USA > Maine > Hancock County > Swans Island > A history of Swan's Island, Maine > Part 10
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Solomon Barbour.
Solomon Barbour came here from Deer Isle in 1843, and bought the lot of land before described as belonging to Alexander Staples. He erected the building now standing thereon, and built a store, where he traded for some years. Previous to this time he had been a successful master mariner. His wife was Harriet, daughter of Abel E. Staples. Mr. Barbour's grandfather, also Solomon Barbour, came to Deer Isle from Massachu- setts in 1793. His wife was Deborah Faxon, of Brain- tree, who, it is said, when she was young, resided for some years in the family of John Adams, President of the United States ; while with the family, John Quincy Adams was an infant, of whom she had the care.
Mr. Barbour, sr., was a baker by trade. He joined the Continental army near the beginning of the Revolu- tionary war and served until its close ; he received a pen- sion until his death, which occurred in 1830. After his death his widow continued to receive the pension under the act to grant pensions to the widows of Revolutionary soldiers. She died in 1852, at the age of ninety-two years.
Solomon Barbour, jr., married after coming to this town, where he continued to reside until his death in 1896, at the age of eighty-one years. His widow still occupies the homestead. They were the parents of Seth and
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George Barbour, both of whom are dead, and Capt. Al- vah Barbour, who at present is captain of the passenger steamer "Vinalhaven". The daughters were: Edna, wife of W. Leslie Joyce, and Cornelia, wife of Emery E. Joyce.
Moses Bridges.
Moses Bridges came to this island in 1847. He was born in Sedgwick, March 17, 1790. Here he married Emily Eaton ; they lived a few years in Sedgwick, where their oldest child was born in 1818. He bought of Rufus B. Allyn, Swan's agent, the eastern Calf island, contain- ing one hundred and sixty-two acres, for which he paid $400. He was given a deed of the island by Allyn May 23, 1823, and a mortgage was given; this mortgage was discharged in December, 1839. He then disposed of this property and moved to Marshall's island. Whether he had any legal title to the part of the island he occupied, we do not know, but in 1847 he exchanged his part of Marshall's island with Silas Hardy for the "Point" below Sadler's. It is claimed there was a mortgage on this place when Mr. Bridges bought it and later it was foreclosed, which turned Mr. Bridges out of doors in his old age. Mr. Bridges died in 1873, aged eighty-three years; his wife died in 1850, aged fifty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Bridges were the parents of eleven children.
The daughters were : Betsey, who became the wife of John Ross, who was drowned in 1845, aged twenty- nine years; in 1848 Mrs. Ross married William Annis ;
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he, also, lost his life by drowning; Mrs. Annis died in 1895, aged seventy-four years; Julia A., who married in 1843 Consider Bridges; this occurred while the Bridges family was living on Marshall's island; they settled in Bucksport ; she died about 1895, aged seventy-six years ; Emily, who married, in 1844, Isaac H. Keith; Abigail, who married Chaney Sadler; Jane, who was the wife of John Joyce ; Justina, who was the wife of Albert Smith; the last four settled in Ellsworth; Naomi, who married Frank Wilson, of Orono.
The sons were : Daniel and Parker, who will be fur- ther noticed; Stillman, who married Caroline Pomroy ; he died at this place; Moses, 2d, who married Lucy Stanley; after his death she married Freeman Gross, of Orland.
Daniel Bridges married Clarissa Stanley and bought the lot of land formerly owned by John Gott, and built the house where his son Wilmer now resides. Their children were : Edmond F., Leaman, who died in 1887, aged thirty-four; James and Wilmer; Deborah, wife of Wil- liam S. Joyce; Emily, wife of Roland Stewart ; Dianthia, wife of Harris J. Gott; Algia, wife of Lewis Staples. Mr. Bridges died in 1887, aged sixty-four years. His widow still survives at an advanced age.
