USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bremen > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 10
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Bristol > A history of the towns of Bristol and Bremen in the state of Maine : including the Pemaquid Settlement > Part 10
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' For character of Wannerton further, see Hist. Gen. Reg., II, p. 203.
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and gave them an old shallop to return home in, but without restoring any of their property.
The indignation of the government and people of Massachu- setts was justly excited at this perfidious outrage; and a messenger with an energetic remonstrance was at once sent to D'Aulney ; but he was not in a temper to negotiate, and the messenger returned, not however without an assurance that no further acts of aggression should be committed, until time should be had for consultation between the parties.
The question what next to do now occupied the minds of the government and people of Massachusetts, and the matter was anxiously, and even angrily, discussed among the magistrates and people. A considerable party were in favor of making a proposition to the haughty chieftain that representatives of the . two parties should meet at Pemaquid, and confer together con- cerning their mutual difficulties and complaints; but, before any conclusion was arrived at, a notice was received from D'Aulney informing them that he would, in due time, send mes- sengers to Boston for the purpose.
But it was not until late in September of the next year (1646), that the promised messengers made their appearance ; - hav- succeeded in preventing his rival at St. John's from receiving any supplies from the English colonies, at the west, there was on his part no occasion for haste .. But to the colonies it was a grevious delay, all their trade at the cast being suspended.
At the beginning of the negotiation, D'Aulney's representa- tives demanded damages of Massachusetts for injuries he had suffered, to the amount of eight thousand pounds, which, how- ever, Massachusetts refused ; butat length it was agreed that the former treaty should be revived, and that Massachusetts should send to D'Aulney, as a present, an elegant sedan, which had been sent by the viceroy of Mexico, as a present to his sister in the West Indies, but had been brought to Boston and presented to the governor, by the captain of a ship sailing from that port. The article was a costly thing of the kind, but, not being suited to the taste of the Bostonians, was little prized by them ; and the result of the negotiation was considered a triumph of di- plomacy on the part of New England. 1
But the time was now drawing near for the termination of this miserable quarrel, which, originating in matters purely per-
1 Hubbard, p. 406; Winth., II, p. 353; Williamson's Hist. of Maine, I, p. 319.
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sonal between two as despicable characters as the history of those times has made known to us, at length came to involve in some of its consequences, the whole eastern coast of the continent north of Cape Cod.
La Tour, effectually prevented from receiving anything from the English colonies west of him, before the spring of the next year, 1647, found himself short of provisions, and was there- fore obliged to be much from home, cruising from place to place in search of the necessary supplies. Seeing a favorable opportunity thus afforded him, in the month of April, D'Aulney, with such a force as he was able to raise, suddenly made his appearance at the St. John's, and laid seige to the fort with so much energy that he soon gained possession of it, making Madame La Tour and the whole garrison prisoners, and appro- priating to himself all of La Tour's effects of every kind, the value of which was not less than ten thousand pounds.
Madame La Tour, in the absence of her husband, had com- mand of the fort, and, as on a former similar occasion, de- feuded it with great vigor, killing and wounding many of D'Aulney's men, but the latter, having gained some advantage, offered favorable terms, and she was induced to capitulate, surrendering every thing into the hands of her adversary. But as soon as possession of the fort had been gained, D'Aulney, ntterly disregarding the promises he had made, in accordance with his base nature, put the whole garrison to death, except a single man, and compelled Madame La Tour herself, with a rope around her neck, to be present at the execution.
This lady, exhausted by the heroic exertions she had made in defending the fort, and stung to madness by the wrongs and indignities she was made to suffer, died only three weeks after the surrender of the fort; and her husband, now reduced to poverty, was left a wanderer and an exile.
At this time La Tour owed considerable sums to individuals in Massachusetts, to whom much of his property in Nova Scotia was mortgaged, one man alone, by name of Gibbous, having a claim of more than £2,500. The prospect of ever collecting their dues was now small.
