Welcome to Waldo County Maine Genealogy Research

By Joan Brown

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Edward Burgess, son of Edward and Sarah “Sally” (Philbrook) Burgess was born 1816 in Vinalhaven, Knox, Maine.  He moved with his parents to Montville, Waldo, Maine in the fall of 1817.  Edward died 22 April 1878 in Searsmont, Waldo, Maine and is buried in lot #86 in Oak Grove Cemetery, Searsmont. Edward married (1st) Eliza Hall, daughter of George Washington Hall and Elizabeth (Burgess) Hall, born 31 May 1821 on Matinicus Island, Knox, Maine.  She died 16 May 1867 and is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Appleton, with her parents. Edward and Eliza lived in “Magog” near the Appleton/Searsmont town line.  He owned a small quarry and lime kiln there. He is thought to be responsible for the opening of a canal to the St. George’s River to facilitate the transport of his lime to ships in coastal Maine.  Edward and Eliza lived on the banks of the George’s River and had cranberry bogs on their property.  In later years, Edward’s grandson Bradford Burgess and his wife Eva would fish there on the river bank.  Edward was a Justice of the Peace and performed the marriages of most, if not all, of his 17 children. Eliza was an “herb doctor” traveling from house to house on horseback with her herb remedies.  Having been born on the isolated island of Matinicus, nearly twenty-five miles off the coast of Maine, this doctoring was probably instilled in her by necessity. Edward married (2nd) Mary Ann Richards, daughter of Thomas L. and Charlotte (House) Richards, born 12 March 1833; she died in September 1934 in Searsmont and is buried in lot #86, Oak Grove Cemetery, with Edward. After ten years of marriage to Mary Ann, Edward suffered an accident which led to ill health and his subsequent death.  A sudden storm arose one night and he hurried to cover the lime that he had burned that day.  In the darkness, he lost his footing and fell into the quarry. Edward, soon after, sold the quarry and kiln and built a new house on a lot adjacent to, and now part of,  the Ben Ames Williams property on route #131. This route runs from Searsmont to Union and the property is located on the hill just beyond the village of Searsmont.  All that remains of Edward’s house is an overgrown cellar hole in a thick stand of trees.  The house was written into one of Ben Ames Williams’ short stories called “Partridge” for the Saturday Evening Post.  Edward’s grandson, James Franklin Burgess planted the stately maples at the front of the property. Edward was very proud of his apple orchard and told Mary that she must take good care of the orchard after he was gone.  It is said that for many years after he died, she left a candle burning in a window facing the orchard to light his way should he return to check on his orchard.