Parker Bridges bought the lot of Moses Sadler in I859. On this lot he built the house now occupied by his widow. His wife was Mary A., daughter of David E. Conary, of Deer Isle, whom he married in 1852. Their children were : Addison, Harvey, Reuben, who was lost
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at sea Dec. 18, 1883, aged twenty-four years; David, Lewis and Willard. The daughters were : Amelia F., wife of Edward E. Rankins, of Rockland; she died in $ 1888, aged thirty-three years; Susan, wife of Oliver Bowley.
This completes the record of the early settlers of Swan's Island. It includes all those who made their homes here for any length of time, as far as I have been able to ascertain. I have tried to make the record of each family as complete and accurate as possible. In some cases it has been impossible to trace them all, as so few records had been preserved. If some families have been noticed more in detail than others, it has been for the reason that better and more thorough records have been at my disposal.
CHAPTER V.
GOTT'S ISLAND.
It has been thought best to include in this work a no- tice of the early settlers of Gott's Island, as the people from that island have so often intermarried with the peo- ple of Swan's Island, and many of them have changed their residences from the one place to the other that their histories are almost inseparable.
Champlain was the first explorer who makes mention of Gott's Island, which the French then called Petit Plais- ants (Little Placentia), by which name this island was called until 1789, when it was purchased by Daniel Gott, since which it has been known as Gott's Island. Cham- plain, while on this voyage of discovery in September, 1604, made the first map of this coast. On this map we find the French had given names to many of these islands, either at this time or previous to Champlain's visit. Many of the names given to them by the French have been re- tained to the present day, e. g., Isle au Haut, Grand Me- nan, Petit Menan, Mount Desert (which means "The Isle of the Desert Mountains"), Petit Plaisants and Grand Plaisants (Little and Great Placentia) which mean, when translated, "The Little Beautiful Island " and "The Large Beautiful Island", and Brule-cote, afterwards incorrectly translated into Burnt Coat by which Swan's Island was formerly known. The French from this time had posses-
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sion of the coast from the Penobscot bay to the St. Croix river. This claim was not conceded, however, by the Massachusetts Bay colony, which was jealous of the en- croachment of the French. £ The French had established trading-posts at many places along the coast.
During the spring of 1688 Sir John Andros, of the Massachusetts Bay colony, desiring to determine the num- ber of those stations and the strength of the French occu- pation, sent a whale-boat down the shore to reconnoitre and check the French advance. They found two French families - (I) at Penobscot (Castine) Baron Castine, his family and Ranne, his servant ; (2) at Eggemoggin reach Charles St. Robin, his son and daughter, La Fleur and wife; (3) near Mount Desert, Little Placentia (Gott's Island), he found Lowry, wife and child who were French, and Hinds, wife and four children (English under French protection) ; (4) east side of Mount Desert, Win- scheag bay, Cadalac and wife; (5) at St. Machias, Mar- tell, John Breton, wife and child, of Jersey. Latter, wife and three children ; (6) Passamaquoddy and St. Croix, St. Robin, wife and son Lettrell, John Minus, wife and four children, Lambert, Jolly Clive, his servant, Torza, Lena, his servant. The above enumeration is found re- corded in the Massachusetts historical society, and was made May II, 1688.
So the first account of a settlement on Gott's Island was this record. How long they had been there, or where they came from, is not known. Traces of where Hinds and Lowry lived are still to be seen, one of which
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is in Charles Welch's field, and another near by in Sam- uel Gott's field. A thorn tree still grows near where each one of these houses was located, which is supposed to have been planted by these families, as they were found grow- ing there when Daniel Gott came to the island in 1789. The thorn tree in Mr. Welch's field is but a few rods from the shore, and the traces of where the house stood are pretty well obliterated. The thorn bush in Mr. Gott's field stands at what is called the fore shore bank. This bank, which is made up mostly of clam shells, has been gradually washed away by the action of the sea, so that only a part of the cellar over which one of these settlers lived is visible; the rest is washed away, and the thorn tree now is partly over the bank.
