Nancy F. (21 Oct 1835-?Dec 1899?) — m. Horace Roberts in 185x; m. Benjamin H. Sargent on 1 Feb 1875
Martha B. (10 Jul 1837-22 Mar 1906) — m. Asa Augustus Booker on 2 Aug 1862; m. James M. Emery on 27 May 1868
Charles Leonard (26 Aug 1839-25 Aug 1864) — m. Mary Julianne Keene on 12 Jul 1863
Mary Jane (27 Sep 1843-24 Jul 1910) — m. Chester A. Hill on 15 Jun 1863
Elizabeth R. “Lizzie” (1847-29 Feb 1876) — m. Benjamin Emery on 12 Jul 1874
Julia Anne “Annie” (Dec 1849-16 Nov 1905) — m. John B. Cross on 23 Apr 1872
Hannah Melissa (1851-????) — m. Edwin N. Allen on 20 Jul 1872; ?m. John Pike?
William Franklin “Frank”, Sr. (9 May 1853-27 May 1914) — m. Annie E. Wyman on 21 Jan 1877; m. Louisa Emily Emmet Sanders on 8 May 1895
William was born in New Durham, Strafford County, New Hampshire. Family recollections say his father was named Thomas, and multiple census records establish that this was the Thomas Tash from New Durham who settled his family in Exeter, Penobscot County in the 1820s, when William was a young man. William’s mother might have been named Polly Ham, based on an 1802 wedding record from Newmarket, New Hampshire, but there’s no evidence that the Thomas Tash she married was the same man.
Betsy was born in Maine. One account says her parents were Amasa Berry and Margaret Robinson, a mistaken reference to Andrew Berry (1775-1866) and Margaret Robinson (1783-1871) of Litchfield, Kennebec (formerly Lincoln) County. However, there are birth records for that couple’s 12 known children and Betsy isn’t one of them. Her findagrave.com page has her born in Weld, Franklin County, more than 80 miles west of Exeter, but offers no documentation. There were Berry families in the same area of New Hampshire as the Tashes, and in Exeter as well.
William and Betsy married in Exeter, Penobscot County, Maine on 13 or 15 Mar 1834. Looks like the wedding was on 13 March, and was registered on the 15th.
The 1840 census for Exeter listed them with three children, two girls and a boy, all under 5. That’s Nancy, Martha, and Charles. They were living next door to William’s father Thomas.
In 1850 there were six children, from Nancy down to Julia. They were now two census pages away from William’s father, although this was probably due to more people settling in Exeter rather than one or the other household moving.
In 1860 there were seven children, with just Lizzie absent. She was living with a family named Wentworth, still in Exeter. Also with the Tashes were William’s younger brother James Tash (1812-1880) and his two-year-old son Preston. James’s wife Ruth A. Lombard (1822-1858) had died just two years before.
In 1863, William and son Charles traveled some 50 miles north by horseback to the remote township of Chester, Penobscot County, where they bought a square mile of land for $450. William later brought the rest of the family through the woods to Chester by ox-sled. In the 1870 census for Chester, the four youngest children, ages 23 to 17, were still at home, as was nephew Preston (12). Mary Jane and her family were living next door.
The 1880 census showed William (74) and Betsy (63) in Chester with son William (26) and nephew Preston (22). It identified Preston as a son of the family, although his father James was still alive, living in Lincoln just south of Chester with his other son, Andrew, and it listed the respective wives of William and Preston, Annie E. Tash (19) and Nancy Tash (22), as daughters of the family, so the census-taker was being less than careful here. The Rosetta Roberts (58) who was living with the family and listed as “boarder” was William’s sister. Nephew George W. Tash and his new wife were living next door.
William died in 1884, and is buried in South Chester Cemetery on Route 116. Betsy died three years later, and is buried with him.
Nancy married Horace Roberts (~1823-????) from Ohio, date unknown. They had at least four children:
Sarah (1854-????)
Samuel W. (Jun 1855-15 Dec 1920) — m. Eliza B. Shaw on 16 Oct 1886
Elizabeth J. “Lizzie” (~1868-????)
July Ann or Julia (1871-?1888?)
