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Edward Coy shared with a Loyalist family the accommodation of his humble dwelling until they could provide themselves a shelter. The ancestor of the Esteys in America was Jeffrey Estey, an English puritan, who sought refuge in New England from the persecutions of Old England. He was living at Salem, Mass., in 1636, but removed later to Long Island, N. Y., where he died in 1657.

The Esteys were well known and active men in the community, and were among the pioneers of milling on the St. John river. Richard Estey, jr., had a saw mill in 1779, on what was then called Numahael creek. His brother Zebulon moved to Upper Gagetown about 1778, where he built a grist mill the first in that vicinity and used by farmers on both sides of the river.

Nearly all the original settlers in the township of Maugerville were from Massachusetts, the majority from the single county of Essex. Thus the Burpees were from Rowley, the Perleys from Boxford, the Esteys from Newburyport, while other families were from Haverhill, Ipswich, Gloucester, Salem and other towns of this ancient county which antedates all others in Massachusetts but Plymouth.

The Esteys proved a prolific stock and their descendants on the River St. John are numerous. The first of this name in America is supposed to have been Joseph Estabrooks, who was born in Enfield, Middlesex County, England, and came to Concord, New Hampshire in 1660. It is said that he had two brothers, one of whom, Thomas, was at Swansea in 1683, but subsequently went to Concord.