The Massachusetts Bay colony, in May, 1704, sent out an expedition under Capt. Church against the French and Indians along the coast. The French trading posts were broken up, and many of the settlers were taken pris- oners ; this may have been the fate of Hinds and Lowry. I do not find any further record of settlers on Little Placen- tia until some eighty years later, when it became the prop- erty of Mr. Gott. It is probable that this island was the temporary abode of fishermen during a greater part of the interval between the departure of Hinds and Lowry and the arrival of Mr. Gott ; but if such there were, no records of them have been preserved.
The Gott family which first settled at Mount Desert came from Gloucester, Mass. They had very large fam- ilies, and were a vigorous, hardy race ; most of their large
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families of descendants reached adult age, married, very often, among their own relations, they in turn having large families. So they have spread far and wide, and they and their descendants form a large proportion of the inhabitants in all the towns surrounding their early settle- ment. They are especially numerous at Mount Desert, Gott's Island, Swan's Island and Deer Isle. On account of their frequently marrying people of their own name, and the frequent repetition of names in the different branches of this family, their genealogy is con- fusing.
Charles Gott, the ancestor of the Gott family in America, came to this country in 1628, and was of the company that came over with John Endicott, afterwards governor. This company sailed from Weymouth, Eng- land, June 20, 1628, and arrived at Salem on Sept. 6, of the same year.
Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, had a large and interest- ing family. Several of his children came to the towns mentioned above. A part only settled on the island under consideration, but their families are so connected that their record will be given here. Three of his daughters mar- ried three brothers, Richardson by name : (I) Elizabeth married Stephen Richardson, of Gloucester, and settled at West Bass Harbor, over an old cellar in the field back of Jacob Sawyer's present residence ; (2) Margaret married Thomas Richardson, of Gloucester, and settled at East Bass Harbor, over a cellar about half way between the store and present residence of Perry W. Richardson; (3)
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Rachel married James Richardson, of Gloucester, and settled at Somesville about the time that Abraham Somes made the first permanent settlement in 1762 or '63. In August, 1763, George Richardson was born, he being the first child born to white parents on Mount Desert.
Another daughter of Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, named Eunice, married Capt. Benjamin Stockbridge, of Gloucester ; they had one son, Benjamin, jr., who settled at Deer Isle. After the husband died Mrs. Stockbridge became the wife of Capt. John Thurston, of Gloucester. By this second marriage their children were : Ambrose, who married Polly Gamage; Amos, who married Mary Gott; Stephen married Mrs. Pierce Carter; William mar- ried Nancy Foster; John, jr., who married Sarah Foster. All these were born in Gloucester. Then about 1784, Capt. Thurston moved his growing family and his step- son, Benjamin Stockbridge, to Deer Isle, where the fol- lowing children were born : Solomon, who married Sarah Gott; Lois, who was the wife of a Mr. Hooper; after his death she married Charles Gott, her cousin ; Eunice, who was the wife of David Smith, of Swan's Island; Susan, who was the first wife of Charles Gott. So the Thurston and Stockbridge families of Deer Isle were closely related to the Gotts, of Gott's Island. Most of these chil- dren's families have been considered more in detail else- where in this book.
Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, also had two sons-Daniel, whom we shall notice as the original purchaser of Gott's Is- land, and William. Peter Gott, whom we have recorded
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as having settled and reared his family on Swan's Island, was a cousin to this family.
William Gott, a son of Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, married Patience Richardson, and settled at Mason's point (Somesville) about 1776 or 1778. He died soon after, when his widow married Andrew Tarr and settled at Fer- nald's point (Southwest Harbor). By her first marriage Mrs. Gott's children were: Elial, who was never mar- ried; he was killed in a drunken fray in 1790; Rachel, who married a Mr. York; they had no children; after Mr. York's death she became the wife of a Mr. Dean; they had one child, Rhoda, who died young. By her second marriage her children were : Comfort, who married Tobias Fernald, of Kittery, Maine ; Andrew, jr., married, in 1795, Esther Stanwood; Daniel, who married, in 1799, Tryphosia Hudlock.
