The following pages cover the Scagels concerning this blog, who eventually married into the Atwell family in 1830. Thanks to Nancy Benton for the pages.
The Scagels
Orson Patrick BRYAN, having married Sally, the daughter of George Scagel, the
descendents of this marriage would also be part of the Scagel family. It has
been a long time since anyone with the Scagel surname had lived in Waterbury.
There are Scagel descendents presently living in Morrisville and Richmond. Of
course, the Bryans and Scagels had close family ties. Two of my father’s
brothers and one sister, who died as infants or young children, are buried in
the George Scagel lot in the old Center cemetery.
George Scagel came to Waterbury in 1794. Lewis’ History of Waterbury says p.
30, “George Scagel took up his residence on a center plot in 1794, and spent
his life there. “This was early in Waterbury’s history as a political entity.
The first settler in the area of Waterbury was a Mr. Marsh, who arrived in
1783. Ezra Butler, who is considered to be the first permanent resident in
what was to become the town of Waterbury, arrived in 1785. Note that Georg
Scagel arrived a scant nine years later. The Bryans, thorough the Scagels, are
one of the oldest families in Waterbury to continually reside or own property
and pay taxes in the town. Book 2, Page 123 of the Waterbury Town records
states that George Scagel purchased from Josiah Smith on January 6, 1797, land
in the Center for which he paid $200. This was “the original right of Joseph
Badgley in the township of Waterbury.” A map of the lots assigned to the
original grantors, shows this to be the lot where the brick house, opposite the
Methodist Church, now stands.
George Scagel apparently was a man of considerable substance. The brick house
was originally a farm house built by George Scagel. Even today, it is the most
imposing structure in the Center. We have noted that the community’s first
church services were held in a barn. When the present brick church was built
opposite the Scagel home, it was built on land donated by George Scagel in
accordance with family tradi-
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tion. Among my mother’s newspaper clippings is an article written about the
church in 1949. This article states, “Land for this church was leased for the
sum of $10 by George Scagel to Chester Lyon, Thomas B. Scagel, and Ira Hudson,
trustees of the church.” Thomas Best Scagel was a son of George Scagel. He
was later the postmaster at Waterbury Street. Apparently the $10 involved was
a good faith token payment for the land. An interesting story involving the
church is that the church bell was pealed 100 times on the 100th birthday of
Rachel Lee Scagel, the mother of George Scagel. She was born in 1733, and so
this event occurred in 1833, shortly after the completion of the church. On
that same day, at 100 years of age, she took a stroll from her son George’s
house in the Center, to her granddaughter Sally Bryan’s house. This would, of
course, be the house on present Route 100, where my father was born forty years
later.
A resume of the movement of the Scagel family to northern Vermont may be of
interest. Jacob Scagel, fourth and last known child of Christopher and Deborah
(Wallis) Scagel, was born at Rye, New Hampshire, October 25, 1736. An entry in
the marriage register of the Congregational Church of Rye for the year 1755
states: “Jan 21 Jacob Scadgel and Rachel Lee were married.” In a record
published by the Hunkins family, in 1961, it states that George Scagel was born
in Maine on October 8, 1765. In the genealogy chart of the Scagel family, his
birthplace is given as Rye, New Hampshire. In the reminisences (sic) written
by Edith Emma Atkins, it states that George Scagel came to Vermont from Saco,
Maine. George Scagel may have been born in Maine, but authenticated
information shows that the family started moving north from Rye, New
Hampshire.
Over the years, there have developed many variations in the spellling of the
Scagel name. In 1766, Jacob “Schagell” was living in Rye, New Hampshire. In
1769, Jacob “Scagel” was employed in building the road from Middleton to
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Also, in 1769, Jacob “Sceggel” became a resident of
the latter town. The New Hampshire State Papers report that by 29 January 1770
Jacob “Seageal” had fulfilled the conditions of the deed issued to him in
Wolfeboro. Jacob and Rachel (she who lived to be 103 and died in Waterbury
Center in 1836) lived in Wolfeboro for five years, during which time their last
three children were born. On December 8, 1770, Jacob mortgaged his land for
fifty pounds. Unable to meet the payment on the morgage, the court forced
Jacob out of his home in April, 1775.
The family next moved east to Parsonfield, Maine which area was just opening up
for settlement. In 1785, the family was still in Parsonfield
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field, for the history of the town states that in that year Jacob “Schagel”
owned a potash works. It is not known when Jacob Scagel left Parsonfield.
Possibly, he turned over the potash works to his son, Jacob Jr., when the
latter returned from the Revolutionary War. He may have turned the business
over to his son, George. In those days, no recording of deeds was required
when property was transferred from father to son, so the possibility of
following the movement of people through transfer of property is made
difficult.
At the taking of the 1790 census, Jacob and Rachel Scagel were living in
Newbury, Orange County, Vermont. Official records there show that also in
Newbury, Vermont were Jacob’s sons, Jacob Jr., Elijah and William. No where is
mention made of George Scagel, Jacob’s son, being in Newbury.
George Scagel probably came to Waterbury from Saco, Maine as noted in the Bryan
family records. Later, George’s older brother, Jacob Jr., moved north to
Stanbridge East, Quebec. Also, later, Jacob and Rachel Scagel moved to
Waterbury. Later activity of Jacob is not known. He died March 18, 1817. We
have been unable to find a gravestone marking his place of burial. He was in
his 81st year, and his wife Rachel was nearly 84 years old. They had been
married for 62 years. Rachel continued to make her home with her son, George,
for another nineteen years.
Two of my grandfather’s brothers married two Scagel sisters from Standridge,
Quebec. They were second cousins. My second cousin Macie Bryan Evans is
descended from Jacob Scagel, from both her grandfather Denis Bryan and her
grandmother Mary Scagel Bryan.
Scagel 1
Scagel 2
Scagel 3