La Tour in despair now made application for aid to his former friend Sir David Kirk of Newfoundland, but without effect,
1 Charelvoix's Hist. N. F., II, p. 106; Hub. Hist. N. E., p. 497 ; Hutch. Hist. Mass., I, p. 127.
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and then turned again to Massachusetts, where he found some men of wealth who still having confidence in his integrity, fur- nished him with a vessel and goods to the value of £400, for a trading excursion among the Indians at the east. Arriving at Cape Sable, he developed his true character as a low scoundrel and hypocrite, by entering into a conspiracy with a part of his crew, who were Frenchmen, to put ashore the others who were English, and take possession of the vessel and cargo as their own. The men, thus put ashore in the depth of winter, in a destitute condition, were, after much suffering, releived by a party of Mickmack Indians, who kindly aided them to return to . their homes.
La Tour and his confederates, now regular pirates, it is be- lieved, sailed further east to the Hudson's bay; but nothing is known of their doings. D'Aulney died in 1651, and a way was thus opened for La Tour's return to the scene of his former exploits.
The ferocious contest, between those two unscrupulous rivals, raged with more or less violence for twelve years, and produced effects not a little detrimental to the settlement at Pemaquid, and all others on the coast. Sometimes enormous wrongs were committed on innocent people, living in the neighborhood of their exploits; and angry menaces occasionally thrown out, could not but excite the apprehensions of persons living so near as Pemaquid. -
But the strangest thing connected with this affair remains yet to be mentioned. La Tour, after his return, made love to the widow of his late hated rival, D'Aulney ; and they were actually married, and lived together many years, several children being born to them. All his former possessions in Nova Scotia were now resumed by him, and a singular prosperity marked the latter years of his life; but, it is added, in the history of the time, that in all his prosperity he did not remember his friends in Massachusetts, who aided him in the days of his adversity and trial, so much as to pay them the money he owed them. 1
So singular a termination to such a bitter and protracted con- test exceeds the limits of ordinary romance; and one scarcely
1 Charlevoix's Hist. N. F., II, p, 198; Hutchinson's Hist. Mass. I. p. 127 ; Sulli- van's Hist Maine p. 282.
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knows whether it should be contemplated as belonging to the sublime or the ridiculous, to the romantic or the disgusting.
Capt. Wannerton who was killed in an attack upon D'Aul- ney's plantations at Penebscot, was deeply in debt at the time of his death, as has often been the case with fast livers like him- self. His creditors, among whom was Abraham Shurte of Pema- quid, in the settlement of his estate, became involved in a law suit among themselves, which terminated only in 1648. The deci- sion was adverse to Mr. Shurte, some of the other claimants being able to establish their claims as being superior to his.
CHAPTER XII.
Civil Government at Pemaquid - Silvanus Davis's statement as to the population of Pemaquid and vicinity - Progress of the settlements west of the Kennebec -- The Piscataqua settlement taken under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts- Inquiry as to the northern boundary of the latter - By actual survey it is found to be in lat, 43' 43' 12" -- The line extended east to Clapboard Island - Massa- chusetts extends her jurisdiction east to Saco - Charles II sends Commissioners to investigate the difficulties of the colonies -- The territory of Sagadahoc - The Royal Commissioners of Penobscot - Oath of allegiance taken by citizens -- County of Cornwall - New Dartmouth -- The governments established by the Commissioners soon die out, and the people look to Massachusetts.
The settlement at Pemaquid, for the first half century of its history, may be said to have been almost literally without civil government. Abraham Shurte, as agent of the proprietors of the Pemaquid patent, for a time performed important magis- terial functions here, but his influence seems to have been of a moral rather than governmental character. The same also may be said of Thomas Elbridge, during his sojourn in the country, though he was then sole proprietor of the patent. By general consent, a limited authority was considered as belonging to them, simply because of their relation to the patent.
Williamson remarks of this patent, "that it is a charter as well as a patent ; " and its language seems plainly to authorize the establishing of a regular civil government over the territory couveyed by it; but the proprietors never undertook to exer-
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
cise such a power, whatever may have been their opinions of the proper interpretation of the language used in it.1
It is indeed said of Thomas Elbridge, when he came to reside in the place, being then sole owner of the patent, that he " called a court," here, to which divers fishermen repaired, paying a cer- tain acknowledgement for the right to continue their fishing. This indicates that his chief object was the collection of money. What his success was, we do not know; but as he was willing in a very few years, to dispose of the patent, and all his right under it, for a very moderate compensation, the probability is that his collections were not large. Probably he came to this country about 1647, and in 1651, he disposed of one half of the patent, and the remaining half only six years later.
