediately. Richards clung onto the boat for survival and, to his fortune, was spotted by William Lear and Frederick Mahoney. Richards was rescued, and William would be the first of three members of his line to save a person from drowning. William moved to Mayo Street in Belfast in 1883. Williamson's History of Belfast mentions that he erected a building there in 1888, and that he improved his Congress Street residence in 1892. William became sick in his later years, dying in Belfast on 2 July 1922. His wife died almost exactly seventeen years later. She left behind a diary (or "memory book") of daily events, usually including the activities of William and Erving. Although there are many misspellings and grammatical inconsistences, it is important to remember that Annie Lear received a scant education and was probably doing the best with what she had to work with. The diary helps to shed light on the humanity of the people involved in this story, instead of merely being a collection of names and dates. ERVING CARROL LEAR 1870-1956 (Second Great-Grandfather) The first son of William, Erving Carroll Lear, married Formetta "Mattie" I. Proctor on 18 November 1896. He was working as a farmer at the time. Mattie had been born to Charles and Carrie Proctor on 7 October 1879, in Northport. Erving and his wife had an abundance of children, fifteen to be exact: 1. Elver Eugena, born on 20 January 1898 2. Erving Carroll II, born on 27 August 1899 3. Norman Robert, born on 16 August 1901 4. Laurena Carrie, born on 30 September 1903 5. Raymond, born on 27 November 1905 6-8. Three triplets, Dorothy, Dora, and Doris, born on 26 January 1908 9. Roland Earl, born on 21 July 1909 10. Laurence Eugene, born on 20 October 1912 11. Rodney Clarence, born on 3 May 1914 12. Beatrice, born on 9 August 1916 13. Linwood Leroy, born on 28 March 1919 14. Wilfred Alston, born on 7 July 1921 15. Levorn "Lee" William, born on 17 June 1924 Erving II, the triplets, and Lee died in childhood. Elver married Forrest Green on 1 July 1916; she had at least two children, Alfred and Dolly, and died on 28 April 1988. Norman will be discussed in more detail later. Laurena probably married William H. Fletcher on 18 June 1921 but definitely married a man named Windoffer by 1937; she died in May 1987. Raymond married Marion E. Thomas on 23 June 1928. Roland married Francis Thomas on 10 December 1927. Beatrice married Merle Harriman on 28 December 1938. Linwood married Evelyn Webber on 1 October 1938. They had two children, Richard Leroy and Robert A.; the latter was born on in 1940 and married Sharon J. Fowler in 1962. Linwood suffered two great losses in his lifetime, first with the death of his wife in August 1957, and second with Robert's death in 1980. Linwood became married a second time, in November 1963, this time to Roberta H. Wood. In doing research for this report, I spoke with Roland and Linwood. When asked what he thought of his father, Roland replied, "I left home when I was thirteen. What does that tell you?" I heard a similar report from one of Erving's grandchildren, who saw Mattie as a generous and amiable person but Erving as gruff, stoic, and hot-tempered. Linwood said that Erving was like any other father, and that those people who had disagreements with the man were the ones at fault. I guess that it is just a matter of perspective. Perhaps because Linwood saw an older and possibly mellower side of Erving than did Roland, he comes away with a more positive opinion of his father. I can say the same of my own grandfather, Arthur Lear, who will be discussed later on. It is said that Erving was a heavy drinker, but when it came to working hard and providing a sufficient income for his family, his heart was in the right place. Linwood chastised me for doing research on Erving's life, claiming that since I never knew the man, it was none of my business. All that I want to do is get the most formulated and three-dimensional image of the man that is possible. From what I have heard, he was generally a decent person, but true judgement lies with those who knew him best. I have heard different impressions of the relationship between Erving and Mattie. Mattie, a very religious woman, was constantly involved in church functions. This would often keep her away from home, many times so that she would not be home in time to fix dinner for her husband. Out of anger, Erving constantly accused her of having an affair and not actually being at the church-related events. Still, the two were married for forty-one years, until Mattie's relatively young death, so there might have been some positive cohesion between them. Mattie died of cancer on 7 March 1937. Erving died in Belfast on 8 June 1956, at the age of eighty-five. Part of Mattie's obituary in The Republican Journal read: "She was a member of the Church of God, a faithful worker for the Lord, always giving to those in need with never a thought of herself. She left a diary and by that one can only guess what she suffered, but there was no word of complaint." A haunting recollection of Mattie's pain is recorded in the following poem, written soon before her death. FREE Free from the world of sorrow and care Free from the heartaches and disappointments hear Free praise His name to wander with Him Over the valley of death to go ever