Keziah Burgess

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GEDCOM Note

Keziah was born on 3 May 1760 to John Handy and Elizabeth Stephens Handy of Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. There is no record of birth of their children, perhaps because the family lived at some distance from the Sandwich meeting house. Families by the name of Handy had lived in the Sandwich area since 1667 when a notice appeared 24 September 1667: Richard Handy of Sandwich - woolcomber "hath covenanted, agreed and put himselfe an apprentioce to and with James Skiffe, cooper, until that hee judge himselfe that hee hath fully attained the skill and craft of a cooper."There are no noted events of Keziah's childhood. She was the first child born into a family of five girls and two boys from 1760 through 1772.By 1780, when she was twenty years-old, Keziah had met and married Ichabod Burgess, a veteran of the American Revolution. In later years when Keziah applied for her widow's pension, her brother-in-law, Benjamin Burgess, testified that "I am well acquainted with Keziah Burgess widow of Ichabod late of Wayne, deceased, a revolutionary Soldier. That I was present at the marriage of the said Ichabod Burgess and Keziah Burgess - and I further testify & say the said Keziah was married to the said Ichabod Burgess in the summer of the year Seventeen hundred & eighty, the last part of July according to my best recollection."For the first twenty years of their marriage Keziah and Ichabod lived in Sandwich where their nine children were born. Their first child was Celia, born in 1780 and followed by Thomas b. 1782; William b. 1784; Achsah b. 1787; Mary b. 1790; Temperance b. 1792; James b. 1797; Lot b. 1800; and Elizabeth b. 1801.Ichabod's brothers, Benjamin (1750-1852 and Seth (1761 -1815), were the first in the family to arrive in Maine, the future home of the Burgess family. Benjamin and Seth came to Wayne in 1794. Benjamin eventually settled on a farm on Beech Hill and Seth settled in the southern part of town. Ichabod came to Wayne in 1802 with a family of six children, his daughter Celia having married Reuben Besse, preceded him. Ichabod came by schooner by the way of Hallowell, and settled on a farm which joined that of his brother Benjamin on the east. This story comes from the book "History of the Town of Wayne from the Settlement to 1898." The story also mentions that William, son of Ichabod, in early life followed the sea. His last voyages as mate of the ship of which his brother Thomas was captain. Achsah, age 15 and her younger brothers and sisters were the six children who accompanied their parents by schooner to Maine.The United States Federal census, from 1790 to 1830, includes the Ichabod Burgess family. Only the head of the family is listed by name. But by looking at the various age groupings it can be seen how the family changed through the years. In 1790 there are seven people living in the household, four males and 3 females. By 1800 the census shows there are five males and 5 females living in the household: Ichabod and Keziah and their eight children. By 1810 the family is now living in Maine and there are six children living at home. In the 1820 census Ichabod has two young people, ages 16-25 living with him. Keziah doesn't show in her age group. But the census shows that Ichabod is engaged in farming, along with one of the young people. In the 1830 census Keziah and Ichabod are living alone, all of their children have long been grown up and probably living on farms of their own.William, the sea-going son returned to Maine in 1806, married and settled down on a farm. In the year 1814 he became a Lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment, First Brigade, Eighth Division of the Maine Militia. William's unit was called into service and in this connection, according to the story, Keziah was anxious that her son should have a good outfit for the campaign. As the time was limited she employed the help of some neighboring women. The cloth was woven and the uniform of army blue was made and ready before the company started from home. A proud son of a patriotic mother was Lieut. William Burgess as he wore his bright new uniform in that hasty march to the shore.Ichabod passed away on December 17, 1834. He had applied for his war pension in March of 1833 and on October 10, 1836 Keziah appeared before Nathan Weston, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Maine, to claim her husband's military pension. Keziah stated that she was the widow of Ichabod Burgess late a Revolutionary Pensioner and that her said husband served about eight months in the militia during the war and that he furnished this evidence. She further stated that her name before marriage was Keziah Handy. Keziah received her pension as she appeared in the 1840 United States Federal census under the heading: Revolutionary War/Military Pensioners" She was then eighty years of age and passed away September 5, 1842 at the age of eighty-two years.Keziah and Ichabod are buried in Beech Hill Cemetery, also known as Sand Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is located outside the town of Wayne, Kennebec County, Maine. Keziah's stone simply says: Mrs. Keziah, wife of Ichabod Burgess, Died Sept, 5, 1842, 82 years, 4 mos. Ichabod's stone says: Mr. Ichabod Burgess, Died Dec 17, 1834, aged 82 yrs. 8 months. Placed at his grave is a Revolutionary War marker.