New England Families

 

Joseph Inman and Hannah Covill named their first son Joseph and their second son Benjamin. If this indicates that Joseph's father was named Benjamin, then Joseph's father is probably Benjamin^3 (Edward^2, Edward^1) Inman, born about 1699. This man might be the Benjamin Inman who was married to Thamzen Page in Smithfield RI on 16 October 1748. No earlier marriage records for Benjamin have been found.

The article "Some Pioneer Settlers on Upper Penobscot" (in Bangor Historical Magazine, Volume 6, reprinted by Picton Press in 1993) said that Joseph's father lived in York, Maine, and lived to be 120. Also that Joseph's son Duty Inman saw him there at age 115. Duty was born about 1790. There is a Benjamin Inman on the Smithfield records until 1773, but not in the 1774 RI Census or in RI Revolutionary War service. This would all fit together.

But I don't see any other reason beside his second son's name for saying that Joseph's father was named Benjamin. Not much, if anything is known about Hannah Covill's parentage, and the only theory I have seen about it did not include a possible father named William, the name of their third son. For all I can figure, Benjamin could have been Hannah's father's name just as well as it could be Joseph's. Or it could be neither's father's name.

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The arrangement of children between Joseph's two wives is based on information at the Inman Compendium database at rootsweb.com, the date of petition of divorce for Hannah Inman from Joseph, and son William's year of birth according to "Some Pioneer Families on the Upper Penobscot" in The Bangor Historical Magazine, Vol 6, edited by Joseph Porter, (Reprinted Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993).

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Below is my transcription of Joseph Inman's deposition on behalf of Abraham Tourtellot, given July 4, 1818. This deposition puts Joseph Inman of Orono [Maine] in Rhode Island during the Revolutionary war and helps estimate his year of birth. Following the deposition is information on Col. Lippett's Regiment. An image of the transcription was found at Brenda Ozog's tree at ancestry.com, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6402354/person/-1295257267 She says it can be found at the National Archives, and was for Mr. Tourtellot's pension application.

"I Joseph Inman of Orono in the County of Penobscot ... aged sixty-four do testify and say that in the yeat 177? I was a private soldier in the service of the United States in Col. Lippits Regt., that I was well aquainted with the ... named Abraham Tourtellott, And I am knowing to his being a ... in Capt. Hopkins Company within said the Col. Lippits Regt. He was in the service with me nearly five months at which time he went on to New York ... he served out the year: He afterwords had a captains Commission in the said service as he has stated. I lived as near neighbor to him when his house and contents were burnt as within stated.
his
Joseph X Inman
Mark
July 6
Witness M. Kinsley
Penobscot ..
July 4, 1818 Personaly appeared Joseph Inman above named and was duly sworn to the truth of the foregoing Deposition by him ... before me witnessed

M. Kinsley Justice ....."

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Lippitt's Regiment, Copyright myrevolutionarywar.com © 1999-2007 - All rights reserved

Authorized on January 8, 1776 in the Rhode Island State Troops as Babcock's Regiment.
Organized on January 18, 1776 at Newport to consist of 12 companies.
Redesignated on May 1, 1776 as Lippitt's Regiment.
Adopted on May 11, 1776 into the Continental Army and assigned to the Eastern Department.
Relieved on September 14, 1776 from the Eastern Department and assigned to the Main Continental Army.
Assigned on October 14, 1776 to McDougall's Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Relieved on November 10, 1776 from McDougall's Brigade and assigned to Nixions Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army
Nixion's Brigade redesignated 22 December 22, 1776 as Hitchcock's Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Disbanded on January 18, 1777 at Morristown, New Jersey.

ENGAGEMENTS
New York City
Trenton - Princeton

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Transcription of Divorce of Hannah Inman from Joseph Inman
from an image at Ozog_Sheneman tree at ancestry.com, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6402354/person/-1295257267
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And general .... Del.... begun and held at Providence on the first Monday of Sept AD 1780

HANNAH INMAN of Smithfield in the County of Providence, wife of Joseph Inman Junr. Late of said Smithfield, humbly ... that many years since the was Lawfully married to the said Joseph, that nevertheless often since in the .... of the last winter the said Joseph was often in bed with a Woman, other that your Petitioner.