rejoicing And praising his name Glad to be out of this world of pain To live with Jesus praise His name Free so free I feel today Traveling on this narrow way Blessing others all the while Thanking God that I can smile And know that He is with me all the while Praising Him for grace each day That I may watch and pray As Jesus told us Praise His name Free so free to praise his name of names For with me Jesus will never change. NORMAN ROBERT LEAR 1901-1951 (Great-Grandfather) Until June 1997 I could trace my Lear genealogy no further back than Norman, due to the mystery of the man's existence. On 4 October 1919 he married Lucille Arlene Batchelder. She was born on 3 September 1903 in Brewer, Maine, the daughter of Arthur and Julia (Tingley) Batchelder. The fact that Lucille was five months pregnant on 4 October 1919 probably hurried the two teenagers into marriage on that date. Marguerite Geraldine Lear was born in Northport on 29 March 1920. Because Norman was employed as a logger during the warmest months, he was often away from home. Arthur Batchelder was often after Norman to assist in child support payments. Lucille herself, at the time living in Holden, Maine, took a trip down to Waldo County to retrieve some money from her husband. Roland, Norman's younger brother and good friend, recalls leading Lucille through the forest to Norman in the summer of 1922. Whether or not she got what she came for, she returned to Holden with an unexpected surprise. On 29 March 1923, three years to the day of her last birth-giving, Lucille bore two twins, Arthur Melvin and Arlene Mavis. Lucille is reputed to have been quite weak when it came to controlling certain internal passions, as was shown with her experiences with Norman. Unfortunately for the fate of her children and herself, such a weakness caused her to seek "fulfillment" while Norman was away at work. One day, probably during Summer 1924, when Norman arrived at Lucille's house unexpectedly, he discovered his wife in bed with another man. The man began to get up, but he was frozen by Norman's words. "If you get out of that bed, I'll kill you," Roland remembers Norman warning. "The rent is due next month. You pay it." Soon afterward, Norman and Lucille were officially divorced. Norman and his father did not get along overly well, and they even came to blows. On one occasion, Norman stormed out of the house and isolated himself in the outhouse. Typical of his bad temper, which Norman inherited, Erving grabbed a gun and prepared to shoot his son if he left the outhouse. Roland, a young boy at the time, silently prayed that his brother would stay in the remote building. I am unsure as to what happened afterward, but obviously both Norman and Erving survived the incident. This could be one reason why Norman eventually left Maine forever, on top of his divorce from Lucille. Another reason is that work was scarce there in the 1920s, causing many people to look westward for economic survival. Norman and his siblings, Rena (Laurena), Ray, Larry, Bill (Wilfred), and Jack (Linwood), took off for parts unknown in 1925. Perhaps he was so dejected by Lucille's affair that he chose to forget everything which had anything to do with her, including the three young children who he left behind. It is rumored that along the way, the pack of Lears met trouble at a roadside restaurant / gas station, when some hardened wayfarers began harassing Rena. Norman supposedly stepped in and, out of his sister's defense, shot one of the men. The shooting, if factual, would be a reason for Norman's continual movements throughout the Midwest during the next few decades, as if he were running from the Law. Norman settled around Orofino, Idaho, where he may have married a woman by the name of Snyder in the 1930s. Very little is known about this relationship, let alone if it even existed. If it did exist, the marriage was short-lived. In the 1937 obituary of Norman's mother, Mattie, Norman is reported as living in Boise, Idaho. About May 1943 he married Maxine Phillis Henderson, whom he had met at a dance. Maxine claimed to have married him to escape the confines of home life. She was born on 23 February 1923 in Grangemont, Idaho, to Percy and Belle Henderson. Norman and Maxine had four children. Larry was born on 22 March 1945, Wanda in 1946, Lee on 1 October 1948, and June in January 1950. The marriage was exceedingly unhappy. Norman and Maxine fought constantly, and Maxine often found sanctuary under a large tree. The kids did not know Norman that well, for because of his job as a carpenter he was away from home during most weekdays. Norman's brother, Bill, has assured the children that their father did care for them. Larry's recollection that Norman took him along to spotlight deer and go fishing convinces him of this. Maxine denied that Norman would ever do anything with the family, but this statement may just have been formed out of her resentment of the man. Such hatred was formed from such incidents as Norman's threat that if Maxine left him, he would kill her. In May 1951, Norman disappeared. His pickup truck was found on the bottom of the Clearwater River, but when it was dragged to the surface, his body was nowhere to be found. Could Norman's body merely have floated away, or did it remain on the bottom while he truck was