Contributed by Steve Edmonson; The Giveen family of mid-coast Maine. March 2012
3 MILES and 300 Years
I am pleased and proud to be able to share the history of one of my family bloodlines that has not
only played a significant role in my life but also that of an entire region of Maine. This story is
about a family named Giveen and their impact along the Midcoast region of Maine.
The Giveen family is broad, diverse and quite large. The Patriarch, David Giveen, brought his
wife and children from Londonderry, Ireland in 1719 and landed on the shores of Midcoast
Maine along with many other Scotch-Irish families. One can only speculate why such a dramatic
relocation was prompted but certainly providing a better life for his family had to be reason
number one. As it turns out, The Giveens, along with many more Scotch-Irish were in fact
fleeing an increasingly abusive British rule. Apparently King James II was not a very nice guy
and had it out for the Scotch-Irish and their faith of choice. Starting in 1718, entire communities
of Scotch-Irish made their way to America, particularly the New England region.
In my research for this story, I was provided considerable information from people who had
already done the heavy lifting to get to this point. One document traced the Giveen clan to
ancient Ireland and Scotland over a thousand years ago. My interest is much simpler as I am
starting with the arrival of my ancestors in Maine and to trace the blood line to current day.
Regarding the title of this story, 3 Miles and 300 Years, I was looking for something catchy and
somewhat poetic. These numbers reflect the length of time the Givens’ and their ancestors have
inhabited Maine and for the distance from my home to the grave of David Giveen. For accuracy
purposes, it has been 293 years and his grave is 4.4 miles from my home but those just don’t
have the ring of 3 Miles and 300 Years.
The information provided to me, David Giveen, born in Ireland in 1685, his wife Mary and their
children came to Maine in 1719 aboard a ship sponsored by Captain Robert Temple. Upon
arrival, the family settled in Brunswick on property near what is today called Middle Bay.
Documents show that in 1738, David Giveen purchased 300 acres of land along the shores of
Middle Bay in Brunswick for $48 and soon made his home there.
In subsequent years, David and other Scotch-Irish settlers started purchasing additional
properties along Mere Point, Middle Bay and Simpson Point in Brunswick. From this land rose
several ship building operations. The Giveen family was credited with building two dozen ships
with later generation of Giveens becoming sea captains. David Giveen died in Brunswick Maine
in 1763. I always wonder if he knew what he and Mary had started those many years ago.
According to available records, David Giveen was held in high esteem and became a deacon in
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the local Presbyterian Church. David and his wife were subsequently buried in the cemetery next
to the Old Presbyterian Meeting House on Mere Point Road in Brunswick.
It is important to note that all records reflect the family name as Giveen. Later generations
shortened the name by dropping one of the “e”s . From this point forward I will be referring to
the name as Given.
The child of David that fronted my family and the beginning of the next generation is Robert
Given. He was born along with his twin brother John in 1718 in Londonderry, Ireland. Records
reveal these twin boys were mere infants when they made the crossing across the Atlantic aboard
wooden ships no doubt built in Maine.
Robert married Jane McFederis in Boston in 1738 and the two brought forth seven children. Two
aspects of the Given clan presented themselves to me during this composition that I want to
share. First, they were a fertile bunch. Six and seven children were the norm with these and
subsequent generations with some producing as many as 12 children.
The second unusual aspect of the Givens was their longevity. With an average lifespan probably
in the 40s and 50s around that time, most of the Givens lived well into their 70s and 80s. The
patriarch David lived to 78 with his three sons living to 92, 91 and 81 years of age.
On a local historical note, Robert and his twin brother John, at the age of seventeen, signed the
petition to incorporate Brunswick as a Town in 1735. Robert died in 1810 and was buried in the
same cemetery as his father in Brunswick.
Next in my specific bloodline and the beginning of the third generation was the third child to
Robert and Jane, John Given, born in Topsham in 1743. John married Mary Winchell in
Topsham in 1771 and the two produced 12 offspring; eight girls and four boys. John’s
association with Topsham is heartening as I have called Topsham my home for over 30 years.
John died in 1819 and was buried in Topsham. More on John and his last resting place later in
this piece.
John and his brother Robert each served in the Continental Army during the revolutionary War
with seven members of the next generation serving in the military during the war of 1812.
Service to their community was also in their blood as Givens were an almost constant presence
on the Brunswick Board of Selectmen for 130 years starting in 1740 to 1869. Daniel Given
served as the Brunswick Town Clerk for a decade from 1810 to 1820. Two Givens also served
terms in the Maine Legislature during the 1800s.
The next in my blood-line and the beginning of generation number four was John’s third child of
12 and first born son William Given, born in 1774 in Brunswick. William married Mary
Whitmore in Topsham in 1799.William and Mary went the conservative route and only had nine
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children between 1800 and 1846. Yes, he was 72 at the time of the birth of his youngest child.
William died in 1852 at the age of 78.