By which wicked and reprobate behavior he hath broken his marriage contract with the said Hannah. All which she is now ready and fully able to prove to your Honour. Wherefore she --- your Honour to take the --- into your wise Consideration, that upon due proof of the abandonment given fact, your Honor will Pronounce your Testimony of Divorce, Declaring the bonds of marriage between the said Joseph and Hannah broken and the said marriage wholly dissolved and as in duty bound, the will ever ....
Hannah Inman
[Is this her signature? It is written the same as her name in the statement.]

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In 1801 Joseph Inman was tried and found guilty of murder. He was later exonerated when the victim, Oliver Holmes, turned up alive and returned from Rhode Island, where he had been visiting family. The information says that Joseph was on the Penobscot by 1783.
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text found at http://inman.surnameweb.org/documents/arrest.htm
The source is the article by Joseph W. Porter in Bangor Historical Magazine, VOL III, July 1887 - June 1888
ARREST AND TRIAL OF JOSEPH INMAN OF OrONO, FOR MURDER IN 1801.
_______

Joseph Inman Sen., was an early settler in Orono, where he came 1783, in June. In July 1801, one Oliver Homes, alias Chapman, also a resident was missing. Homes and Inman had quarreled perhaps when under the influence of rum. With almost entire unanimity the people charged Inman with the murder of Homes. Complaint was made to Col. Jonathan Eddy, of Eddington.
THE COMPLAINT.

"To Jonathan Eddy, Esquire, one of the Justices assigned to keep the Peace within and for said County. Whereas we whose names are under written, have strong suspicions and serious reasons to apprehend that Oliver Homes, late of Colbornton Plantation, has been murdered; and we have violent reasons to suspect that Joseph Inman, Amble Inman, wife of the said Joseph Inman, and Asenath Homes, with the said Oliver Homes, and James Page all of Colbornton Plantation aforesaid, have murdered him the above said Oliver Homes, or been accessory to the above said murder. We therefore request you the said Justice to isssue your warrant to apprehend the said Joseph Inman, Amble Inman, Asenath Homes and James Page, and bring before me the said Justice, for examination, touching the above complaint theat they may be further dealt by according to law.
July 22, 1801
Emerson Orcutt,
John Phillips,
Archbald McPhetres."

Col. Eddy issued his warrant the same day for the arrest of the parties, and Joseph Inman Jr., William Inman, Hannah Page, John Mansell and David Reed were summoned as witnesses. The examination was had the 23d of July at the house of Esquire Eddy, in Eddington - his house was nearly opposite end the Veazie Dam. Nearly the whole population of the upper Penobscot were there; the roads were few, and they came by water. Public opinion was against the prisoners - one or all of them. As to the testimony, tradition says that William Inman swore that he saw his father strike Homes. One piece of testimony has come down. The original I have now have before me worn and soiled by 86 years. I give a copy:

 

"This day being on Sunday morning about 8 o'clock, William Inman son of Joseph Inman of Cobenton Plantation so called, being about 22 or 23 years old, came to me with the following account of what appeared to him the evening before:-

"I, William Inman being at a place called Mash's Island on Penobscot river in a house of Joseph Treat, and John Spencer came in with a pint of rum and told me if I would fetch some watter I should have some grog to drink with him. I took a pail in my hand and steped out of the door and stepped two or three steps towards the watter and something appeared before me but I went on to get some watter and looking about it seemed to be a Gost. I dipped some watter and turned about to go back. It rose right up before me and seemed to go backward toward the house, and whether it ----- or not I can not tell for I was very much surprised but it spoke to me and said you may now no what you wanted to no. Your Father was the very man that killed me, and walked away and this I am willing to take my oath of."

his
William X Inman
mark

But whatever the testimony, it was sufficient to commit Joseph Inman to the Pownalboro Jail, which is now Dresden, to answer to the charge of murder, at the nest term of the Court for the County of Lincoln, where murder cases were returnable. Inman laid in Jail some months; when to the surprise of every one Homes appeared at Orono. He had been to Rhode Island visiting, and saw in some newspaper, the account of the arrest, of Inman, and came back to "show people that he was not dead." Inman was soon discharged, and a petition was sent to the General Court in his behalf.