(1) Comfort and Tobias Fernald's children were : Daniel, born in 1808, was never married ; is living (1894) ; Eben, born in 1810, married Sophronia Wasgatt. (The above were the parents of Rev. O. H. Fernald. )
(2) Andrew Tarr, jr., married Esther Stanwood. They had one son, also Andrew Tarr, born in 1796.
(3) Daniel Tarr married Tryphosia Hudlock. Their children were ; Daniel, Jonathan H., Samuel H., of whom there is no record. Another son, Aaron, walked overboard in his sleep from the steamer "Royal Tar"; Sarah married a Mr. Stephens.
Daniel Gott, 'a son of Daniel Gott, of Gloucester, first settled at Norwood's Cove, Tremont, some time previous to
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the Revolutionary war. His wife was Hannah Norwood. Here, in 1777, their first child was born. Soon after this, Mr. Gott moved to Gott's Island, it receiving its name from him; previous to this time it was called Little Placentia island. He afterwards bought this island of the common- wealth of Massachusetts, in consideration of the sum of £18. His deed was dated March 25, 1789, and is still in a good state of preservation; it is in the hands of Mr. Gott's descendants; he thus became, as far as we have any record, the first owner of the island. The two Bass Harbor residences of the sisters and the Gott's Island resi- dence were in full view.
These families, after settling here, had hard work to support their families, depending almost solely upon the fishing business, and being so far away from any place where supplies could be obtained. An incident of great trial in the family of the Gotts and Richardsons occurred at Bass Harbor. They were short of provisions. Late in the fall of 1765 (or thereabout) they sent a load of staves to Gloucester to be exchanged for provisions to last them through the winter. When the provisions arrived they were stored at Thomas Richardson's, East Bass Harbor. That night Mr. Richardson and wife, having put their two children, Thomas, jr., and Puah, in bed, they harnessed an ox single and started for Beech Hill by moonlight, following a wood track one mile east, and then along an Indian trail seven or eight miles to Beech Hill and Somes- ville to notify them that provisions had arrived. On their return near midnight, when at the top of Beech Hill
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mountain, they saw a fire in the southwest direction and they knew that their cabin was burning, and their two children probably burned to ashes. Hastening their speed they happily met the children coming to meet them, un- harmed. This was a long, sad winter for them. All their families moved to Gott's Island and made all things com- mon ; fish, clams and some game helped them through the winter.
Mr. Gott, with his two sons, Charles and David, was drowned by the capsizing of a boat while returning from the fishing grounds, July 7, 1814. Mr. Gott, sr., was near fifty-five years of age. After his death his widow married Peter Gott, of Swan's Island, in the year 1824. Peter then lived at Gott's Island until his second wife's death, when he returned to Swan's Island, and lived with his sons there until his death in 1839.
Daniel and Hannah Gott were the parents of twelve children, all of whom reached adult age, married and had large families of their own. There were ninety-seven grandchildren, of whom eighty-one were married. Of these eight were married the second time. The following were the children - eight sons and four daughters. The daughters were : Hannah, wife of William Appleton, who settled at Tremont ; Elizabeth, wife of James Somes, who settled at Beech Hill; Mary, born in 1775, married her cousin, Amos Thurston, and settled at Deer Isle ; Sarah, born May 26, 1786, married Solomon Thurston, and settled at Fox Island; she died August 23, 1869. The sons were : Daniel, jr., Nathaniel, Joseph, Benja- min, William, Charles, David and Isaac.
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The families of the children of Daniel and Hannah Gott will be further noticed.
I. Daniel Gott, jr., in 1785 married Deborah Rich- ardson, and settled at Beech Hill. They were the parents of nine children as follows : Daniel, who died at the age of twenty-one; Susannah, who married, Dec. 21, 1809, Rufus Wasgatt; Sarah, who married, Nov. 30, 1815, Asa Wasgatt ; Nathaniel, who married, in 1814, Jane Dodge ; Deborah, who became the second wife of Daniel Ladd; Eliza, who was the first wife of Daniel Ladd; Benjamin, who died unmarried; all the above settled at Beech Hill ; Isaac, who married Mrs. Tryphosa Atherton; after her death he married Margaret Richardson and settled at West Ellsworth; Ann, who married Luther Park, and moved out West.
