General Jonathan Prince Cilley was born on 29 December 1835 at Thomaston, Knox, Maine.¹ He was the son of Honorable Jonathan Longfellow Cilley and Deborah Prince.¹ He married Caroline Abigail Lazell, daughter of Warren Lazell and Sophia Thurber, on 10 October 1866.¹ He married Mary A. Butler on 23 December 1897 at Maine.² He died on 6 April 1920 at Alameda, Alameda, California, at age 84.³ He was buried on 14 April 1920 at Elm Grove Cemetery, Thomaston, Knox, Maine.^3,4
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley was also known as Jonathan P. Cilley.²
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Epping, Rockingham, New Hampshire, in the household of David Bartlett and Susanna Cilley.⁵
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Thomaston in the household of Henrietta Marsh, his aunt (wife of Hezekiah Prince II, brother of Deborah). He is age 24, a lawyer and has a personal estate valued at $1600.⁶
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley and Caroline Abigail Lazell appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Rockland, Knox, Maine, enumerated 15 June 1870, Jonathan, age 34, is a lawyer, his wife Carrie, age 27, is keeping house. He has real estate valued at $1500 and personal property of $5000.⁷
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Rockland enumerated 12 June 1880.⁸ He resided on 23 December 1897 at Rockland.²
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley and Mary A. Butler appeared on the 1900 Federal Census of 186 North Maine Street, Rockland, Knox, Maine, enumerated 1 June 1900, age 64, he was a pension agent, Mary A, his wife of 2 years. Also in his household were Bairdus and Gusta Butler.⁹
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley and Mary A. Butler appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of 186 North Maine Street, Rockland, Knox, New York, enumerated 21 April 1910, age 67, second marriage for both he and Mary, a lawyer and pension agent, Mary is a housewife. Also living in his household are Edward Burpee and his daughter Susanna. Edward is the son of Mary.¹⁰
     General Jonathan Prince Cilley appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of 1246 St. Charles St., Alameda, Alameda, California, in the household of Walter Greenough Tibbitts and Grace Thurber Cilley, his daughter. He is 84 years old and a widower.¹¹
     He graduated from Bowdoin College in the class of 1858. Two years later he was admitted to the practice of law before the Knox county bar, and once formed a partnership with Lysander Hill and opened on office in Thomaston.
     The practice of his profession was followed but a short time with the war approaching. When the Army was recruiting for a calvary unit Jonathan enlisted. He was made captain of Company B, which he raised, and remained in command until he was severely wounded and captured. A few months later he was assigned special duty as Judge Advocate and Examining officer at the Central Guard house. Returned to the field, wounded again, recovered and stayed with his regiement to the end of the war. He received the brevet rank of brigadier general for bravery at the battle of Dinwiddle Court House and Appomattox.
     After the war he returned to Maine where he was married to Caroline Abigail, daughter of Warren and Sophia (Thurber) Lazell of Brooklyn, N. Y., 10 October 1866, and resumed practice at Rockland. He was a member of the state legislature in 1867; deputy collector of customs, 1867-71; a member of the city council 1873-75; adjutant-general of Maine, 1875-77; and commissioner of the U. S. circuit court from 1867-80. His published works include orations and addresses, a genealogy of The Cilley Family; The Gamble Family; and The Mount Desert Widow. He was elected a member of the Maine Historical Society and a corresponding member of the New Hampshire Historical Society. He died in Alameda, California with his daughter Grace with whom he went to live in his old age. He died there 6 April 1920, and was buried in Thomaston 14 April 1920.^12,3
          A plaque honoring General Jonathan Prince Cilley has been hung on Rockland's Wall of Fame located at the town hall.
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Excerpt from Memoirs and Services of Three Generations published in 1909.¹²