They must have lived in Maine for part of the 1850s, but are nowhere to be found in the 1860 census. In the 1870 census, the family were in Union County, Ohio: Horace (37), Nancy (30), Sarah (16), Samuel (14), and Elizabeth (5). The census noted that Sarah was born in Maine, Samuel in Alabama, and Lizzie in Ohio. Julia was later born in Ohio as well.
Horace probably died in the early 1870s, but there’s no record. In any case, Nancy returned to Maine. In 1875, she married Benjamin Sargent (1830-????) in Lincoln, Penobscot County. The 1880 census showed the family in Chester, no new children.
A Maine death record shows that a 64-year-old widow named Nancy F. Sargent died of pneumonia in December 1899. The age is right, and Nancy did give the middle initial F in the 1880 census, but without more information I can’t be sure it was her. The Nancy W. Sargent who died in 1899 in Phillips was definitely not her.
Martha married Asa Augustus Booker (1839-23 May 1864) on 2 Aug 1862 in Exeter. They had one child:
Lindsey Joseph “Joseph” (14 Feb 1863-9 Jul 1926) — m. Mabel Nancy Libby
Asa served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and died in New York. Accounts disagree on whether he died of illness or battle injuries. He’s buried in Cyprus Hill National Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Martha married another Union soldier, James M. Emery, Sr. (Dec 1839-28 Nov 1919), on 27 May 1868 in Lincoln. He came with two children from a previous marriage, Ruth and Llewellyn. They moved to Sherman Township in Aroostook County. Their children:
Charles L. “Charlie” (19 Apr 1870-25 Jan 1940) — m. Etta Delia Perry Hall on 12 Jan 1916
James Madison, Jr. (28 Aug 1876-2 Nov 1942) — m. Mary E. Bradley on 4 Dec 1897
Calvin A. (28 Mar 1878-4 Feb 1914)
two others?
The 1870 census showed them in Sherman with their blended family, which included James’s probable younger brother William, 17. In 1880, the family included Charles, James Jr., and Calvin; James Sr. was a house carpenter. In 1900, they still had Charles and Calvin, and Martha claimed six children, five still living. Martha died in 1906 and is buried in Sherman Cemetery #2, Sherman Mills, Aroostook County. James Sr. died in 1919 and is buried with her.
Charles married Mary Julianne Keene, daughter of Seneca Keene and Mary Morrison, in 1863. Charles was a Union soldier during the Civil War in the 1st District of Columbia Volunteer Cavalry, Company L. He was declared missing in action in 1864.
Mary Jane has her own entry in the family tree.
Lizzie married Benjamin Emery on 12 Jul 1874 in Chester. She died less than two years later giving birth to twins, and is buried in South Chester Cemetery. One of the children died at birth, and the other three months later. They’re buried with their mother.
Annie, who rearranged her given name to “Annie J.”, married Civil War veteran John B. Cross (1846-13 Sep 1901) from New York in 1872 in Lewiston. They had four children I know of:
Ernest Ashbey (Dec 1874-1952) — m. Annie Estella Waitt on 23 Jan 1897; divorced; m. Ella M. ??? in 193x
Charles Leonard (1877-22 Apr 1918) — m. Carrie B. Dunbar on 13 Aug 1897; m. Harriet E. Barrett on 2 Sep 1903
Chester Franklin (1877-Jan 1935) — m. Eugenie Crowell on 21 Apr 1897
Florence A. (adopted) (1889-19xx)
In 1880, they were living in Auburn, Androscoggin County. By 1900, they were in Lynn, Massachusetts, with son Charles and his wife and daughter. John died in 1901 and is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery there. Annie died in 1905 and is buried in the same cemetery, as are all three of their sons.
Hannah married Maine native Edwin or Edward N. Allen (~1853-????) in 1872 in Lewiston, Androscoggin County. The record has her name as Melissa A. Tash. In the 1880 census, she and Edwin were still in Lewiston, and she was working in a cotton mill and still going by Melissa. No children. There’s a report that she later married one John Pike, but I can’t find anything about her after 1880.