hauled out? An even greater question remains, which has been asked by several family members and also by me: did Norman Lear even die in the car wreck, or did he escape the burdens of his life once again and set out for a new chance? Before Maxine died on 27 May 1991, she mentioned that, if Norman were somehow still alive, he would be living in the Salmon River area of Idaho. Could she possibly have known something that her children did not? I could tell from talking to Larry that such a question bothers him greatly, as it did Norman's Maine children, for they had all lost their father early in life. They feel that sense of rejection that anyone would have if someone they depended on suddenly vanished. If the answers do not lie in the Clearwater River, I hope that someday they might reveal themselves, for such a revelation would allow for a much-deserved peace of mind and soul. Norman's brothers, Larry and Bill, traveled to Orofino soon after the incident to discover any other information. They even dove in the river in hopes of finding more signs of Norman, but nothing surfaced. They concluded that he must have perished, for the angle at which the truck left the road for the river was such that it would be impossible for the accident to be staged. Besides, the facts that Norman had stomach problems (three-fourths of his stomach had been removed), and that the water would have been extremely cold during May, leave the impression that if Norman had entered the water, he probably would not have left there alive. ARTHUR MELVIN LEAR 1923-1996 (Grandfather) From the beginning, Arthur's life was in turmoil. Believed stillborn when he and his twin sister were born, Arthur was wrapped in a blanket and placed behind the stove in his house until something could be done with him. Several hours later, faint crying was heard from that area, proving that the child was actually alive. Unfortunately, life did not get much better. Arthur was only two when his father left Maine and his family for the West. Norman's ex-wife, Lucille, was left to raise three young children, and the economic opportunity for a single mother of the 1920s was far from generous. In 1929 Arthur's twin sister, Arlene, was killed at the age of six by an automobile. Marguerite grew up to marry Harlan Young, who was several months younger than her, in about 1939. They had four children: Harlan II, Judy, Nancy, and Marlene, and remained in Holden. Lucille received financial support when she married Percy Graves in the 1930s. I have heard that Graves's character was questionable, but that Arthur still thought a lot of him. Arthur did hear from his own father during the 1930s, once Norman had become settled in Idaho. Norman wrote his son a letter, in which he invited Arthur to visit him on the ranch. Perhaps Arthur would have done so if the envelope, on which the return address was written, had not been destroyed by Lucille before her son had gotten a chance to read the letter. Sadly, because of this incident Arthur had no further contact with his father. Born and raised in Holden, Arthur married Jane Avery on 31 October 1941. Jane was born in Holden on 29 December 1924, the child of Ralph and Josephine (Eaton) Avery. When his first child, Sandra Jane Lear, was born on 8 May 1942, Arthur went to both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters to fight in the Second World War. After returning home in 1944 he became employed as a bus driver for the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company. In 1954 he switched to driving for the St. Johnsbury Trucking Company, for which he would work for about twenty-five years. Arthur and Jane had a second child, Alan Arthur Lear, on 16 August 1949, and soon afterward moved into a house on the Ryder Bluff Road in Holden, where Jane still lives today. Their final child, David Arthur Lear, was born on 16 January 1963. Sandra married Paul Francis Cust in August 1966. Paul had been born in Brewer in July 1941, the son of Francis and Loette (Saunders) Cust. They had one son, Paul II, on 4 October 1968. David has a son named Joshua, who was born in May 1992. While parked on the roadside one day in June 1962, Arthur noticed a group of teenagers swimming. One of them, Francis Cyr, was struggling to stay afloat, and he soon began to drown. Arthur jumped out of his car and leapt into the water, rapidly swimming toward Cyr, and he managed to reach the boy in time. Like his great-grandfather, William Lear, Arthur had saved someone from drowning. For this deed, Arthur received many awards, including Truck Driver of the Year, and was recognized across the nation. When he appeared on the game show, "To Tell the Truth," Arthur was recognized by his half-brother, Lee. By this time, Norman had been gone for over ten years, and Maxine and her family had moved to Spokane, Washington. When Arthur was telephoned by Lee, he was shocked to find that his father had started another family hundreds of miles away. Both sets of Norman's children were soon united, and some of the questions about their father were solved, because while Norman's Idaho/Washington family knew nothing of his life before the 1940s, Norman's Maine family knew little about his life after the 1920s. Arthur was somewhat distant from his family, although he always provided as much as he could. I am glad to have gotten to truly know him, who I called "Papa," during the summer before he died, where he became as much my buddy as my grandfather. