York County ME Archives Biographies.....Colcord, Josiah April 10, 1755 - August 1, 1838
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Carol Eddleman carolcurrieeddleman@gmail.com January 25, 2024, 3:24 pm

Author: J. W. Dearborn

COLCORD. Gideon and Edward Colcord came from England some time about 1700, and 
settled in Newmarket, N.H. All the Colcords in Parsonsfield and the surrounding 
towns are descended from Edward. Edward's sons were also named Gideon and 
Edward, and both settled in Newmarket. Gideon, the older, was the father of six 
sons, one of whom, Jesse, was the father of Capt. David Colcord, late of Porter. 
Edward jr., who died before the Revolution at fifty years of age, was the father 
of five sons and one daughter, viz: Gideon, Nathaniel, Josiah, Joab, Jeremiah, 
Benjamin and Eunice. Of these, Josiah and Joab settled in Parsonsfield, on the 
estates occupied until recently by their descendants, not far from the New 
Hampshire line. Jeremiah also died in Parsonsfield, and is buried near his 
brother Josiah. From Josiah and Joab have sprung all the Colcords of 
Parsonsfield, and their names are among the original members of the first town-
meeting called to organize the town. 

The genealogy of the family of Josiah, the older of these two brothers, is as 
follows: Josiah Colcord, who was born April 10, 1755, and died April 5, 1837, 
married Mary Shepard about 1833. She was born Aug. 12, 1762, and died Aug. 1, 
1838. The children from this marriage were two sons and five daughters, viz.: 
Rachel, b. May 22, 1785; death date unknown. Gideon, b. May 25, 1787; d. April 
11, 1863. Comfort, b. April 23, 1789; d. Oct. 12, 1864. Nancy, b. Oct. 27, 1791; 
d. Sept. 11, 1866. John S., b. Dec. 7, 1795; d. March 31, 1885. Abby. b. June 
20, 1800; d. Dec, 1868. Mercy S., b. July 29, 1803; d. Dec. 28, 1831. Mary, b. 
March 26, 1805; d. March 5, 1845. Of the above children. Comfort, Nancy, John, 
Mercy and Mary died without issue; Gideon and Rachel settled in Parsonsfield; 
Abby, in Lowell, Mass. Gideon Colcord married Comfort Doe, June 10, 1809. She 
was born Aug. 10, 1791, and died Oct. 1, 1834. Their children were; Elizabeth 
D., b. June 20, 1811; living in 1885. Rufus, b. June 20, 1813; d. April 9, 1884. 
Josiah H., b. July 6, 1817; d. Sept. 14, 1852. Climena E., b. April 13, 1820; 
still living. Mercy S., b. May 23, 1825; d. Jan. 21, 1869. Clara L., b. April 
27, 1826; still living. John D., b. July 21, 1829; d. Aug. 20, 185.3. Of these 
children, Elizabeth, Climena, Mercy and John leave no issue. The children of the 
others are as follows: Rufus Colcord married Roxanna Wentworth, who was born 
June 7, 1822. Their children are: Henry W., b. Nov. 23, 1844. Edward J., b. July 
28, 1849. Rufus Judson, b. Oct. 4, 1851. Clara L., m. Rev. Ephraim A. Edwards, 
late of Beverly, Mass. Their children are: Justin, Charles, Frank, George and 
Benjamin. Josiah H. left one daughter, Clara, born 1849. Rachel Colcord, the 
sister of Gideon, married Stephen Swett, formerly of Parsonsfield, and they 
settled in this town. Their children were eight in number, viz.: Mary. Alice, 
Meribah, Mercy, Asa, John, Stephen and Josiah. The dates of these children are 
not at hand. Of these, Josiah was the father of Emily Swett, so long a teacher 
of Parsonsfield. Abby, the other sister of Gideon who married, married Morris 
Lord, of Parsonsfield. Their children were: George C., still a resident of 
Parsonsfield, Josiah C., Augustus, Hester, Randolph and Charles. 

The family of Joab Colcord, the brother of Josiah, and the Joab Colcord whose 
name appears among the founders of Parsonsfield, is as follows: Joab Colcord 
(the dates of his birth and death are not known; nor his wife's maiden name) 
left four sons, viz.: Harvey, Joab, Josiah and Charles. Of these, Joab and 
Charles settled in Parsonsfield, near the western line, Harvey, first in 
Tuftenboro, N.H., then in eastern Maine, and Josiah in New York state. The 
families of Joab and Charles are as follows: Joab Colcord, b. Aug. 14, 1793; m. 
Betsey M. Towle, Dec. 24, 1818; d. April 14, 1878. Mrs. Colcord was born May 14, 
1797; died Jan. 19, 1867. Their children were: John M., b. Dec. 13, 1819; d. 
Nov, 13, 1863. Henry A. F., b. Nov. 24, 1823; still living. Charles, b. Nov. 6, 
1826; d. Jan. 18, 1830. Simeon F., b. April 2, 1831; d. Jan. 14, 1833. 
Belzebuth, b. July 31, 1821; d, Feb. 9, 1823. Clarinda, b. May
6, 1837; d. March 31, 1838. Of these, only John and Henry were married. John M.
married Lucy Bingham, Nov. 27, 1849. Henry A. F. married Nancy C. Wingate
(born April 22, 1824; died June 16, 1855), May 23, 1850, and upon her death, was 
again married to Eliza A. Towle, September 6, 1855. The children of Henry A. F. 
are: An infant son, died in 1851. Lewis H., b. Nov. 26, 1853; d. April 22, 1854. 
Sarah H. B., b. Aug. 18, 1854; d. Aug. 20, 1877. John H., b. June 16, 1857; d. 
April 5, 1864. Clara, b. Oct. 18, 1861. John M., b. Jan. 18, 1865. Charles F., 
b. Sept. 21, 1868. 

Charles Colcord, the brother of Joab, married Abigail Towle, of Parsonsfield. 
They had several children, most of whom died in early youth. Juiliette and 
Hester lived to young womanhood. This completes the genealogy of the descendants 
of both Josiah and Joab, except in the remote branches. The other descendants 
have left town.


Additional Comments:
(Source: A History of the Town of Parsonsfield, Maine, Portland, Me., Brown 
Thurston and Co., 1888, p. 370-1.)

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