After the sale of the patent by Elbridge, until the time Massa- chusetts assumed jurisdiction in 1674, the people seem to have been without form or pretence of civil government of any kind, except such as they may have organized for themselves.
As may readily be supposed, in an isolated community as this then was, and on the very " outskirts of civilization," made up largely of desperate adventurers from Europe, poor fishermen, many of whom spent only their summers in the place, or on the coast; and not a few miscellaneous characters, and transient visitors, both from the mother country and from the other New England colonies, the moral and religious condition of the place was not elevated. Not until several years later than this do we hear of any attempts for the cultivation of religion.
Elbridge was an Episcopalian, or, at least, sympathized with the national church of his country, but he did nothing for the introduction of the church into the settlement. Many of the permanent residents in the place, in all probability, were in sympathy with the Puritan 2 colonies of Plymouth and Massa- chusetts, but we do not learn that religious service was by them regularly established here, until at least a century after the first settlement of the place. We shall see hereafter that chaplains, in several instances, accompanied the troops that were stationed at the fort, and religious services were occasionally held by ministers
1 Sullivan (Hist. of Maine, p. 160), says the " patent contained no power of civil government."
2 Though the people of the Plymouth colony were not technically Puritans, as were those of Massachusetts, still, as regards the English government, they all thoroughly sympathized together.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
accidentally in the place, to which the people resorted from cou- siderable distances, often coming on the sabbath from the neigh- boring islands, which, at a very early period, even contained a greater population than they now do.
At this period (1640-1650) the settlement, at first limited to the two banks of the Pemaquid river, from the harbor to the falls, above, had become much more extended, but we cannot now determine with any accuracy the number of permanent resi- dents. Sullivan,1 on the authority of Capt. Sylvanus Davis, says that in 1630 there were " eighty-four families, besides fishermen, about Pemaquid, and St. Gorges and Sheepscott river," but the statement of Davis, still on file in the secretary's office in Boston, scarcely justifies the assertion. The statement is as follows :
" March, 1701.
" Capt. Sylvanus Davis, gives this account of the several Eng- lish settlements, that he hath known to be formerly, at the east- ward of Kennebec or Sagadahock, along the sea-coast to Men- tinicus. Sundry English fishing places, some 70 and some 40 years since.
At Sagadahock many families and 10 boats and sometimes more.
At Cape Newagen many families and 15 boats.
At Hippocras Island, 2
At Damariscove, 15
At Two Bacon Gutt, 1 fishermen
At Holmes Island,
At Pemaquid, 5
Fishing vessels
At New Harbor, 6
At Monhegan, near 20
At St. Gorges fishers,
At Mentinicus Island, 20
Farmers Eastward.
At and near Sagadahock, 20
At E. side of Sagadahock to Merry meeting, 31
From Cape Newagen to Pemaquid, 15
Farmers.
At Pemaquid, 15
At New Harbor, 10
At St. Gorges, W. side, M. Foxwell,
1
At Saquid Point, 60 years agone,
On the E. side of Quisquamego, 1
St. George
Philip Swaden 50 years ago, besides fishermen 60 or 70 years, 84
81 Families.
1 Hist. of Maine, 167-391.
13
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
Within Land.
Between Kennebec and Georges Rivers, 12
At Sheepscott town, besides farms, 50
Between Sheepscot and Damariscotta River, 10
At Damariscotta, 7 or 8
Between Damariscotta, Misconcus
and Pemaquid and Round Pond. S 12
91 Families.1
Though the statement of Davis fails to prove that as many as eighty-four families had settled at Pemaquid and vicinity as early as 1630, it is of importance as indicating something of the populouspess of these places, at a later period, when the Indian wars began.
