Dr Nathaniel Coffin came to Portland in 1738 from Newburyport, his native place where he studied with Dr Tappan. In 1739 he married Patience Hale by whom he had eight children

Dr Coffin had an arduous task in pursuing his professional duties, having nearly the whole eastern county to attend to from Wells to Kennebec. He was frequently called to perform operations on people who had been tomahawked and scalped by Indians. He was so much respected by these that they always furnished him with safe conveyance through their settlements, and treated him with kindness and hospitality. From his studies in Newburyport he could not have acquired the information he possessed and which made him so extensively useful, particularly in surgery, but it may be easily accounted for, by the opportunity he had of intercourse with young gentleman who came out in the ships as surgeons, After serving their apprenticeship in London, they were admitted for one year or more into some of the hospitals there to finish their education,

Discovering their superior advantages he always made them welcome in his house and provided them with means of accompanying him on his visits to his patients, In this way he obtained yearly information on every new discovery and improvement relative to the science of medicine and surgery. In May 17~3 he was attacked with a palsy, notwithstanding, he perceived in this intention of sending his son London to attend the hospitals of St Thomas and Guy in the borough. Jan 1766, he had another attack of Palsy of which he died aged 50 years.

Nathaniel Coffin, son of the preceding, was at the time of hi decease the oldest and one of the most eminent surgeons in the state of Maine, The first ancestor of his family who came to this country was Tristam Coffin who emigrated from England in 1642. Dr Coffin was born in Portland May 3 f?) 1744, in which place he always lived and where he closed his long and useful life. The country at the time of his birth, for many miles around Casco Bay including the site of Portland, was called Falmouth, afterwards the part most thickly settled, lying on the harbor, was incorporated into a separate town called Portland. He completed his preparatory medical education under his father, but the limited means of the scientific improvement then existing in this thinly peopled section of the country, enduced the son with the advice of his father to embark for England at the age of 18. He then prosecuted his studies at Guy's and St Thomas Hospitals under the distinguished Hunter, Akenside, McKenzie and others; and returned to commence the practice of his profession at the early age of twenty-one, The time which be passed in a land, then as far excelling his own in the advancement of the arts and sciences, as this vigor of manhood excels the weakness of infancy, was faithfully improved. His industry and desire for knowledge was greatly promoted by ready tact and practical good sense which were distinguishing features of his mind; At the time of the death of his father, which occurred in 1766, he was a qualified in no ordinary degree to succeed to an extensive and arduous practice. He married in his twenty - sixth year of his age the only daughter of Isaac Foster Esq. of Charleston by whom he had 11 children. In consequence of the rapid increase of the population in this port of the country after the close of the war, his labors, though greatly multiplied soon became confined to his native town His father who had resided in the same spat with himself, and within the memory of his son had been compelled to travel with his healing art over an extent of country reaching forty miles west and more than fifty on the east, the only messenger of consolation that could be procured within these limits, while the son found in his native town and vicinity a constant demand for his time, his talents and his benevolence. At the commencement of his career, Dr Coffin might be often found traveling through unfrequented and dangerous roads, to visit patients who possessed none of the comforts and scarcely the necessities of civilized life, while the cannon of the enemy was sounding in his ears, and before his eyes lay all the desolation with which war ravages the land. Could this amiable and enterprising physician while watching in the abodes of misery, have relieved the tedious hours with an anticipation of the peace and prosperity which would so soon to reward the consistency of his countrymen, how his benevolent heart would have cheered at the prospect! He loved his country and ardently desired her freedom and advancement, but few persons at that period dreamed of independence. It was not long, however, before the prospect brightened and America, though struggling with a power incalculably superior to her own, gave signs of a resolution not to be overcome. The inhabitants of Falmouth caught the general spirit of patriotism, which was daily gaining ground, and determined to relinquish their commerce with England. This resolution was first enforced upon Mr. Coulson, an English resident there; who had married a sister of Dr Coffin. In consequence of these offensive proceedings an order was obtained from an Admiral on the station for the destruction of the town, and Captain Mowatt drew up his navel forces to execute the order. On this occasion Dr Coffin with two others was employed by his townsmen to repair on board the "Cancean" to expostulate with the commander upon the severity of his commission, and to endeavor to avert or midget this evil. In this attempt he was not successful. Captain Mowatt was determined to burn down the town, and a short interval was obtained for the inhabitants to remove some of their effects, and to escape to the adjacent country. This excellent man continued to share the lot of his suffering townsmen during that trying season and his faithfulness deserves to be recorded with that of the respectable and worthy pastors of the flock who abode by their charge in their dispersion. After the alarm had a little subsided, the inhabitants ventured to return to their ruined homes and began gradually to rebuild their ruined houses, Dr coffin was the first to enter the town, and to animate by his courage and his cheerfulness the hearts of the people, sunk into despondency by the melancholy spectacle which on all sides met their view. His services were at this time particularly acceptable to his fellow citizens, as a physician, harassed by a foreign enemy and liable to all the diseases and misfortunes incident to perilous times. Sickness is one of the roost severest aggravations of poverty and misfortune; It unnerves the strong arm and stout heart, which in the vigor of health find new resources and new enterprises from peril and difficulty, During this period of the Revolution, sick and disabled seaman and soldiers were often brought by our ships into Portland. Dr Coffin was thus offered repeated opportunities for a display of those principles of practice which he had previously acquired in foreign hospitals, and which a rare skill and discriminating judgement enabled him at all times to apply the most successful results. As a surgeon, Dr Coffin was in his native town ranked at the head of his profession, always prompt and ready, with a resolution that never wavered in the boldest operations, with an eye steadily fixed on its object and a hand that never trembled, and all the practical knowledge of anatomy essential to the successful treatment of surgical diseases, he was prepared to accomplish what no other practitioner around him presumed to undertake. If he possessed a peculiar facility in any one branch of his profession it was certainly operative surgery. Some of his operations were performed at the age of eighty, with all the promptness and decision of a youthful practitioner. His reputation was also high as a medical practitioner, and what is said of the learned and distinguished Dr Baillie with truth may be applied to him: " He had a most natural, unassuming but decided manner, in which the exercise of his professional duties was the same to all persons on all occasions, His mind was always quietly but eagerly directed to the investigation of the symptoms of the disease, and be was so distinct and systematic a mode of putting questions that an answer often presented a correct view of the whole and could not fail to impress the patient with his clear and comprehensive knowledge. He was honored by all those professional distinctions which his merits and attainments so truly deserved. The honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred on him by the College of Brunswick. He was the first President of the Medical Society of Maine, and for many discharged the duties of hospital surgeon for marine patients in the district of Maine. Possessing a constitution naturally healthy and vigorous, and a mind resolute and intelligent, there was no peril which he was not prepared to encounter, and no adversity which he could not endure, and he has well deserved the distinction awarded him by the public for his constant and unremitted exertions during a period of sixty years.