II. Nathaniel Gott was born Feb. II, 1765. His wife was Betsey Richardson, who was born April 14, 1767. They were married November 28, 1786. He settled on Gott's Island. They were the parents of twelve children, all of whom but one married and reared large families. Mr. Gott died January 27, 1841. His wife died March 15, 1844.
The following were their children - one son and eleven daughters: Asenath, wife of Philip Moore, of Gott's Island; Jane, wife of James Greening, of South- west Harbor; Lucinda, wife of Thomas Stanley, of Little Cranberry Isle; Esther, wife of Philip Longley, of South- west Harbor; Clarissa, wife of William Gilley, of Cran- berry Isles ; after his death she became the wife of David
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Cates, of the same town; Hannah died unmarried ; Deb- orah was the wife of John Clark, of Beech Hill ; Nathaniel, jr., married Huldah Hudlock and settled at Gott's Island ; Rhoda, wife of Daniel Hamblen, of Bass Harbor; Betsy, wife of Nicholas Tinker, of Southwest Harbor ; Mary, wife of Benjamin Richardson, of Somerville; Judith, who was the first wife of Mr. Cates.
III. Hannah Gott was the wife of William Apple- ton. They settled at Tremont. They were the parents of the following six children : Hannah, wife of a Mr. Davis, of Ohio; Polly, wife of Robert Nichols; Reuben married Jane - ; after his death she became the wife of Alfred Harper; Charles died unmarried; Sally, wife of William Reed, of Goose Cove, Tremont; Betsy, wife of William Harper, of Tremont.
IV. Elizabeth Gott married James Somes and set- tled at Beech Hill, where all their children were born. They afterwards moved to Solon, Maine, where they died - Mr. Somes at the age of sixty-eight years and his wife at the age of sixty years. They were the parents of nine children -three sons and six daughters, as follows : Hannah, wife of Stephen Manchester; they settled at Solon ; Naomi died in Bangor unmarried; Sarah, wife of Benjamin Merrill, of Solon; Elizabeth married Daniel Durrill, who settled in Los Angeles, Cal. ; his widow still resides there; Mary died in infancy; Mary, another child of that name, was the wife of Ezra Averill ; they settled at Twin Lake, Mich .; James married Louisa Wright and settled in Dry Creek, Cal .; they are both living; Abram
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died in Florence, Cal. ; Daniel G. married Charlotta L. Thorn and settled in Los Angeles. There are only three of this family now living (1895) - Elizabeth, aged eighty- two, James, aged seventy-seven, and Daniel, aged sixty- nine years.
V. Mary Gott married her cousin, Amos Thurston, of Deer Isle. (Mary's mother, Eunice, was a sister of Daniel Gott, of Gott's Island. She married John Thurs- ton, of Gloucester, who settled at Deer Isle in 1784.) Mr. and Mrs. Amos Thurston were the parents of eight children. They owned a large part of the land on which the village of Oceanville is now located. Mrs. Thurston died in 1866, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. For many years before her death she was totally blind. Their children were : Mary, born in 1798, died in 1803 ; Eunice, born in 1800, married Edward Small, of Deer Isle; Susan, born in 1802, married John Webster Small, of Deer Isle, December 7, 1820; Mr. Small died in 1874, aged seventy-four years; Mrs. Small died in 1889, aged eighty-seven years ; Mary, born in 1804, married Nathan- iel H. Richardson, of Somesville, in 1826; Ambrose, born in 1806, married Serena Morrill Gott; Amos, born in 1809, married Ann Stinson, of Deer Isle; Elizabeth, born in 1815, married Walter Butler Hamblen ; after his death she became the wife of Capt. Jesse Stinson; Hannah Ann, born in 1819, died in 1836.
