August 24, 1989
by Isabel Morse Maresh
The Lermond family of Scotch-Irish descent came to America from Londonderry, Ireland, with the Hustons and Joneses. They came to Milton, Mass., about 1719, and then to the Damariscotta area in what is now the state of Maine. They landed on a bare rock called "Sugar Loaf". As they walked over the shore at low tide, there were so many clams that they only had to dig up their first meal. This was cooked by hanging a pot from the limb of a tree and kindling a fire under it.
A storm came up before they could find shelter and the women and children found protection under the empty hogshead barrels which had held their meager cooking utensils and furniture.
Captain John Lermond was master of a ship. Once he was captured by Algerine pirates in the Mediterranean. The pirate chief only put a small crew on board to take the ship into port. He often let Captain Lermond and his mate walk on deck. They conspired to take back their ship, and one day each of them seized a man of the pirate crew and threw them overboard. Then the ship's pirate crew was easily overpowered, and Captain Lermond brought his ship home.
On April 27, 1747, in what is now Damariscotta, while Captain Lermond was at sea, his wife Betsey, and his father and mother left the fort to milk the cows. They had just closed the bars of the gate when a party of Indians rose up from among the cattle and took the elder couple prisoner. Betsey jumped over the bars like a cat, and ran up the road with an Indian with a gun chasing her. She outran him, but the Indian fired and brought her down.
Colonel Jones ran from the fort to assist her, and she told him to get back the best way he could, because she was gone. The elder Mrs. Lermond was also killed, and Mr. Lermond was taken prisoner by the Indians to Canada.
The story was written that the squaws mistreated Mr. Lermond, throwing dirt in his eyes, poking him with sticks and beating him. They were worse when the braves were out hunting.
One day they were being particularly rough with him, and he doubled his fist and knocked one of them down. He really thought that his last day on earth had come, when a sturdy brave ran over to him. Instead, the brave patted Mr. Lermond on the shoulder and said "Much courage, much courage." In February of the next year, Mr. Lermond was returned to his family.
Captain John Lermond later married Miss Giffen and removed to Waldoboro. His son, Robert Lermond, settled in Montville Plantation, in the part that is now South Liberty. He was said to be a large man who carried a bushel of corn from Waldoboro to South Liberty on his back to feed his family. At that time, there were no roads, and the trail was by spotted trees.
Robert's grandson, George Washington Lermond and his wife Mary O'Neil, a young lass from Ireland, came to the town of Lincolnville about 1880. They raised a family of four sons and two daughters. The oldest son was Richard John Lermond who married Annie Marriner and settled in the Millertown district of Lincolnville. They raised five daughters on the home farm.
If you have an interesting story of a Lincolnville family, submit it to the Lincolnville Founders Day committee for possible publication.
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