Assisting the Poor in early Monroe

       At some time prior to the year 1810, William and Esther Michaels and their large young family moved to Lee Plantation, which was later to become the town of Monroe. Like many other early settlers to the area, not much is known about this family. We believe that William was born in Georgetown, ME and it may have been there that he heard of an opportunity for cheap land in, what was then, northern Maine. The 1810 census for Lee Plantation lists the family of “William Mikel” as consisting of 2 boys under the age of 10, 2 boys between the ages of 10 and 16, 2 boys between the ages of 16 and 26, one male adult presumably William, 3 girls under the age of 10, and one adult female, presumably Esther. From the Vital Records of the Town of Monroe, we know that William and Esther had at least 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls. The 1820 census for the town of Monroe includes two Michaels' families. William's family is listed and includes 5 boys and 2 girls. The oldest son, John Michaels, is also listed. He married Celia Douglas about 1818, and she gave birth to a daughter, Rebecca, in 1820. Celia was the daughter of Elisha and Celia Douglas, also residents of Monroe. The fact that William's family only includes 2 girls may mean that one of the girls had died prior to the 1820 census. The 1830 census for Monroe lists the family of William Michaels as containing 3 boys and only 1 girl. We know that William's son, Samuel, married Mary Perry of Belfast, ME in 1821. By 1830, after having 3 children born in Monroe, they had moved to Belfast. There is one son who is unaccounted for. It may be that he was the oldest son who, by 1830, had moved away. Or, he may have died. We do know that William's daughter, Polly, married Reuben Colson in 1824, which accounts for the change in the number of girls in William's household.

        The sad news is that there is no listing for a John Michaels family in 1830. It is believed that John Michaels died in early1830, leaving a young wife and 5 young children. By this time William Michaels was in his 70's and probably too old to assume the responsibility of caring for his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. It is not known what became of John's younger brothers and whether or not they pitched in. What we do know is that someone brought it to the attention of the town that this young family was in trouble and needed help.

        The methods of helping the poor in early America changed little from those employed under the English and colonial poor laws. While one of the aims of poor relief was “to dispose of the poor as cheaply as possible”, local authorities were given discretion to use many different methods. Local authorities first required family members to care for their poor relatives. If family was not available to care for the poor, they were cared for by one or more of several methods: assisting them in their own homes, called “outdoor relief”; apprenticeship of poor children and sometimes adults; institutional care in almshouses, poorhouses, or houses of correction; or the method employed in Monroe which was to auction off the poor or contract out their care to private parties.

        Auctioning off the poor by family or individual to the lowest bidder was a common way of taking care of the poor. At annual town meetings, the local community would put the local poor up for evaluation and bid. People would agree to take one or more of the local poor for a year and submit an amount that the town would have to pay weekly for the support of the poor. Bidders would ask little from the town for the poor who they thought could be put to work, and larger amounts for those not expected to work as much. This often included auctioning off women and children. The person who asked the least from the town would be given the annual contract. This practice has been described as “a thinly disguised form of human slavery”, as the poor were expected to work for the winning bidder who in return for which would clothe and feed his charges. Harsh as it may seem, the alternative for the destitute was hunger and starvation.

The early town records for Monroe contain the following reports:

        Poor put at oction (sp) April 5, 1830:

             Mary Couillard bid off by Nathaniel Twombley at 45 cts.

             George Michales under the care of Selectmen

        April 1831:

             Widow Mary Couillard to Nathaniel Twombley at 70 cts per week

             George Michales bid off by Hill Clements at 33 cts per week

             Celia Michales bid off by Timothy Plummer at 39 cts per week

             Irenia Michales bid off by Daniel Smith at 20 cts per week

        Poor put at Oction (sp) April 1832:

             Celia Michales bid off by Mr. John Webber for $15.50

             Oliver Michales by John Webber for 10.00

             Irena Michales by John W. Nealley for 9.50

             Mary Couillard by Winslow Webber for 23.00

             Lucy Avery by Thomas Cunningham for 15.00

             George Michales by Caleb Colson for 11.00

             Nicholas Frost and Wife by Joseph Bartlett for 49.00

             Xoa Ward taken by Thomas Cunningham for 12.00

             Widow Royal by Michell Royal for 00.00

                                                                                      Hosea Emery

                                                                                      Town Clerk

        April 1833:

             Art. 2 taken up:

             Voted that Ephraim G. Couillard and Family be set up at oction (sp) to the best bidder and be so supported until our annual meeting in April next.  Doctors bills and funeral charges not included in their support by whom they may be did off.  Said Couillard and Family bid off by Charles Sargent and to be supported by said Sargent until the first Monday of April next for the sum of $70.

        Meeting dissolved.

                                                                            Hosea Emery

                                                                            Town Clerk