Davis had been a resident of Damariscotta or vicinity where in 1659 he purchased lands of the Indians, but subsequently removed to Arrowsic island in the Kennebec, and acted as agent of Clark and Lake, who claimed large tracts of land in that re- gion. In the attack on that place by the Indians, Aug. 14th, 1676, he was badly wounded, but finally made his escape. Afterwards he resided at Falmouth, where he was highly es- teemed. In 1690, he was in command of Fort Loyal at Fal- mouth, when it was besieged and captured by the French and Indians. Taken a prisoner to Canada, he was detained there several months ; but subsequently returned and settled in Bos- ton. In the charter of Massachusetts, grauted by William and Mary, in 1692, he was named as one of the council .? IIe died in 1703.
For a full half century after the settlement began, the native Indians seem to have given them no trouble whatever; and the houses of the settlers were considerably scattered, at Pemaquid Harbor, New Harbor, Round Pond, Muscongusand Broad Cove, and on the Damariscotta river north as far as the bridge. On the west side of the Damariscotta also, there were scattered houses besides the settlement on the Sheepscott, which was particularly flourishing. But the Indians, though friendly, were in full sympathy with the French, at the east, whose nearest settlement was at the mouth of the Penobscot, now Castine.
1 Council Filea, State House, Boston.
2 3 Masz. Hist. Coll., I, p. 101 ; Williamson's List. of Muine, I, 671 ; Ilist. of Port- land, p. 284, 2d ed.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
West of the Kennebec, the settlements increased with more rapidity than in this vicinity, but they were kept, almost with- out cessation, in a state of uncertainty and discontent by the quarrels of those claiming to be proprietors of the soil.
These quarrels, though taking place at a distance, were not without their injurious effect upon the Pemaquid, as wellas other neighboring settlements; but the matter can only be alluded to here. They originated chiefly from the indefinite, and often conflicting charters, granted to different parties, by the crown, or by the council of Plymouth, neither apparently having much regard to the doings of the other. Thus their difficulties were for some time increased not a little by the political troubles in England. Charles I can hardly be said to have had any par- ticular colonial policy ; but whatever was his mode of treating his American colonies, it could not but be changed on the accession to power of the protector, Oliver Cromwell; and another momentous change was equally inevitable on the re- storation of Charles, II in 1660.
The founders of these settlements, as well as the settlers themselves were, most of them, warmly attached to the esta- blished church, and, as a matter of course, adopted the forms of the Episcopal church, in their religious worship. This excited no little antipathy against them among the Puritans of Massachusetts, in which feeling the colonies of Plymouth and the two colonies in Connecticut largely participated. There- fore, when, in 1643, the confederacy was formed by the four colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut and New Haven, Maine was not invited to join them.
The small colony established on the banks of the Piscataqua, in 1623, maintained a separate existence for a time, but at length became so much distracted, chiefly by their own internal dis- sensions, that they felt obliged to look abroad for aid. Their religious sympathies were favorable to the English church, but the distractions in England, at this time, precluded any hope, they might otherwise have indulged, of receiving the royal attention. In this extremity, therefore, the more considerate of the people thought it their best course to seek a more intimate alliance with Massachusetts; -- and thus began the series of measures, which eventually resulted in the annexation, not only of the Pemaquid settlement, but of the whole state (or district) of Maine, to Massachusetts.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
Fortunately, just at this time, Massachusetts was more than willing to lend a listening ear to the proposition. For several years prior to this the question of her proper northern boundary, according to her charter, had been much discussed. Accord- ing to this instrument, their north line was to be " three miles to the northward of the Merrimack river and any and every branch thereof; " but no actual survey of the line had ever been made. As soon as attention was drawn to the subject, it was seen, that, wherever the line should fall, by the plain language of their charter not only the Piscataqua settlements, but also those farther east, within the present state of Maine, would be brought within the territorial limits of Massachusetts. Gladly therefore did the Massachusetts people listen to the proposals of the Piscataqua settlements for a political union, which was formally ratified June 14th, 1641.1
But it was ten years after this before the proposed survey was actually made. The survey, in itself, was a very innocent transac- tion ; but for the colonial government to extend its jurisdiction over all the territory which they proposed to grasp, could not fail to provoke violent opposition at home, and might call down upon them the indignant frowns of the English governinent.
