04/21/2026
Meet one of my 6th great grandfathers. Theophilus Wilder was born on May 16, 1740, in Hingham Massachusetts, the son of Theophilus Wilder and Mary Hersey.
On December 16, 1762, he married Lydia Cushing in Plymouth. In the years that followed, he established himself as a respected member of his community, serving as a constable in Hingham in 1768.
When the American Revolutionary War began, Theophilus took up arms in defense of the colonies. Between 1776 and 1778, and again in 1780, he served on multiple occasions, first as a lieutenant and later as a captain. On October 17, 1777, he commanded a company of militia at the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, a decisive moment in the war. He continued in service until the surrender of Charles Cornwallis in 1781, helping to secure American independence.
After the war, new opportunities drew him eastward. In May 1786, following the purchase of Plantations #1 and #2 by General Benjamin Lincoln and his associates, Theophilus moved to Dennysville with the first group of settlers from Hingham. His wife Lydia and their children joined him in June 1788, reuniting the family in their new home.
He settled in the Pennamaquan section of what is now Pembroke. There, his leadership remained evident. On March 24, 1800, he was chosen moderator of the plantation meeting—the first for which a record survives. Years later, in March 1818, he served again as moderator at the first official town meeting. At a second town meeting, the community formally expressed its gratitude, voting thanks to “Theophilus Wilder senior” for his service as moderator of all previous plantation and town meetings.
Theophilus and Lydia raised a large family, beginning with their daughter Lydia, born May 31, 1764, followed by Theophilius, born January 21, 1766; Mary, born July 15, 1768; Sarah, born August 7, 1770; Ebenezer Cushing, born August 20, 1772; Susannah, born August 9, 1774; Bella, born October 15, 1776; Persis, born October 13, 1780; and Deborah, born December 13, 1782, along with other children born later in Maine. Some, including an earlier Lydia and Persis, died in infancy. Theophilus Wilder Jr settled at the head of Hersey Cove, where the shore road turns southward down the point. He built a cape in 1814 and it remained until the 1940’s (at that time it was the oldest house in Pembroke).
After a long life of service to both his country and his community, Theophilus Wilder died on October 28, 1821—though some records suggest October 31, 1821—at Pennamaquan, in Pembroke, Maine, at the age of 81. He was laid to rest in Forest Hill Cemetery in Pembroke, leaving behind a legacy rooted in duty, leadership, and perseverance.
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