Descendants of Thomas Skolfield (1707-1796) of Brunswick, Maine
George3 Skolfield (Clement2, Thomas1) was born 11 July 1780 in Harpswell, Maine. He
married Lydia Dunning Doyle, daughter of James Doyle and Anna Dunning, on 10 September 1805. He
died 13 March 1866 in Harpswell, Maine, and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Brunswick.
He was familiarly called Master George Skolfield, and lived in a house standing on the site of the
house later occupied by his son, George R. Skolfield, and
later his grandson, Daniel True Skolfield, and still later by his great grandson George R, Skolfield on Merrucoonegan
Farm.
He began his shipbuilding career at the age of
twenty-one without business connections and without a
dollar of capital, even borrowing the sum to purchase his first broudax. With that business ability and persistence which marked his entire life of more than sixty years, he steadfastly followed his chosen profession, each year establishing a higher reputation and more extensive business connections in the larger American cities until he became one of the best shipbuilders and owners in the country.
He constructed upwards of over sixty ships, most of
them of large size, and known for their beautiful models and
thoroughness of construction Most of them had long sea
services and all were highly rated. The benefits accruing to
Brunswick and Harpswell, Maine, for the large sums paid in
wages and for building materials were almost beyond
description.
George Skolfield was of a kind and hospitable nature, fond of his family and friends, and exceedingly liberal towards all worthy objects of need and charity. He had a thorough hatred for everything Which looked like oppression. One illustration shows this very clearly. While engaged in building a very fine ship of 10OO tons at Harpswell, the town insisted in taxing her before she was completed, against his firm's protest. He at once built a new residence (Oonegan Farm) a short distance from the one which he
occupied, but located in the town of Brunswick, thus transferring his large tax of many hundreds of dollars
per year to Brunswick.
He died at 86 years in full possession of all his faculties, without a single regret at leaving the scene
of his many labors and truthfully saying, "My days of usefulness are past and it is better that the old
worn-out body should be laid to rest."
At the time of his death George Skolfield was one of the wealthiest men in Brunswick. It was his great, delight to have his house full of company, and he was never in better spirits than when his friends fairly overran his house. A man of strong impulses and prejudices, he never meant to be unjust. He was decided, firm in his convictions, and sternly resolute in what he thought to be his duty. That duty was done in a singleness of purpose worthy of all imitation. He made no claim for perfection in this but we record
the crowning glory of his long life, diversified with his intercourse with all manner of men; his passing
iiway with never a man to question his scrupulous honesty in all his dealings with his fellow man.
After his death his famous shipyard was carried on by his son George Rogers Skolfield in connection with his brothers, Capt. Samuel Skolfield and Isaac Lincoln Skolfield, three highly esteemed citizens of Brunswick.
Taken from a book:
"Decendants of Thomas Skolfield"
1707-1796 by "Ester S. deVries"
George3 Skolfield (Clement2, Thomas1) was born 11 July 1780 in Harpswell, Maine. He
married Lydia Dunning Doyle, daughter of James Doyle and Anna Dunning, on 10 September 1805. He
died 13 March 1866 in Harpswell, Maine, and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Brunswick.
He was familiarly called Master George Skolfield, and lived in a house standing on the site of the
house later occupied by his son, George R. Skolfield, and
later his grandson, Daniel True Skolfield, and still later by his great grandson George R, Skolfield on Merrucoonegan
Farm.
He began his shipbuilding career at the age of
twenty-one without business connections and without a
dollar of capital, even borrowing the sum to purchase his first broudax. With that business ability and persistence which marked his entire life of more than sixty years, he steadfastly followed his chosen profession, each year establishing a higher reputation and more extensive business connections in the larger American cities until he became one of the best shipbuilders and owners in the country.
He constructed upwards of over sixty ships, most of
them of large size, and known for their beautiful models and
thoroughness of construction Most of them had long sea
services and all were highly rated. The benefits accruing to
Brunswick and Harpswell, Maine, for the large sums paid in
wages and for building materials were almost beyond
description.
George Skolfield was of a kind and hospitable nature, fond of his family and friends, and exceedingly liberal towards all worthy objects of need and charity. He had a thorough hatred for everything Which looked like oppression. One illustration shows this very clearly. While engaged in building a very fine ship of 10OO tons at Harpswell, the town insisted in taxing her before she was completed, against his firm's protest. He at once built a new residence (Oonegan Farm) a short distance from the one which he
occupied, but located in the town of Brunswick, thus transferring his large tax of many hundreds of dollars
per year to Brunswick.
He died at 86 years in full possession of all his faculties, without a single regret at leaving the scene
of his many labors and truthfully saying, "My days of usefulness are past and it is better that the old
worn-out body should be laid to rest."
At the time of his death George Skolfield was one of the wealthiest men in Brunswick. It was his great, delight to have his house full of company, and he was never in better spirits than when his friends fairly overran his house. A man of strong impulses and prejudices, he never meant to be unjust. He was decided, firm in his convictions, and sternly resolute in what he thought to be his duty. That duty was done in a singleness of purpose worthy of all imitation. He made no claim for perfection in this but we record
the crowning glory of his long life, diversified with his intercourse with all manner of men; his passing
iiway with never a man to question his scrupulous honesty in all his dealings with his fellow man.
After his death his famous shipyard was carried on by his son George Rogers Skolfield in connection with his brothers, Capt. Samuel Skolfield and Isaac Lincoln Skolfield, three highly esteemed citizens of Brunswick.