William’s fourth child and the beginning of generation number five was William Given Jr., born
in 1806. Here lies one of the many gaps in information as I do not know where William was born
other than to assume it was in the immediate area as a majority of his siblings were born in either
Topsham or Bowdoinham.
I want to deviate for a moment from my direct blood-line and speak briefly about William’s
brother, St. Vincent Given. St. Vincent was born a year and a half before William in
Bowdoinham. If you think St. Vincent an odd choice for a name you would not be too far off,
given the rather ordinary names to this point. Perhaps you may recognize the name St. Vincent as
part of the name of the famous poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay. It is believed by some and
disputed by others that Edna was named after my ancestor St. Vincent Given who went on to
become a successful shipbuilder in Bowdoinham. Edna St. Vincent Millay was born in
Rockland, Maine in 1892 so if the story is to be believed, I am assuming there was some
connection and familiarity between the Given and Millay families.
Another interesting note on St. Vincent. He was born in Bowdoinham in 1804, married Maria
Sanford in Bowdoinham in 1827 and died in Bowdoinham in 1861. St. Vincent built a beautiful
home in Bowdoinham overlooking the river where his shipbuilding operation stood. The irony of
this particular house reveals itself later. He and Maria started to deviate from the conventional
names for their children. Perhaps being named St. Vincent was the impetus. Of their eight
children, one son was named George Washington Given and a daughter grew up as Josephine
Bonaparte Given. Maybe he was a fan of historical figures.
I wish to stay with St. Vincent and his off-spring for a moment as they present additional
interesting information. Two of St. Vincent’s daughters, the aforementioned Josephine
Bonaparte and her sister Mary Louise, each married brothers, William and Joshua Grozier
respectfully. It was around this generation of Givens that started to venture outside of Maine,
more likely than not on the open seas. The previously mentioned George Washington Given was
married in Lima, Peru. Two of Mary Louise’s children were actually born at sea in 1858 and
1859. Josephine had terrible misfortune when it came to children. Josephine gave birth to twin
boys at sea in 1873 only to have one die within days with the other dying two years later.
Josephine lived a long and fruitful life having sailed around Cape Horn 17 times plus having
sailed onto all seven seas. Josephine died in Denver, Colorado in 1925. In the obituary that
appeared in a Denver newspaper, it indicated her father, St, Vincent Given, was at one time one
of the richest men in the State of Maine.
Returning to my blood-line and the aforementioned William Given Jr., records reveal he married
Abigail Holmes who died in 1861 before having any children. William later married Emma Jane
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Fisher in 1862. It wasn’t until he married Emma at the age of 56 that he fathered three children
with her at the ripe ages of 59, 63 and 69. Didn’t I say they were fertile?
An interesting fact about Emma is that her Grandmother, Jane White, is a descendant of Thomas
White, one of the passengers on the Mayflower.
The middle child of William and Emma and the beginning of generation number six was a
daughter they named Annie. Annie was born in 1869 probably in Bowdoinham. Annie married
Selden Williams but with no date available. This is the point of the family tree where I lose the
Given name. Five previous male Givens kept the name going in my bloodline until now. Annie
and Selden produced eight children between 1891 and 1913.
My mother tells me I had the pleasure of actually meeting Annie who was my Great-Great
Grandmother. Annie died in 1957, a year after my birth at the age of 88. How many people can
say they met their Great-Great Grandmother? Admittedly my recollections of that visit are a little
slim.
Annie and Selden’s third child was Helen May Williams, born 1895 and the beginning of
generation number seven. Helen married my Great Grandfather, Tom Wildes and gave birth to
seven children before dying at the age of 30 in 1926.
Those of you familiar with the Town of Bowdoinham will recognize the name Wildes. The
Wildes Road in East Bowdoinham was named after my Great Grandfather as he lived at the end
of the road for many years on his farm. I had the honor of being a pall bearer for my Great
Grandfather at his funeral in 1977.
One of Tom and Helen’s children was my Grandmother Vera Wildes, born in 1913 in
Bowdoinham. Nanny, as we grew up calling her, married my Grandfather Milton Baker. Nanny
and Gramp had seven children that survived child birth with all but one being born in their
Bowdoinham farmhouse.
I was fortunate to have spent a great deal of time with Nanny over the years, both as a child and
even in her later years. I took great pleasure in bringing my daughters to see her so they could
know their Great Grandmother. Nanny was one tough woman when I take the time to think about
what she endured. Giving birth in her bedroom with nothing but a midwife and no modern day
drugs, raising seven children, all of whom by the way grew up to be successful and self sufficient
and living and working on a family farm. Nanny later trained for and became a Nurse and
worked in one of the local hospitals. Nanny died in 1998 at the age of 85. Quite a woman.
Generation number nine began with my Mom, Sylvia Baker, an adventurous young woman for
her time. Mom was born in a small farmhouse in Bowdoinham and never left the State of Maine
until she graduated from High School. Mom did something that was rare for most men at that
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time let alone women when she enlisted in the Navy in 1952. After boot camp, Mom was
stationed at the Naval Security Station in Washington DC. It is during this time that Mom met
her future husband, Richard Edmondson, who also happened to be in the Navy at the time and
actually lived in Washington. After Mom concluded her military obligation, she and Dad wed in
1955 with me making an appearance a year later.