VI. Joseph Gott married Lydia Barton and settled at Little Gott's (Bar) Island. They were the parents of nine children, viz. : Joseph, jr., married Hannah Carter
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(a sister of David Gott's wife) ; Lydia was the wife of William Hopkins; Ruth was the wife of Francis Gilley, of Orland; Daniel married Lydia Benson; after her death he married Cornelia Dodge; Joanna was the wife of Daniel Robinson, of Southwest Harbor; James married Hulda Dawes; Martha was the wife of Earl Lane; Han- nah was the second wife of Earl Lane; Robert married Rebecca Robinson, after her death he married a Mrs. Ober.
VII. Benjamin Gott married, in 1796, Lydia Mor- gan, and settled at Bass Harbor. They were the parents of nine children as follows : Lydia, born in 1797, mar- ried Robert Mitchell, of Placentia; Benjamin died unmar- ried; Joseph married Martha Gott and settled at Goose Cove; Susan married Josiah Leach ; David married Susan Kelley, and lived at Goose Cove; John, born in 1812, married Nancy T. Gott, who was born in 1819; Ezra was lost at sea; Ellen married and lived in Boston; Eliza- beth married John Dawes; after his death she became the wife of a Mr. Hodgdon.
VIII. William Gott was born Oct. 17, 1777. He married Susannah Milliken Nov. 3, 1806, and settled at Gott's Island. They were the parents of five children. Mr. Gott died Feb. 17, 1856; his wife died June 6, 1856. Their children were : William, who married Mary Smith ; Samuel, who married Hannah Richardson and settled at Gott's Island ; Daniel, who died unmarried; Salome, who was the wife of Abram Morrison; Phoebe, who was the wife of Daniel Jordan, of Orland; Susan, who was the wife of Daniel Rich, of Bass Harbor.
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IX. Charles Gott was born in 1771; married Susan Thurston; after her death, which occurred in 1808, at the age of twenty-seven years, he married Mrs. Lois Hooper, a sister of his first wife. Mr. Gott was drowned, together with his father and brother David, July 7, 1814, at the age of forty-three years. His widow moved to Sedgwick where she reared her family. There were eight children, as follows : Susanna, born 1798, died 1817; Lois T., born in 1800, was the wife of David Walker ; she died in 1886 ; Nancy F., born in 1802, was the wife of John Thurston, of South Deer Isle; Amos T., born in 1805, married Joanna Gott, a daughter of David Gott ; after her death he married Mrs. Margaret M. (Douglass) Gott, widow of Solomon Gott; Charles jr., born in 1807, married Alice Carter, of Sedgwick. The children by his second wife
were : Solomon T., born in 1810, married Margaret Douglass ; Eunice T., born in 1812, married Joseph Her- rick, of Sedgwick; Hannah, born in 1813, was the wife of Daniel Douglass.
X. David Gott married Joanna Carter and settled on Gott's Island. He was drowned, as stated in the last no- tice, July 7, 1814. His widow moved to Bluehill, where she reared her family of four children. They were : Abigail, wife of Moses Friend, of Sedgwick; Joanna, wife of Amos Thurston Gott; Hannah married in 1832 Preston Preble ; Mrs. Preble is still living in Sedgwick at the age of eighty-three years (1895) ; David, jr., died in infancy.
XI. Sarah Gott born in 1786, married Solomon Thurston. They were the parents of nine children. Mr.
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Thurston died in 1854, aged seventy-one years; his wife died August 23, 1869. Their children were : Sarah, born in 1809, was the wife of Enos Cooper, of Rockport; Sol- omon, born in ISII, married Mary Annis ; after her death he married Calista Calderwood; Martha was the wife of Jesse Thayer, of West Deer Isle; Hannah was the wife of James Witherspoon, of North Haven; Sophronia was the wife of William Harrison Smith ; John married Lizzie Grindle, of North Haven; Daniel was lost at sea in 1848; Mary Ann married, in 1832, J. W. Ingraham; William married Abbie Wright, of Rockland.
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