BENJAMIN BUNKER
Benjamin was born in 1710, being only 12 years old when his father died. He married Abigail when he was 20 years old. In November, 1740, he sold his share in his father’s estate to his brother James. Four years later, 13 February l745, he inlisted as a private in Capt. Hale’s Co. of Col. Moore’s regiment. He later became an ensign and on 10 Aug. 1745, he participated in the capture from the French of Port Louisburg on Cape Breton Island which was the key to the St. Lawrence River. This was a great victory for the English. He didn’t make a permanent home until he was around 50 years old when they settled on Mt. Desert Island, off the coast of Maine. He had the distinction of being the first settler in the Mt. Desert region as well as the first settler on Great Cranberry Island. As for Great Cranberry Island, he deeded little Cranberry Island to “my son John Bunker” 20 July 1768, and land on Great Cranberry Island to “my sons Isaac and Aaron Bunker 1 August 1768. Probably due to the exposed position of Great Cranberry island during the Revolutionary War, Benjamin and his sons Isaac and Benjamin Jr. took up on the main island of Mt. Desert. This was during the war years of 1775 and 1776 As he grew old, he lived with his son Benjamin and lived to be 1O8 years old, dying about 1818. His grandson later wrote of him; “My great-grandfather Bunker settled at Mt. Desert. He lived to a great age, 108 years, and he had five sons, John, Aaron, Isaac, Benjamin, and Silas. Isaac settled at Gouldsboro, Silas at Sedgwick, and the others at Mt. Desert in the vicinity or Norwood’s Cove,” Benjamin was the rather of 10 children, 6 boys and 4 girls. One boy and one girl died in infancy.
Source:Brent Bunker