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor that fall, dying on the first day of 1996, surrounded by his family, one block away from the place where he was born. His ashes were spread on Chemo Pond in Clifton, Maine, a place where he had loved to hunt and fish. Truly a lover of nature, such a resting place was fitting for him. As the ashes glided through the wind, an eagle descended over them and flew away into the sun. Somehow, it seemed perfect. ALAN ARTHUR LEAR b. 1949 (Father) My father grew up in a time when the world was going through a cultural revolution. As did most of his contemporaries, he cheered for Elvis and color TV, and he feared the influence of Communism and the shadow of the bomb. Graduating from high school in June 1967, Alan immediately entered the Navy. He was inspired to enter the armed services by his father, and by his grandfather, Ralph Avery, who had fought in the First World War. Alan returned home briefly to marry his high school sweetheart, Cynthia "Cissie" Margaret Parsons, on 15 March 1969. Cissie was born in Bangor on 26 June 1950 and was the daughter of Raymond and Kaye (Hatfield) Parsons. After finishing with the Navy, Alan became a commercial diver, a profession which took him and Cissie up and down the Atlantic coast. The couple had their only child, me, on 30 October 1978. They were living in Bangor at this time, during which my father applied for a job as a officer of the Department of Marine Resources. He was hired in June 1979, and three months later the three of us moved to a town in his patrol area, Nobleboro, Maine. A few years later, my mother was hired by R.H. Reny, who runs a successful chain of department stores in Maine. On 11 June 1988 we moved to Morrill, which neighbors Northport and Belfast. My father joined the State Police Dive Team in 1997, while still with the Marine Patrol. In July of that year, while patrolling Camden Harbor, he spotted a capsized boat. A man and his grandson were clinging to the craft for survival, while the granddaughter was tangled underwater with a rope around her neck. My father saved the girl using CPR, managing to avoid almost certain brain damage and possible death. Like his father and second great-grandfather, he had saved a life; it is actually the third life he has saved so far. I graduated from Belfast Area High School with the class of 1997, and I am currently enrolled at Colby College in Waterville, where I am writing this paper. I am majoring in English and history, so I highly enjoy writing about history. Writing my own family's history is even more fulfilling. Many people see genealogy as a waste of time; they believe that it is better to live in the present than to chase after long-dead relatives. I will admit that it can be mind-boggling; if one adds up every ancestor back to the thirteenth (the elder Hugh Leare's) generation, there is a total of 8187 people. Tracking down a number of births, marriages, and dates can also be quite tedious and time-consuming. In the end, however, when it is all organized and put to paper as I have done here, it seems like it has been worth it. I believe that a lot of people are interested in knowing where their ancestors came from, even if they are not too enthusiastic to do the tracing. Once more, I would like to thank all those involved in helping me to create this. What I have written cannot do justice to those who lived these lives, but hopefully I have managed to cast some light on the depth of their experiences. BIBLIOGRAPHY Holbrook, Jay Mack. The 1776 New Hampshire Census. Oxford, Massachusetts: Holbrook Research Institute, 1976. Johnson, Alfred. Vital Records of Belfast, Maine, to the Year 1892. Boston: Stanhope Press, 1917. Mosher, Elizabeth M. Vital Records of Northport, Maine, Prior to 1892. Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1995. Noyes, Sybil; Libby, Charles Thornton; and Davis, Walter Goodwin. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. Tibbetts, Charles W. The New Hampshire Genealogical Record. Dover, New Hampshire: Heritage Books, Inc., 1988. Scott, Henry Edwards. New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 81. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1927. U.S. Census Bureau. The Belfast, Maine Census, 1850-1910. Washington: Government Printing Office. U.S. Census Bureau. The New Hampshire Census, 1790-1800. Washington: Government Printing Office. U.S. Census Bureau. The Northport, Maine Census, 1810-1910. Washington: Government Printing Office. Williamson, Joseph and Johnson, Alfred. The History of the City of Belfast, Maine. Somersworth, New Hampshire: New England History Press, 1983. History of the Distinguished Surname Lear, The. Bangor, Maine: Mulligan and MacHendry Publishing, 1988. International Genealogical Index, The. Care of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Republican Journal, The (various issues from 1879, 1881, 1886, 1922, 1937, and 1956). SPECIAL THANKS TO: Arthur, Jack, Jane, June, Larry, and Roland Lear, and to Richard Steele, Priscilla Jones, the Belfast Free Library, the Church of Latter Day Saints, the Maine State Library, and to Johann Gutenberg.