My birth at Bethesda Naval Hospital provides fodder for the ongoing debate to what is
considered a true Mainer. I am the product of four separate blood-lines that go back as much as
nine generations of Maine born ancestors. Because my mother chose to join the military and live
in Washington DC at the time of my birth, many would not consider me a native Mainer. Thank
goodness my wife, daughters and grandchildren were all born in Maine so they won’t have to
defend their credentials.
My parents eventually made their way to Maine when I was a child and we settled here after
years of a nomad military life. Dad fell in love with Maine and we moved into an apartment in
Bowdoinham. Later, after Dad retired, we built our home where Mom lives today. A note about
that apartment is worth mentioning. Earlier in this piece I wrote about the beautiful home built
by St. Vincent Given in Bowdoinham. Documentation found some years later showed the
apartment building we lived in Bowdoinham, was the same family home built by St. Vincent
Given, brother to William Given of my blood line. How neat is that?
There is an expression that says; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I recognize this can be
applied to a person’s characteristics but in my case, it is referring to geography. In 1979, I
married a local girl from Brunswick, Dotty Cousineau. We first lived in a small house in
Bowdoinham before buying our home in neighboring Topsham a year later. The location of our
house was completely coincidental at that time but proved to be somewhat prophetic in later
years. More on that in a moment.
Regarding my life, I like to think I maintained the dedication to serving my community as
displayed by my ancestors in the Given family. Aside from serving a term on the Topsham
Board of Selectmen, I am now in my 34th year as a law enforcement officer in the Midcoast area.
Being a Detective, finding and searching available resources were simpler than I thought.
Reading that John Given, my Great X Five Grandfather was born, died and buried in Topsham, I
began my search at the Topsham Public Library. I was told they had comprehensive cemetery
records so I was hoping for documentation on which cemetery he was buried. Topsham has
several old cemeteries where no internments have taken place for some time. Thankfully each of
the books had an index with the names listed. I found a book that listed several Givens and began
digging, no pun intended. Sure enough, I found the Given I was looking for. Not only did it list
the names, but this book had a map which pinpointed where in the cemetery each grave was
located. It was dead of winter when I found this so I decided to wait for spring to conduct the
actual search.
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Jumping ahead a couple of months, my wife and I drove to this cemetery and began the search. I
was beyond pleased to discover this was in fact the correct cemetery. Knowing the approximate
location, it didn’t take long to find the site. In a small grouping in the center of the cemetery
were the grave markers of several Givens.
Earlier I mentioned how prophetic the location of our house was. It turns out the location of the
cemetery that is the final resting place of my Great X Five Grandfather is a mere half mile from
my home.
We then directed our efforts at locating David and Robert’s graves in Brunswick. During the
search, I learned they were buried in a cemetery next to the Old Presbyterian Meeting House on
the Mere Point Road in Brunswick. I went to the Brunswick Town Clerk’s looking for assistance
in locating this cemetery. No one there at the time could recall a cemetery on the Mere Point
Road or the Meeting House. Fearing their graves were lost to the ravages of time and nature,
someone recalled that upper Maine Street beyond Bowdoin College used to be called Mere Point
Road. I was then directed to the cemetery just beyond Parkview Hospital.
Again fast forwarding to the spring of 2011, my wife and I drove to this cemetery and were
beyond pleased to learn this was in fact the Old Meetinghouse Cemetery. With only a hand
drawing of the grave marker, we searched the entire cemetery looking at each stone for that of
David Giveen. After considerable knee bending searching, I was beginning to lose hope after
seeing several broken and crumbling stones. Many were so weather-beaten and worn we could
not read the inscriptions.
During our search we did find the grave markers of Robert Giveen, my Great X Six Grandfather
and son of David plus some other Givens which gave us hope. With increasing doubt the stone
remained intact or legible, there it was. Just as it looked in the diagram, David Giveen’s
headstone was attached to that of his wife Mary. It looked as though someone had taken the time
and efforts to salvage this stone as both were incased in an aluminum frame with concrete. I
knelt in front of this stone for some time, just letting it soak in that I was kneeling in front of the
grave of my Great x Seven Grandparents, David and Mary Giveen.
It was a strange sensation, one that I cannot put into words. I took a moment to try and sense this
connection. I recognize that David Giveen’s contribution to my DNA is mighty slim considering
the multitude of time and remaining ancestors. If you think about it, each of us has two parents,
four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great grandparents; well you get the
picture. But at this place and at this moment, it did not matter. I was in the presence of a man and
woman who risked much to bring their family to Maine to make a better life. Maybe I am living
proof they were successful. I and the several hundred people around this Country owe our
existence, to some degree, to David and Mary Giveen. My daughters and Granddaughters,
generations 11 and 12 included.
Three miles and three hundred years and I thank you both.
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