Samuel Waldo (August 7, 1696 – May 23, 1759) was an American merchant, land speculator, army officer and politician in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

Biography

He was born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, the son of Jonathan Waldo and Hannah Mason. In 1722, he married Lucy Wainwright. In 1730, he purchased a 17th-century title to a large tract of land in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

with the intent of establishing a colony there; the title did not stand up when he proposed this plan to the authorities in England. A one-time business partner of

Colonel Thomas Westbrook Colonel Thomas Westbrook (1675–1743/44) was a senior New England militia officer in Maine during Father Rale's War. In addition to this senior militia role he was a scout, a colonial councillor, an innkeeper, a mill owner, a land specu ...

, Waldo acquired a large tract of land between the

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic p ...

and Muscongus Rivers in what is now

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

where he settled Irish and German immigrants and purchased several

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. During

King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in ...

, he served as brigadier-general in the reduction on Louisbourg Fortress in 1745 and served on the temporary council that administered the settlement until Peter Warren was named governor. In 1757, during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, he submitted a plan to William Pitt which served as a basis for the second capture of Louisbourg from the French the following year. Waldo died of

apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...

near present-day

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

in 1759 while participating in a military expedition with Governor

Thomas Pownall Thomas Pownall (bapt. 4 September 1722 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S. – 25 February 1805) was a British colonial official and politician. He was governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1757 to 1760, and afterwards sat in th ...

. He was initially buried at

Fort Pownall Fort Pownall was a British fortification built during the French and Indian War, whose remains are located at Fort Point State Park in Stockton Springs, Maine. The fort was named for Governor Thomas Pownall, who oversaw its construction. It ne ...

(at

Cape Jellison Cape Jellison is a peninsula that juts into Penobscot Bay on the coast of Maine. In colonial times it was known as Wasaumkeag Point. It is part of the town of Stockton Springs, between Searsport and Bucksport, in the upper mid-coast region ...

), but his remains were transported to Boston in 1760 and interred at the

King's Chapel Burying Ground King's Chapel Burying Ground is a historic graveyard on Tremont Street, near its intersection with School Street, in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1630, it is the oldest graveyard in the city and is a site on the Freedom Trail. Despite ...

. The Maine towns of

Waldo Waldo may refer to: People and fictional characters * Waldo (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Waldo (surname), a list of people * Waldo (footballer), Brazilian footballer Waldo Machado da Silva (1934–20 ...

and Waldoboro, together with

Waldo County Waldo County is a county in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,607. Its county seat is Belfast. The county was founded on February 7, 1827, from a portion of Hancock County and named after Briga ...

, are named for their early proprietor. His son-in-law Thomas Flucker was royal secretary of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

and later Provincial Governor. His granddaughter,

Lucy Flucker Knox Lucy Flucker Knox (August 2, 1756 – June 20, 1824) was an American revolutionary. She was the daughter of colonial official Thomas Flucker and Hannah Waldo, daughter of Samuel Waldo. She married Henry Knox, who became a leading officer in the ...

, married Revolutionary War hero and founding father

Henry Knox Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806) was an American military officer, politician, bookseller, and a Founding Father of the United States. Knox, born in Boston, became a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionar ...

. The Knox family built the impressive ''Montpelier'' on Waldo's tract of land in

Thomaston, Maine Thomaston, formerly known as Fort St. Georges, Fort Wharf, and Lincoln, is a New England town, town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,739 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Noted for its antique architecture, ...

. File:Robert Feke - Isaac Winslow - 42.424 - Museum of Fine Arts.jpg, Samuel Waldo son-in-law Isaac Winslow 709-1777by Robert Feke File:Robert Feke - Portrait of a Woman - Google Art Project.jpg, Mrs. Lucy aldoWinslow Portrait number 8
/ref> by Robert Feke File:Lucy Flucker Knox Thatcher.png, Portrait of Lucy Knox's daughter, Lucy Flucker Knox Thatcher by

Albert Gallatin Hoit Albert Gallatin Hoit (December 13, 1809 – December 18, 1856) was an American painter who lived in Boston, Massachusetts. He painted portraits of William Henry Harrison, Daniel Webster and Brenton Halliburton. Biography Hoit was born in San ...

Biography

See also

References

Further reading