Dr Coffin was surrounded in the early part of his career by suffering friends and patients, but his life was closed amid the blessings of freedom and independence. In the peaceful evening of his days, all the enjoyments of prosperity and affection clustered around his dwelling, but it should not be forgotten that the respectability and happiness that he experienced were the well earned reward of his virtues, talents and faithfulness of the early years. In his manners, he was a polished specimen of the state of American Society existing before the Revolution, he was one of the most gracious gentlemen of the old school, and his deportment was marked by a uniform and captivating urbanity. His long experience added to his varied knowledge rendered his services valuable to the last and the facilities of his mind retained a singular freshness even to the ordinary decays of nature. He made an early profession of his religious principles, and was one of the first united with Rev. Dr. Freeman of Boston and for a number of years, he was associated with the Church of the First Parish in his native place.

The manner of his decease is briefly told, in 1823 he had a slight attack of asthma, which disappeared in a few days, but it returned in April 1824 and brought extreme debility which threatened his life and ended by a general breaking up of his robust and healthy constitution. From this period, he began to decline, while a gouty affection appearing, produced, according to its ordinary effects on a debilitated system, hydrothorax, which at last proved fatal and notwithstanding the unremitted and affectionate attention of an family, the constant services of his medical friends, with as bodily suffering as could be expected, and a mind but slightly anxious little impaired, he expired on the 18th of October 1826. It may be noticed that he died on the anniversary of the destruction of Portland, which he survived 51 years. Copied from Dr Weeks paper on History of Colonial Medicine in America. In our Family Papers