Frank married Annie E. Wyman (1 Sep 1861-~1913) in 1877. No children I know of. In 1880, they were living with his parents. They divorced, and she married one Charles Bell. On 8 May 1895, Frank married Louisa Emily Emmett Sanders (9 Aug 1863-30 Nov 1918), England-born ex-wife of Benjamin Franklin Sanders, probably in some haste – note date of birth for the first of their five children:
Charles Augustus, Sr. (13 Sep 1895-15 Feb 1952) — m. June Aroline Lobley on 31 Aug 1918
Bessie Gladys (24 Jun 1897-1970) — m. Irving Ruel Philbrook on 21 Mar 1914
Raymond David (1 May 1900-19 Aug 1980) — m. Vidella Marian Whiting in 1944; m. Lucy Louise Campbell on 17 May 1980
Bryan Jennings (25 Oct 1902-21 Jan 1945) — never married
William Franklin “Frank”, Jr. (6 Jul 1905-8 Sep 1987) — m. Una Lancaster on 19 Mar 1927
Louisa came with three children from her previous marriage. They lived first in Lincoln village and then in Chester.
Frank died in 1914 and is buried in South Chester Cemetery, the same place as his parents. Louisa died in 1918 and is buried with him.
https://www.myheritage.com/names/william_tash -- Some bad mistakes here
https://network.mainegenealogy.net/profiles/blogs/chapter-10-vidella-marian-whiting-ryer-tash-fowler-durkee-1917 -- Includes Frank’s children
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4X4-56D -- 1834 wedding
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4SG-RF8 -- 1835 birth of Nancy
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4SG-RFX -- 1837 birth of Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4SP-WY9 -- 1839 birth of Charles
https://www.myheritage.com/names/charles_tash -- Data about Charles and parents
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYS-DH3 -- 1840 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F44R-LQ7 -- 1843 birth of Mary Jane
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6V7-XBV -- 1850 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDCH-QY6 -- 1860 census, as “Task”
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDCH-QBM -- 1860 census, Elizabeth
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4X4-P4P -- 1862 wedding of Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HJ1-QTQ -- 1868 wedding of Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6DT-JLC -- 1870 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GM-27D -- 1870 census, Nancy
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6D8-FSH -- 1870 census, Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1X-9Y3D -- 1872 wedding of Annie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F46X-ZQX -- 1872 wedding of Hannah Melissa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4N7-SM8 -- 1874 wedding of Elizabeth
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HKN-6HV -- 1875 wedding of Nancy
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104207485 -- 1876 grave of Elizabeth
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF31-3X8 -- 1880 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF31-3XK -- 1880 census, Nancy
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF3N-NL9 -- 1880 census, Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF36-F6T -- 1880 census, Annie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF3X-JL7 -- 1880 census, Melissa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ5-MBPW -- 1884 and 1887 burials
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104207547 -- 1884 grave of William; links to others
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4F7-X4X -- 1886 wedding of Nancy's son Samuel
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HV-3DY -- 1897 wedding of Martha’s son James
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HJ-543 -- 1897 wedding of Annie's son Ernest
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HJ-T2R -- 1897 wedding of Annie's son Chester
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HJ-1JL -- 1897 wedding of Annie's son Charles
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCDV-PRB -- 1899 death of prob. Nancy
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMLC-VWQ -- 1900 census, Martha
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMLY-KB4 -- 1900 census, Frank
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9RC-4Y4 -- 1900 census, Annie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMLT-849 -- 1900 census, Nancy's son Samuel
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9RC-4YT -- 1900 census, Annie's son Ernest
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N47F-L26 -- 1903 wedding of Annie's son Charles
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58904392 -- 1905 grave of Annie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZQ9-2JT -- 1906 death of Martha
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89044322 -- Martha’s grave
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MR3D-NND -- 1910 census, Frank
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2JK-DS5 -- 1910 census, Annie's son Charles
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-H3LG -- 1910 wedding of Preston’s son Charles
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-H3YZ -- 1910 wedding of Preston’s son William
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24N-RHV6 -- 1914 wedding of Frank’s daughter Bessie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24F-PX6H -- 1916 wedding of Martha’s son Charlie
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-HH4G -- 1918 wedding of Frank’s son Charles
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFZR-JLL -- 1920 census, Nancy's son Samuel
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-MKZF -- 1920 death of Samuel
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCNF-FD4 -- 1927 wedding of Frank’s son Frank Jr.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26792623 -- 1952 grave of Annie's son Ernest
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JBK5-FN5 -- 1987 death of Frank’s son Frank Jr.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166439362 -- 1987 grave of Frank Jr.