The watchful leaders of the Massachusetts Bay colony knew how to choose their time. Charles I had perished upon the scaffold ; and under theParliament, or under Cromwell, the peo- ple of Massachusetts could take hope. In 1651 the matter was brought before the general court, and it was determined, that, to fix the northern boundary of the colony, a point three miles north of the Merrimack must first be found, through which a due east and west line being drawn would constitute the bound- ary in question.
Commissioners were at once appointed to make the survey, who after employing the best scientific talent in the country to assist them, proceeded with the work. August 1st, 1652, they made their report, in which they decided that " the head of the Merrimack, where it issues out of the lake, is iu latitude 43º 40' 12"; and of course the boundary line would be three miles further north, or in latitude 43º 43' 12". " This line traced eastward, it was found, would strike the coast at Clapboard island
1 The connection continued until 1680, when the colony of New Hampshire received a separate charter from the crown.
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
[in Casco Bay]about three miles eastward of Casco peninsula." Nothing was said of territory farther east.
By this movement of Massachusetts, great"excitement and much disquietness was produced among the people living on the territory in question, many of whom probably, both in poli- ticsand religion, sympathized with the Puritans of Massachusetts; but a majority were of the opposite party, and abhorred any connection with their neighbors west of them. Even before the actual movement for the determination of the line, an earnest remonstrance against any such plan as Massachusetts had in view, and a petition for protection against such a catastrophe, was sent to the English government, which however had now fallen into the hands of Cromwell ; and the effort was without avail.
Massachusetts having now settled her northern boundary to her own satisfaction, immediately took measures to conciliate her new subjects by sending commissioners among them to ex- plain more fully their real intention, and give to them positive assurances of the most perfect protection in the enjoyment of all their rights. Massachusetts only proposed to take them under her jurisdiction and protection, to become a part of her own people, with the same rights, privileges and responsibilities. These commissioners, while they pressed carnestly the claims of Massachusetts, were careful to do it with the utmost kindness, and not without effect.
The time for this movement had been judiciously chosen ; all the circumstances, both in the mother country, and in the colonies were favorable. Many of those who by the proposed movement were to be brought under the jurisdiction of Massa- chusetts, were still furiously opposed to the measure, but they were powerless. The commissioners, proceeded in their work with great firmness and decision, but at the same time, with equal forbearance and kindness, until at length the opposition entirely broke down.
The jurisdiction of Massachusetts being thus extended over the Piscataqua settlement, the commissioners next addressed themselves to the Province of Maine, which then included only that part of the present state of Maine west of the Kennebec river. They first presented the subject to the authorities of the Province, who still held their offices under their charter from the crown; but finding it impossible to produce any effect in this direction, they ignored the rulers and turned to the peo-
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HISTORY OF BRISTOL AND BREMEN.
ple. Visiting all the principal settlements in the province, they addressed themselves directly to the citizens, persuading them individually to make their submission to Massachusetts, and take the oath of allegiance.
In this they succeeded even beyond their own expectations; and soon they were in a condition to organize local governments, and appoint the necessary local officers. This was a movement worthy of Young America of the present day, and as a neces- sary result the officers who had been acting under the royal char- ter, to their great mortification, found " their occupation gone."
Thus in the summer of 1653, the jurisdition of Massachusetts was extended as far east as Saco; but five or six years more were required before it could be extended so as to include Falmouth, now Portland. This was at length accomplished by the spontaneous movements of the people of Scarboro and Fal- mouth themselves. Deeming it for their own interest, the peo- ple of these places, in 1658, quietly elected a deputy to the Massachusetts general court, who was allowed to take his seat without opposition.
But all this time there were individuals who utterly refused submission, and by their opposition produced much disquiet among certain classes of the people. Among these were the Rev. Robert Jordan, Henry Jocelyn, and Richard Bonython, [Bonighton] who were men of characterand influence. It was not until some of them had been arrested, and removed to Boston for trial, that they were brought to see the futility of their course.
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