Taken from a book:
"Decendants of Thomas Skolfield"
1707-1796 by "Ester S. deVries"
Descendants of Thomas Skolfield (1707-1796) of Brunswick, Maine
George3 Skolfield (Clement2, Thomas1) was born 11 July 1780 in Harpswell, Maine. He
married Lydia Dunning Doyle, daughter of James Doyle and Anna Dunning, on 10 September 1805. He
died 13 March 1866 in Harpswell, Maine, and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Brunswick.
He was familiarly called Master George Skolfield, and lived in a house standing on the site of the
house later occupied by his son, George R. Skolfield, and
later his grandson, Daniel True Skolfield, and still later by his great grandson George R, Skolfield on Merrucoonegan
Farm.
He began his shipbuilding career at the age of
twenty-one without business connections and without a
dollar of capital, even borrowing the sum to purchase his first broudax. With that business ability and persistence which marked his entire life of more than sixty years, he steadfastly followed his chosen profession, each year establishing a higher reputation and more extensive business connections in the larger American cities until he became one of the best shipbuilders and owners in the country.
He constructed upwards of over sixty ships, most of
them of large size, and known for their beautiful models and
thoroughness of construction Most of them had long sea
services and all were highly rated. The benefits accruing to
Brunswick and Harpswell, Maine, for the large sums paid in
wages and for building materials were almost beyond
description.
George Skolfield was of a kind and hospitable nature, fond of his family and friends, and exceedingly liberal towards all worthy objects of need and charity. He had a thorough hatred for everything Which looked like oppression. One illustration shows this very clearly. While engaged in building a very fine ship of 10OO tons at Harpswell, the town insisted in taxing her before she was completed, against his firm's protest. He at once built a new residence (Oonegan Farm) a short distance from the one which he
occupied, but located in the town of Brunswick, thus transferring his large tax of many hundreds of dollars
per year to Brunswick.
He died at 86 years in full possession of all his faculties, without a single regret at leaving the scene
of his many labors and truthfully saying, "My days of usefulness are past and it is better that the old
worn-out body should be laid to rest."
At the time of his death George Skolfield was one of the wealthiest men in Brunswick. It was his great, delight to have his house full of company, and he was never in better spirits than when his friends fairly overran his house. A man of strong impulses and prejudices, he never meant to be unjust. He was decided, firm in his convictions, and sternly resolute in what he thought to be his duty. That duty was done in a singleness of purpose worthy of all imitation. He made no claim for perfection in this but we record
the crowning glory of his long life, diversified with his intercourse with all manner of men; his passing
iiway with never a man to question his scrupulous honesty in all his dealings with his fellow man.
After his death his famous shipyard was carried on by his son George Rogers Skolfield in connection with his brothers, Capt. Samuel Skolfield and Isaac Lincoln Skolfield, three highly esteemed citizens of Brunswick.
Taken from a book:
"Decendants of Thomas Skolfield"
1707-1796 by "Ester S. deVries"
George3 Skolfield (Clement2, Thomas1) was born 11 July 1780 in Harpswell, Maine. He
married Lydia Dunning Doyle, daughter of James Doyle and Anna Dunning, on 10 September 1805. He
died 13 March 1866 in Harpswell, Maine, and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Brunswick.
He was familiarly called Master George Skolfield, and lived in a house standing on the site of the
house later occupied by his son, George R. Skolfield, and
later his grandson, Daniel True Skolfield, and still later by his great grandson George R, Skolfield on Merrucoonegan
Farm.
He began his shipbuilding career at the age of
twenty-one without business connections and without a
dollar of capital, even borrowing the sum to purchase his first broudax. With that business ability and persistence which marked his entire life of more than sixty years, he steadfastly followed his chosen profession, each year establishing a higher reputation and more extensive business connections in the larger American cities until he became one of the best shipbuilders and owners in the country.
He constructed upwards of over sixty ships, most of
them of large size, and known for their beautiful models and
thoroughness of construction Most of them had long sea
services and all were highly rated. The benefits accruing to
Brunswick and Harpswell, Maine, for the large sums paid in
wages and for building materials were almost beyond
description.
George Skolfield was of a kind and hospitable nature, fond of his family and friends, and exceedingly liberal towards all worthy objects of need and charity. He had a thorough hatred for everything Which looked like oppression. One illustration shows this very clearly. While engaged in building a very fine ship of 10OO tons at Harpswell, the town insisted in taxing her before she was completed, against his firm's protest. He at once built a new residence (Oonegan Farm) a short distance from the one which he
occupied, but located in the town of Brunswick, thus transferring his large tax of many hundreds of dollars
per year to Brunswick.
He died at 86 years in full possession of all his faculties, without a single regret at leaving the scene
of his many labors and truthfully saying, "My days of usefulness are past and it is better that the old
worn-out body should be laid to rest."
At the time of his death George Skolfield was one of the wealthiest men in Brunswick. It was his great, delight to have his house full of company, and he was never in better spirits than when his friends fairly overran his house. A man of strong impulses and prejudices, he never meant to be unjust. He was decided, firm in his convictions, and sternly resolute in what he thought to be his duty. That duty was done in a singleness of purpose worthy of all imitation. He made no claim for perfection in this but we record
the crowning glory of his long life, diversified with his intercourse with all manner of men; his passing
iiway with never a man to question his scrupulous honesty in all his dealings with his fellow man.
After his death his famous shipyard was carried on by his son George Rogers Skolfield in connection with his brothers, Capt. Samuel Skolfield and Isaac Lincoln Skolfield, three highly esteemed citizens of Brunswick.
Taken from a book:
"Decendants of Thomas Skolfield"
1707-1796 by "Ester S. deVries"