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Porter, Joseph W., BANGOR HISTORICAL MAGAZINE, VOL III, July 1887,---June 1888
The source of these articles is unknown other than the following notation given as a part of the article. JW
_______
[From the Columbian Informer and Eastern Advertiser, Castine, pg. 160, April 29, 1802.]
_______

"OLIVER HOMES,
For the supposed murder of whom, Joseph Inman and said Homes' wife, suffered several months imprisonment in Castine Goal, IS ALIVE, and to be seen at the house of the subscriber in Orrington, until the 10th of May, that those who doubt Inman's innocence, or my veracity, may not only see him him, but have as much proof as the unbelieving Thomas had, upon other occasion. O. LEONARD."/-
_______

/-Mr. Leonard was the first lawyer in Orrington; residing there from 1796 to 1822.
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I don't know where this next piece came from. It is a petition in 1805 on Joseph Inman's behalf, that debts that he incurred due to his unjust inprisonment be forgiven and he be given back the land he had been forced to sell for less than its worth.

Petition.
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court Assembled:

The subscribers beg leave to represent that Joseph Inman of a plantation called Colburntown on the county of Hancock, a settler on land of the Common- wealth and who has stated to the subscribers that he is indebted to the Commonwealth for said land in the sum of about one hundred and fifty dollars, was in the summer of the year of 1801 very unjustly arrested and committed to prison on suspicion of having murdered one Oliver Homes of said Colburn- town, who had then been sometime absent from his family, that he, the said Inman, was in close confinement for about four months, and that in conse- quence of said suspicion and confinement he incurred many and very great expenses in endeavoring to discover said Homes, and many suits were commenced against him by persons to whom he was indebted, his property taken and sold for a very small part of its real value, by reason of which the said Inman is rendered unable to pay the said sum due to said Commonwealth. The Petitioners therefore humbly pray that the Court may take into consideration the peculiar inconveniences and injuries the said Inman has sustained in consequence of said arrest and confinement, and release to him the whole or part of said sum, or otherwise relieve the said Inman as the Court may in their wisdom deem expedient and in duty bound the Petitioners will ever pray.

May 31, 1804.
Amos Patten, J
John Crosby
Allen Gilman,
Sam'l Greenleaf,
Henry Reed,
John Barker,
Sam. E. Dutton,
Moses Greenleaf,
Bulkeley Emerson.
Boston, Feb. 5, 1805.

Sir: - Joseph Enman, one of the 32 settlers who settled on the Lands purchased by the Common-wealth, of the Penobscot Tribe of Indians before August 1796, has purchased one half of Archibald McPheter's lot as I am informed, who was returned as one of the sd 23 settler. The sd Archibald McPheter's had got a deed of the other half of said lot. There is nothing in the way to hinder the said Enman having 150 acres but his poverty, with me as his agent.

[signed]
Salem Town
[note: this is a man's name, Salem Towne, Esq.]

To Jonathan Maynard, Esq.
Indorsed "Gen'l Townes Certificate."

"Resolve: On the petition of Amos Patten directing the Hon. Salem Towne Esq. To make and execute a deed to Joseph Inman of 150 acres of land in the 9 townships of land purchased of the Penobscot Indians.
February 15, 1805.

On the petition of Amos Patten and others, in behalf of Joseph Inman who suffered a long confinement on close goal on suspicion of having murdered one Oliver Homes.

Resolved, for reasons set forth in said petition, that the prayer thereof be granted, and that the Hon. Salem Towne, Esq., as commissioner of agent for the sale of the nine townships of land purchased of the Penobscot Indians, he directed and he is hereby authorized , and empowered to make and execute a good and sufficient deed to the aforesaid Joseph Inman, of 150 acres of land, free of any expense to him the said Inman, in the same way and manner as though he, the said Inman had complied with a Resolve of the Legislature passed March 21, A. D. 1798, he being one of the settlers therein described any law or resolve to the contrary notwithstanding.

 

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From US Pensioners in Maine, at Ancestry.com. U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury, 1818-1872; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T718, 23 rolls); Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, Record Group 217; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Inman, private, pension started 8 April 1818,
died 15 Oct 1825

Abraham Tourtellot, lieutenant, pension started 22 Apr 1818
died 6 Nov 1820