Samuel Cemetery

The following are buried in this cemetery:

  • Samuel4 Junkins (Joseph3, Alexander2, Robert1), b. 26 Oct 1735, Scotland, York, ME; d. 7 Feb 1791, Scotland, York, ME. He mar Hepzibah Preble Dec 1764.
  • Capt. Joseph5 Junkins (Samuel4, Joseph3, Alexander2, Robert1), b. 4 Sep 1773, Scotland, York, ME; d. 18 Aug 1856, Scotland, York, ME. Mar Hepzibah Kingsbury.
  • Hepzibah (Preble) Junkins, b 31 Aug 1789, York, York, ME; d. 1855.
  • George6 Junkins, b. Jan 1796, Scotland, York, ME; d. 1 Mar 1828, Scotland, York, ME. Mar. Mary Nowell on 21 Feb 1820.
  • Urania7 Junkins, b. Dec 1820, Scotland, York, ME; d. 12 Oct 1838. Dau of George6 and Mary (Nowell) Junkins.
  • Pauline Kingsbury, b. 1833, d. 18 Nov 1851
  • Several unmarked stones

Discovery & First Visit

This cemetery was not known by JFA as a Junkins cemetery until August 23, 1990, as it had been identified by the York Historical Association's map of family cemeteries as a Kingsbury cemetery.

From JFA Newsletter no. 3, Winter 1990

On the third day of an archaeological dig of the Alexander Cemetery at the site of the Junkins Garrison, two hunters, Edward Junkins and Edward Maybe, of the Kittery Water District stopped to say hello. After some conversation, Alan and Donald Junkins accompanied the two Edwards through the woods to an abandoned cemetery on the edge of a large field east of the Kingsbury Marsh Road, where many Junkins gravestones dating from the 1830s were visible.

The cemetery is to the left rear of Highland Farm on traditionally Junkins land (just down from the Garrison site, about 1/4 of a mile). It turns out to be on land that Alexander2 gave to his son Joseph. The circumstantial evidence is strong that because this cemetery is located on land given to Joseph3, that he is buried there.

All of the stones viewed were Junkins'. One was hand carved by an amateur and one seemed to be a wolf-stone. The names Urania, George, and Captain Josiah Junkins1 were clearly distinguishable on headstones in excellent condition except for being broken into two pieces.

This graveyard seemed to extend for more than 60 feet along a small rise close to a small pond, a few hundred yards straight in from Scotland Parish Road.

First Fourth Generation Ancestor Located

The following is an excerpt from an article by Donald Junkins titled "First Fourth Generation Ancestor Located" that was published in JFA Newsletter no. 4, Summer 1991

This cemetery is listed on the Town of York's Cemetery Map as a Kingsbury cemetery, and was visited by Alan and Donald Junkins during the week prior to the Junkins reunion as reported in JFA Newsletter no. 3, Winter 1990 (see above), and later by Roland Junkins and David and Linda Leck. David Leck took a video of their visit. The hand-lettered gravestone found by Alan and Donald has turned out to be that of Samuel Junkins, Robert1 Junkins' great-grandson. Roland deciphered the stone in large March, 1991, and called this writer on the evening before Easter to report the discovery. Earlier he had said of his first visit to the cemetery when he thought that Samuel's wife Hepzibah was the oldest inhabitant of the cemetery, "I'm going to straighten Hepzibah's stone and clean it and restore it. The water supply is right there in the pond. There's a pump house right there. The pond is obviously a water supply for the mansion up o the hill. There's a wire fence that runs right down the middle of the cemetery. Then, I'm going to straighten Hepzibah's stone and clean it and restore it. The water supply is right there. Then, I'm going to take the stones with the hand-carved inscriptions and see whose name is on it. I'm going to clean the other stones, clean out the cemetery and work on it." (Hepzibah was Hepzibah Preble whom Samuel married in December 1764. They were members of the Second Parish Church and resided on the homestead of his father where they spent their entire lives.)

Later Visit

The hand-lettered gravestone found by Alan Junkins on the first visit turned out to be that of Samuel4 Junkins, Robert1's great-grandson. Roland deciphered the stone in late March, 1991.

In JFA Newsletter no. 5, Winter 1991, Donald Junkins wrote further:

"The cemetery currently listed in the town records as Kingsbury (#62), to the left rear of Highland Farm on traditionally Junkins land (just down from the Garrison site about one quarter of a mile), turns out to be on land that Alexander2 gave to his son Joseph. The circumstantial evidence is strong that since this cemetery is located on land given to Joseph3, that he is buried there. As reported in newsletter 4, Samuel4 is buried there. Probably as many as nine unlettered, ancient fieldstones have now been uncovered. Wire strands inside the trees bordering the edges of the cemetery go in, in some places, as much as ten inches. One stone in perfect condition was discovered six inches under ground; Captain Joseph Junkins (Hepzibah's husband, died August 18, 1856). Fractured stones have been repaired: Urania (d. Oct 1, 1838); George (d. Mar 1, 1828); and Pauline Kingsbury (d. Nov 18, 1851). Samuel4's hand-chiseled headstone has been re-set solidly into the ground. The cemetery is located on the edge of an incline at the bottom of which is a brook which flows into a pond. The pond was originally the water supply for Highland Farm (the pump house is still there). Over the years it grew over with a lot of slash and poor quality pine and deadwood, and Roland cleaned out all the slash and deadwood. As you now look out you can see the pond as it looked originally to those who chose the location."

Restoration

An article in JFA Newsletter no. 12, March 1999 details the restoration and new fence.

Noteworthy Facts

From "First Fourth Generation Ancestor Located" by Donald Junkins in JFA Newsletter no. 4, Summer 1991

Samuel4's son, Samuel5, whose story can found in Davis' The Junkins Family[1], became a Cochranite and stirred up the town by his marriage to Olive Williams. Both Samuel5 and his wife spent time in the county jail for "disturbing" a church meeting. Sixteen poems in Donald Junkins' The Agamenticus Poems: Voices from York, Maine, tell the story of their arrest and imprisonment.

Samuel4's three nephews, sons of his brother James4, married three Junkins sisters in the Daniel2 line, their third cousins. Joseph5, James5 and David5 Junkins of the Alexander2 line maried Lydia5, Eleanor5 and Abigail5 of the Daniel2 line. David5 and Abigail5 Junkins are buring in the Daniel Cemetery above the Kingsbury Marsh at the site of the Daniel2 homestead lot, now referred to in York as the "Day Place."

Bibliography
1. Davis, Harry Alexander. The Junkins Family, Descendants of Robert Junkins of York County, Maine. Washington D.C., 1938.
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